Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

I suspect that there may have been a proliferation of certain myths regarding the use of the Kalinga shield and the significance of its form. It is possible that some of these may have come from accounts of soldiers or government officials during the American colonial rule - who probably have never even personally seen the natives use the shield in such close combat at described. Sometimes, I doubt the source of their information. I could be wrong though.

Nonoy,

Indeed we should approach things critically (in the positive sense of the word).

Fortunately some things can easily be established empirically (i.e., by experience or by observation).

For instance on the alleged three-finger grip on the shield's handle, one can simply try it out himself. And we can examine old photos -- in the attached 1930 pic for instance, we can clearly see the Bontok warrior's thumb and pinky resting outside the handle.

On certain beliefs like the use of the shield for tripping the feet and pinning the head, that can be more tricky to confirm. The possibilities are, in increasing degrees:

[1] it is not true at all;

[2] it was designed for such, but fell into disuse, and that's why some of the Cordillera shields didn't have those prongs anymore;

[3] it's a tribal thing -- some groups use it for tripping-and-pinning, while others don't; and

[4] the trip-and-pin use is prevalent.

Hey, I love finding out what really is going on

[migueldiaz]

More head axe pics, from Ramon Zaragoza's Tribal Splendor (1995):

[VANDOO]

IN THE PICTURES SHOWING THE HEAD AX BEING CARRIED THRUST THRU A CORD AROUND THE WAIST . I NOTE THAT SOME HAVE THE HEAD FACEING IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION (ITS BELOW THE WAIST BAND) IN OTHERS THE HEAD IS ABOVE THE WAIST BAND. THIS WOULD BE OK WHEN AT LEASURE BUT WOULD NOT WORK WELL IF ONE WAS RUNNING OR JUMPING AROUND. IT COULD EITHER FALL OUT OR INJURE YOU WITH ITS EDGE OR SPIKE.
THE MIDDLE PICTURE IN THE LAST SERIES PROBABLY SHOWS ACCURATELY HOW ONE WOULD CARRY SPEAR, SHIELD AND AX WHEN TRAVELING FAST OR PREPARING FOR ACTION. IN LUZON PERHAPS IF THE AX WAS A PRIMARY WEAPON THE AX AND SHIELD WOULD BE IN THE SAME HAND INITIALLY AND WHEN THE SPEAR WAS THROWN OR STUCK IN A FOE THE AX COULD BE CHANGED OVER TO THE FREE HAND FOR THE FINAL STRIKES.

THERE ARE A FEW POSTS ON THESE AX'S IN THE OLD FORUM ARCHIVES SEARCH FOR PHILIPPINE AXES POSTED BY VANDOO 12/22/2003 THERE IS SOME INFO AND SOME PICTURES ARE STILL THERE ALSO.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF ONE OF MY AXS FROM THAT POST. IT WAS IDENTIFIED FOR ME AS AN AX USED BY THE YAPAYAO PEOPLE OF APAYAO AND PARTS OF LLOCOS NORTE, TWO PROVENCES IN NORTH LUZON. IT IS REFERRED TO THERE AS AN "ALIWA" AND WAS SAID IN THIS CASE TO BE A BINAROY TYPE.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

... THERE ARE A FEW POSTS ON THESE AX'S IN THE OLD FORUM ARCHIVES SEARCH FOR PHILIPPINE AXES POSTED BY VANDOO 12/22/2003 THERE IS SOME INFO AND SOME PICTURES ARE STILL THERE ALSO.

Hello Vandoo,

I looked for that thread. But I got 'lost' and ended up browsing this thread instead: Favorite Blade/Weapon ... in which I liked what Lew said: "the best sword is AK-47 closely followed by Heckler& Koch MP-5. Yeah I like to see you carve a Thanksgiving turkey with one of those! (smile)".

Maybe it's time to do another poll?

Eventually I found the thread on the axes: Philippine Axes.

Thanks!

[Nonoy Tan]

Agreed. I sent you an email.

Nonoy

[Tim Simmons]

What book do all these great pictures and info come from? I need a copy.

[Nonoy Tan]

Hi Vandoo,

Nice Binaroy. It is indeed from the Isneg of Apayao (Northern Luzon).

