PRIMITIVE WEAPOXS AND ARMOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 75 



tapers from a broad distal end to the narrowed section near the 

 guard. Width at proximal or guard and of blade, 3.3 centimeters (1.3 

 inches) ; width of distal end, 5.G centimeters (2.2 inches). Distal end 

 of blade terminates in the characteristic pointed and sharpened 

 excrescences, the recurved bill hook or prong and other projections 

 of conventional design. The handle is fashioned from a dark-brown 

 hardwood, while the huge crescentic guard ornamented with scroll 

 carvings is fashioned from a lighter colored hardwood. A sword 

 breaker consisting of a double loop of iron projects 1 centimeter from 

 the side of the wooden guard. The handle is overwoven and wrapped 

 wdth rings of rattan splints. The splints are passed through a hole 

 drilled through the pommel at the junction of the bifid fork. A 

 metallic button is fastened over the hole. Other ornamental work 

 lies in the scrolled etchings, covering entire surface of ]iommel 

 except at one edge, w^hich is flattened and provided with holes for 

 insertion of horse-hair tassels. 



Length of blade, 74 centimeters (29.1 inches) ; length of handle, 

 28 centimeters (11 inches). (PI. 7, No. 1.) Cat. No. 324259, 

 U.S.N.M. 



Among the kampilans from the southern islands are a number of 

 blades that do not conform to the type as it is usually produced. 

 The straight-blade edges may be present only in part, while the 

 terminal recurved spike and chiseled ornamentation at the distal 

 end are missing altogether. The usual type of kampilan variant 

 seems to be a long barong blade t^q^e. The blade is elongated and 

 the curved lateral edges are not as prominent as in the true barong, 

 while the thick-sectioned back may even be straight edged, as in the 

 true kampilan. The characteristic blade length, together with the 

 long carved wooden cross guard, sword breaker, wrapped grip, and 

 carved bifid wooden pommel, indicate that the weapon is closely 

 lelated to the chopping blades of the kampilan type. 



One of these barong-kampilan parangs was presented by James M. 

 Sheridan, Cat. No. 329522, U.S.N.M. It was obtained from the Moro 

 of the vicinity of Malabang, southern coast of Mindanao. The blade 

 is 08 centimeters (20.7 inches) long; the back is thick and flat, and 

 toward the distal end is sloped at an angle; the slope has a cutting 

 edge equall}'^ effective in piercing and stabbing. The cutting edge is 

 convexly ^-urved from the point at the distal end to near the guard, 

 where the blade has the least width, 2.7 centimeters (1 inch), the 

 greatest width being 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) at the point of the 

 beginning of the teiminal slope near the distal end. In several 

 blades of the kampilan-barong type in the Museum the maximum 

 width is even greater and both the back and the anterior cutting edge 

 are convex. A unique feature on many examples is the elaborate 



B021— 26 6 



