TheLadieng (also known asKlewang-Ladieng,Ladeng,Ladeeng,Roedoes Lentik,Rudus Lenti,Sonagang-Klewang) is a sword from Sumatra, Indonesia. It is also commonly known asParang Lading in Malaysia.
It is originally thought to be an agricultural tool used for cutting brushwood and grass,[1] that has made its way into Malay martial arts,Silat and as a weapon.[2] Unfortunately it is too a convenient weapon of offence by gang robbers.[1]
The Ladieng has a slightly curved, single-edged blade. The blade widens from the hilt to the tip. It is slightly curved, has neither a central ridge nor a hollow ground and is rounded in place. Many of the blades were made from Damascus steel. The lines in the steel are calledkuree by theAcehnese people andkure by theGayo people andAlas people. The hilt has no guard, is made of wood and decorated with traditional carvings. The Ladieng is available in various versions, which differ in blade and handle shape. In Aceh it is calledLadieng, in Gayo and AlasRudus Lenti. It is used by various ethnic groups in Sumatra. The Ladieng is a version of theklewang.[3]
^abJames Low (1836).A Dissertation on the Soil & Agriculture of the British Settlement of Penang, Or Prince of Wales Island, in the Straits of Malacca: Including Province Wellesley on the Malayan Peninsula. With Brief References to the Settlements of Singapore & Malacca. Printed at the Singapore Free Press Office. p. 12.OCLC7391101780.
^Mariana Isa & Maganjeet Kaur (2015).Kuala Lumpur Street Names: A Guide to Their Meanings and Histories. Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Limited.ISBN97-898-1472-144-8.
^Albert G Van Zonneveld (2002).Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land. p. 79.ISBN90-5450-004-2.
