Killing elephants with swords

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Maybe I was a little harsh however it was nothing but the reality of it, one must accept it or at least stay aware of consequences. We glorify weapons and romanticise and bravery in battle or hunting but on the other hand we cannot handle ... of course I understand the Forum is not the place for gory exhibitionism nor that I enjoy it ...
Just a reality check once in a while ...

[Spunjer]

on the same subject, here's another excerpt:

Kris and Crescent

Written by Peter G. Gowing

When reports of savage skirmishing between American soldiers and Filipino warriors drifted back to the United States intermittently during the 15 years prior to World War I, the American public would have been hard put to explain what the fighting was all about. All most people knew was that the United States had just acquired the islands from Spain, that a captain named Pershing was doing a fine job and that a hand gun called the Colt .45 had been developed to bring down certain fanatical warriors who were terrifying the troops with wild suicide charges. They also knew, vaguely, that the warriors were called "Moros."

Considering that those same Moros today constitute a body of Muslims more numerous than the populations of either Kuwait or Libya and that they occupy an area larger than Denmark, this vague memory scarcely did them justice. Yet there has always been something unforgettable about the fierce courage of the Moros. In frail praus they ranged over the southern seas in quest of plunder and wrote a savage page in history as pirates and raiders. Armed with little more than the kris—a long, serpentine dagger that is as much symbol as weapon—the Moros went out to win tribal honors by killing wild elephants.

has anyone heard of this???

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

Just a reality check once in a while ...

I agree. You've got mail.

[Ian]

Spunjer:

To the best of my knowledge there have been no wild elephants in the Philippines in the last 400+ years of recorded European settlement in the country, and I don't know if there ever were any elephants in the Sulu Archipelago or Mindanao.

Ian.

[Mark]

I have re-opened this thread not due to the criticisms that attended its closing, but to try and make the point by actions, as words seem to be missing the target.

It has been said many times that the thread was not closed because of the topic being discussed, nor the nature of the discussion. It was locked because the links to very graphic photos of mutilated elephants and to advertisements for big game hunting were posted, with the expressed purpose of "stirring things up," which it did, as can be seen by posts that remain here expressing pretty unanimously that the pictures were unecessary and added nothing to the discussion. Basically, the thread was rapidly moving (a) off-topic, and (b) towards a debate that was looking more emotional than reasoned, so it was frozen before things got ugly. In the words of Andrew:

The elephant thread went "wrong" when links to some photos were posted. Since the topic had the potential to overheat quickly, and since the posting of those links needed to be discussed by staff, I closed the thread.

As so many have pointed out, discussion of weapons cannot really take place in a vacuum. The use and effect of those weapons is certainly an appropriate subject of discussion. Provided such discussion is undertaken appropriately.

I'm not able to articulate it any better than that, I'm afraid. Gratuitious gore, incivility, trolling, and "stirring things up" will be handled as it comes.

Best,
Andrew

The links and associated post have already been removed; all the remaining posts remained even while the thread was locked (something that seems to have escaped those alleging censorship); the topic continued in a very productive and civilized manner in a later thread, which was never closed.

Now, so long as people do not take this action as an invitation to begin a new debate about forum posting policy, and keep any discussion here focused on the subject and not blatently offensive, we hopefully can leave this silly hoopla behind and continue learning and feeding our "jones" for swordes (and knives).

Now here is a dha. It has nothing to do with kaskaras or elephants, or censorship, but it is nice to look at.

[Spunjer]

Spunjer:

To the best of my knowledge there have been no wild elephants in the Philippines in the last 400+ years of recorded European settlement in the country, and I don't know if there ever were any elephants in the Sulu Archipelago or Mindanao.

Ian.

ian,
i've pm you about maybe an expedition to the golden triangle area. upon further reading, i found out that wild elephants exist/existed in borneo, making it much more accessible to suluanons.

[zamboanga]

I know this was a sensitive thread a while back, but, this is just to answer the question on the use of elephants in Philippine soil

In one of the articles in the book "Mindanao: A Portrait" there was a passing mention of elephants being brought to Mindanao from Borneo(?) to destroy moro kutas. I think the article was written by Reuben Canoy. Those who have copies of the book can check this up.

[Spunjer]

must've been some serious undertaking shipping these beasts to sulu, then mindanao. thanks for the source, zamboanga...