pirate swords

Jenny Ida · 5th January 2011, 05:34 PM

What I was particularly interested in concerning the swords I initially mentioned was their overall shape and membership in a broadly definable class of Oceanic SEA Asian weapons, often generallized as parang nabur, with narrow thickened bases and wide rounded slashing tips. To me the type is epitomized (and perhaps somewhat originated) by the bat-head-pommeled type. This seems a native sword type to me, with confusion arising when some examples take on more Western/Islamic trappings, like knucklebows or dropped yelmans.
Particularly interesting here is the contrast and in this context unusuallness of the Visayan one, as the type is usually centrally bevelled, but the chisel bevel (in general, not specifically on parangs of this type) seems to be an ancient form for the region, and notable for its early and continued use in Japan.

VVV · 8th January 2011, 11:14 AM

The so called "Parang Nabur", invented by the late Stone when misreading a book in his library, is not a traditional pirate sword but a prestige sword of the coastal Malays of SE Borneo and is also found as a court sword among Peninsular Malays.
The real Parang Nabur/Nyabor however was a traditional sword of the Iban, aka Sea Dayaks, who went on pirate raids together with the Kampilan- and Kris-armed Illanum Moros. Here is what the real Parang Nabur looks like.
You can find much more info about this in the forum archives. The coastal Malay sabre-sword is usually labelled a Beladah Belabang in the region it was used.

Michael

8th January 2011, 11:14 AM	#2
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	The so called "Parang Nabur", invented by the late Stone when misreading a book in his library, is not a traditional pirate sword but a prestige sword of the coastal Malays of SE Borneo and is also found as a court sword among Peninsular Malays. The real Parang Nabur/Nyabor however was a traditional sword of the Iban, aka Sea Dayaks, who went on pirate raids together with the Kampilan- and Kris-armed Illanum Moros. Here is what the real Parang Nabur looks like. You can find much more info about this in the forum archives. The coastal Malay sabre-sword is usually labelled a Beladah Belabang in the region it was used. Michael Attached Images

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5th January 2011, 05:34 PM	#1
Jenny Ida Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 12	What I was particularly interested in concerning the swords I initially mentioned was their overall shape and membership in a broadly definable class of Oceanic SEA Asian weapons, often generallized as parang nabur, with narrow thickened bases and wide rounded slashing tips. To me the type is epitomized (and perhaps somewhat originated) by the bat-head-pommeled type. This seems a native sword type to me, with confusion arising when some examples take on more Western/Islamic trappings, like knucklebows or dropped yelmans. Particularly interesting here is the contrast and in this context unusuallness of the Visayan one, as the type is usually centrally bevelled, but the chisel bevel (in general, not specifically on parangs of this type) seems to be an ancient form for the region, and notable for its early and continued use in Japan.