Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[migueldiaz]

Hello Nonoy,

As for the probable origin of the design of the "Cordillera head-axe" (if I may use that term), I'm not sure myself.

I'm now holding a copy of David Howard's The Last Filipino Head Hunters (2000).

It doesn't say anything though about the origins of the subject axe.

All it says is that the Cordillera natives (called "Igorot") must have come from the waves of migration coming from the Malayas and East Asia, thousands of years ago.

The book also says that it was perhaps in the 300 BC migration of Malays into the Philippines that a higher level of doing arts and crafts (including metalworks) came to be.

And one of the offshoots would be the enhancement of the famous rice terraces (photos attached), which for sure required the use of a lot of metal tools.

[VANDOO]

JUST TO DROP IN ONE OF MY WILDER THOUGHTS!!

THERE IS ANOTHER ITEM MADE A LOT LIKE THE HEAD AX'S AND EITHER ITEM WITH SOME MODIFICATION WOULD WORK VERY WELL FOR HEAD TAKEING OR CLEANING AS WELL AS FOR OTHER JOBS.
THE BACK SPIKE IN BOTH CASES IS DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND OR A LOG OR SOMETHING SOFT ENOUGH THAT WILL HOLD THE BLADE FIRMLY SO YOU CAN WORK ON YOUR ITEM WITH THE SHARP EDGE.
THIS DESIGN WOULD BE EXCELLENT FOR HUSKING COCONUTS AND THERE ARE TOOLS FOR THAT JOB THAT HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH THE AX.

SO OFF WE GO INTO THE LAND OF CONJECTURE

PERHAPS A TRADER MADE UP SOME TOOLS TO TRADE TO THE LOCALS FOR USE IN PRODUCING COPRA FOR TRADE. THE LOCALS FOUND BY PUTTING A DIFFERENT, LONGER HANDLE ON THEM THEY COULD BE USED AS A WEAPON AND COULD WORK ON COCONUTS OR HEADS EQUALLY WELL. SO OF COURSE EVERYONE WANTED ONE AND TWO MARKETS FOR THEM WAS CREATED INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONE
AFTER ALL YOU CAN USE A SHARPENED STICK OR A ROCK FOR HUSKING COCONUTS SO PERHAPS A STEEL BLADE WAS WAY TOO COOL TO USE FOR THAT COMMON JOB SO A HIGHER USE WAS FOUND FOR THEM.

THATS MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT

SOME SAY I HAVE A FERTILE IMAGINATION OTHERS SAY MY HEAD IS FULL OF S..T

[migueldiaz]

Related thread: Philippine axe

[Bill]

I've seen where it was stated that the "prong" side was hacked into the ground & the ax side used for a cutting station.
The ritualistic taking of heads was varied between groups. What really controlled the population was never ending acts of retaliation. The kin of someone that lost their head would attempt to capture the head of the original head taker. If they couldn't find him, they would go after next of kin or anyone they could find in his clan.
Early American governors out-lawed the taking of heads & negotiated a series of "bodong" or peace pacts, that greatly reduced the taking of heads.
Tattooing was varied between the groups but was often a sign of a successful head taker. Since next of kin was wanted for revenge, the wife of a head taker would also have tattoos that could id her, if she became a victim.
If you look at early pictures, 1900-1930, you often see heavily tattooed men & quite a few head ax's. From the 1930's & on, both the tattooing & carrying of head ax's diminish.
Masferre's photo's (1934-56) in "People of Philippine Cordillera" pretty clearly shows this. Only one picture of a man with a head ax & he had just came back from a trip to another village. Also the 20 years of his pictures suggest the tattooing had decreased.
Not to say head taking had completely stopped in this time period but it certainly became infrequent.
I'm leaning the head ax was for taking of heads & most would pre-date 1940, with the exception of those that were specifically made to sell to GI's as souvenirs.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Bill

I've seen where it was stated that the "prong" side was hacked into the ground & the ax side used for a cutting station ...

Not to say head taking had completely stopped in this time period but it certainly became infrequent.

Hi Bill,

Yes, I've also read about the subject battle axe being used as an adze, using the technique you've just mentioned.

I also heard that the other (grisly) use of the spike is to pick up the fallen opponent's severed head.

I've also heard from Igorots that the spike is also used as a grappling tool when Igorots scale steep hillsides.

Finally, there are rumors that up to this day, there are still isolated cases of headhunting, to settle scores between feuding clans living deep in the highlands of the Cordilleras.

