An authentic Moro Kris short sword from the Southern Philippines.  The Moro Kris is a rugged fighting blade that was mostly used in the Mindanao area of the Philippines.  The hilt, scabbard and blade are decorated with copper or brass decorations and the blade features a serpent or dragon like design.   The Moro people or actually Bangsamoro people, refers to the 13 Islamized ethnolinguistic groups of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan regoins.  The Moro fought against the Spanish invaders in the early 1500's using these short swords but the design of the blade itself is actually from pre Islamic influence era.  The wavy blade symbolizes the Naga; a mythical serpentine dragon that was worshipped in the animistic days of Malay history.