Upper class Datu ivory, swassa, and silver barong

xasterix · 1st July 2024, 03:19 PM

If I may add a bit of trivia- any member of the nobility may have carried this; I usually call such as "nobility blades." Moro blades with expensive materials and high craftmanship may be commissioned by any member of the nobility- and this was not limited to those with rank in royalty or military, but also to affluent members of the populace- merchants, shopkeepers- and those invaluable to the community, such as council of elders, priests, sorcerers, even highly successful and senior blacksmiths and artisans.

I've been told by Moro elders that "Datu-class" and "Sultan-class" aren't accurate in describing these weapons, as many of these were owned not by the Datu nor Sultan, but by other members of the nobility. It was not uncommon for non-royalty nobles to have flashier and more expensive blades than royalty. There are even oral traditions of Sulu rulers who would gift noteworthy non-nobility subjects with ivory-pommel blades, while keeping modest blades for themselves.

Certain royalty, from Datu all the way up to the Sultan, preferred to carry these modest blades,because they valued these blades' intrinsic value as their pusaka (heirloom). Then there were also Datu and Sultan who preferred foreign or modern weapons, such as sabers and guns.

Nevertheless, that's a very nice nobility barung

1st July 2024, 03:19 PM	#8
xasterix Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 604	If I may add a bit of trivia- any member of the nobility may have carried this; I usually call such as "nobility blades." Moro blades with expensive materials and high craftmanship may be commissioned by any member of the nobility- and this was not limited to those with rank in royalty or military, but also to affluent members of the populace- merchants, shopkeepers- and those invaluable to the community, such as council of elders, priests, sorcerers, even highly successful and senior blacksmiths and artisans. I've been told by Moro elders that "Datu-class" and "Sultan-class" aren't accurate in describing these weapons, as many of these were owned not by the Datu nor Sultan, but by other members of the nobility. It was not uncommon for non-royalty nobles to have flashier and more expensive blades than royalty. There are even oral traditions of Sulu rulers who would gift noteworthy non-nobility subjects with ivory-pommel blades, while keeping modest blades for themselves. Certain royalty, from Datu all the way up to the Sultan, preferred to carry these modest blades,because they valued these blades' intrinsic value as their pusaka (heirloom). Then there were also Datu and Sultan who preferred foreign or modern weapons, such as sabers and guns. Nevertheless, that's a very nice nobility barung