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

... maybe the axe is new - i.e. a creation made no earlier than the late 19th century.

Hi Nonoy,

If the axe is new, then the question to my mind is what did the Igorot warriors use then for close quarters combat?

Given that the Igorots didn't develop a sword for the purpose, wouldn't it follow then that the battle axe was there all along, and it cannot be a recent creation by necessity?

They say that the ninja's primary weapon is really the bow and arrow. And the katana only comes in as a weapon of last resort, when things weren't resolved at farther distances.

For the Moros, it may be the same thing. The spear is the one used first, and the barong and the kris would come in only later.

The Igorots fight the same way. And some actually carry two spears: one is used as a missile, and the other is used for close combat. Or if the Igorot happened to carry just one spear (which may be more prevalent), then we can suppose that it will be the axe that will be used for close combat.

So wouldn't the axe of the Igorot be by necessity an ancient weapon also, given the said fighting style, and given further the practice of headhunting as their ultimate recreation?

On the latter point, we read this from Jenks' early-1900s study of the Igorots:

"His [the Bontoc male] social life is lowly, and before marriage is most primitive; but a man has only one wife, to whom he is usually faithful. The social group is decidedly democratic; there are no slaves [isn't this cool and a very advanced concept at the time?]. The people are neither drunkards, gamblers, nor 'sportsmen.' There is little 'color' in the life of the Igorot; he is not very inventive and seems to have little imagination [hey ...]. His chief recreation—certainly his most-enjoyed and highly prized recreation—is head-hunting."

[The words in brackets above are mine obviously. And I was also the one who supplied the underscoring.]

To my mind thus, given that the decapitation of the enemy's head is part and parcel of the Igorots' battlefield practice, and given further that the taking of heads is his chief leisure activity, by necessity the axe has to be as old as the Igorot society.

As to its origins, perhaps it's already staring us in the face.

The Cordillera axe for all we know must be the truly original ethnic Filipino weapon-and-tool!

Just my 2 cents

PS -

Historians say that the Igorot must have been the quintessential ethnic Filipinos, as they were the ones least influenced by colonizers, being the least accessible.

Thus once again, couldn't it be that the subject axe is indeed an ethnic Filipino original, a weapon and a tool that was shaped by the Igorots' way of life, without the influence of outsiders?

The plot thickens?

If I were a Phil. history student, I'd certainly like to make this as the subject of my dissertation.

Nonoy, with your connections to the Phil. museums and perhaps even the academe, maybe you'd like to suggest to them that more studies be made on the subject?

[Tim Simmons]

What fantastic information, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I like this sort of info. The kind that blows away the cobwebs of collector lore. Especially the lore that the axe in the last picture post were only tools. Cearly they are tools for doing fatal harm to other humans. To my mind a good fighting quality axe is far more easy to make than a sword. In isolated areas along with the spear they would be the primary weapons rather like the Naga weapons.

How does that collector rubbish start?

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

What fantastic information, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I like this sort of info ...

Hi Tim,

We will all see where this whodunnit story will finally lead us to

Regards.

[VANDOO]

I AM SURE THERE WERE VARIOUS TYPES OF AX.S USED IN THE PHILIPPINES LONG BEFORE RECORDED HISTORY. CLUBS BEING ONE OF THE EARLIEST WEAPONS IN ALL SOCIETYS. AN AX IS A CLUB WITH SOMETHING ATTACHED WITH A SHARP EDGE, THE ADZ IS ANOTHER PREHISTORIC FORM FOUND IN MOST ALL PRIMATIVE SOCIETYS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DID WOOD WORK OR MADE CANOES.
I HAVE SEEN TURTLE AND OTHER MARINE ANIMAL BONES AND SPINES SET INTO VARIOUS FORMS OF CLUB AND SOME HAD ENOUGH OF AN EDGE TO QUALIFY AS AN AX. STONE HEADED AX'S WERE COMMON IN THE AMERICAS AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PLACES. I PERSONALLY CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER WAR AX WITH THE BACK SPIKE DESIGNED TO STICK INTO THE GROUND OR A LOG. THE MOUNTANEERING CLIMBING OR ICE AX AND THE MINERS PICK COME TO MIND BUT BOTH ARE MORE PICK THAN AX.

