Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[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

[Nonoy Tan]

A few points:

1. In fact, the axe was used to decapitate. So many evidence of that.
2. Not all Cordillerans traditionally use the axe for decapitation. Some use the bolo.
3. The Cordillera people are classified into different groups, and each may have different way of going about headhunting. Some keep the skulls and display them at the village, some bury them, some throw them away. Differences can be seen between the Ifugao, Applai, I-lagod, Bontoc, Kankaney, Ilongot, Gaddang, I'wak, Ibaloi, Kalinga, Isneg, Itneg, etc. It is difficult to generalize - differences between adjacent villages within the same "tribe" exists too. It is not easy studying the Cordillera peoples because there are so many groups - not to mention the Agta who also practiced headhunting in the past. Well, so did the Zambals, Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Visayans and almost everyone in the Philippines!

I think that there has been an over-emphasis on headhunting attributed to the Cordillerans (because of past writings by Americans in the 1900s) without including the rest of the Philippines. The key to understanding the headhunting ways of the Cordillerans (in its original form) is by knowing how the rest of the country's inhabitants practiced it. My 2 cents.

[Nonoy Tan]

Here are two interesting examples, both originating from the Cordillera area:

1. The specimen is an axe with a stone axe head. Handle is hardwood. Heavy. More likely a club than a cutting blade or axe.

2. Looks like a Panabas from Mindanao, but actually from northeastern luzon.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

It is not easy studying the Cordillera peoples because there are so many groups ...

Hi Nonoy,

I agree. And I also agree that it appears that not all Cordillerans practiced headhunting, or were warlike.

I've just finished browsing the book Ethnography of the Major Ethnolinguistic Groups of the Cordillera (2003). The book is described by the publisher as "a compilation of what is already known about the various groups as described by historians, anthropologists, missionaries, and travelers who recorded the early life of these groups of people collectively called Igorots".

We can see in the summary below that there are groups in which weapons were not observed to play a major role in that group's sub-culture:

A. The Bontoks

Weapons: battle axe (pin-nang/ pinangas); knife and spears (falfeg, fangkao, sinalawitan), and shield (kalasag)

B. The Ibaloys

Weapons: spear (kayang); shield (kalasag), bow and arrow (bekang and pana), and the war club (papa) [Scheer 1905:153]

They use axes (guwasay) but it is a tool and not a weapon.

C. The Ikalahans

Weapons: none mentioned

[Although] "Every adult male carries a backpack called akbot, made of deer hide. A bolo with a wooden scabbard [pinahig?] strapped to the waist is an indispensable equipment of the men. They never leave the house without it. It is about one and a half to two feet long, and held by a belt (balkah) made of finely woven rattan ...."

D. The Ifugaos

Weapons: none mentioned

E. The Isnegs

"The single most important tool of the Isneg man is the bolo (badang). This is a large, single-bladed knife used to cut firewood, fell trees, clear brush, and kill animals (Keyes in Reynolds and Grant 1973:26). In the olden days, the bolo was also used in warfare. Another important tool is the aliwa, a thin-bladed axe with the back drawn out. This is used for all cutting purposes. The women also have an all-purpose tool called the iko, a small hatchet used in harvesting play and carried by the women in their headdress."

F. The Kalingas

"The name Kalinga is believed to have come from the Ibanag "kali-nga" and the Gaddang "kalinga" which both mean headhunters, hence, the Kalinga people must have acquired their name because of their tradition of head taking and tribal war."

Weapons: head axe (sinawit), bolo (gaman/ badang), and spears (balbog/ tubay/ say-ang); the shield (kalasag) is made from light but sturdy wood, the sablang tree.

G. The Northern Kankana-eys

Weapons: bolo (gamig), axe (wasay), and spear (balbeg);

the axe is further classified into three types -- the pinagada, the pannakot, and the gaman;

the first two are tools, and the gaman was the type used for headhunting ("consists of an iron ring that holds the axe head in place, and an iron band at the end of the handle").

H. The Southern Kankana-eys

Weapons: none mentioned

I. The Tingguians/ Itnegs

Weapons: lance or spear (pika), shield (kalasag), head axe (aliwa or gaman), small bamboo spikes (soga), blow gun (salbatana), and bamboo spear (sinolbong);

the shield used is similar in form to that of the Bontoks and Kalingas.

The MAP below will give us an idea of the distribution of these groups within the Cordillera.

In the map, Manila will be about 2.5 squares below where "17" is printed. And the Cordillera has its own zoomed-in map, found on the upper right-hand corner.

[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

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.

Thanks Vandoo for sharing the pics of a similar form factor, to borrow a term from the computer industry.

All I can say is that this raises more questions, which is good because we may be able to finally as a result, stumble upon the "true value"

[Nonoy Tan]

I suspect that the use of the term "Kalinga" (for the Kalinga axe) started no earlier than the mid 19th century (likely during the American occupation 1898 to early 1900s). During this period, the area of Northern Luzon which now includes the province of Cagayan (home of the Ibanag) was erroneously believed to be home of the Kalinga peoples. This error, I believe may have been due to the fact that knowledge of the indigenous peoples living there was scant, and "Kalinga" was used as a general word to refer to those peoples living in that area. Later, after extensive study, we now know that the area mentioned are home to many other peoples.

The mention of the term "Buneng" (refering to the axe) by the Ibanag in the 17th century is interesting. I believe that "Buneng" comes from the word "Buneg" - meaning river. Ibanag (or i-buneg) means something or someone/people from the river. The Ibanag people occupy the northern Luzon areas close to the large Cagayan river.

It is through these large waterways that goods acquired through trade from traders (e.g. China, Japan, Borneo, etc), goods such as iron, were bought, transported and sold by the coastal (sea) inhabintants to other coastal (riverine) peoples, and thereafter to peoples living inland or the mountains. Such was the trading network. The riverine coasts were magnets for early Filipinos to reside due to this trade. It was also logical to have blacksmiths in these coastal (sea and riverine) villages work iron to produce weapons for sale.

Thus, it seems probable that the "Buneng" Axe was so called because they were made those villages, i.e. villages along the "Buneg", e.g. Cagayan river or its secondary waterways.

My 2 cents