[Battara]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

According to the professor, bronze (being one of the earliest metals concocted by man) is regarded in the local folklore (amongst the Lumad people, e.g., Manobo, Bagobo, Mandaya, T'boli, etc.) as a deterrent against bad spirits.

Thus local swords (and other objects) can be found to have some bronze item in them (e.g., bronze inlays in the blade). He said that that may also explain why some Moro kampilans would have bronze inlays on the blade. He added that before they became Moros (Muslims), these people used to be mostly Manobos (i.e., one branch of the Lumad peoples).

In any case, his main point is that it is not a surprise at all to find bronze inlays in swords and other objects, owing to the said local religious belief.

Maraming Salamat! That explains a lot. Very helpful. I wonder if this is part of the reason that the T'boli use cast bronze/brass little bells to ward off evil spirits on there weapons and in clothing (and make cast hilts out of the same materials).