MANY FORMS OF BATTLE AX AND MACE MAY HAVE HAD A SHARP SPIKE USED TO PENETRATE ARMOR BUT AS THEY DID NOT HAVE HEAVY METAL ARMOR IN LUZON AND THE HEAD AX IS WAY TOO LIGHT AND FLIMSY TO STRIKE A TELLING BLOW ANYWAY. I PERSONALLY WOULD PERFER TO FIGHT EQUIPED WITH.
1. SPEAR AND SHIELD
2. PRANG AND SHIELD
3. AX AND SPEAR
IN THAT ORDER.
THE AX MIGHT BE USEFUL TO HOOK A SHIELD ASIDE AND LEAVE AN OPENING FOR YOUR SPEAR THRUST BUT YOU WOULD EITHER NEED MORE THAN 2 HANDS OR HAVE TO DO WITHOUT A SHIELD.
PERHAPS A STUDY HAS BEEN DONE ON HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE HEADHUNTING DAYS IF SO IT SHOULD BE EASY TO IDENTIFY HOLES IN THE BONES MADE BY SUCH A BLADE OR BACK SPIKE. IF THEY ARE PRESENT IN LARGE NUMBERS AND HAVE STRUCK WITH GREAT FORCE IT WOULD INDICATE THEY WERE A PRIMARY WEAPON. IF NOT FOUND OR FOUND VERY RARELY OR ALWAYS IN THE SAME SPOTS, I WOULD SAY IT WAS A MORE RICTUALISTIC TOOL THAN WEAPON.
PERHAPS IT WAS CARRIED TO WAR AS A TAILSMAN AND TO SHOW YOUR STATUS AS ONE WHO HAD TAKEN HEADS AND WAS MOSTLY USED TO PERFORM SOME RITUALS IN PREPARING THE HEAD.
WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW WHAT IT EVOLVED FROM OR WHERE IT WAS DESIGNED ,UNLESS SOME ARCHEOLOGIST OR HISTORICAL INVESTIGATOR EITHER FINDS A PATENT FOR A ACME COCONUT HUSKING TOOL FROM THE 1800'S OR A BOX OF THEM AT A FLEA MARKET. OR PERHAPS SOME DRAWINGS FROM THE UNKNOWN LEONARDO OF THE PHILIPPINES SHOWING HIS DESIGNS FOR ONE.
IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS A PRIMARY WEAPON THRU HISTORIC RECORDS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDIES. (HAS ANYONE READ ANY ACTUAL ACCOUNTS OF THEM BEING USED IN BATTLE?) I AM SURE AN OBSERVER FROM ANOTHER AREA WOULD HAVE MADE A NOTE ON IT SOMEWHERE IF IT WAS ACTUALLY OBSERVED.

PERHAPS OUR MEMBERS IN THE PHILIPPINES CAN PRINT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OUT AND TAKE THEM TO THE MUSEUMS , UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS OR ARCHEOLOGISTS AND SEE IF THEY HAVE THE ANSWERS. IF THEY DO NOT, PERHAPS IT WILL INTEREST THEM ENOUGH TO DO THE STUDIES.

THE HEAD AX IN ITS FINAL FORM WAS NOT A JUST A TOOL BUT IT STILL COULD HAVE EVOLVED FROM ONE. WHO IS TO SAY THE CLUB OR SPEAR DID NOT EVOLVE FROM A DIGGING STICK.
MANKIND COMES UP WITH A USE FOR SOMETHING AND THEN FINDS OTHER USES FOR THE PRINCIPLE AND ADAPTS IT SO IT CAN BE USED IN MANY OTHER WAYS.
THE IDEA FIRST THEN THE TOOL OR WEAPON AND THEN ADAPTATION FROM WEAPON TO TOOL OR TOOL TO WEAPON AND SO ON.

YOU CAN BRING AN OBJECT THAT HAS A SPECIFIC USE IN YOUR SOCIETY AND PLAN TO INTRODUCE IT TO ANOTHER SOCIETY AS A MORE EFFECIENT TOOL FOR ONE SPECIFIC JOB OF YOUR CHOOSING. ONLY TO FIND THEY HAVE DECIDED IT IS MORE USEFUL FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN YOU PLANNED.
JUST CONJECTURE WITH A BIT OF LOGIC THROWN IN HERE AND THERE. BUT PERHAPS THE THOUGHTS MAY INTREST THOSE IN THE FIELDS THAT CAN FIND THE ANSWERS OR PERHAPS THEY WILL JUST SAY NONSENSE !! WE WILL BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED FOREVER.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

JUST CONJECTURE WITH A BIT OF LOGIC THROWN IN HERE AND THERE. BUT PERHAPS THE THOUGHTS MAY INTREST THOSE IN THE FIELDS THAT CAN FIND THE ANSWERS OR PERHAPS THEY WILL JUST SAY NONSENSE !! WE WILL BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED FOREVER.

