"Is it really a Cockatoo?"

[xasterix]

Necro'ing this thread because I fancied putting a Maranao kris (with a vintage hilt) beside my vintage sarimanok.

It's pretty close- but in the correct-side-up orientation, not in the upside-down pommel orientation. The upside-down is incompatible because a sarimanok's tail is always upward-oriented

[David]

Originally Posted by xasterix

Necro'ing this thread because I fancied putting a Maranao kris (with a vintage hilt) beside my vintage sarimanok.

It's pretty close- but in the correct-side-up orientation, not in the upside-down pommel orientation. The upside-down is incompatible because a sarimanok's tail is always upward-oriented

Well, as with most things that we encounter in SEA, there are multiple ways of interpreting just about everything. So while we can imagine just the head depicted here with the the kris in one orientation i don't think we need to dismiss the possibility of the entire body being depicted in the reverse position. And while i agree that in most old sculptural depictions of sarimanok the tail section is oriented upward i have also seen many images of sarimanok (albeit, more recent ones) where it goes downward.
Regardless of how we interpret it though, i still favour sarimanok as the bird in question. I cannot find anything in Moro or Filipino lore that makes any strong spiritual connect to the kakatua, while sarimanok has strong mythological connections in this area.

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by David

Well, as with most things that we encounter in SEA, there are multiple ways of interpreting just about everything.

Good point- although it's very much possible to isolate the imagery based on the traditions inherent in each Moro tribe within a specific era- in my example, since it's vintage Maranao sarimanok and vintage Maranao hilt, the upturned version is the strong basis, and not the upside-down (since the down-tail emerged in modern time already). The Maranao elders and researchers that I've consulted with also never discussed the pommel in an upside-down fashion, so that says a lot.

But that doesn't mean the upside-down version ceases to be a possible symbolism- at least from other POVs. Symbolism may differ depending on the Moro tribe in question- what may be a "kakatua as sarimanok" from the Maranao POV, for example, may be a different interpretation from the Yakan POV; at the same time the Tausug have their own symbolism, etc. Additionally- Mindanao-made kakatua differs from Sulu-made kakatua in terms of design aesthetic. And it's not only the pommel- oral traditions regarding the origin of shared blades such as the kris/kalis, for example, may vary not only per tribe, but per family lineage as well.

In a nutshell, interpretation of Moro imagery is based (and modified) by the following:
1. Era (and sometimes area too)
2. Tribe
3. Family lineage

These should all be taken into context to arrive at a strong interpretation regarding symbolism/imagery.

[Battara]

I have always thought the same thing Xasterix. I agree and thank you for comparing the two in pictures.

BTW - on the kris is the hilt later to the blade? Would love to see a picture of the whole kris.

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by Battara

I have always thought the same thing Xasterix. I agree and thank you for comparing the two in pictures.

BTW - on the kris is the hilt later to the blade? Would love to see a picture of the whole kris.

Glad we're of the same mind sir! I'll post the kris in the talismanic symbols thread =)

[Ian]

Hi xas,

I really like your Sarimanok! That's a nice piece and it includes, of course, the little fish.

I agree completely with your criteria for interpretation of imagery on Moro weapons. I would add that "Era" includes not just cultural issues among the Moro groups, but also the political balance between these Moro groups and influences from external entities (such as the Brunei Sultanate, Malayan States, the Celebes, etc.).

It has been my understanding that the Sarimanok legend and icon was and remains primarily a cultural focus of the Maranao people of Mindanao. That this icon would filter to some degree into Maguindanao society wo9uld not be surprising, given that the Maranao were (usually) part of the Maguindanao Sultanate. Diffusion of this cultural icon to the neighboring Iranum might also be expected. The question is really to what extent the Sarimanok iconography was embraced by groups outside Mindanao.

Do the Sulu groups (primarily Tausug, Yakan, and Sama) embre=ace the Sarimanok icon in the same manner as the Maranao? Perhaps you have some knowledge of that level of diffusion. And what of the more distant groups that employ the same style of hilt, such as the Brunei Sultanate and Malaysian States—do they also subscribe to a Sarimanok legend?

The political power of the Maranao did rise in the 19th C as the Maguindanao Sultanate faded. However, this power seemed to be more in relation to the Mindanao groups than the Sulu groups. This can be seen in the armed resistance in Mindanao to Spanish and American rule in the late 19th-early 20th C, which involved the Maranao to a large degree, but the Maguindanao (mostly via Datu Piang) were not interested in taking on the U.S. Pershing put down the rebelling Maranao fairly quickly, but the Sulu groups were persistent and were not defeated until the mid-1910s.

I mention this history because cultural iconography is often defined by the most powerful and successful groups within a defined culture. The Maranao were a powerful group in Mindanao in the late 19th C, but they were not as militarily powerful as the Sulu groups in terms of resisting the Americans. Why would Sulu groups, proud of their own cultural heritage, adopt a Maranao icon? And why would such an icon extend beyond Bangksa Moro to more distant Islamic groups?

I don't know a lot about the spread of the Sarimanok icon within the wider Moro groups. I would like to know more. However, as I have stated previously in this thread, I am skeptical about interpreting the shape of the pommel on kris and barung as reflecting a Sarimanok influence, except in the case of Maranao weapons.