[VANDOO]

WHAT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE GUN STOCK CLUB IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF FIJI CLUB FOUND BUT THERE IS VARIETY IN USE AND TYPE IN THIS CATEGORY WHICH IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. THE TERM GUNSTOCK IS NOT A GOOD ONE AS THIS FORM HAD BEEN IN USE IN FIJI LONG BEFORE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WITH GUNS. CLUNNIE RIGHTLY SUGGESTS GUN STOCK SHOULD BE DISCARDED AND PERHAPS REPLACED WITH SPURRED CLUBS.
KIAKAVO , KIAKAVA OR ULULALA THESE CLUBS WERE FOR CEREMONIAL USE AND DANCING. THEY WERE RARELY IF EVER USED FOR FIGHTING SO LACKED A CUTTING EDGE. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HEAD IS ROUNDED IN KIAKAVO, NOT ANGLED AS IN AS WITH GATA AND SALI SPURED CLUBS. TRUE KIAKAVA WERE SMALL AND LIGHT FOR DANCING AND WERE REFERRED TO AS KIAKAVO DINA. A TYPE OF THIS FORM WAS CALLED KIAKAVO VIVIDRASA WHICH REFERS TO THE MAGIMAGI COIR SENNET HANDLE WRAPINGS. I HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE KIAKAVO SHOWN ON CLUNIES FIGURE 1 IT IS ITEM C, PAGE 52. THIS EXAMPLE IS 29 INCHES LONG AND HAS A FULLY WRAPPED HANDLE ( FIBER WRAP IN POOR SHAPE). IT COULD BE USED FOR FIGHTING BUT AS MENTIONED ABOVE HAS NO SHARP SPUR OR EDGE AND IS SMALLER THAN THE AVERAGE FIGHTING CLUB.
HERE ARE 3 MORE PICTURES SHOWING A COMPARASON OF THE DANCE CLUB AND OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A GOOD OLD FIGHTING CLUB OF THE SAME GENERAL FORM. THE FIGHTING CLUB IS 35 INCHES LONG AND HAS SEVERAL DIFFERENCES IN THE HEAD SHAPE WITH MORE BLADE LIKE STRIKING EDGES. THE BUTT END HAS THE PHALLIC SHAPE FOUND ON MOST OLDER FIJIAN CLUBS THAT HAVE LITTLE TONGAN INFLUENCE.
IN CLUNIE'S BOOK IT USES THE NAME KIAKAVA TO REFER ONLY TO DANCE CLUBS AND THE PICTURES ON PLATE 1 ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE DANCE CLUBS. ON MY SMALL EXAMPLE WITH THE WRAPPED HANDLE IT IS EASY TO SEE THE THINGS HE REFERS TO THAT SETS THEM APART, ON MY OTHER EXAMPLE MANY OF THESE INDICATORS ARE DIFFERENT? HERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES CLOSE TO THIS FORM ONE WITH INSET HUMAN TEETH IT IS 35 INCHES LONG. TWO EXAMPLES HAVE FIBER RINGS ON THEM. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NO FURTHER INFO ON THESE EXAMPLES.