Seadajak Parang with rare scabbard

[VVV]

Originally Posted by mandaukudi

...Also Rutter writes that some of the pagan blacksmiths have learnt their manufacture and occasonally turn out weapons of good workmanship... (snip)
...In my opinion the style ( in carving,not the blades) is to different from the Iban.The baldes of the gayang you show looks to be imported form the west indeed but maybe where decorated with Dusun designs?

Arjan,

Please also have a look in Evans page 189-190 to get the overall picture of my conclusion.
On Rutter's comment I understand that it refers more to gayang than the ilang?
Your opinion quoted above, as I understand it, I find very probable.
That even if the blades maybe were imported the decorations (=dress, hilt, carvings) are locally made and Dusun.
Similar to the trade blades in the keris world.
In several Kalimantan sources we read that the best ilang blades were traded to other tribes...

Michael

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by VVV

Arjan,

Please also have a look in Evans page 189-190 to get the overall picture of my conclusion.
On Rutter's comment I understand that it refers more to gayang than the ilang?
Your opinion quoted above, as I understand it, I find very probable.
That even if the blades maybe were imported the decorations (=dress, hilt, carvings) are locally made and Dusun.
Similar to the trade blades in the keris world.
In several Kalimantan sources we read that the best ilang blades were traded to other tribes...

Michael

Hi Michael,

I don't have Evans here at hand, but whatever he writes know that he based his work mainly on the Tempasuk Dusun ( where he was located) and other coastal groups of Dusun. Kinabatangan is a whole different area. The Dusun around the Kinbatangan are from the other Dusun groups living inland.

I think that its good possible that the "parang gayang" was the trade parang and was obtained from kampong Gayang what quite close at the coast in Sabah.
see link http://www.maplandia.com/malaysia/sabah/kampong-gayang/

The Dusun mandau I ahve seen have blades that looks like the blades from the Baram rivergroups. I don't think that the Dusun blacksmith where able to produce such masterpieces. The blade of my example is very simple and I can imagine that its possible that its made locally. Its hollow but not that way like a good kayan or kenyah blade.

Arjan.

[VVV]

Hi Arjan,

It's correct that Evans was based in West Sabah but the problem is that I don't know of anybody who did any research on the Eastern Dusun. Do you?
Also naming a group of people living in such a widespread area as Dusun overall is problematic.
Having travelled myself in both of these areas I find it probable that a lot of the trade along the river of Kinabatangan might have originated from the vivid commercial metropol of Sandakan. This means that among the Eastern Dusun probably a lot more of direct Sulu influence was present than on the West side where Brunei were more influential in trade items? All villages are located close to the river today and I find it hard to believe that it was different 100+ years ago based on the dense jungles. I tried to get permission from the local guides when there to take a jungle walk but they explained to me that it was too dense and no paths. So from what I have experience this area is quite different from for instance along the Mahakam river in Kalimantan where there are a lot of paths between villages and not everything centers around the river.
On the trade blades I am of the complete different opinion based on the books I referred to. Have you found any other source or why do you think that the simpler, only locally produced parang was the trade version?
On your blade I hope to see it next time we meet to comment it further on how hollow it is etc.

Michael

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by VVV

Hi Arjan,

It's correct that Evans was based in West Sabah but the problem is that I don't know of anybody who did any research on the Eastern Dusun. Do you?
Also naming a group of people living in such a widespread area as Dusun overall is problematic.
Having travelled myself in both of these areas I find it probable that a lot of the trade along the river of Kinabatangan might have originated from the vivid commercial metropol of Sandakan. This means that among the Eastern Dusun probably a lot more of direct Sulu influence was present than on the West side where Brunei were more influential in trade items? All villages are located close to the river today and I find it hard to believe that it was different 100+ years ago based on the dense jungles. I tried to get permission from the local guides when there to take a jungle walk but they explained to me that it was too dense and no paths. So from what I have experience this area is quite different from for instance along the Mahakam river in Kalimantan where there are a lot of paths between villages and not everything centers around the river.
On the trade blades I am of the complete different opinion based on the books I referred to. Have you found any other source or why do you think that the simpler, only locally produced parang was the trade version?
On your blade I hope to see it next time we meet to comment it further on how hollow it is etc.

