Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[T. Koch]

Hi Nonoy Tan,

How cool to get your update here - It's funny but I have in the last couple of days been reading through this exact topic and am very excited to see you bring it up from the depts. This has probably turned into one of the greatest online resources for information on these Cordillera axes and you have been primus motor on a lot of the information. Thank you so much for all of that - I've really learned a lot!

Regarding your last post above, I would advise caution in making too much of a direct comparison between pigs and humans. It is true that we in some ways are very comparable, for instance with regards to organs and digestion, but in other ways we are - because of our different ways of life and body structures - not so comparable.

Regarding exactly the neck region, the pig has evolved to a life on all four legs as opposed to being upright like us. This means that the pig by comparison has developed a very strong neck region, evident by the very close situation of the also larger neck vertebrae, separated by slimmer vertebral discs, as well as in some cases fewer vertebrae. In addition comes that pigs - and other four legged animals - have developed much stronger ligaments along the back of the neck, evolved to keep the head straight and prevent it from simply slumping down between the forelegs of the animal. All these characters makes for a significantly stronger structure than that of the human neck, but it comes with other disadvantages: A pig is mostly restrained to moving it's head up and down and have very little movement from side to side. This is ok if you're a pig though, as it dosen't need to see much anyway (also has relatively poor vision), but has developed a strong sense of smell and hearing which it relies on for predator defense.

Us humans by contrast, being bi-pedal predators with forward oriented binocular eyes, have developed a very flexible neck allowing us a near 360 degree field of vision. This has however, come at a disadvantage, being that our necks, together with our knees, have turned into a major structural weakness. For the same reason a lot of classical execution methods, i.e. decapitation, hanging, garroting etc., are concerned with seperation or dislocation of the neck vertebrae - the neck is just an easy target.

Looking at the well-forged Cordillera axes, wouldn't the reinforced tip and in some cases hardened edge also hint at it being used for some kind of impact purpose? As has been pointed out, the edge probably wouldn't be useful for chopping would or clearing brush. A human neck on the other hand, I think it would tear right through. After all, in Africa they successfully do it with those flimsy Martindale Pangas, with a blade thickness of not much more than a few mm.

Regarding the reported handle break, couldn't it also be that, since most of these are antique, the handle integrity by now, is not what it was 80 years ago, or whenever the axe was made?


In all regard a super-interesting topic and I'm so happy to see it brought to life again!


All the best, - Thor

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by Indianajones

Hello Navigator, two quite quality Kalinga axes indeed! Those silver rings are not replacements as Battara mentioned b.t.w. I have seen/had other axes also with partly (original) silver rings which I could place in the region where the Kalingatribe meets their Tinguian neighbours. However I do think the axeblades are on backwards as mostly the handlespurs are on same side as the projecting blade, but I could always be proven wrong.

According the books there were two places where most iron blades were made; in Balbalassang (borderTinguian/Kalinga area) and a place around Bontoc (forgot the name now), but some other villages also had their own smithies. And those villages would be mostly all in the North Kalinga area and perhaps in the East region of the Kalingatribe, I reckon. I have visited a small ironsmith myself in Ableg (West of Tabuk).
Who made the handle and optional copperwork on it is the question. Perhaps another specialist as it looks like quite meticulous work and craftmanship.

It would indeed be quite interesting to know where exactly your axes were made! I have also been studieing that for a while. There are many differences on the handles; the form of the spurs (projecting notch on handles), the copperwork, the geometric cutting in the copper, bladeshape, lenght of handle. I HAVE noticed that the spurs on the handles of Tinguian-area-examples are always quite triangular and 'sharp' of edges.

Thanks for sharing the (pics of) the Kalinga axes. I have included also a nice picture (slightly blurred) of two North Kalinga warriors with axes and a pic of the Kalinga section of my collection.

Best, Wouter

Thanks Indiana Jones, aka Wouter. You have brought forth dormant memories from the well-spring of my past. It's exciting to meet someone who has travelled in that region.
Having spent some time in Balbalasang, Kalinga, I am fairly certain that these head axes were not forged there. Btw, Balbalasang is one of the most beautiful places in the Cordillera region with a clean fast river, forests of pine and an elevation of about 5000 ft. From there it's only about a day's hike into Abra.
I also don't think that these were made by the the famous blacksmiths in Tulgueo or But But in the Southern Kalinga along the Chico river, as they are not known for their brass work or fine detailing.
It seems to me that the fine brass work may have been done in Eastern Kalinga where the Gaddang are located. It may well be that the heads were forged in one location and the brass done by other artisans, as you suggest.

In my three years of visiting among the Kalingas in the late 1970's, I only saw one of these fine head axes in person. I suspect that they were nearly all collected in the early twentieth century.

Speaking of collections, yours is magnificent! I count four head axes among the Gaddang jackets, G-strings, hunter's cloaks, tapis, beads, earrings, gong handles and those wonderful Kalinga shields! WOW!

I was in Baguio City about a month ago after an absence of nearly twenty years. What a sad disappointment it is. It nearly broke my heart.
I call it Quiapo on the Hill now. I'm attaching a photo of a housing development there.

Let's stay in touch.
Cheers!