Unknown Moro sword

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by RobT

Hi All,

I have two short swords that, prior to this post, I always thought were barong variants. The top sword looks to have some age to it and may be pre WWII but the bottom sword is certainly post WWII. So, I have four questions. 1: Are these two swords actually keping and not barongs? 2: What does keping mean? 3: Why was a sword so similar to a barong developed in the first place? 4: What are the style queues that would identify a sword as a keping and not a Barong?

Sincerely,
RobT

Hi Rob:

1. Yes, those are both kepings.
2. It means 'leaf' in the Maguindanaon language.
3. The distinction is that keping was a leaf-shaped bolo used in the Mindanao area (Maranao, Maguindanao, several Lumad tribes), while barung is an exclusive fighting blade used in the Sulu area (Tausug, Sama, Yakan tribes).
4. The blade shape is kinda difficult to explain, but once one has seen hundreds of barungs, one will notice that the keping profile is different. The dress cues are easier to identify: the pommel is different and often flashier, has a smaller grip, the ferrule is fancier, the scabbard is different than that of Sulu barungs'.