Michael

Hi Michael,

East Sabah seems to be not as much visited and researched as the west part. I know for example that Osa Johnson landed there with his catalina on the kinabatangan river ( will list pics tomorrow). writers I only found two specific on the east: Doroty Cator "everyday life among the headhunters"and D.D.Daly explorations in British North Borneo 1883-1887 Both books I have not read yet.

Reading the book of Rutter we see that it was just the western part of Sabah where a lot of trade was , also from Chinese and Bajau.
there where still markets there with 700 stands !

Also if you see the photo's of the book of Rutter you see philippine weapons in use at the western part of Sabah.

I also found googling the word "Gayang" often related to the philippines and should be the word for "sword".
Is maybe a parang gayang the word for an imported sword from the philippines? Or was it reproduced in the north borneo? Maybe im wrong that also possible but its remarkable that he doesn't speak about phillipine weaponery in the chapter where he is talking about swords.

I don't mean that I didn't believe that the Dusun imported sword or mandaublades, of course they did.
I think however that the handles and scabbards where made locally by Dusun craftsman, sometimes with locally made blades ( krowit-less simple examples)
and sometimes with good imported blades.

well however it is its a interesting discussion and you let me start reading again!

Arjan.

[Dajak]

The only thing that I can say to it that the Kenya and Kayan where famous for their blades and a lot off Iban, Murut and other ones did get Parang Ilang blades from them .( By Buying ,Trading or by Killing )

This you can see on old pics .

Also is it important wich time what happend a lot off people did think they where in an certain area but that was not the place they where .

And we now a lot of people mixed up things at that time .

But always interesting this type off discussion because we all can learn from it.

Maybe when you come over Michael it is nice we 3 meet together to discus some new piece s that I will get.


Ben

Ben

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by mandaukudi

Hi Michael,

East Sabah seems to be not as much visited and researched as the west part. I know for example that Osa Johnson landed there with his catalina on the kinabatangan river ( will list pics tomorrow). writers I only found two specific on the east: Doroty Cator "everyday life among the headhunters"and D.D.Daly explorations in British North Borneo 1883-1887 Both books I have not read yet.

Reading the book of Rutter we see that it was just the western part of Sabah where a lot of trade was , also from Chinese and Bajau.
there where still markets there with 700 stands !

Also if you see the photo's of the book of Rutter you see philippine weapons in use at the western part of Sabah.

I also found googling the word "Gayang" often related to the philippines and should be the word for "sword".
Is maybe a parang gayang the word for an imported sword/blade from the philippines? Or was it reproduced in the north borneo? Or does he mean that a gayang is a mandau type but with local blade and so not hollow bladed?

I don't mean that I didn't believe that the Dusun imported sword or mandaublades, of course they did.
I think however that the handles and scabbards where made locally by Dusun craftsman, sometimes with locally made blades ( krowit-less simple examples)
and sometimes with good imported blades.The carvings are to diiferent from Iban swords I think.

well however it is its a interesting discussion and you let me start reading again!

Arjan.

ooh BTW just found a free download !http://www.archive.org/details/everydaylifeamon00cato

[VVV]

Thanks for the link Arjan!!!
I haven't read this book yet and wasn't aware that it was about East Sabah too.
On the use of Filipino weapons among Dusun in West Sabah both barong/pida and kris/sundang were common.
Another imported weapon was the pedang from Brunei. Everything described in detail in Evans' book.
On trade Sandakan was the major trade city in the old days and it also used to belong to the Sulu Sultanate. Actually along the East coast, as well as the North coast, there are still today close contact with Philippines. I visited Sipadan island the first time I was in Sabah and a year later there was a kidnapping of tourists at that island by the Abu Sayaf. I also remember seeing some Tausug when in Semporna.
On gayang I am aware that it's also sometimes found in the Philippines but it's described as a weapon originating from Borneo (can't remember the source at the moment for this, sorry).

Ben, that sounds like a great idea. Let's try to get together all three of us next time when I am in Holland.
Or maybe it's time for you two to visit me?

Michael

[Dajak]

Originally Posted by VVV

Ben, that sounds like a great idea. Let's try to get together all three of us next time when I am in Holland.
Or maybe it's time for you two to visit me?

Michael

Not an bad idee Michael


Ben