The shield is made of hardwood and is decorated with intricate carvings and an elaborate rattan binding on the front. The wood comes from native trees such as the
dapdap,
polay and
sablang. The shield usually measured about in length and in width. Its base is composed of
rattan wood which is strengthened by the application of
resin coating that turned rock-hard upon drying. It was widely used throughout the Philippines for warfare. Datu
Lapulapu was reported to have used this shield during the
Battle of Mactan in 1521. In the
Panay Bukidnon folk epic
Hinilawod, the heroes in the story are depicted rigorously training, carrying, and fighting with the kalasag. The shield can also be used in an offensive manner. When the character Dumalapdap was being surrounded by a crowd of maidens, he "struck them with his shield" and "drove them with his shield" before threatening them further with his spear. Among the various
Cordilleran ethnic groups in the northern Philippines, their kalasag were distinctively shaped with three prongs on the upper edge and two prongs on the bottom. These were used offensively in close-quarters combat during
headhunting raids and warfare. The three upper prongs are designed to be thrust unto an enemy's legs and are quickly twisted to trip them; while the two lower prongs are designed to fit over the neck of a downed enemy for decapitation with a
head axe or a
bolo. Its shape is commonly used as part of the official seal of the
Philippine National Police. Various kinds of kalasag are also represented in the provincial flags of
Bukidnon,
Maguindanao, and
Mountain Province. The officers who bears the royal regalia of the
Sultan of Brunei such as the
Panglima Asgar,
Perwira Asgar and the
Hulubalang Asgar carry the royal weapons of
kalasak (shield) and
kampilan (sword). File:Bagobo warriors in full war regalia (Krieger, 1926).png|
Bagobo warriors from
Davao (1926), the warrior in the center is holding a kalasag File:Mindanao Bangsamoro & Lumad Shields & Knives.jpg|Various kinds of
kalasag from Mindanao displayed in the
National Museum of Anthropology File:A Moro Shield (Kalasag).jpg|A
Moro kalasag (c. 1905) File:Igorot Shield (kalasag).jpg|An
Igorot kalasag (c. 1905) File:Kaamulan Festival 2016.jpg|
Manobo kalasag and spears during the 2016
Kaamulan Festival File:Visayan balay illustrated by Fr. Francisco Ignacio Alcina, SJ.jpg|
Visayan warriors with both
taming and kalasag shields from the
Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas (c. 1668) by
Francisco Ignacio Alcina File:An Itneg shaman renewing an offering to the spirit shield (1922, Philippines).jpg|A 1922 photograph of a
shaman of the
Itneg people renewing an offering to the spirit (
anito) of a warrior's
kalasag == See also ==