PARANG PANDIT

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by tom hyle

OMG what a cool sword!!!!! I have so much to say I'm liable to forget 1/2 of it plus I'm in a room with friends to distract me.
OMG OMG OMG
OK
OK calm down, Tom!
Beautiful swords!
I find a resemblance to the wierd big Naga sword with the iron handle and integral crossguard; no? Are these super-rare and perhaps ceremonial, like those?
What relation of Nagas and Dyaks, ethno-historically? Other than the handle, seems to be a pretty straitforward parang latok in concept, and so in use? But note how it's dangling "backwards" from the man's hand; is this a method of use or is this how it's carried?
Are the crossguards used for control like the "finger" on a pinegas?
OMG!!!!!!!

When cutting with parang latok/parang lading, as with other swords that curve, bend, or lean back (kilij is particularly similar, while this is often spoken/written of in N America in reference to Japanese swords) the back-wards angle to the blade causes it to pull thru the target with a slashlike action, even when the hand action is a simple "hack".

In overall shape there's seems to be a relation between the Naga sword and the Borneo pandat.
In use the Nagasword is for me,( I just exercised with it) the most ergonomic type. It wouldn't suprise me if the bone or antler top at the pandat handle was actually once of iron( for both hand use) but developped later to smaller proportions.
There seems relation between the Naga and Indonesian tribes and there are comparables in their culture like headhunting, feast of merit,megaliths,Y-posts,tattooing etc

Arjan

[tom hyle]

I found out that pandit is a Hindoo priest or religious instructor of some kind.

[VVV]

Here is another pandat I have found.
It has resembling motifs on the scabbard as the others but the end piece on this is ivory, which I haven't seen before.

Michael

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by VVV

Here is another pandat I have found.
It has resembling motifs on the scabbard as the others but the end piece on this is ivory, which I haven't seen before.

Michael

Hi Michael,

Thank you for sharing images of this wonderfull piece!
So rare and you have so many of them.
Besides the ones I've seen in museumcollections, I've only held three in my hands.....and the best one of those three is in your collection for a while now (the one with hair).

Regards,
Maurice

[VVV]

I don't have the one with hair, it used to be Ben's.
I know a couple of other forumites also have pandat.
Please also post them here so we can have them as references.

Michael

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by VVV

I don't have the one with hair, it used to be Ben's.
I know a couple of other forumites also have pandat.
Please also post them here so we can have them as references.

Michael

Sorry for the mix-up...

Good idea...I can't post one here, because I don't have one.
Ofcourse I would love to see the pandats other forumites have in their collection.

Maurice

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Maurice

I can't post one here, because I don't have one.

I'm really proud that I'm able now to post my first pandat in my collection!
Finally I was able to add such very rare Borneo piece....


I've also posted a drawing of a pandat with a very similar scabbard, depicted in Henry Ling Roth's book (2nd part).

Maurice