Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[Nonoy Tan]

Here are two interesting examples, both originating from the Cordillera area:

1. The specimen is an axe with a stone axe head. Handle is hardwood. Heavy. More likely a club than a cutting blade or axe.

2. Looks like a Panabas from Mindanao, but actually from northeastern luzon.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

Here are two interesting examples, both originating from the Cordillera area:

1. The specimen is an axe with a stone axe head. Handle is hardwood. Heavy. More likely a club than a cutting blade or axe.

Interesting axe design.

On a related matter, I saw the axe below in a Manila antique shop. Would anybody recognize this shape and as to where this may have come from?

To me the axe below is like those Crocs sandals -- "It's so ugly it's cute."

Hope somebody can comment on the pic below. Thanks in advance!

Note: It's the lighting and the mode of the camera that made everything appear yellowish. In reality, the wooden handle is really wooden in color, and the metal axe-head is dark colored as it is covered all over with inactive rust.

[Nonoy Tan]

It is an Ifugao adze used to work on wood, not a weapon.

[migueldiaz]

Nonoy, thanks for the info on the Ifugao adze (and for the painting, too).

Back to the question on the probable age of the design of the Cordillera axe, perhaps one way to find the answer is to estimate the age of the shield's design.

For the two seem to function hand in hand:

"The Tinggian, Kalinga, and other northern tribes use the shield in combat at close quarters. The three upper prong projections are brought down violently against the enemy's legs so that he is tripped; when he is prostrate, the other or looser shield end with the two projecting prongs is brought down over his neck. The victim can then be effectively decapitated with the head ax that the head-hunter always carries with him." [Krieger 1926 96]

"With these tribes [Tinggian and Kalinga], it [the shield] is fashioned into three long prongs and two below... It has even an offensive purpose. In combat, the endeavor is often made to suddenly thrust the three prongs of the upper end against the opponent's legs and with a quick twist trip him up. As soon as he falls, the two prongs at the opposite end are jammed over his neck, pinning his head to the ground and allowing his easy decapitation." [Dean C. Worcester 1913, in National Geographic Society: 'The non-christian peoples of the Philippine Islands']."

Given that the victim can still be alive when the decapitation is made, the beheading has to be swift.

And a swift strike of the head axe will neatly do the job.

The samurai also used a shorter blade (wakizashi) when decapitating his fallen foe. The longer katana would have been impractical for the purpose.

Thus for me the institution of head-hunting means that just like the Cordillera shield, a short blade like the Cordillera axe must have been a very old design, given that the two appear to be two sides of the same coin.

PS - Per Krieger, the Igorot shield just like the Moro shield, has space on the hand-grab just for three fingers. The thumb and the pinky are made to rest outside the slot, to dexterously angle the shield when parrying a blow.

[Rick]

Great thread Gentlemen !
Surely destined for the Classics .
Press on !

[VANDOO]

I HAVE READ THOSE ACCOUNTS OF HOW THE SHIELD WAS USED, IT COULD BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. BUT YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO TRY IT IF YOUR OPPONENT WAS STILL AWAKE AND ARMED AS YOU WOULD EXPOSE YOURSELF TO AN ATTACK WHICH YOU COULD NOT AVOID OR BLOCK. IF YOU WERE IN FRONT OF THE FELLOW USING THE SHIELD TO PIN DOWN HIS NECK IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT AWKWARD TO STRIKE OFF HIS HEAD QUICKLY.
IT WOULD WORK WELL ON A FOE WHO WAS UNCONCIOUS ,DEAD OR UNARMED AND VERY WEAK, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE VERY AGILE AND QUICK TO USE THAT METHOD ON A STRONG STRUGGLING FOE EVEN IF HE WAS NOT ARMED.
ANOTHER THING THAT IS PUZZELING IN THE LAST TWO PICTURES THE THREE PRONGS ARE AT THE TOP AND IF THE 3 ARE TO BE USED TO TRIP UP YOUR OPPONENT THEY SHOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM. THEY COULD BE POSED PICTURES BUT EVEN THEN I SUSPECT A WARRIOR WOULD NOT HOLD HIS SHIELD UPSIDE DOWN, IT WOULD MAKE AS MUCH SENSE TO HOLD HIS SPEAR OR AX BACKWARDS.
I HAVE READ SOMEWHERE THAT THE SHAPE OF THE SHIELD REPRESENTS THE HUMAN FORM THE TWO PROTRUSIONS BEING THE LEGS AND THE THREE UPPER BEING THE TWO ARMS AND THE HEAD IN THE MIDDLE. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN THE SHIELD WOULD BE HELD IN THE MANNER SHOWN IN THE PICTURES. YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO GO INTO BATTLE WITH YOUR SHEILD STANDING ON ITS HEAD.
THE SIMPLE SHAPED SHIELD LOOKS LIKE THOSE USED BY THE DAYAKS OF BORNEO AMONG OTHERS.

