Lateen Sails were
triangular sails of Austronesian origin.
Egyptian Sail versus The Austronesian Sail: Austronesian sails are triangular while Egyptian sails are square. The Lateen sails (triangular, Austronesian, Ilonggo, Paraw) which the Arabs introduced to Iberia came from the Kunlunpos of the Austronesians, which sailed from Borneo to Madagascar through India. THE LATEEN SAIL DESIGNS WERE BORROWED BY THE ARABS AND INTRODUCED TO EUROPE. Ptolemy recorded this. These were the sails that the Kunlunpos used. The Po in Kunlunpo means Paraw in Ilonggo. The Paraws had triangular shapes which influenced the
Portuguese Caravel which kickstarted The Age of
Exploration. Before the Caravel sails, the Galleons were using square sails from the Egyptians which were hard to maneuver and cumbersome. The Paraw origins came from Iloilo, Panay Island, around 3000-2000 BCE. No metals were used. Pandan fibers were essential in the sails that is why in no other place in Austronesia did the Paraws come from except Panay Island in the
Philippines.
