Some notes on the Parang Lading

The parang lading is often regarded as a practical blade; utilitarian in appearance, yet formidable in combat. But a closer reading reveals a deeper world of meaning embedded in its form, names, and usage. In my ongoing research, I propose that the parang lading can be interpreted through two parallel but distinct frameworks: the cultural semiotics of the Malay world, and the spiritual metaphysics of Islamic thought, particularly as articulated by scholars such as Ibn Arabi.

On the first level, we see how the morphology of the blade is described using culturally resonant names that reflect the Malay worldview. Terms like daun palas (referring to the flared tip of the blade) draw from nature - evoking the folded leaves used in food preparation, ritual offerings, and sacred ceremonies. This association conveys both concealment and purpose, suggesting that the tip of the blade is not only a cutting point, but a symbolic vessel of intent. The tapak kijang or "deer’s hoof" hilt, with its distinctive flare, reflects agility, grace, and alertness - qualities admired in both animals and warriors. Other terms like beras bekal (literally “provisioned rice”) add further layers of organic familiarity, connecting the weapon to the body, to nourishment, and to the human experience of motion and survival.

These are not arbitrary names. They are mnemonic metaphors - ways of transmitting knowledge through resemblance, encoded in the language and lived experience of the alam Melayu. The parang lading is not separate from its environment; it arises from it, and is named in harmony with it. In this sense, it reflects the same logic found in other elements of Malay material culture, such as the keris, the tanjak, and traditional house architecture - all of which rely on a symbolic interplay between form, function, and cultural meaning.

On a deeper interpretive level, the parang lading may also be viewed through the metaphysical lens of Islamic thought. The straight blade bears resemblance to the huruf alif (ا), the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, often associated with tawhid (divine unity), istiqamah (uprightness), and the singular direction of divine alignment. In the writings of Ibn Arabi, symbolism is not a matter of ornament but of essential correspondence; the external form is a sign (āyah) of inward truth. From this perspective, the parang lading, as a weapon used in disciplined martial motion, becomes a reflection of the spiritual path itself. Its form may echo the journey from hidden potential to manifest reality, a concept captured in tajalli, the self-disclosure of divine attributes.

It must be clarified, however, that this reading does not imply historical intentionality; we are not claiming that the blacksmiths of Kedah or Pattani were consciously applying Ibn Arabi’s metaphysics. Rather, we are suggesting that the symbolic logic embedded in the blade’s form coheres with a broader Islamic metaphysical framework. The parallels, whether incidental or emergent, are intellectually and spiritually valuable, they show how the material and the metaphysical can resonate across traditions.

By framing the parang lading within these two interpretive layers - the Malay cultural-semiotic and the Islamic metaphysical - we begin to see it not merely as a blade, but as a text: a silent scripture of the body, of resistance, and of inner discipline. In a world where modern scholarship often demands either material proof or textual citation, it is important to remember that many of our cultural artefacts speak through form, gesture, and naming. What the parang lading teaches us is that in the Malay world, knowledge is often forged - not just written.

Pak Ku Nara

9 July 2025