Pirah

Pirah
Pirah
	Yakan pirah with scabbard
Type	Knife or sword
Place of origin	Philippines
Service history
Used by	Yakan people, other peoples in Mindanao and the Visayas
Specifications
Blade type	Single-edged, convex blade
Hilt type	hardwood, carabao horn
Scabbard/sheath	hardwood, carabao horn

Pirah or pira is a type of Philippine bolo sword or knife characterized by a heavy blade and a wide tip. It superficially resembles a falchion but is much heavier. It is the traditional weapon favored by the Yakan people of Basilan Island. It usually features a kakatua ("cockatoo") hilt, which among the Yakan is distinctively elongated to function as arm support. Among Cebuano people and other Visayans, a similar sword is also known as the pira, but differs in that it has an acutely pointed tip. Like other bolos, pirah were commonly used as farm implements, in addition to being used in combat.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Gallery

Yakan pirah (c. 1960s)
Various bolo from the Philippines. 6 and 10 are pirah, from the Cebuano and Yakan people, respectively.

References

^ Lawrence, Marc (2009). "Filipino Weapons from A to Z" (PDF). Filipino Martial Arts Digest. Stephen K. Dowd.
^ "Pira Cotabato". Traditional Filipino Weapons. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
^ Zerrudo, Maria Rosalie (2 November 2013). "Alchemy of fire and metal: The blade-making of Southeast Asian roots". SunStar Philippines. Retrieved 17 July 2019.