The Sword in Malay Culture

Assalamualaikum and may peace be upon you...

My previous posts have been predominantly published in Bahasa Melayu, but for today, I would like to say a few words in English. Today's post will be a short introduction on the Malay sword. This is a dedicated weapon, and not a multifunction tool. The sword was designed for one purpose only, and that is to cut into an enemy's flesh to inflict damage and disable them. It was not designed to cut bushes or chop firewood, which is the job for its cousin the parang.

The word sword or pedang in Bahasa Melayu, refers to a wide range of edged weapons with blades up to an exceeding 24 inches in length. The steel blade is often made of high-carbon or "spring" steel, whether forged from a single block of metal or pattern-welded. Malay swords often have relatively thin blades with spines and fullers to maintain its blade integrity. More often than not, a pedang has a curved or slightly curved, single-edged blade with a one-handed grip or handle, often lacking a hand guard. Nonetheless, there are examples of straight-bladed swords (which may be double-edged), as are those with basic hand protection and also two-handed grips in existence. Malay swords come in various designs with various names: chenangkas, jenawi, chunderik, sikin, sundang, klewang, parang panjang and pedang just to state a few.

What sets the pedang apart from other edged weapons in the Malay arsenal is the design of its blade. The blade of a pedang usually tapers towards the tip from the base, as opposed to the flaring tip of the parang or machete. As previously mentioned, the blade is usually slightly curved, with fullers running the length of the blade to reduce its weight. There is also usually a thick spine present, to maintain the blade's stiffness and structure. The spine is also used to block the opponent's weapon in combat. Some pedang have a false edge towards the end of the blade. These are usually known as buaya berenang or anak buaya, as the false edge resembles the head of a swimming crocodile. Swords with this type of blade usually have hand guards in the form of a simple knuckle bow and a forward-curved crossguard. Some of these, with longer and heavier blades are often called parang panjang and are dedicated field weapons (not to be confused with the utilitarian parang).

Another defining characteristic of the pedang is the presence of a scabbard, usually made of wood and may be dressed with metal rings and overlays. The presence of the scabbard itself suggests the importance of keeping the edge of the blade sharp and protected, in contrast with the method in which the parang is often kept. This shows that the pedang relies on the sharpness of the blade to be an effective cutting and thrusting weapon, as opposed to the parang as being a chopping tool.

There is also a very short version of the pedang known as the golok which is a general-purpose tool with similar blade profile but at a much more decreased length and is usually under 18 inches long. The golok also generally has a heavier blade and performs basically the same tasks as the parang, although it makes a better cutting tool and is often used to slaughter animals for food. Like the pedang, the golok also has a scabbard. Some forms of silat use the golok as a part of their arsenal due to its cutting and stabbing ability. The short, stiff blade is ideal for slashing and stabbing, especially in close quarters.

A very unique type of "pedang" is the sundang Bugis or keris sundang, also known as the sundang Moro. This is basically an oversized keris designed for slashing and cutting, and is often considered to be in the same classification as a sword. The thin, light blade makes for a very fast weapon, but it rarely exceeds 24 inches in length. The blade may be undulated (berlok) or almost straight, with a distinctive "cockatoo" hilt designed for single-handed use. Such a weapon may have been ideal in maritime warfare, as the Bugis were well-known seafarers of the Malay world. It can be considered as the cutlass of the Malay world, although its usage was more widespread.

Traditionally, the pedang, spear (tombak) and keris are considered to the the Malay's most ancient weapons, with the spear and pedang predating the slightly more recent keris. However, the keris gained popularity in the 12th to 15th centuries and became the symbol of the Malay people thereafter. The tombak remained in the Malay armoury as a field weapon and often used in ceremonies while the pedang seemed to gradually become exclusive to the nobility. Nowadays, the pedang remains part of the Royal Regalia of many Malay Sultanates. However, the skill of wielding the pedang as a weapon is fast becoming a dying art.

It should be noted that fighting with the pedang is not the same as fighting with a parang or golok. In Malay silat, there are two distinct styles of fighting often referred to as Permainan Laksamana and Permainan Hulubalang. "Permainan" can be directly translated as "game" although in the silat context, this word refers to the style, techniques and principles of offence and defence. Permainan Laksamana (literally "Admiral's game") refers to a style of fighting that emphasizes speed and accuracy, while strength and agility are the hallmarks of the Permainan Hulubalang (Warrior's game). Sword fighting in Malay culture is classed as Permainan Laksamana, while parang and golok techniques are often employed in Permainan Hulubalang. Each of these different styles have their unique advantages, and an ancient Malay army employed both styles in their ranks.

An example of a chunderik sword