I think however that there is more research needed to confirm the "Aliwa".

Nonoy

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

What book do all these great pictures and info come from? I need a copy.

Hi Tim,

The book is Tribal Splendor (1995), by Ramon Zaragoza. Unfortunately, they only published 300 copies.

I got my copy just the other day, after discovering that a Manila "thrift shop" was selling one at eBay-Philippines.

Earlier, I tried searching the book in Usedbooksearch.com, but it was negative.

[migueldiaz]

Some more early-1900s observations on the Cordillera battle axe --

From The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon, by Lt. Col.
Cornélis De Witt Willcox (USMA):

"[In Bontok] Of weapons there was almost none visible, no shields or spears, but here and there a head-ax.

"[In between Bontok and Kalinga] ... were met by Mr. Hale, the Governor, with two warriors, tall and slender, broad of chest and thin of flank, with red and yellow gee-strings, tufts of brilliant feathers in their hair, and highly polished head-axes on their hips.

"[In Kalinga] ... we saw a man coming towards us accompanied by thirty or forty boys not more than ten or eleven years of age, all gee-stringed, and eight of them carrying head-axes on their hips.

[Nonoy, please take note. It really looks like there is a children's version of the head axe? Quite interesting.]

"[Still in Kalinga] But the finest thing of all was the head-ax, a beautiful and cruel-looking weapon, the head having on one side an edge curving back toward the shaft, and on the other a point. To keep the weapon from slipping out of the hand, a stud is left in the hard wood shaft, about two-thirds of the way from the head, the shaft itself being protected by a steel sheathing half way down; the remainder being ornamented with decorative brass plates and strips, and the end shod in a ferrule of silver. The top of the ax is not straight, but curved, both edge and point taking, as it were, their origin in this curve; the edge is formed by a double chamfer, the ax-blade being of uniform thickness. All together, this weapon is perhaps more original and characteristic than any other native to the Philippine Archipelago."

I think Col. Willcox's last sentence in the previous paragraph is pregnant with meaning.

Hopefully, we can later on definitively establish that the Cordillera axe is indeed the truly original ethnic Filipino weapon-and-tool.

[migueldiaz]

Here's some more early-1900s impressions on the Cordillera battle axe. This time we go back to Albert Jenks' The Bontoc Igorot --

The mystery of the bad haircut finally explained

"The hair of the head is black, straight, coarse, and relatively abundant ... [t]he front is 'banged' low and square across the forehead, cut with the battle-ax ..."

Can be used to groom facial hair, too:

"The scanty growth of hair on the face of the Bontoc man is pulled out. A small pebble and the thumb nail or the blade of the battle-ax and the bulb of the thumb are frequently used as forceps ..."

The men used the battle axe in the kitchen as well:

"Its [the chicken's] legs were severed from the body with the battle-ax and put in the pot. From its front it was then cut through its ribs with one gash."

The axe is considered as one of the man's treasured possessions:

"With the men are buried, besides the things interred with the married men, the basket-work hat, the basket-work sleeping hat, the spear, the battle-ax, and the earrings if any are possessed."

The axe is even used for branding:

"These eastern horses are not used by the Igorot except for food, and no property right is recognized in them, though the Igorot brands them with a battle-ax brand."

Here's one unexpected and amusing use!:

"The foreskin is cut lengthwise on the upper side for half an inch. Either a sharp, blade-like piece of bamboo is inserted in the foreskin which is cut from the inside, or the back point of a battle-ax is stuck firmly in the earth, and the foreskin is cut by being drawn over the sharp point of the blade."

Even on crime and punishment it figures:

"There is an egg test said to be the surest one of all. A battle-ax blade is held at an angle of about 60 degrees, and an egg is placed at the top in a position to slide down. Just before the egg is freed from the hand the question is asked 'Is Liod (the name of the man under trial) guilty?' If the egg slides down the blade to the bottom the man named is innocent but if it sticks on the ax he is guilty."

A battle axe is sometimes a common property:

"Through inheritance two or more people become joint owners of single carabao, and of small herds which they prefer to own in common, pending such an increase that the herd may be divided equally without slaughtering an animal. Until recent years two, three, and even four or five men jointly owned one battle-ax."

