Borneo Parang Ihlang

JoeCanada42 · 3rd February 2023, 01:20 AM

I would like to preface this by saying I know very little about the subject
This photo I put together is based on my first impressions.
looking into the Borneo clamp ant, it can jump at prey, fling itself backwards with jaws, and decapitate, aswell as lock down... some ants in Borneo even explode...

kai · 3rd February 2023, 08:50 PM

Hello Joe,

Yes, ants are really fascinating critters as long as they are not biting and/or stinging us. Some feel downright nasty if one is on the receiving end of their weapons...

The clamp ant profile really resembles this krowit motif, indeed. Often the prongs turn inwards though which would fit less. BTW, it is also utilized to close wounds if I recall correctly!

Dayak symbolism is a really vast subject (considering the many ethnic groups and their culture & histories): Some motifs are straightforward (heads) or pretty obvious (aso, leeches). Others, however, can be highly stylized and really tough to identify, especially among a background of confluent motifs; there is a considerable body of published work (of widely differing qualities & scopes) with probably still way more gaps than corroborated knowledge.

We had requests regarding such topics about a year ago and I'd suggest to start separate threads for discussing specific motifs.

Maybe this also helps to bring in more of the specialized Borneo crowd.

Regards,
Kai

3rd February 2023, 01:20 AM	#1
JoeCanada42 Member Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Canada Posts: 259	I would like to preface this by saying I know very little about the subject This photo I put together is based on my first impressions. looking into the Borneo clamp ant, it can jump at prey, fling itself backwards with jaws, and decapitate, aswell as lock down... some ants in Borneo even explode... Attached Images

3rd February 2023, 08:50 PM	#2
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Joe, Yes, ants are really fascinating critters as long as they are not biting and/or stinging us. Some feel downright nasty if one is on the receiving end of their weapons... The clamp ant profile really resembles this krowit motif, indeed. Often the prongs turn inwards though which would fit less. BTW, it is also utilized to close wounds if I recall correctly! Dayak symbolism is a really vast subject (considering the many ethnic groups and their culture & histories): Some motifs are straightforward (heads) or pretty obvious (aso, leeches). Others, however, can be highly stylized and really tough to identify, especially among a background of confluent motifs; there is a considerable body of published work (of widely differing qualities & scopes) with probably still way more gaps than corroborated knowledge. We had requests regarding such topics about a year ago and I'd suggest to start separate threads for discussing specific motifs. Maybe this also helps to bring in more of the specialized Borneo crowd. Regards, Kai Last edited by kai; 4th February 2023 at 04:35 PM.