Code: IN4
An early 20th C. mandau (parang ilang) from Borneo, of the Inland Dyak people. The blade is pattern-welded steel and in excellent condition. The hilt is a tree branch, wrapped with cord and covered in resin. Blade is 18 1/8” long and 5/32” thick. Overall length is 24”.
It is the traditional sword of the Dayak tribes of Borneo and is associated with their headhunting traditions although it is more commonly used as a machete in everyday life. The mandau is one of the most romanticized, albeit macabre, weapons of Borneo. The way of life of the Dayak aborigines, maintaining their ancient customs, habits and religious beliefs, has always involved the taking of heads. They became feared as head-hunters and only in recent years has the practice been “largely” abandoned. (Officially, headhunting doesn’t exist in Borneo despite the occasional report of an isolated jungle beheading). The swords are also “working” swords, capable of separating a branch from a jungle tree as much as a head from man.
It is said that the design of the mandau blade is such that a head can be easily taken by swinging the blade in an arc while running.
The mandau swords typically conform to the same pattern: a blade narrow at the grip, widening gradually towards the point. It is single-edged, but not flat in section. Rather, it is slightly concave to ensure an effective cut. Cutting is its purpose, so the tip is of little importance and may even be slightly rounded. The blade is made of a softer iron, to prevent breakage, with a narrow strip of a harder iron wedged into a slot in the cutting edge for sharpness. The headhunting necessitated being able to draw the sword quickly. For this purpose, the Mandau is fairly short, which also better serves the purpose of trailcutting in dense forest. It is holstered with the cutting edge facing upwards and at that side there is an upward protrusion on the handle, so it can be drawn very quickly with the side of the hand without having to reach over and grasp the handle first. The hand can then grasp the handle while it is being drawn. The combination of these three factors (short, cutting edge up and protrusion) makes for an extremely fast drawing-action.
One explanation for the beautiful preservation of mandau blades is that is accomplished by the use of iron meteorite ore from inland river-beds. Such ore includes titanium, which accounts for the very light weight of the blade, which is nevertheless stiff and quite strong. The inclusion of meteoritic material in this particular blade is speculative, although it does feel lighter than expected from its general looks.
Better pictures coming soon!
Read more about the Dyak
Read more about The Mandau
References