Help with the Moro Kris/Kalis/Sundang

Ian · 22nd October 2024, 12:41 PM

Hi IP,

I'm occupied with family issues at the moment and will be for a few days. Your questions deserve considered answers, so I'll get back to you ASAP.

Just a few quick observations. Cato describes the charactristics of blades, specifically the "elephant trunk area," that might be attributed to specific Moro tribal groups. This is probably helpful in identifying the origin of the blade. However, as Xasterix has discussed here on the Forum, within Moro culture the tribal attribution of a kris depends on who the last owner was. This is identified by the "dress" of the kris—that is, by the style of the hilt/pommel, the number and style of the asang asang, and the scabbard features. When a Moro acquires a new kris he usually has it "dressed" to his tastes.

Moros acquire blades in several ways: directly from panday (skilled blacksmiths and custom blade makers), by trade within and outside their respective tribal groups, as a bride price, and in combat. Thus, blades from outside their own tribal group become available to them. For this reason, we see a wide range of kris blades in various forms of "dress." All are legitimate Moro kris, but hybrid blades and dress take their designation based on the tribal group of the last owner (regardless of where the blade originated).

More to come when I have time to sit down and write a detailed response that includes comments on your examples.

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22nd October 2024, 12:41 PM	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,396	Hi IP, I'm occupied with family issues at the moment and will be for a few days. Your questions deserve considered answers, so I'll get back to you ASAP. Just a few quick observations. Cato describes the charactristics of blades, specifically the "elephant trunk area," that might be attributed to specific Moro tribal groups. This is probably helpful in identifying the origin of the blade. However, as Xasterix has discussed here on the Forum, within Moro culture the tribal attribution of a kris depends on who the last owner was. This is identified by the "dress" of the kris—that is, by the style of the hilt/pommel, the number and style of the asang asang, and the scabbard features. When a Moro acquires a new kris he usually has it "dressed" to his tastes. Moros acquire blades in several ways: directly from panday (skilled blacksmiths and custom blade makers), by trade within and outside their respective tribal groups, as a bride price, and in combat. Thus, blades from outside their own tribal group become available to them. For this reason, we see a wide range of kris blades in various forms of "dress." All are legitimate Moro kris, but hybrid blades and dress take their designation based on the tribal group of the last owner (regardless of where the blade originated). More to come when I have time to sit down and write a detailed response that includes comments on your examples.