panabas

[Federico]

Originally Posted by Bill

not much of an answer for your question, but in Cashey's "the first voyage around the world", Pigafetta's account: in Cebu a cutlass was called a campilan. the warriors on Mactan fought mostly with sharpened bamboo spears & rocks, as Magellan retreated, he was rushed by the few warriors that carried campilans, but Pigafetta's report was that Magellan went down with a blow from a large "terciado", described as a scimtar, only larger. panabas? have seen mentioned that both campilan & panabas were used before the Spanish, as well that metal was so valuable it was seldom used for tools, almost always for weapons.

Interesting, Ill have to re-look at the translation notes for my version of Pigafetta's account, because in my version it describes the natives as having metal tipped spears with bamboo shafts, and as posessing swords.

Also interesting is the account that metal was so valuable it was seldom used for tools. Where did you find that, as I have not heard it before? William Henry Scott, in his work dealing with 16th century Filipinos, Barangay, describes the locals as having very complex metal working skills, with metal work being abdundant and wide spread. So much so that when the Spanish arrive, they hire a local, Panday Pira, to make their cannon for them.