Gunong
The gunong is a knife from
The gunong is one of many bladed weapons portrayed in the "Weapons of Moroland" plaque that has become a common souvenir item and pop culture icon in the Philippines. It is also known as gulok among the Maranao and Maguindanao people;[1] punyal (also known as puñal de kris or kris knife) among Visayans and the Yakan people; and badao among the Lumad people (which also applies to the balarao daggers).
History
The gunong is a dagger variant of the kalis, a Philippine sword derived from the Indonesian kris dagger. The gunong is most commonly found in the ethnic groups of Mindanao. The tribes carried blades as part of their regular attire, both as a precaution for self-defense and for accomplishing daily tasks.
While the gunong dates back centuries before colonial times, it became more prevalent in 1915 when
The name punyal may be traced to puñal, the Spanish word for "dagger".[2]
Anatomy
As with its larger relative, the kris or kalis, gunong can be either straight or wavy-bladed. The blade may be single or double-edged[3] and broadens towards the hilt to protect the bearer's fingers. The sheath and the handle can be made from either wood or metal. The style of the hilt can be used to differentiate modern pieces from those made before the American occupation.
See also
References
- ^ Pendatun, Datu Shariff, III. "Notes on Maguindanao". Grid. Vol. 3. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Translate Puñal to English". Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Punyal". Archived from the original on 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
Sources
- Greaves, Ian; Jose Albovias Jr.; Federico Malibago. "Sandata: The Edged Weapons of the Philippines". History of Steel in East Asia. Macau Museum of Art. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
- "Gunong". Sandata: Traditional Filipino Weapons. Traditional Filipino Weapons, LLC. Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2008-07-30.