Weapons and Implements Made and Used in the Town of Taal, by BB Atienza, 1917

This page contains the complete transcription of the 1917 ethnographic paper written by one B. B. Atienza from .jpeg scans of the originals made available by the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections. Corrections for grammar had been made in certain parts but no attempt was made to rewrite the original paper. Original pagination is indicated for citation purposes.

[Cover page.]

Manila
1917

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All of the weapons and implements sketched above are used and made in Taal and practically used in the whole province of Batangas. They are made mostly in Taal and sold to other localities.

The bolos are made in the following way. The iron, after being heated to white red, is beaten and made into a uniform strip. Then, the strip of iron is bent and in the middle and in between the bent parts is inserted the steel which serves as the blade. After having done this, the metal thus formed is made into any desired form of a bolo.

Those included in No. 12 to No. 15 are made in a different way. They are sometimes made of copper or bronze or old files. In some cases, file is the only instrument used in making these. The handles of either bolo or say of those included in No. 12 to No. 15 may be hard wood or horn.

The accompanying diagram or rough sketch of billows used in blacksmithing. Charcoal is used for fuel. Charcoal is made in the following way. A pit is dug. In this pit is placed the trunk and branches of a tree (usually palsahingin) cut into pieces. The wood of this burns even if it were not dry. After the wood is ignited, it is covered with leaves and then soil. As soon as the wood has all burned the fire is put out by means of water. Then, the charcoal is formed.

Transcribed from “Weapons and Implements Made and Used in the Town of Taal,” by BB Atienza, 1917, online at the Henry Otley-Beyer Collection of the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.