Hi Vandoo,

Those were a lot of fine points you raised and I'm sure it sent most of us thinking even more deeply into the subject.

And yes, I do hope that those who'll be doing formal research will stumble upon this thread.

With regard to the specifics you mentioned, just some quick comments:

[1] indeed forensic science a la CSI can be used to investigate the headless skeletons and mummies, to find clues on whether the axe was the one used in decapitation (as well as whether the other injury marks were axe-inflicted); and

[2] on previous studies done by universities, I will be able to get a copy this Friday of a masteral thesis on "Bontok [Cordillera] warfare", from a local university; we'll find out if there'd be additional insights we can get from that paper.

Best regards

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

... I also heard that the other (grisly) use of the spike is to pick up the fallen opponent's severed head.

I heard about this, via hearsay (i.e., the info did not come from any book or study).

Browsing the book Filipinas 1874 by Jose Honorato Lozano, however, I stumbled upon the image below of the Mayoyao Igorot.

The translation of the Spaniard's description of said Igorot tribe is:

"There is one ferocious tribe among the Igorots; these are the Mayoyaos depicted in the plate. They inhabit the mountains near Nueva Vizcaya [a province adjacent to the Cordillera]. Even if pursued, it is often impossible to control them."

This lends credence thus to the report that the spike is indeed used to pick up (and even carry) the severed head. Am sure the triumphant warrior would like to prominently display such head atop the axe's spike, upon his return to his home village.

However, the more known way of bringing back the head-trophy is via the so-called "head basket". Given that the trip back home can be a day's hike or more, great care has to be taken in ensuring the head will not get spoiled!

PS - In the image, note though that the position of the handle vis-a-vis the axe head is at the center, instead of on the forward edge. Apparently that's due to an inaccurate recollection of the 19th century Spaniard who wrote the story.

[VANDOO]

HERE IS AN INTERESTING DANCE AX FROM CAMEROON AFRICA. IT IS SAID TO BE USED BY THE BANA,KAPSIKI, FALI AND KIRDI TRIBES FOR DANCES AND CEREMONY. THIS EXAMPLE IS 15 X 7.5 IN. AND HAS AN ALUMINUM BLADE. HOW FAR BACK THIS FORM OF AX GOES.
SO DID THE FORM DEVELOP IN AFRICA OR IN THE PHILIPPINES AND DID IT DEVELOP FROM A TOOL, A CEREMONIAL OBJECT OR WAS IT ORIGINALLY A WEAPON, THE JURY IS STILL OUT.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

SOME SAY I HAVE A FERTILE IMAGINATION OTHERS SAY MY HEAD IS FULL OF S..T

Hi Vandoo,

A false dilemma I must say. There may not necessarily be a conflict between the two. ... the latter actually has qualities related to fertility

That sir is a joke of course! I always enjoy reading your posts in fact; and I always learn and get encouraged from doing so. So thanks indeed for the comments above and elsewhere.

In all seriousness, I agree with your conjecture that things may have developed spontaneously.

After Nonoy started this topic, I again turned to Herbert Krieger's 1926 study of Philippine "primitive" weapons:

"No difference existed originally between implements and weapons. The digging stick is also the first weapon form. A heavy stick is also a club. A club with a knob becomes a still more effective weapon when sharpened to an edge on one of the surfaces, thus becoming an ax. Point and stick and it becomes a spear for combat at a distance. If the stick is short it becomes a dagger suitable for defensive and offensive use at close quarters. Flatten the stick and prolong its sharpened edge to full length of the stick and it becomes a sword. A short flat stick with sharpened lateral edge becomes a knife. If the stick with bulbous end is edged transversely to its longitudinal axis, the ax becomes a hoe. The stick which has acquired a knife-blade edge is also a useful household implement. The same quality of use applies to objects of stone and to the metals, such as copper and iron. Among primitive peoples sharp-edged iron knives used in the household, in hunting and in the handicrafts are also weapons of combat."

So Professor Vandoo, I think you are right on the money!