Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 13th June 2019, 09:55 AM   #1
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,675
Default Lelas

A word encountered in a report of a pirate attack near Sumbawa in +/- 1850:-

"--- she carried eight lillas as well as one large caliber gun---"

Does anybody know what a lillas is?

I've looked at Portuguese, Dutch, Javanese, Malay, Classical Malay, Oxford on Historical Principles.

Cannot find the word anywhere.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th June 2019, 01:03 PM   #2
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,675
Default Attention Moderators.

The spelling is wrong.

It should be "lela", in use it would be "meriam lela".

It was a type of Malay lantaka, a light swivel gun. Some say double barrelled and longer than a normal lantaka, others say single barrel, just another name for a lantaka.

Mods, could you shift this to the Ethno Forum?

Thanks.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 04:28 AM   #3
M ELEY
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NC, U.S.A.
Posts: 2,066
Default

Thank you, Alan, for providing me with this interesting tidbit. As a collector of 'all things pirate', I was unaware of the name of the small, double barreled lantaka that almost looks like a pistol for use. Per haps this female of which you mention carried them in a bandolier, Blackbeard-style? Or just in a basket or bag (that was a lot of armament to go running around with!!)
Mark
M ELEY is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 04:59 AM   #4
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,675
Default

Mark, "meriam" means "cannon" in Malay, some definitions of a lela give it as longer than a normal lantaka, some give it as doubled barrelled as well, so by either definition it was bigger than a normal lantaka, and a lantaka was a swivel gun used by boats, ships, canoes. It was not a pistol style weapon, but some of the smaller lantakas could be picked up by one man and carried.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 07:29 AM   #5
M ELEY
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NC, U.S.A.
Posts: 2,066
Default

Hi Alan and thanks for the clarification. I am actually mortified by the fact that I took your quote of the 'she' to be an actual female!!! Now, in reference to the size of these larger lantaka, the 'she' obviously refers to a ship! Thus, a Malay vessel well-armed with these amazing cannons-
M ELEY is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 08:08 AM   #6
fernando
Lead Moderator European Armoury
 
fernando's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,620
Default

Moved ... and title edited, as i though you wished, Alan .
fernando is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 01:47 PM   #7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Member
 
Ibrahiim al Balooshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE
Posts: 4,408
Default

Please see https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Lantaka where a good description and notes also about bamboo cannon are placed as well as this Miriam Lela weapon which as previously noted can be a double barrel affair...


A quotation from the reference states Quote "Typically the earliest cannon with beautiful ornaments from this region are from foundries in the Malacca and Pahang,[1] with later models from foundries in the Netherlands and Portugal, next from their respective settlements, and finally from Brunei and other local craftsmen. However, there were also double-barreled variants that were used extensively in the Philippines. In Malaysia, these double-barreled variants are called Meriam Lela (Malay for 'Lela Cannon') and appears to be longer than a typical Lantaka." Unquote.

Intriguing that this weapon had a number of roles including honouring dignitaries with gun salutes, protecting from pirates and as a barter system and gifted for safe passage.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
Ibrahiim al Balooshi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th June 2019, 01:53 PM   #8
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Member
 
Ibrahiim al Balooshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE
Posts: 4,408
Default

Ibrahiim al Balooshi is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:04 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.