Borneo Parang Ihlang

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you very much guys,
Kai, here are more pics. I do not have the sword at hand, and it unfortunately does not have the scabbard.

I am really curious on that odd fixture off the blade.

The inscribing is also curious, it seems deeply applied but not like usual style, more carved.

There are spots in the hilt where something round is missing...what would have been there?

[werecow]

Albert van Zonneveld's "Traditional Weapons of Borneo: The Attire of the Headhunters Part III: Swords & Knives" has a lot of information about mandau swords. Might be a good reference to check out (and I know he posts on this forum sometimes).

[JoeCanada42]

I would like to preface this by saying I know very little about the subject
This photo I put together is based on my first impressions.
looking into the Borneo clamp ant, it can jump at prey, fling itself backwards with jaws, and decapitate, aswell as lock down... some ants in Borneo even explode...

[kai]

Hello Joe,

Yes, ants are really fascinating critters as long as they are not biting and/or stinging us. Some feel downright nasty if one is on the receiving end of their weapons...

The clamp ant profile really resembles this krowit motif, indeed. Often the prongs turn inwards though which would fit less. BTW, it is also utilized to close wounds if I recall correctly!


Dayak symbolism is a really vast subject (considering the many ethnic groups and their culture & histories): Some motifs are straightforward (heads) or pretty obvious (aso, leeches). Others, however, can be highly stylized and really tough to identify, especially among a background of confluent motifs; there is a considerable body of published work (of widely differing qualities & scopes) with probably still way more gaps than corroborated knowledge.

We had requests regarding such topics about a year ago and I'd suggest to start separate threads for discussing specific motifs.


Maybe this also helps to bring in more of the specialized Borneo crowd.

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Albert van Zonneveld's "Traditional Weapons of Borneo: The Attire of the Headhunters Part III: Swords & Knives" has a lot of information about mandau swords. Might be a good reference to check out

Yes, definitely.

Just to warn the international audience: The book is written in Dutch; an automatic English translation is available on request though.

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Thanks, Jim!

I'd lean towards identifying it as a tilan(g) kamarau from the Iban. These often have more slender blades but also other blade shapes are known. The engraving does seem to be Iban; also hilts with unusual carvings are not rare with this not very homogenous group (with widely distributed sub-groups).

In Albert's book referenced above, there is a piece with somewhat similar blade shown on page 84. It is identified as jimpul; I believe it fits better with the tilan(g) kamarau though. Iban swords can be pretty varied and often present a mix of features; some may be historical intermediates. However, in most cases I'd assume these to be just variants that defy simple classification. Let's just celebrate the creativity and diversity without spending too much time on pigeon-holing!

There is another group of swords with symmetrically sharpened edge from northern Borneo. You can find examples by searching for gayang on this forum; it's not relevant for your piece IMHO.

I am really curious on that odd fixture off the blade.

That's a pretty typical krowit as also often seen on mandau and other Borneo blades.

The inscribing is also curious, it seems deeply applied but not like usual style, more carved.

Iban engraving looks a bit different from what you might recall from Kayan or Modang blades.

There are spots in the hilt where something round is missing...what would have been there?

It's likely that these held more hair. Any remnants of resin left?

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Forgot to mention, Jim: IMHO an authentic, old piece made for use in the culture. Only the light rattan braiding seems to be a later fix for a now missing resin "ferrule" as usually seen in mandau/etc.

[JoeCanada42]

I hope you don't mind that I share it here, but I had another thought..
I have seen ants go to war, and I have seen them build mega cities, I have seen them take down much bigger predators like lizards, snakes, tarantula etc..
but there is one animal that eats 20,000 ants a day, and is pretty invulnerable..

[JoeCanada42]

sorry cant help it made another...

[JoeCanada42]

...

[kai]

I hope you don't mind that I share it here, but I had another thought

No worries, Joe - keep going!

Pangolins rate high in local lore, indeed.

Not easy to ascertain whether any putative associations vibe with traditional understanding as found in the originating culture.

Regards,
Kai

[Jim McDougall]

Kai, thank you so much for all this detailed information and the encouraging comment on its being authentic. I have had this for so long I had forgotten about it, years ago when I was trying to get an understanding of the forms on these regions. I ended up in other fields, and had forgotten how fascinating these areas are.

One of the most confusing matters seems to be the terminology, which is understandable as there are so many languages and dialects involved. I am presuming the Iban (Sea Dayaks)were situated in North/West Borneo and into Malaysia.

I think your suggestion for separate threads for some of these specifics makes sense, as the complexity of each is enough to warrant singular attention.

I have never followed the difference...mandau....parang ihlang??
Now tilang kamarau?

Thank you again Kai, your knowledge is remarkable and your comments very much appreciated.
Best regards,
Jim

[JoeCanada42]

I don't have it in me to start a whole thread, it was this sword that inspired me...
under the direction to keep going.. I think I did have just one more photo to share

[kai]

Hello Jim,

You're welcome! I'm one of the smaller fishes in the huge Borneo lake...

One has to realise that the early indigenous groups on Borneo are just lumped under the Dayak catch-all name. Many of the lineages are likely to be pretty old; thus, we see a lot of diversity - much more than among the late comers, especially the Malay/Moro/Bugis along the coasts. Aside from long-standing contacts with neighbouring groups (trade/raiding), there also have been small & large scale migrations into "new" territories to evade pressure by more aggressive neighbours as well as famine or epidemics (small pox, cholera, etc.) continuing into modern times.

One of the most confusing matters seems to be the terminology, which is understandable as there are so many languages and dialects involved. I am presuming the Iban (Sea Dayaks)were situated in North/West Borneo and into Malaysia.

The Iban dominated pretty much the lowlands along the whole coast of Sarawak while other groups inhabited the northern/central headwaters (some coastal areas have been inhabited by other groups, especially in what is now Brunei). In addition, there are Iban groups extending well into Sabah, into the middle Mahakam river basin (Kalimantan Timur), and, especially, into Kalimantan Barat (mainly Kapuas tributaries). Sarawak and Sabah belong to Malaysia while Brunei is ruled by an independent Malay Sultanate. The 5 provinces of Kalimantan belong to Indonesia.

I have never followed the difference...mandau....parang ihlang??
Now tilang kamarau?

Mandau, Malat, Parang Ilang are just the most well known/published names for the most common and widespread Borneo blade. The defining feature is a blade with a kinda spoon-shaped cross-section: For a right-hander, the right side would be convex (curved to the outside) and the left side (flat to) concave (a shallow hollow grind, rarely a fuller, or an almost flat surface. There also are left-handed examples. Thus, pretty much shaped like wings of an airplane/bird. One of the theories, that are tough to disprove, is that this shape may facilitate head-taking with the sword being less likely to dig into the body of the victim...

Obviously, this lumps swords from pretty much all over Borneo with significant local differences. Thus, it might be highly preferable to assign local names rather than extending usage of mandau as an East Borneo name for blades from all other ethnic groups. There is also another variant, called Bayu, which has a double-edged blade with a flat side and a "convex" side (and, thus, similar functional cross-section).

All other Borneo swords - exhibiting much greater diversity (shape, function, etc.) - feature flat, symmetric sides and usually saber-grind bevels (slightly convex on both sides along the edge). These are by no means rare - however extant numbers of genuine antiques for some types may be pretty low.

Regards,
Kai