Finally, a brief historical sketch:

"The feeling of friendship between the Igorot and insurrectos [Filipino nationalists] was so strong that when the insurrectos asked the Igorot to go to Manila to fight the new enemy (the Americans), 400 warriors, armed only with spear, battle-ax, and shield, went a three weeks’ journey to get American heads. At Caloocan, just outside Manila, they met the American Army early in February, 1899. They threw their spears, the Americans fired their guns—“which must be brothers to the thunder,” the Igorot said—and they let fall their remaining weapons, and, panic stricken, started home. All but thirteen arrived in safety. They are not ashamed of their defeat and retreat; they made a mistake when they went to fight the Americans, and they were quick to see it. They are largely blessed with the saving sense of humor, and some of the warriors who were at Caloocan [now northern Metro Manila] have been known to say that they never stopped running [i.e., 300 km or 200 miles] until they arrived home."

So, it looks like the axe aside from being a weapon is the ethnic upland Filipinos' Swiss knife as well.

[Nonoy Tan]

Indeed, the weapons had their smaller-sized counterparts for young boys - axes, bolos, shields, bows and arrows, etc. Sometimes, "female" (for use by women only) counterparts are also available. Isneg women had the female version of the axe.

Nonoy

[Jim McDougall]

I just wanted to note here, along with Rick's earlier comment, this thread is absolutely fantastic! From the initiation of the thread, focused on a single weapon, the 'kalinga' axe of the Philippines, and throughout are posts developing the history and use of the tool/weapons, beautifully illustrated, cited references and outstanding discussion and observations.

This is 'textbook' perfect gentlemen!!! Exactly the way we should study these weapons. Until I saw this thread, I really knew nothing of these axes, though I'd seen examples thumbing through Stone. After reading through this thread,I feel like I have experienced a true course on them as a subject, and now have a good understanding of them. Also, this thread will stand as a most current resource for others who might be researching these now or in the future.
Well done gentlemen!!!! and thank you!!!

All the best,
Jim

[migueldiaz]

More, from The Bontoc Igorot --



On the Bontoc battle-axe [left side in pic]:

"Baliwang [Cordillera] has four smithies ... Baliwang alone makes the genuine Bontoc battle-ax. It is a strong, serviceable blade of good temper, and is hafted to a short, strong, straight wooden handle which is strengthened by a ferrule of iron or braided bejuco. The ax has a slender point opposed to the bit or cutting edge of the blade ... The bit of the ax is at a small angle with the front and back edges of the blade, and is nearly a straight line. The axes are kept keen and sharp by whetstones collected and preserved solely for the purpose. Besao, near Sagada, quarries and barters a good grade of whetstone."

On the sleek Balbelasan battle-axe [right side in pic]:

"A slender, long-handled battle-ax now and then comes into the area in trade from the north. Balbelasan, of old Abra Province, but now in the northern part of extended Bontoc Province, is one of the pueblos which produce this beautiful ax. The blade is longer and very much slimmer than the Bontoc blade, but its marked distinguishing feature is the shape of the cutting edge. The blade is ground on two straight lines joined together by a short curved line, giving the edge the striking form of the beak of a rapacious bird. The slender, graceful handle, always fitted with a long iron ferrule, has a process on the under side near the middle. The handle is also usually fitted with a decorated metal ferrule at the tip and frequently is decorated for its full length with bands of brass or tin, or with sheets of either metal artistically incised.

"The Balbelasan ax is not used by the pueblos making it, or at least by many of them, but finds its field of usefulness east and northeast of Bontoc pueblo as far as the foothills of the mountains west of the Rio Grande de Cagayan. I was told by the Kalinga of this latter region that the people in the mountain close to the Cagayan in the vicinity of Cabagan Nuevo, Isabela Province, also use this ax."

On the variations in the use and non-use of the battle axe:

"In the southern and western part of the Bontoc area the battle-ax shares place with the bolo, the sole hand weapon of the Igorot of adjoining Lepanto, Benguet, and Nueva Vizcaya Provinces.

