Machete - Cultural Variations

Cultural Variations

The panga or tapanga is a variant used in East and Southern Africa. This name may be of Swahili etymology; not to be confused with the Panga fish. The panga blade broadens on the backside and has a length of 16 to 18 inches (41 to 46 cm). The upper inclined portion of the blade may be sharpened.

This tool has been used as a weapon: in the Rwandan Genocide; in South Africa particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s when the former province of Natal was wracked by conflict between the African National Congress and the Zulu-nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party.

In the Philippines, the bolo is a very similar tool, but with the blade swelling just before the tip to make the knife even more efficient for chopping. Variations include the longer and more pointed iták intended for combat, and it was also used during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish colonial authorities, later becoming a signature weapon of guerrillas in the Philippine-American War; the longest variation, called a kampilan, was used by the ancient sultanates of Mindanao. Filipinos still use employ the bolo for everyday tasks such as clearing vegetation or chopping various large foodstuffs. These are also commonly found in most Filipino kitchens, with some sets displayed on the walls and other sets for more practical use.

Other similar tools include the parang and the golok (from Malaysia and Indonesia); however, these tend to have shorter, thicker blades with a primary grind, and are more effective on woody vegetation. The Nepalese kukri is a curved blade which is often used for similar tasks. Some types of Chinese saber (dao) are similar.

In Thailand more variations exist, such as the E-nep, or Nep, which translates as "Leaf" (มีดเหน็บ). It may resemble some forms of Muslim blades like the Jambiya, or the Pakistani/Nepali Khukuri, having aspects of both with the up-swept tip and protruding belly. Another design found in Thailand is the E-toh, which is prominent in Southern China, Laos, and other northern parts of South East Asia. Generally E-tohs must have forward weighted tips, and are used around the home for splitting stove wood or chopping bone. The Chinese Dao, with its triangular tip is found in Thailand as the Hua-Tad, which translates roughly as "Head Chopper." The most common blade in Thailand is called "Pra," it can describe long straight designs, or billhook designs. The primary purpose of a "Pra" is farm work and clearing vegetation. During the 2006 riots in Bangkok, Red-Shirt protestors carried "Sapatda," which resemble an over-sized bowie knife with sawback cuts in the spine.

In the various regions of Ecuador it is still used as an everyday tool in agricultural labors, such as clearing, chopping, cutting and felling. In the Pacific coast the machete has a long history of use and can be seen as part of the everyday dress of the rural male inhabitants, especially in the provinces of Manabi, Los Rios and Guayas. In its day the machete and the skills related to it were seen as a token of manliness, and it was carried, sword-like, in ornamented sheaths made out of leather or in sashes around the waist. Its use was not limited to agriculture: it also had a double role as a ready-to-hand weapon for self-defense or attack. Although modern laws in Ecuador now prohibit its use as a weapon, there are still cases of vicious fighting or intimidation related to it. Being a part of the male dress, it also has a part in the cultural expressions of the coastal rural regions of Ecuador, such as dances, horsetaming contests and skill exhibitions.

In the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, the machete is largely used by the native inhabitants. It is used to clear paths through the bush, and was used to fight against the Brazilian Empire in the Farrapos' war (War of Tatters). There, the machete is called "facão" or "facón" (literally "big knife"). Today, there is a dance called dança dos facões (machetes' dance), that is danced in this region. In this dance, performed only by men, the dancers knock their machetes while dancing, simulating a battle. Maculelê, an Afro-Brazilian dance/martial art, can also be performed with facões. This practice began in the city of Santo Amaro, Bahia, in the northeastern part of the country.

In southern Mexico and Central America it is widely used to clear bush and often hundreds of macheteros are contracted to assist in clearing paths for the construction of new roads or structures. Many people in the rural regions own machetes to clear the constant overgrow of jungle bush. In the recent drug cartel wars of the region, many homicides and decapitations are suspected of being caused by machetes or similar tools.

The Taiga is a Machete of Russian origin which combines the functions of machetes, axes, knives, saws, and shovels into one tool. It is easily distinguished by the large swell at the end of the blade to facilitate chopping. The Taiga is also used by military air and special forces, including Spetsnaz.