Borneo Parangs

Dinggat · 1st January 2006, 02:11 PM

Hello,
this is my first thread here, but I've been reading this forum for a while now and think, this is the place where I can be helped.
At first, I am from Germany, so please excuse my english will probably not be that good.
My "problem" is, that I have got several Bornean Dayak-weapons and would be happy if someone would help me in identifiying them more closer, that is saying from which tribe and area they come from, how they are specifically called (AFAIK is "Parang" simply an generalization like "sword"), what was their specific use (working tool, weapon, ritual thing or whatever) and maybe how old they might be. I have got them from my parents, from which my mother comes from Malaysia/Borneo herself and is member of the Iban-Tribe. That's why she had all these weapons which she has given to me now. On the whole there are 6 Parangs, 2 spears and 1 Blowpipe. And also one Piso Podang, which I was being helped to identify in another forum, here.

I only have photos of 4 of the parangs by now, photos of the other 2 and the spears and blowpipe might follow if i get my hands on a digicam. These pics are quite big (1000x750) I think that makes the details better visible.

Here is Parang #1, this is the smallest one and the one with the fewest details:
Complete view of sword and scabbard
Hilt in detail
Frontside of Scabbard
Backside of Scabbard [/URL]

Parang #2
Complete view
Hilt in Detail 1
Hilt in Detail 2
Hilt in Detail 3
Blade in Detail 1 <-- I think this is the "krowit" referring to this page
Blade in Detail 2
Scabbard in Detail 1
Scabbard in Detail 2
Scabbard in Detail 3

The two horizontal lines on the blade are inlayed with some yellowish metal, maybe brass or s.th. like that

The other two swords will follow immediatly.

1st January 2006, 02:11 PM	#1
Dinggat Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 29	Borneo Parangs Hello, this is my first thread here, but I've been reading this forum for a while now and think, this is the place where I can be helped. At first, I am from Germany, so please excuse my english will probably not be that good. My "problem" is, that I have got several Bornean Dayak-weapons and would be happy if someone would help me in identifiying them more closer, that is saying from which tribe and area they come from, how they are specifically called (AFAIK is "Parang" simply an generalization like "sword"), what was their specific use (working tool, weapon, ritual thing or whatever) and maybe how old they might be. I have got them from my parents, from which my mother comes from Malaysia/Borneo herself and is member of the Iban-Tribe. That's why she had all these weapons which she has given to me now. On the whole there are 6 Parangs, 2 spears and 1 Blowpipe. And also one Piso Podang, which I was being helped to identify in another forum, here. I only have photos of 4 of the parangs by now, photos of the other 2 and the spears and blowpipe might follow if i get my hands on a digicam. These pics are quite big (1000x750) I think that makes the details better visible. Here is Parang #1, this is the smallest one and the one with the fewest details: Complete view of sword and scabbard Hilt in detail Frontside of Scabbard Backside of Scabbard [/URL] Parang #2 Complete view Hilt in Detail 1 Hilt in Detail 2 Hilt in Detail 3 Blade in Detail 1 <-- I think this is the "krowit" referring to this page Blade in Detail 2 Scabbard in Detail 1 Scabbard in Detail 2 Scabbard in Detail 3 The two horizontal lines on the blade are inlayed with some yellowish metal, maybe brass or s.th. like that The other two swords will follow immediatly.