Micronesian spears?

[VANDOO]

THE SIDE SPIKES AND SMALL BLADES ON THE SIDES OF THE TRUK CLUBS ARE NOT FOR DECORATION BUT TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING GRABBED WITHOUT DAMMAGE TO THE HANDS. POLYNESIAN MARTIAL ART DOES HAVE A LOT OF GRABBING, TRIPPING AND FANCY FOOT WORK SO HAVING A FREE HAND MAY HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BEST BY MOST. BUT I STILL WONDER IF A FEW INDIVIDUALS MIGHT HAVE DEVELOPED A TWO WEAPON SYSTEM USING SHALLER CLUBS. MANY ORIENTAL MARTIAL ARTS HAVE SUCH SYSTEMS AND IT IS LIKELY TO HAVE HAPPENED IN THE ISLAND TRIBES UNLESS THERE WAS A TAPU (TABOO) AGAINST
IT.

LONG WEAPONS WERE USED ON WAR CANOES AS MOST FIGHTING WAS DONE FROM CANOE TO CANOE. BOARDING THE OTHER CANOE AS IN PIRATE ATTACKS WAS NOT TOO LIKELY GIVEN THE SIZE AND STABILITY OF WAR CANOES. THE BIG VOYAGING CANOES WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGE AND STABLE ENOUGH BUT WERE NOT REALLY WAR CANOES. MOST OF WHICH WERE LONG AND NARROW AND DESIGNED FOR SPEED. SPEARS AND ARROWS WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST AND PERHAPS THE PADDLES OR LONG CLUBS WERE USED WHEN THEY WERE CLOSE ENOUGH. WHEN ENOUGH WARRIORS IN A CANOE WERE ELIMINATED PERHAPS THEY BOARDED THEN WITH SHORTER WEAPONS?. THE PROBLEM BOARDING A WAR CANOE IS THE ONES IN IT HAVE GOOD FOOTING AND IF YOU DON'T AND CAN'T GET SOLID FOOTING YOU ARE AT A GREAT DISADVANTAGE. PIC'S SOLOMON ISLAND WAR CANOES, AND ONE PICTURE OF A MAORI WAR CANOE MODEL.

[fearn]

The double-weapon guess is reasonable. I don't know of any evidence, but the whole "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" statement probably applies.

As for your war canoes, you're right, to a point. However, those long, thin paddled boats were typically used for short-distance fighting, as in Tahiti and New Zealand as well as in the Solomons.

Other islands quite certainly did use double-hulled warships. The most famous is the Fijian ndrua. Additionally, the long-distance raids I described in the shark-toothed weapons thread had to have been carried out with voyaging canoes. Additionally, on the atolls, I don't think they had any purpose-built war canoes. If you wanted to attack a distant island, you voyaged to it.

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

I WOULD AGREE ANY LONG RANGE RAIDS WOULD MOST LIKELY INVOLVE LARGER VOYAGING TYPE WARCRAFT. THE LARGER CRAFT WOULD LIKELY BE MET BY THE LOCAL WAR CANOES AS THEY WERE MUCH FASTER AND MORE MANUVERABLE. THEY WERE NOT TOO GOOD FOR LONG RANGE RAIDS BUT WERE BETTER NEAR THE SHORES OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS. MOST LIKELY PROJECTILE WEAPONS WERE USED AT RANGE (SILNGS, ARROWS, SPEARS) AND CLOSER RANGE WEAPONS USED WHEN THEY CAME IN CONTACT.
FIRST PICTURE A SAMOAN LONG RANGE WAR CANOE
THEN TWO COLOR PICTURES FROM THE POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY ONE OF THEIR 60 FOOT LONG VOYAGING CANOE.
THEN A DRAWING OF A OLD MARQUESAN WAR CANOE AND FINALLY A 1800 DRAWING OF NAVAL COMBAT IN TAHITI.

[Tim Simmons]

Found this picture of Micronesian double pointed spear/fighting stick.

[fearn]

Hi Tim,

I knew that plate was around here somewhere, but I couldn't find it in my collection.

Thanks!

F

[Tim Simmons]

The trouble is there is no idea of scale in the plate. At that time of etching the plate they were more interested in the finished pattern. I imagine with the central knuckle it is a one handed weapon?

Also adding this picture of Malinowski. Interesting he displays a strong power posture. It is no wonder he felt his work lacked something. Still not many decades earlier the Islanders would have be seen as godless savages, so there was some improvement.

[Tim Simmons]

I have this stick. I have always thought it to be African because of the bi-coloured wood. This is need not be the case. F nows about wood he is a botonist. I show it next to an Australian club and Massim region sword club. The sword club also displays bi-colouration. I suspect the double ended spike thing is a palmwood, I am not sure about the sword club. I have googled palmwood and it is said to appear in varried colours. I am now thinking this might be a more interesting piece?