balato
Balato (sometimes also known as Baltoe, Balatu, Balatu Sebua, Ballatu, Foda, Gari Telegu, Klewang Buchok Berkait, Roso Sebua or Telagoe) is a sword that originates from Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
balato
Tropenmuseum · Collectie Wereldmuseum (v/h Tropenmuseum), part of the National Museum of World Cultures · Wereldmuseum Amsterdam · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Balato
- Field
- sword
- Region
- Indonesia
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Balato (sometimes also known as Baltoe, Balatu, Balatu Sebua, Ballatu, Foda, Gari Telegu, Klewang Buchok Berkait, Roso Sebua or Telagoe) is a sword that originates from Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for balato. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q17049390
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Balato • Origin — Indonesia (Nias) • Type — Sword • Is Bladed — Yes • Used By — Nias people • Length — 50-90 cm • Blade Type — Single edge, convex grind • Hilt Type — Wood • Sheath Type — Wood
Culture
Culture
• Illustration — A Faluaya dance or war dance of the Nias people, pre 1954. In South Nias, the locals practice a war dance called Faluaya (or Fataele) dance. In this dance, the dancers wore colorful clothing consists of black, yellow and red, fitted with a crown on the head. Like a knight in battle, dancers also carry Baluse (shields), swords and spears as a means of defense from enemy attack. The Baluse that were used are made of wood shaped like banana leaves and are held on the left hand which serves to deflect enemy attacks, while the sword or spear in the right hand serves to counter enemy attacks. Both of these weapons are the main weapons used for fighting by a Nias knight. In those days, young men in the village were required to leap over the rock of 2 m in height during the Fahombo (or Hombo Batu) ceremony in order to attain adulthood. This would also signify that those men are able to protect and to defend their village once achieving adulthood. Therefore, the Si'ulu (village head) would form a Fataele team and recruit these men. In the past, the Nias people were feared for their headhunting practices. It is believed that the victims of headhunting will become their servants in the afterlife. Today, headhunting are no longer practiced as majority of the Nias population are Protestant Christians.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Indonesia
Country
balato is associated with Indonesia.
Country
Description
Balato is a sword with a large variety of blades, hilts and scabbards. Three types of blades can be distinguished, all broadening at the point: • with an almost straight blade back and straight edge. The cutting edge is rounded from place to back. • with an almost straight back and a straight or slightly concave cutting edge, while the back S-shape runs to the cutting edge at the site. • with a slightly convex back, a slightly concave edge and a strong concave section at the location (Bowie form). The hilts are very varied, but all can be reduced to an animal's head or mouth, most of the time the lasara (mythical creature), made in a plain stylized way or in a complex, richly decorated form. Most of this hilts are made from wood, but brass ones do occur. Wooden hilts have brass ferrule broadening towards the blade. The scabbard is made of wood with brass or rattan bindings along the scabbard. Often a round rattan basket is attached to the scabbard to keep various amulets in. Normally, the southern Balatos have more decorated baskets on their scabbards compared to the northern region.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Militaria
6,095 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Bailey machine gunTerminology
- bajō-zutsuTerminology
- Baker rifleTerminology
- balasiongTerminology
- Ball and shot gunTerminology
- Ball turretTerminology
- Ballard RifleTerminology
- Ballester-MolinaTerminology
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with balato?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.