Did Minangkabu have swords? What were they?

KuKulzA28 · 18th June 2012, 07:28 PM

Me and a buddy were discussing this recently.

I have been thinking... Harimau Silat styles rarely exhibit longer blades... the longest usually a short golok - otherwise it's extremely close range fighting, without or without knives. I have heard of blades from Palembang, Bengkulu, and the lowlands, Batak blades, and Acehnese swords... but never Minang. The only blades I have heard of as being Minang are their styles of keris, siraui, sewar, tumbuk lada, etc. All short range fighting knifes / daggers.

Of course "traditional" warfare involved spears and matchlocks too...

Were there swords/pedang that can be specifically attributed to the Minang?

Or were they very general golok-like designs?
Or imported designs from West Java, or the Acehnese?

I thought that, a culture with such a notorious fighting prowess would have it's distinct weaponry too...

Anyone can help a curious forum-mate out?

VVV · 19th June 2012, 12:22 AM

It seems like local variations of sabers with D-guards were popular in this region (see picture below and those in Leiden).
Otherwise the swords found in museums, like Leiden, are more from neighboring regions like you suggest.
Do a search on "zwaard minangkabau" in the Leiden database and you will find some swords collected in Minangkabau.

Michael

PS Maybe the reason why there was found a lot of swords from other regions in Minangkabau was because of the tradition that young men left the village for some time to travel around before getting married and settled?

KuKulzA28 · 19th June 2012, 06:25 AM

You may be onto something, after-all the Minang are traditionally matrilineal, and the men did often leave their home villages...

And so perhaps that led to the adoption of a wide variety of local swords, probably so long as they fit the stylistic preferences of the Minang fighting styles... ? The database would suggest that Minangkabu sword were often of the long thin saber variety, some with D-guards like you said... but nothing overly unique as far as I can tell. Makes me wonder, if this design was indigenous, or perhaps part of the Arab and Indian influences that also led to such blades such as piso podang in the Acehnese and Batak.. ?

VVV · 19th June 2012, 10:58 AM

Yes, it seems like the swords were influenced from other cultures (maybe more European than Arab and Indian?) and the daggers and keris were indigenous.

Michael

18th June 2012, 07:28 PM	#1
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	Did Minangkabu have swords? What were they? Me and a buddy were discussing this recently. I have been thinking... Harimau Silat styles rarely exhibit longer blades... the longest usually a short golok - otherwise it's extremely close range fighting, without or without knives. I have heard of blades from Palembang, Bengkulu, and the lowlands, Batak blades, and Acehnese swords... but never Minang. The only blades I have heard of as being Minang are their styles of keris, siraui, sewar, tumbuk lada, etc. All short range fighting knifes / daggers. Of course "traditional" warfare involved spears and matchlocks too... Were there swords/pedang that can be specifically attributed to the Minang? Or were they very general golok-like designs? Or imported designs from West Java, or the Acehnese? I thought that, a culture with such a notorious fighting prowess would have it's distinct weaponry too... Anyone can help a curious forum-mate out?

19th June 2012, 12:22 AM	#2
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	It seems like local variations of sabers with D-guards were popular in this region (see picture below and those in Leiden). Otherwise the swords found in museums, like Leiden, are more from neighboring regions like you suggest. Do a search on "zwaard minangkabau" in the Leiden database and you will find some swords collected in Minangkabau. Michael PS Maybe the reason why there was found a lot of swords from other regions in Minangkabau was because of the tradition that young men left the village for some time to travel around before getting married and settled? Attached Images Last edited by VVV; 19th June 2012 at 12:34 AM. Reason: added PS

19th June 2012, 06:25 AM	#3
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	You may be onto something, after-all the Minang are traditionally matrilineal, and the men did often leave their home villages... And so perhaps that led to the adoption of a wide variety of local swords, probably so long as they fit the stylistic preferences of the Minang fighting styles... ? The database would suggest that Minangkabu sword were often of the long thin saber variety, some with D-guards like you said... but nothing overly unique as far as I can tell. Makes me wonder, if this design was indigenous, or perhaps part of the Arab and Indian influences that also led to such blades such as piso podang in the Acehnese and Batak.. ?

19th June 2012, 10:58 AM	#4
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Yes, it seems like the swords were influenced from other cultures (maybe more European than Arab and Indian?) and the daggers and keris were indigenous. Michael