Barong (sword)
| Barong (sword) | |
|---|---|
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| Information | |
| Weapon type: | sword |
| Designations: | see text |
| Use: | traditional weapon, tool, status weapon |
| Creation time: | 14th Century |
| Working time: | up to date |
| Region of origin / author: |
Philippines / ethnic groups |
| Distribution: | Indonesia , Philippines |
| Overall length: | 60 cm, varying |
| Blade length: | 40 cm, varying |
| Blade width: | approx. 15 cm, varying |
| Handle: | Wood, horn, metal, ivory |
| Particularities: | Handle and scabbard decorated with carvings. Pommel in the shape of a bird's head |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Barong , (also Bajau Beladau , Baju Baladau , Klewang Beladan , Sulu Knife ) is the traditional cutting sword of the Filipino Moro tribes on Sulu and Mindanao as well as in Borneo .
history
The barong has been in use in the Philippines from the 14th century to the present day . The tribes of the archipelago use it as a weapon and as a tool.
description
The barong has an oval blade that widens from the handle to the middle; from the middle it becomes narrower and then tapers to a point. The blade is single-edged and smooth. Some also have a back edge that runs from the tip to about halfway down the blade. The Barong have neither a central ridge nor a hollow cut or a fuller . The average length is about 60 cm, the width about 15 cm. The hilt is carved from wood, horn, metal, silver , gold or ivory (or combinations of everything) and bent down at the back end. It has no guard and the handle and pommel are carved from one piece. As is typical of the Barong , the end of the handle is decorated with a carving that resembles a stylized bird's head. The scabbards are made of wood and are decorated with simple carvings. In general, the swords intended for combat are made more simply than the splendidly carved swords intended for traditional rites or as a class weapon. All Barong's design makes them very well balanced.
See also
literature
- Robert Cato: Moro swords. Graham Brash, Singapore 1996, ISBN 981-218-059-1 .
- George Cameron Stone : A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in all Countries and in all Times. Together with some closely related subjects. With an introduction by Donald J. LaRocca. Dover Publications, Mineola NY 1999, ISBN 0-486-40726-8 .
- Diagram Group: The New Weapons of the World Encyclopedia. An International Encyclopedia from 5000 BC to the 21st Century. St. Martin's Press Griffin, New York NY 2007, ISBN 978-0-312-36832-6 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional weapons of the Indonesian archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, ISBN 90-5450-004-2 , p. 31.