Piso Halasan
| Piso Halasan | |
|---|---|
 An illustration of a Piso Halasan. | |
| Type | Sword |
| Place of origin | North Sumatra (North Tapanuli Regency), Indonesia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Batak people |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 65-100 cm |
| Blade type | Single edge |
| Hilt type | Deer horn, antelope horn, ivory |
| Scabbard/sheath | Wood |
Piso Halasan (also known as Eccat, Ekkat, Engkat, Piso Eccat) is a traditional sword of the Batak people from North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Description
A sword with a hilt made of deer horn or antelope horn. Horn-shaped hilts of cast metal are also found. The blade is made of a mixture of several kinds of metal used as a deadly weapon in battles.[1] It has a straight back and a narrow point. Its broadest part is 1/3 from the point. Towards the hilt the blade gradually becomes narrower. Near the hilt the blade suddenly broadens. The scabbard has a broader part at the top, usually ends at the bottom in a narrow curved point and is partly or totally covered with metal.[2]
Cultural
In the past, this sword is used for war, therefore poison is applied along the edge of the sword.[3] Only the Rajas and other dignatories might possess the particular Piso Halasan known as Piso Gading for their hilts are made of ivory.[4]
References
- ^ Jamaludin S. Hasibuan (1982). Primitive Art of the Ancient Batak in Sumatra, Volume 1. Yayasan K.J. Mahoni. ASIN B0006ECEMW.
- ^ Albert G Van Zonneveld (2002). Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land. ASIN 9054500042. ISBN 9-0545-0004-2.
{{cite book}}: Check|asin=value (help) - ^ Bisuk Siahaan (2005). Batak Toba: Kehidupan Di Balik Tembok Bambu. Kempala Foundation. ISBN 9-7999-5300-6.
- ^ Jamaludin S. Hasibuan (1986). Batak Art And Culture. J. Hasibuan. ASIN B0000CQNRS.
Further reading
- George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: in All Countries and in All Times, Courier Dover Publications, 1999, ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5
- Jamaludin S. Hasibuan, Primitive Art of the Ancient Batak in Sumatra: Volume 1, Yayasan K.J. Mahoni, 1982, ASIN B0006ECEMW
- Nick Evangelista, William M. Gaugler, The Encyclopedia Of The Sword, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995, ISBN 978-0-313-27896-9
Indonesian traditional weapons, armors, and premodern gunpowder-based weapons | ||||||||||||||||||||
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