Traditional Weaponry of the Philippines by Luis E. Llose
Editor’s Introduction
East Asian cultures don’t feature enough on this website so I am most happy to host this guest article written by enthusiast and researcher Luis E. Llose. In it, Luis explores the interesting variety of ethnographic tools and weapons that come from this region, giving us their names and histories and providing a boon to collectors and scholars seeking identifications.
Besides combat, swords or ‘bolo’ knives are commonly used in jungle survival and they are something that every forest-dweller and traveller in the Philippines carries, so their significance as a companion cannot be overstated.
Thank you for visiting the website and should you wish to contribute an article then please let me know as I am more than happy to consider submissions.
Matthew Forde
Charts for the Swords and Daggers of Lumadnon
The Lumad people are descendants of the Austronesian people that migrated from the north-west of the Philippine islands and now call Mindanao their home. They comprise of many specific ethnic groups such as the T’Boli, Bagobo, Manobo, Subanon, and more. They are the most ancient people of the land and venerate nature in their hunter-gatherer traditions and animistic beliefs. Despite their harmony with the land, history tells of their centuries-long feuds with other tribes and their co-habitors of Mindanao: the Moros. When war threatens the neighbouring lands and coasts, the Lumad people take up arms ready to thwart any threat. Being animistic, their beliefs are reflected on the numerous swords they use for hunting and warfare. The hilts of their swords bear the figures of snakes, birds, boars, and other animals; and the Lumad warrior class, the Bagani, are adorned with the best swords their smiths can craft.
The notable kampilan sword has metal engravings and bells to signify high status. The warriors of the highlands of Bukidnon use the likes of the lambitan, landag, and the kara. The foresters and the people of the lower classes use their badi blades to carve paths through forests and hills. All in all, only those who can arm themselves against rival groups, Mother Nature and foreign invaders can survive the harsh yet beautiful island that is Mindanao.
Kara: this is, more or less, a kopis. The front half of the recurved blade has a hefty belly for chopping though it is mostly used as a combat sword.
Badi: this has a short, crescent-shaped blade and it is mostly used for clearing brush, bush-crafting, and sometimes fighting (as the guard suggests).
Landag: this has a recurved blade with a narrow tip. Most of the time, it has a swedge for false edge cuts and it is commonly used as a combat sword. The landag comes in a variety of handle and blade designs. Some handles are snake-like while others have humanoid heads. The blade can go as straight as it can while others recurve, as shown in the chart. It doesn't show well in the chart, but I'd meant to have the landag with a swedge near the tip.
One thing to note is that the handles’ designs have a similar outline. The badi and kara have simple, blocky carved handles. The landag, on the other hand, is specifically carved to show the shape of a snake’s head. In short, they all have similar outlines here while they have various designs in reality.
For anyone wondering, the term Lumadnon pertains to the generalisation of Lumad tribes of the Philippines. It is similar to the word 'Moroland' to pertain to the overall Moro ethnic groups. Speaking of which, both Moro and Lumad groups occupy the main island of Mindanao.
The swords shown in this image are the seven swords mostly used by the Lumad people. The usual suspects like the Kampilan and Lambitan are prominent among Lumad groups while the glot is one of the lesser-known swords.
Tribal users for each item:
Glot (also called a pes): Subanen.
Badi, landag, lambitan, lahot, kara: Higaonon or Bukidnon.
Kampilan: T'boli, Manobo, Bagobo.
Balaraw: the iconic, double-edged dagger used by the Mandaya People.
Bangkaw: essentially, a spearhead fitted to a Lumad kampilan hilt to form a dagger.
Purok: a mini bolo knife used in most Lumad groups.
Sangi: a utility knife that nearly every Lumad man and woman carries for peeling fruit and other utilitarian cutting.
A Chart for the Swords Used by Waray People in Eastern Visayas
Talibon: also known as the garab by modern standards, this sword is the iconic Visayan sword that makes its way across Visayas and into the hands of Americans, often as ‘bring-backs’.
Sansibar: this also goes by the name ‘Goodbye Jaro’. The common fighting sword of Leyte and modernly known for its Bakunawa or leviathan-esque handle-design.
Binalhag: this is a common sundang of Samar in the hands of mountaineers and farmers.
Tinamban: both common in Leyte and Samar as a bamboo-chopping sword. Boat-makers and survivalists typically love this blade.
Binasaynon: the least-known sword of Samar. Mainly relegated to cutting vegetation, the binasaynon can be a long-reaching weapon in some instances.
A Chart for the Axes and Short Blades of the Cordillera Region
Though all three axes illustrated here are commonly called ‘head-hunting axes’ by collectors, they each have more accurate local names, given by their respective ethnic groups: the sinawit of the Kalinga People; the pinong of the Bontoc People; and the aliwa of the Isneg or Itneg People.
The blades shown below the axes are the typical handy tools used for hunting and foraging. The pinahig is for general purposes. The pehlet is for the heavy-duty chopping of wood and bones. The hinalung is a dagger that doubles as a spearhead when mounted to a stick.
All hinalung knives or daggers are double-edged, however, they can vary in width. Some are slim with narrow tips and a modestly wide belly behind. Others have wide tips that taper from the hilt to the tip. The wider ones are capable of chopping.
Another thing to consider is how the handles are constructed. Some are enclosed while others have socketed handles that can be mounted to sticks to act as spears.
Charts for the Swords of Moroland and Pampanga
These two following illustrations show the numerous swords associated with the peninsulas of Maguindanao, Lanao, and Zamboanga and the islands of Sulu, Jolo, and Basilan. The other chart features the lesser-known blades of the people of Pampanga.
Sources and Further Reading
Filipino Traditional Blades: Filipino traditional blades | Facebook
Bhoyet Aguana: Facebook
Salsalan Ta Malaybalay: Facebook
Ryan Jerald Auch: Facebook
Authentic Filipino Traditional Weapons: Authentic Filipino Traditional Weapons (AFTW) | Facebook
Title image source: Kaamulan Festival Battle Cry by Theglennpalacio
Illustrative charts accompanying this article are copyrighted to Luis E. Llose.
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