Moro Spear

[Gavin Nugent]

I have secured this wonderful old Moro spear for my collections and with the vendors permission can bring these images to light until I can recieve, clean and provide my own images.
Through communications with Maurice, Lee and others you know who you are, I am bringing this forth to somewhat help further cement identification on Moro spears.

So when is a spear a spear, a budiak a budiak, a budiak a spear etc etc.
Attached are both links to Lees discussion and Maurice's discussion along with images of the example secured.

The spear is complete, the head is twistcore as is clearly seen, the head also has a fair bit of script to one side and also what appear to be talismanic markings. The collar has yet to be identified as to wether it is silver or bronze, I suspect bronze if consistant with the butt. the butt retains both the fitting and double rings.

As the vendor has indicated to me, this belonged to a Master Gunnery Sergeant in the US Marine Corps and served in WWII. This to me again points to the Sulu regions unless further details come to hand.

Normally I probably wouldn't run one of these down but I thought it was worthy of being display here with the 'Pershing' Kampalin, that, the completeness and the script is what sold it for me.

When one considers Chinese martial applications of the spear, men who mastered the spear where considered cool under fire and never hand sweaty palms. One application was to hold the spear base and thrust it through the other hand like a bullet through a barrel. It I was to draw this paralell, would the Moro warriors have had cloth bound through the butt rings and their hands much like a Keris or Kampalin that has cloth remaining to the hilts?

I hope you enjoy the images as much as I have.

Gav

Lee's http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12538
Maurice's http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=11670