the Kampilan exclusively Moro?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by David

Well, probably the main thing that all Moros share in common as a standard is the religion of Islam. I honestly can't be sure, but i image that this religious belief as practiced by the various Moro tribes is fairly similar. However, the Moros are not a tribe per se, but rather they are are group of many tribes with varying languages (Manguindanaon, Tausug, Maranao mostly, though there is also Sama-Bajau languages, Yakan and Kalangan) and traditions.

Jim, religions can be considered "pagan", but there is no structured religion called Paganism. The term is often defines as below:
A religion that has many gods or goddesses, considers the earth holy, and does not have a central authority.
In my readings on the indigenous population of this area i am most often finding their beliefs describes as animistic. This is the indigenous belief system that existed amongst the peoples of these regions before the influx of outside religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Animism is often defined as follows:
The belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena.

Well explained David, thank you!
That clarification really does help as we consider the nature of the main topic here concerning the kampilan, and the suggestion of a 'Moro' classification for these swords, especially confining under that term.

While these terms do not of course apply specifically to the weapon we are discussing, it does help to understand the proper definition of them as we look into the tribal and ethnic groups using them. Actually even looking these up in dictionary definitions does not describe them as effectively as applied here with more specific ethnographical applications.

As Battara has well noted, the 'kampilan' as a form was likely a culmination of sword types in varying regions and tribal groups, and became known in the 'Moro' category by the Spanish.

[Battara]

And from a world religions perspective, I would classify animism as an understanding/perception and not a structured religion. Animism simply put (if that is possible) is the understanding that all of life is animated. As the Lakota say in American: "Everything has a spirit." This includes rocks, trees, and even some or most bladed weapons. In fact, bladed weapons can even be imbued with a spirit if it didn't have one.

I agree with the pagan definition. However not all pagan religions have an animistic understanding, and others have a limited view. It is a continuum if you will.