"The bolo within the Bontoc area comes from Sapao and from the Ilokano people of the west coast. The southern pueblo in the Bontoc area, Ambawan, uses the bolo of Sapao to the entire exclusion of the battle-ax. Tulubin, the next pueblo to Ambawan, and only an hour from it, uses almost solely the Baliwang battle-ax. Such pueblos as Titipan and Antedao, about three hours west of Bontoc, use both the ax and bolo, while the pueblos further west, as Agawa, Sagada, Balili, Alap, etc., use the bolo exclusively—frequently an Ilokano weapon."

On the Sapao bolo and the Moro barong:

"The Sapao bolo is, in appearance, superior to that of Ilokano manufacture. It is a broad blade swelling markedly toward the center, and is somewhat similar in shape to the barong of the Sulu Moro of the Sulu Archipelago. This weapon finds its chief field of use in the Quiangan and Banawi areas."

One of the pics below shows a Sapao smithy.

Note also in the pics below that it was the same "Malay forge" [also called the double-bellows forge, a 2,000-year old design?] that was used throughout the Philippines, whether it was in the highlands of the Cordillera in northern Luzon, or down south in the Moro areas of Mindanao.

Finally, the color pic below is from the Ayala Museum dioramas. It depicts what a foundry in ancient Phils. must have looked like, i.e., about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago.

[Tim Simmons]

More of the same, nice weapons here. Does anybody have one like in the large picture.

[Nonoy Tan]

Here it is, Tim, including a "Kalaw" headdress and axe from the Ilongots.
Sorry for the bad pics.

Nonoy

[Nonoy Tan]

Here is an old shield graphically illustrating the deadly "Kalinga" axe, as carved on its surface.

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks for that Nonoy. It is very interesting. From your picture the blade appears crudely made which is a surprise. That does not mean in real space it is not well made. It could be heavy, with good balanced and well shaped. I was just expecting something very exciting judging from the most attractive scabbard. It is more than likely that there is considerable varriation to the quality of shaping to these blades. I have these two pieces the pictures are poor and the flash wipes away any subtlety.

[Nonoy Tan]

Hi Tim

Yes, the Ilongot blades come in different forms and quality. There are those that are of such fineness especially those intended for use in ceremonies and "public display."

The axe I posted along with the Ilongot headdress, although originating (geographically) from Ilongot territory is actually a hybird in my opinion. The S-curved blade indicates an Isneg influence, while the brass plate at the bottom of the handle (not seen in the photo) clearly shows Ilongot work.

Your axe, in my opinion in Bontok. Nice ferrule.

The Ifugaw Hinalung appears in the photo to be a large one. Such size of Hinalung were made for chopping wood (as well as a defense weapon).

[Nonoy Tan]

Tim,

Here is an example of a more finely-made Ilongot blade.
Also, a Hinalung intended as weapon (over-all length is 22 cm. only).

Going back to the axe...

This one comes from the Ifugao. I was told by informants from the area that this axe was intended for use in working wood/chopping trees (not primarily as a weapon). As weapon, the "bolo" type was used by the Ifugao (e.g. Pinahig, Hinalung, Hangap, Yuquyug). So far, I have not encountered any reliable document which tells of the Ifugao using the axe as a traditional weapon.

[Tim Simmons]

Fascinating. Nice scabbard, the handle on that knife has the influence of many Philippine knives we see on this forum. The blade looks a little similar to a talibon.
I cannot help myself seeing a relation to the indigenous knives of Taiwan, is this rather fanciful?
Here are some day light pictures of the Hinalung, as you can see it is a big heavy knife. A chopper just as much as a knife. It is one of my most treasured artifacts. I like the almost futuristic clean geometry to the blade, made with absolute confidence. I am not surprised they are used to chop wood, human bodies would offer very little resistance. The other picture is a taiwan knife.

[Nonoy Tan]

Tinguian (Northern Luzon) folklore (oral tradition) describes the headaxe and its uses in many ways. It also mentions several times the headaxe being used magically by a character in the stories to cross bodies of water or the sea.

