Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 30th November 2007, 09:13 PM

I've had a lot of celurit over the years. I've had a couple with wooden scabbards, sort of half open on the back to allow the blade to enter and leave, but all others---- where they have had a a blade cover --- have had leather sheaths.

There are a number of different styles, sizes , weights of celurit. You can have them for general crop work, or to lop light branches off trees, or for garden work, or for cutting grass---or for a weapon. There used to be a good display of celurit in the musium in Sumenep.

Back in the 1960's in my wife's village in East Jawa they rounded up the communist sympathisers, lined them up, went along behind them and cut their throats with celurits. In Jawa most Javanese tend to regard Madurese people in about the same way that a good Baptist would regard a Hells Angel.

In the 1990's when the Indonesian government moved a lot of people from Madura to Kalimantan and gave Dyak land to them, the mandaus seemed to take the day. There was a bit of minor war there for a while, and government just stood back and let it happen.

30th November 2007, 09:13 PM	#8
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	I've had a lot of celurit over the years. I've had a couple with wooden scabbards, sort of half open on the back to allow the blade to enter and leave, but all others---- where they have had a a blade cover --- have had leather sheaths. There are a number of different styles, sizes , weights of celurit. You can have them for general crop work, or to lop light branches off trees, or for garden work, or for cutting grass---or for a weapon. There used to be a good display of celurit in the musium in Sumenep. Back in the 1960's in my wife's village in East Jawa they rounded up the communist sympathisers, lined them up, went along behind them and cut their throats with celurits. In Jawa most Javanese tend to regard Madurese people in about the same way that a good Baptist would regard a Hells Angel. In the 1990's when the Indonesian government moved a lot of people from Madura to Kalimantan and gave Dyak land to them, the mandaus seemed to take the day. There was a bit of minor war there for a while, and government just stood back and let it happen.