Translation help on Sikin Panjang

[erikscollectables]

Originally Posted by Battara

I'd like to know if these types of sikim belonged to panglimas in general or those just part of the royal palace?

From what I have read the use of gold on weapons was limited to leaders and nobility by the Adat (local laws). Leaders can mean both worldly like a panglima (military leader) but also the village head or area (sagi) leader eg and religious like the iman. In the struggle against the Dutch all these played an important role and the leadership often (but certainly not always) had a noble background.
Nobility inhereted the right - leaders had to earn the right.
In a book I read the panglima got his "honour" sikin as it was called there after his military group was big and succesfull enough to be recognized.

The question which for me is still unawnsered is what is the difference in status between the number and/or type of crowns (puco is sharp in form and three rows of crowns and the glupa type with only two rows of crowns). None of the old or more recent books go into this.

And after that who could wear the other type of weapons with gold like the peudeung and siwaih (sewar). It seems these were even more limited - probably only higher forms of nobility which clarifies why these are even rarer to find.