Weapons of Moroland
My dad is an avid collector of Filipino trinkets. He very visibly displays his Goodwill finds, auction buys, and gifts from friends and family around our house. Two of the pieces that he is most proud of are his “Weapons of Moroland” plaques. Specifically, the smaller of the two he is especially fond of: an Igorot weapons plaque rather than the normal “Weapons of Moroland”.
These plaques are tourist items [1] and typically show anywhere from 6-28 bladed weapons including knives, swords, shields, spears, and bows and arrows [2][3]. The one at the Burke has 18 blades, one spear, two shields, and an Agong (a type of gong).
This item is commonly found somewhere in your Lolo’s house typically next to his big spoon and fork. It is not a rare thing at all — I know Filipino boys spent many an hour staring at this display and how awesome it would be if they had one in their hand. If, by chance, they found the perfectly squiggly stick that exactly mimicked the shape of the Kalis or had the same ergonomic handle as the Barong they would instantly become a mighty Filipino warrior of the past, or maybe even a modern-day Filipino superhero with their trusty sword.
Before I researched this artifact and the specific weapons on the plaque, all I knew was that my father had a special one that was different from the rest. It was really when I read the catalog card that was riddled with outdated and misguided information did I decide to look into this item. It had sources listed using terms like exotic and another from a conservative forum page that framed Moros as barbaric demons, for example, “An amok was a Moro who, for a variety of personal reasons, went berserk and tried to kill as many of the enemy as possible before meeting his own, expected death. Juramentados were perhaps even deadlier … [Juramentados] were secure in their belief that they would be whisked to the Muslim paradise for their valorous self-sacrifice, where, among other glories, they would be serviced by 16 virgins” [4]. Juramentados especially were depicted as demons that lived for battle, but actually were incredible warriors that fought to protect their homes through ritual trance and even forced America to make bigger bullets to kill them [5][6].
It did not sit right with me that in a museum where knowledge is paramount, that biased sources like these were being used in 2015. Even myself in 2015, when I was 11-12 years old, would know how to critically look at sources and determine if they are credible or able to be used in an academic environment. Being able to provide work like this where we can introduce our own perspectives is a key part of Knowledge Kapamilya, tapping into schema and personal stories shows the lengths that the Knowledge Family system goes to preserve the tales of community members and cultural respect.
1. Erwin R. Tiongson, “‘weapons of Moroland’ and Our Homes – Positively Filipino: Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora,” Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora, September 23, 2020, https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/weapons-of-moroland-and-our-homes#_edn21.
2. David Atkinson, “The Moro,” Atkinson Swords | David Atkinson, accessed June 5, 2024, https://atkinson-swords.com/peoples/the-moro-2.html.
3. Alden March, The History and Conquest of the Philippines and Our Other Island Possessions; Embracing Our War with the Filipinos in 1899 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, World Bible House, 1899): 28-29
4. Mutchdutch, “Fighting Islam’s Fierce Moro Warriors – America s First War with Suicidal Islamic Warriors,” Fighting Islam’s fierce Moro Warriors – America S first war with suicidal islamic warriors, April 2002, https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/654540/posts.
5. Wade, Jenny. 2021. “Going Berserk, Running Amok, and the Extraordinary Capabilities and Invulnerability of Battle Trance.” International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, no. 40 (December). https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies/vol40/iss2/3/
6. Kyle Mizokami, “The American Pistol That’s Served the US Military in Battle for More than 100 Years,” Task & Purpose, 2017, https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/1911-pistol-history-american-troops/.