I SUSPECT THAT AMBUSHES AND BATTLES STARTED WITH A UNIFORM CHARGE THAT QUICKLY TURNED INTO A MELE AND WHEN YOU DOWNED A MAN YOU TURNED ON ANOTHER OR HELPED ANOTHER OF YOUR TRIBESMEN. THE LOSEING SIDE WOULD CUT AND RUN LEAVING THE WINNERS TO COLLECT HEADS AT LEISURE AND SEE TO THEIR DEAD AND WOUNDED.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

... THE LAST TWO PICTURES THE THREE PRONGS ARE AT THE TOP AND IF THE 3 ARE TO BE USED TO TRIP UP YOUR OPPONENT THEY SHOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM.

Hi Vandoo,

Then perhaps that's the reason why the logo of the Phil. National Police had the shield rotated 180 degrees (image attached).

(By the way, the said logo adopted the silhouette of Lapu Lapu with a kampilan as the central image.)

On how Igorot battles are conducted, this account from Jenks' The Bontoc Igorot (1905) is very close to what you just described:

"Men go to war armed with a wooden shield, a steel battle-ax, and one to three steel or wooden spears. It is a man’s agility and skill in keeping his shield between himself and the enemy that preserves his life. Their battles are full of quick, incessant springing motion. There are sudden rushes and retreats, sneaking flank movements to cut an enemy off. The body is always in hand, always in motion, that it may respond instantly to every necessity. Spears are thrown with greatest accuracy and fatality up to 30 feet, and after the spears are discharged the contest, if continued, is at arms’ length with the battle-axes. In such warfare no attitude or position can safely be maintained except for the shortest possible time.

"Challenges and bluffs are sung out from either side, and these bluffs are usually 'called.' In the last Bontoc-Tulubin foray a fine, strapping Tulubin warrior sung out that he wanted to fight ten men—he was taken at his word so suddenly that his head was a Bontoc prize before his friends could rally to assist him.

xxx

"Rocks are often thrown in battle, and not infrequently a man’s leg is broken or he is knocked senseless by a rock, whereupon he loses his head to the enemy, unless immediately assisted by his friends.

"There is little formality about the head taking. Most heads are cut off with the battle-ax before the wounded man is dead. Not infrequently two or more men have thrown their spears into a man who is disabled. If among the number there is one who has never taken a head, he will generally be allowed to cut this one from the body, and thus be entitled to a head taker’s distinct tattoo. However, the head belongs to the man who threw the first disabling spear, and it finds its resting place in his ato. If there is time, men of other ato may cut off the man’s hands and feet to be displayed in their ato. Sometimes succeeding sections of the arms and legs are cut and taken away, so only the trunk is left on the field.

"Frequently a battle ends when a single head is taken by either side—the victors calling out, 'Now you go home, and we will go home; and if you want to fight some other day, all right!' In this way battles are ended in an hour or so, and often in half an hour. However, they have battles lasting half a day, and ten or a dozen heads are taken.

"Seven pueblos of the lower Quiangan region went against the scattered groups of dwellings in the Banawi area of the upper Quiangan region in May, 1902. The invaders had seven guns, but the people of Banawi had more than sixty—a fact the invaders did not know until too late. However, they did not retire until they had lost a hundred and fifty heads. They annihilated one of the groups of the enemy, getting about fifty heads, and burned down the dwellings. This is by far the fiercest Igorot battle of which there is any memory, and its ferocity is largely due to firearms."

Jenks in his book was silent on the use of the shield to trip an opponent.

On the use of rocks as impromptu weapon, Pigafetta also noted this in the Battle of Mactan:

"On that account, he [Magellan] ordered us to retire slowly, but the men took to flight, except six or eight of us who remained with the captain. The natives shot only at our legs, for the latter were bare; and so many were the spears and stones that they hurled at us, that we could offer no resistance."

Which made me think just now that perhaps I can start selling "ethnic Philippine battle rocks" in the Swap Forum?!

Now on how to establish provenance ... [think, think]

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

2. Looks like a Panabas from Mindanao, but actually from northeastern luzon [Cordillera area].

Hello Nonoy,

When I visited the museum of the Phil. national hero, Padre Burgos, in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, they also have on display several Cordillera weapons:

[1] a similarly shaped scythe, that also looks like the Moro panabas;

[2] a bolo called buneng, which is reminiscent of the Moro barong;

[3] the Balbelasan (Abra) battle axe; and

[4] a couple of spears and shields.

For info of our friends, Ilocos Sur is right beside Abra, and Abra is part of the Cordillera.

So from north to south of the Phils., the ethnic blades tend to be similar. Except for the Cordillera axe, that is, which really seems to be a class of its own.

Originally Posted by Rick

Great thread Gentlemen !
Surely destined for the Classics .
Press on !

Do we get a discount coupon in the Swap Forum if we make it?

Thanks for the comment, Rick!