Weapons of Moroland
Encyclopedia
"Weapons of Moroland" is a plaque
or crest
containing miniature models of weapons used by warriors from the indigenous peoples of Mindanao
in the Philippines
. As a souvenir, it is fairly common in gift shops, and is considered a pop culture icon. Displaying the plaque in one's home is one of several indications of "how Filipino" one is. It is jokingly used as a description of resistance to colonialism.
The weapons on the wooden plaque include spears, shields, and a wide range of swords or knives such as the kris, barong and the kampilan, while the plaque itself is usually shaped like the Coat of arms of the Philippines
, and is often though not always painted in the colors of that seal.
The quality of the models varies from case to case, usually reflecting the general shape of each weapon but not usually accurately showing the scale of blades with their hilts, nor the scale of weapons relative to each other.
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
or crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
containing miniature models of weapons used by warriors from the indigenous peoples of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. As a souvenir, it is fairly common in gift shops, and is considered a pop culture icon. Displaying the plaque in one's home is one of several indications of "how Filipino" one is. It is jokingly used as a description of resistance to colonialism.
The weapons on the wooden plaque include spears, shields, and a wide range of swords or knives such as the kris, barong and the kampilan, while the plaque itself is usually shaped like the Coat of arms of the Philippines
Coat of arms of the Philippines
The Coat of Arms of the Philippines features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law by Governor-General Ramón Blanco during the Philippine Revolution, and the three five-pointed stars representing the three primary...
, and is often though not always painted in the colors of that seal.
The quality of the models varies from case to case, usually reflecting the general shape of each weapon but not usually accurately showing the scale of blades with their hilts, nor the scale of weapons relative to each other.
Blade weapons
- BudjakBudjakBudjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast of Ukraine. Lying along the Black Sea between the Danube and Dniester rivers this multiethnic region was the southern part of Bessarabia...
- GunongGunongthumb|350px|An antique gunong from Mindanao.The gunong is a knife from Mindanao, the Philippines. It is essentially a diminutive form of the larger kalis or kris. The gunong serves both as a utility knife and as a thrusting weapon used for close quarter fighting - usually as a last defense...
- PunyalPunyalthumb|350px|An antique punyal de kris from Mindanao.The punyal is a small knife used as both tool and weapon by the Maranao people of the Philippines. Designs of the knife vary; some are straight, while others are wavy, resembling a small kris...
- KalisKalisA kalis is a type of double-edged Filipino sword, often with a "wavy" section, similar to a kris. Unlike the kris, the Kalis's double-edged blade can be used for both cutting and thrusting....
- Kambang
- BarongBarong (knife)The barong is a thick, leaf-shaped, single-edged blade sword. It is a weapon used by Islamic tribes in the Southern Philippines.- Description :-Blade:...
- KampilanKampilanThe kampílan is a type of single-edged long sword of the Filipino people. Being ancient origin, it has been used in the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon for centuries, used for head-chopping....
- Gayang
- Banjal
- Susuwat
- Laring
- KrisKrisThe kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
- Janad
- KapaKapaKapa is a fabric that was made by Native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales. It is similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia but differs in the methods used in its creation...
- Pira
- Utak
- PanabasPanabasThe Panabas is a large, forward-curved sword, used by Muslim tribes in the southern Philippines. It can range in size from 2 to 4 feet and can be held with one or both hands, delivering a deep, meat-cleaver-like cut. In their heyday, they were used as a combat weapon, as an execution tool, and as a...
- Susuwat
- Bangkon
- Lahot
- Balisiong
Others
- AgungAgungThe agung is a set of two wide-rimmed, vertically-suspended gongs used by the Maguindanao, Maranao and Tausug people of the Philippines as a supportive instrument in kulintang ensembles...
- A musical instrument of the KulintangKulintangKulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums...
ensemble, used as a signal to relay commands in battle.
External links
- Message board topic showing images of actual swords portrayed in the plaque --