"Is it really a Cockatoo?" - Page 4

Ian · Yesterday, 03:15 PM

Hi xas,

I really like your Sarimanok! That's a nice piece and it includes, of course, the little fish.

I agree completely with your criteria for interpretation of imagery on Moro weapons. I would add that "Era" includes not just cultural issues among the Moro groups, but also the political balance between these Moro groups and influences from external entities (such as the Brunei Sultanate, Malayan States, the Celebes, etc.).

It has been my understanding that the Sarimanok legend and icon was and remains primarily a cultural focus of the Maranao people of Mindanao. That this icon would filter to some degree into Maguindanao society wo9uld not be surprising, given that the Maranao were (usually) part of the Maguindanao Sultanate. Diffusion of this cultural icon to the neighboring Iranum might also be expected. The question is really to what extent the Sarimanok iconography was embraced by groups outside Mindanao.

Do the Sulu groups (primarily Tausug, Yakan, and Sama) embre=ace the Sarimanok icon in the same manner as the Maranao? Perhaps you have some knowledge of that level of diffusion. And what of the more distant groups that employ the same style of hilt, such as the Brunei Sultanate and Malaysian States—do they also subscribe to a Sarimanok legend?

The political power of the Maranao did rise in the 19th C as the Maguindanao Sultanate faded. However, this power seemed to be more in relation to the Mindanao groups than the Sulu groups. This can be seen in the armed resistance in Mindanao to Spanish and American rule in the late 19th-early 20th C, which involved the Maranao to a large degree, but the Maguindanao (mostly via Datu Piang) were not interested in taking on the U.S. Pershing put down the rebelling Maranao fairly quickly, but the Sulu groups were persistent and were not defeated until the mid-1910s.

I mention this history because cultural iconography is often defined by the most powerful and successful groups within a defined culture. The Maranao were a powerful group in Mindanao in the late 19th C, but they were not as militarily powerful as the Sulu groups in terms of resisting the Americans. Why would Sulu groups, proud of their own cultural heritage, adopt a Maranao icon? And why would such an icon extend beyond Bangksa Moro to more distant Islamic groups?

I don't know a lot about the spread of the Sarimanok icon within the wider Moro groups. I would like to know more. However, as I have stated previously in this thread, I am skeptical about interpreting the shape of the pommel on kris and barung as reflecting a Sarimanok influence, except in the case of Maranao weapons.

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Yesterday, 03:15 PM	#91
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,433	Hi xas, I really like your Sarimanok! That's a nice piece and it includes, of course, the little fish. I agree completely with your criteria for interpretation of imagery on Moro weapons. I would add that "Era" includes not just cultural issues among the Moro groups, but also the political balance between these Moro groups and influences from external entities (such as the Brunei Sultanate, Malayan States, the Celebes, etc.). It has been my understanding that the Sarimanok legend and icon was and remains primarily a cultural focus of the Maranao people of Mindanao. That this icon would filter to some degree into Maguindanao society wo9uld not be surprising, given that the Maranao were (usually) part of the Maguindanao Sultanate. Diffusion of this cultural icon to the neighboring Iranum might also be expected. The question is really to what extent the Sarimanok iconography was embraced by groups outside Mindanao. Do the Sulu groups (primarily Tausug, Yakan, and Sama) embre=ace the Sarimanok icon in the same manner as the Maranao? Perhaps you have some knowledge of that level of diffusion. And what of the more distant groups that employ the same style of hilt, such as the Brunei Sultanate and Malaysian States—do they also subscribe to a Sarimanok legend? The political power of the Maranao did rise in the 19th C as the Maguindanao Sultanate faded. However, this power seemed to be more in relation to the Mindanao groups than the Sulu groups. This can be seen in the armed resistance in Mindanao to Spanish and American rule in the late 19th-early 20th C, which involved the Maranao to a large degree, but the Maguindanao (mostly via Datu Piang) were not interested in taking on the U.S. Pershing put down the rebelling Maranao fairly quickly, but the Sulu groups were persistent and were not defeated until the mid-1910s. I mention this history because cultural iconography is often defined by the most powerful and successful groups within a defined culture. The Maranao were a powerful group in Mindanao in the late 19th C, but they were not as militarily powerful as the Sulu groups in terms of resisting the Americans. Why would Sulu groups, proud of their own cultural heritage, adopt a Maranao icon? And why would such an icon extend beyond Bangksa Moro to more distant Islamic groups? I don't know a lot about the spread of the Sarimanok icon within the wider Moro groups. I would like to know more. However, as I have stated previously in this thread, I am skeptical about interpreting the shape of the pommel on kris and barung as reflecting a Sarimanok influence, except in the case of Maranao weapons.