This leads me to conjecture that the crescent-shaped blade may have been inspired by the shape of a boat

More conjectures .... The shape may have originated from the coastal lowlands (not the mountains of the Cordillera where there is no sea) of Luzon, and where blacksmithing technology (using the Malay forge) may have entered the island.

Nonoy

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

... Being able to discover the possibility of an Ibanag origin is exciting. It is known historically that while the western coast of Luzon (i.e. Ilocos provinces) was a thriving place for international trade, so did the eastern Luzon coast (Cagayan, etc. where the Ibanags are found). Unfortunately, the western coast has been empahized more in popular books, and not too many know about the eastern provinces. There are lots of archaeological evidences from Eastern Luzon what we may have to check, as they are often overlooked ...

Nonoy,

Here's another bit of info that may support the possibility of the Cordillera [highlands] axe originating from the Cagayan-Isabela [lowlands] area, as you intimated.

For info of everyone, both Cagayan and Isabela provinces are adjacent to and east of the Cordilleras.

In Samuel K. Tan's A History of the Philippines (1987), Tan outlined the patterns of leadership per ethnic group:

"The Ivatan of the Batanes islands developed a system in which two leaders shared authority ... The Ilocano observed a power arrangement in which the babacnang or amaen ti ili exercised dominant influence and power. The Igorot setup consisted of the Apo who performed roles with authority ... The Ilongot, a neighbor of the Igorot, had a sort of 'familial government' ... Somewhat different was the Zambal political arrangement which simply gave the best and recognized fighting man the honor of being the leader. The Gaddang [i.e., one of the Cagayan natives] of Northern Luzon developed a setup in which the best headhunter, called the mingal, exercised dominant authority ...."

Again the proposed proof is indirect, given the scanty info we have. But the logic goes like this -- if headhunting was most celebrated in Cagayan, then perhaps the skills and weapons needed in headhunting were also most developed in Cagayan; therefore, the headhunter's axe's original design may have come from Cagayan, and from there the axe's design just evolved as the axe was adopted by the neighboring provinces.

Of course it does not necessarily follow that the headhunting weapon of choice for the Gaddangs was the axe. It could have been a bolo.

But on the other hand, it could have been an axe, too.

Just thinking out loud ...

[dennee]

For what it's worth, here are a couple of prints removed from an early twentieth-century photo album of the Philippines.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

... Finally, a brief historical sketch:

"The feeling of friendship between the Igorot and insurrectos [Filipino nationalists] was so strong that when the insurrectos asked the Igorot to go to Manila to fight the new enemy (the Americans), 400 warriors, armed only with spear, battle-ax, and shield, went a three weeks’ journey to get American heads. At Caloocan, just outside Manila, they met the American Army early in February, 1899. They threw their spears, the Americans fired their guns—“which must be brothers to the thunder,” the Igorot said—and they let fall their remaining weapons, and, panic stricken, started home. All but thirteen arrived in safety. They are not ashamed of their defeat and retreat; they made a mistake when they went to fight the Americans, and they were quick to see it. They are largely blessed with the saving sense of humor, and some of the warriors who were at Caloocan [now northern Metro Manila] have been known to say that they never stopped running [i.e., 300 km or 200 miles] until they arrived home."

Am happy to find out that somebody (GW Peters, in 1899) immortalized the fate of those Igorot warriors.

The painting below is entitled "With the Insurgents in the Philippines - A company of Igorrote spearmen drilling in Caloocan, 1899". Saw it in the book, The Philippines in the 19th Century by Rudolf Lietz.

Note the head-axes being held on the hand holding also the shields. And the Igorot leader in front is depicted as bearing an Ilocano Katipunan dagger (the Ilocos provinces are right beside the Cordillera, hence this is very plausible).

[Tim Simmons]

Great stuff.

[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

[Nonoy Tan]

The painting by Jose Honorato Lozano shows a male Ifugao/Ifugaw. Not only is he holding an axe, but also bow and arrow. It is known that the Ifugao have long time ago disregarded the use of the bow and arrow, and so I am wondering why such weapon appears in a 19th century painting.

There are historical accounts describing the headaxe being used to pick a severed head. I doubt however if Lozano has ever actually seen it happen. I suspect that his painting was based on stories he has heard or read.

Indeed, more questions than answers...