Dahong Palay
Encyclopedia
The Dahong Palay literally 'Rice Leaf' in Tagalog
, is a single-edged sword
from the Philippines
, specifically the Southern Tagalog
provinces of Batangas
and Mindoro
. The sword's name could either be a reference to the similarity of its shape to the leaves of rice
or to local green snakes "dahong palay", purported to be extremely venomous. The snake is probably green specimens of the Philippine Pit Viper, Trimeresurus flavomaculatus
, though it is sometimes identified as various relatively harmless green snakes, like vine snake
s. The dahong palay was originally used as a farmer's tool, for clearing thick grass growths. However, during the Philippine revolution of 1896
, farmers from Batangas soon came to favor it for its slashing and thrusting "feel".
, golok
, or ginunting, measuring about twenty to thirty inches.
The width of the blade is at its fullest at the hand guard, and from there the sharp edge tapers smoothly, with only the slightest curve or "belly" as it moves towards the tip of the sword. In contrast, the back of the blade only begins to curve downward as it nears the hilt
, which in turn also curves downwards, completing the "rice leaf" tapering profile of the sword.
The tip of this "rice leaf" profile is an acute and very sharp point, which gives the blade its penetrating capability when used in a thrusting motion. The balance and steep profile of the sword, in turn, gives it its cutting ability when used in a slashing motion.
is embedded in a long hilt, traditionally made of Kamagong
wood. As previously explained, this hilt tilts downwards, contributing to the sword's unique profile. Aside from that, however, the exact shape of the hilt, varies significantly from piece to piece, with the pommel and grip not always distinct parts of the hilt, and a crossguard
that isn't present in all pieces. In addition, the dahong palays origins as an agricultural tool means that the hilts are often simple and practical, rather than ornate as is often the case in the kalis
or kampilan
.
.
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, is a single-edged sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
from 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...
, specifically the Southern Tagalog
Southern Tagalog
Southern Tagalog, or Region IV, was a region of the Philippines that is now composed of Region IV-A and Region IV-B . Region IV was split into the two regions on May 17, 2002...
provinces of Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
and Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
. The sword's name could either be a reference to the similarity of its shape to the leaves of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
or to local green snakes "dahong palay", purported to be extremely venomous. The snake is probably green specimens of the Philippine Pit Viper, Trimeresurus flavomaculatus
Trimeresurus flavomaculatus
Trimeresurus flavomaculatus is a venomous pitviper species found in the Philippines. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
, though it is sometimes identified as various relatively harmless green snakes, like vine snake
Vine snake
Vine snake can refer to several kinds of snake from the taxonomic family Colubridae:*Genus Ahaetulla, Japanese vine snakes.*Genus Chironius, Sipos or blunt-headed vine snakes.*Genus Oxybelis, Neotropical vine snakes....
s. The dahong palay was originally used as a farmer's tool, for clearing thick grass growths. However, during the Philippine revolution of 1896
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
, farmers from Batangas soon came to favor it for its slashing and thrusting "feel".
Physical description
The dahong palays size is about the same as most Filipino swords such as the kalisKalis
A 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....
, golok
Golok
right|thumb|Golok copying the Martindale No 2 designThe golok is a type of machete or broadsword originating in Southeast Asia. The word golok is of Indonesian origin but is also used in Malaysia and is known as gulok in the Philippines...
, or ginunting, measuring about twenty to thirty inches.
Blade
The blade is single-edged and has what is classified as a normal blade pattern – that is, it has a curved cutting edge, and a back which is virtually flat at the tip.The width of the blade is at its fullest at the hand guard, and from there the sharp edge tapers smoothly, with only the slightest curve or "belly" as it moves towards the tip of the sword. In contrast, the back of the blade only begins to curve downward as it nears the hilt
Hilt
The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...
, which in turn also curves downwards, completing the "rice leaf" tapering profile of the sword.
The tip of this "rice leaf" profile is an acute and very sharp point, which gives the blade its penetrating capability when used in a thrusting motion. The balance and steep profile of the sword, in turn, gives it its cutting ability when used in a slashing motion.
Hilt
The sword's full tangTang (weaponry)
A tang or shank is the back portion of a tool where it extends into stock material or is connected to a handle as on a knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, chisel, screwdriver, etc...
is embedded in a long hilt, traditionally made of Kamagong
Kamagong
Kamagong or "Mabolo" is a fruit tree found only in the Philippines, the wood of which is extremely dense and hard, and famous for its dark color. It belongs to the ebony family , and like many other very hard woods is sometimes called "iron wood" so called because its wood is iron-like and nearly...
wood. As previously explained, this hilt tilts downwards, contributing to the sword's unique profile. Aside from that, however, the exact shape of the hilt, varies significantly from piece to piece, with the pommel and grip not always distinct parts of the hilt, and a crossguard
Crossguard
On a sword or some knives, the crossguard , also known as quillons, is a bar of metal at right angles to the blade, placed between the blade and the hilt. The crossguard stops the wielder from punching shields while swinging the weapon, thereby protecting the user's hand...
that isn't present in all pieces. In addition, the dahong palays origins as an agricultural tool means that the hilts are often simple and practical, rather than ornate as is often the case in the kalis
Kalis
A 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....
or kampilan
Kampilan
The 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....
.
In history
As a weapon, the dahong palay was a mainstay during the many conflicts that have plagued the Southern Tagalog region since its first use during the Philippine revolution against the Spanish – used by farmer-warriors whenever they could not acquire firearms. It is noted for having been used by Filipino guerrillas in the region during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.