What did a Bugis warrior look like?

KuKulzA28 · 23rd June 2016, 05:24 AM

Anyone looking into SE Asian history will have heard of the Bugis people... traders, politicians, pirates, warriors... they had a great impact.

While today silat styles are known for parang, pisau, and maybe use of tjabang, and of course hand to hand - which makes sense in a civilian setting, and of course translates better to today's needs... in the past warriors used shields with spears, pikes, firearms, bows, pedang...

What did Bugis warriors look like? What were their typical sidearms, aside from badik and keris? What were Bugis pedang, parang, klewang, etc? Only one I've seen (in my limited experience) is the alamang. Did they have their own style of spears? What about their shields? Any tactics they were particularly known for?

mariusgmioc · 24th June 2016, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

What did Bugis warriors look like? What were their typical sidearms, aside from badik and keris? What were Bugis pedang, parang, klewang, etc? Only one I've seen (in my limited experience) is the alamang. Did they have their own style of spears? What about their shields? Any tactics they were particularly known for?

Maybe you should post this question also on the Keris Warung forum.

VANDOO · 26th June 2016, 03:25 AM

I AM NOT SURE HOW WIDELY SPREAD THE BUGIS PEOPLE WERE BUT IT IS SURE THEY WERE PROMINENT IN MANY AREAS. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THEIR HISTORY BUT THINK IT IS A LONG ONE LIKELY STARTING IN MALAYSIA AND SPREADING TO SUMATRA AND OTHER ISLANDS. THE WEAPONS USED WOULD HAVE VARIATIONS FROM TRIBAL GROUP TO GROUP AS WELL AS TO ISLANDS AND REGIONS. I COULD NOT FIND A COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION BUT WILL POST A FEW PICTURES.
#1. BADIK SULUWESI, BUGENESE, WE USED TO CALL THESE BADE BADE
#2.BUGIS WITH KERIS
#3. 1703 MAKASAR NATIVES WITH BLOWGUNS, BUGIS LIVE IN MAKASAR I AM NOT SURE IF THESE ARE ANOTHER TRIBE OR BUGENESE

David · 26th June 2016, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Maybe you should post this question also on the Keris Warung forum.

Actually i don't believe this would be a good thread for the Keris Forum as that forum is specific to the discussion of keris alone and that would only be a small part of the answer to your question.
From my understanding the Bugis where more likely than other Indonesian cultures to use their keris in battle, though i still think that other weapons such as spears and longer swords would be first weapons of choice in full-scale battles over the keris which would serve better for one-on-one close quarter fighting.
I did find that apparently the Bugis did sometimes employ chain mail and plate armor that appears to be similar to Moro armor. Of course, these days i am not convinced that even museums are safe sources for solid identification in this arena so maybe this has been misidentified as well.

LJ · 26th June 2016, 10:25 AM

The book "Living Races of Mankind" is often a good source for photographs of people of about a century ago. I've copied a photograph of two Bugis men from there.

Sajen · 26th June 2016, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJ

The book "Living Races of Mankind" is often a good source for photographs of people of about a century ago. I've copied a photograph of two Bugis men from there.

The both seems to carry recongs so they are most probably no Bugis but Aceh men.

Regards,
Detlef

asomotif · 26th June 2016, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sajen

The both seems to carry recongs so they are most probably no Bugis but Aceh men.

Regards,
Detlef

Yep, 2 x rencong.

I guess you want to get a good picture of a bugis man in full dress.
Prossibly with some jewelry.

Maybe try and search for makassar / Celebes.

Link : http://collectie.wereldculturen.nl/default.aspx?lang=en

Best regards,
Willem

David · 26th June 2016, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sajen

The both seems to carry recongs so they are most probably no Bugis but Aceh men.

Regards,
Detlef

I would certainly agree there, so perhaps "Living Races of Mankind" is not such a good source after all.

