Kampilan
Videos
The kampilan is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip. The design of the pommel varies between ethnic groups, but it usually depicts either a buaya (crocodile), a bakunawa, a kalaw (hornbill), or a kakatua (cockatoo)..
Parts of a kampílan, written in Maguindanao and Maranao languages of Mindanao.
A kampilan with a crocodile pommel shown with the shorter kalis for comparison. The sheaths are also displayed.
The lamination (pattern welding) of the blade of this kampílan is clearly visible. A close-up view of the characteristic spikelet on the blade's tip is also shown.
Detail of the hilts of Moro kampílan, which typically have kalaw (hornbill) pommel designs.
Precolonial barangay
Videos
In early Philippine history, barangay is the term historically used by scholars to describe the complex sociopolitical units that were the dominant organizational pattern among the various peoples of the Philippine archipelago in the period immediately before the arrival of European colonizers. Academics refer to these settlements using the technical term "polity", but they are usually simply called "barangays".
Kampilan – the common weapon of the pre-colonial warrior class.