VANDOO · 26th June 2016, 06:10 PM

I KEPT GETTING BUGIS AND BATAK MIXED UP IN MY RESEARCH. THE TWO GROUPS BOTH TRAVELED TRADED AND RAIDED SO THE HISTORY IS SIMILAR AS WELL AS THE WEAPONS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TWO GROUPS CAME FROM THE SAME ANCESTRY OR PERHAPS FROM A EARLY MALAY KINGDOM WHICH CONTROLLED A LARGE AREA IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. BOTH BUGIS AND BATAK WERE IN SUMATRA AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER AREAS AND SEEM TO BE WIDE SPREAD WITH CONCENTRATIONS IN SOME AREAS NEAR OTHER GROUPS SUCH AS THE ACHENES.

josh stout · 30th June 2016, 10:52 PM

I bought a couple of small knives (badik?) in Sulawesi from a Bugi market in 1993. They looked almost exactly like these and were definitely made by Bugis. The right angle on the hilt was quite distinctive but the turn was about 1.5cm from the blade while these look like the turn may be further from the blade, perhaps 3cm?

26th June 2016, 10:25 AM	#5
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	The book "Living Races of Mankind" is often a good source for photographs of people of about a century ago. I've copied a photograph of two Bugis men from there. Attached Images

23rd June 2016, 05:24 AM	#1
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	What did a Bugis warrior look like? Anyone looking into SE Asian history will have heard of the Bugis people... traders, politicians, pirates, warriors... they had a great impact. While today silat styles are known for parang, pisau, and maybe use of tjabang, and of course hand to hand - which makes sense in a civilian setting, and of course translates better to today's needs... in the past warriors used shields with spears, pikes, firearms, bows, pedang... What did Bugis warriors look like? What were their typical sidearms, aside from badik and keris? What were Bugis pedang, parang, klewang, etc? Only one I've seen (in my limited experience) is the alamang. Did they have their own style of spears? What about their shields? Any tactics they were particularly known for?

26th June 2016, 03:25 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I AM NOT SURE HOW WIDELY SPREAD THE BUGIS PEOPLE WERE BUT IT IS SURE THEY WERE PROMINENT IN MANY AREAS. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THEIR HISTORY BUT THINK IT IS A LONG ONE LIKELY STARTING IN MALAYSIA AND SPREADING TO SUMATRA AND OTHER ISLANDS. THE WEAPONS USED WOULD HAVE VARIATIONS FROM TRIBAL GROUP TO GROUP AS WELL AS TO ISLANDS AND REGIONS. I COULD NOT FIND A COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION BUT WILL POST A FEW PICTURES. #1. BADIK SULUWESI, BUGENESE, WE USED TO CALL THESE BADE BADE #2.BUGIS WITH KERIS #3. 1703 MAKASAR NATIVES WITH BLOWGUNS, BUGIS LIVE IN MAKASAR I AM NOT SURE IF THESE ARE ANOTHER TRIBE OR BUGENESE Attached Images

26th June 2016, 06:10 PM	#9
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I KEPT GETTING BUGIS AND BATAK MIXED UP IN MY RESEARCH. THE TWO GROUPS BOTH TRAVELED TRADED AND RAIDED SO THE HISTORY IS SIMILAR AS WELL AS THE WEAPONS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TWO GROUPS CAME FROM THE SAME ANCESTRY OR PERHAPS FROM A EARLY MALAY KINGDOM WHICH CONTROLLED A LARGE AREA IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. BOTH BUGIS AND BATAK WERE IN SUMATRA AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER AREAS AND SEEM TO BE WIDE SPREAD WITH CONCENTRATIONS IN SOME AREAS NEAR OTHER GROUPS SUCH AS THE ACHENES.

30th June 2016, 10:52 PM	#10
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	I bought a couple of small knives (badik?) in Sulawesi from a Bugi market in 1993. They looked almost exactly like these and were definitely made by Bugis. The right angle on the hilt was quite distinctive but the turn was about 1.5cm from the blade while these look like the turn may be further from the blade, perhaps 3cm?