Strange spears from New Hebrides

LJ · 30th December 2015, 01:20 PM

I've checked Felix Speiser's book 'Ethnology of Vanuatu', and he gives a few paragraphs on these Santo weapons. He calls them javelins, because they were thrown. "The material for the bone spikes is supplied by human long bones, specifically those of relatives and men who held high rank in the suque. The mana of the dead man is thought to be transferred by the bones to the owner of the javelin ... Before discharging his weapon the thrower tried to impart to it a sideways oscillatory movement so that, vibrating in flight, it was capable of inflicting a lateral wound".

I have seen, and handled this type of giant bottlebrush, and they always reminded me of Corporal Jones's immortal words ... "they don't like it up 'em".

Tim Simmons · 30th December 2015, 06:32 PM

Great really nice to see. Beat me to it LJ.

Timo Nieminen · 30th December 2015, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJ

I've checked Felix Speiser's book 'Ethnology of Vanuatu', and he gives a few paragraphs on these Santo weapons. He calls them javelins, because they were thrown. "The material for the bone spikes is supplied by human long bones, specifically those of relatives and men who held high rank in the suque. The mana of the dead man is thought to be transferred by the bones to the owner of the javelin ... Before discharging his weapon the thrower tried to impart to it a sideways oscillatory movement so that, vibrating in flight, it was capable of inflicting a lateral wound".

Are these for war, or for judicial spearings?

VANDOO · 31st December 2015, 03:33 PM

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF THESE NEW HEBRIDES SPEARS I HAD AS WELL AS SOME SIMILAR TYPES FOR COMPARISON.
#1. NEW HEBRIDES SPEAR 246 CM. LONG WITH HUMAN BONE SPIKES
#2. SELECTION OF VARIOUS SPEARS , BISHOP MUSEUM HAWAII 1 NEW
HEBRIDES EXAMPLE.
#3. SELECTION OF SPEARS FROM THE REGION, ONE NEW HEBRIDES EXAMPLE.
#4. NEW HEBRIDES SPEAR
#5. FISH SPEAR NEW GUINEA AREA
#6. 310 CM. LONG SPEAR SOLOMON IS. WAR SPEAR WITH BONE SPIKES
#7. SPEAR POINT WITH STINGRAY SPINE POINTS.
#8. 21 INCH, STINGRAY SPEAR POINT CIRCA 1960, YIRRKALA,

UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T OWN THE SPEAR AND DON'T KNOW WHAT YIRRKALA MEANS PERHAPS THE LOCAL NAME FOR THAT TYPE OF SPEAR AND THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE.

Timo Nieminen · 3rd January 2016, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

#8. 21 INCH, STINGRAY SPEAR POINT CIRCA 1960, YIRRKALA,

UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T OWN THE SPEAR AND DON'T KNOW WHAT YIRRKALA MEANS PERHAPS THE LOCAL NAME FOR THAT TYPE OF SPEAR AND THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE.

It's a northern Australian aboriginal community, in Arnhem Land: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yirrkala

Stingrays feature strongly in local cuisine, and their spines were traditionally used for spearheads (either singly, or multiple ones).

30th December 2015, 01:20 PM	#1
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	I've checked Felix Speiser's book 'Ethnology of Vanuatu', and he gives a few paragraphs on these Santo weapons. He calls them javelins, because they were thrown. "The material for the bone spikes is supplied by human long bones, specifically those of relatives and men who held high rank in the suque. The mana of the dead man is thought to be transferred by the bones to the owner of the javelin ... Before discharging his weapon the thrower tried to impart to it a sideways oscillatory movement so that, vibrating in flight, it was capable of inflicting a lateral wound". I have seen, and handled this type of giant bottlebrush, and they always reminded me of Corporal Jones's immortal words ... "they don't like it up 'em".

30th December 2015, 06:32 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	Great really nice to see. Beat me to it LJ.

31st December 2015, 03:33 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF THESE NEW HEBRIDES SPEARS I HAD AS WELL AS SOME SIMILAR TYPES FOR COMPARISON. #1. NEW HEBRIDES SPEAR 246 CM. LONG WITH HUMAN BONE SPIKES #2. SELECTION OF VARIOUS SPEARS , BISHOP MUSEUM HAWAII 1 NEW HEBRIDES EXAMPLE. #3. SELECTION OF SPEARS FROM THE REGION, ONE NEW HEBRIDES EXAMPLE. #4. NEW HEBRIDES SPEAR #5. FISH SPEAR NEW GUINEA AREA #6. 310 CM. LONG SPEAR SOLOMON IS. WAR SPEAR WITH BONE SPIKES #7. SPEAR POINT WITH STINGRAY SPINE POINTS. #8. 21 INCH, STINGRAY SPEAR POINT CIRCA 1960, YIRRKALA, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T OWN THE SPEAR AND DON'T KNOW WHAT YIRRKALA MEANS PERHAPS THE LOCAL NAME FOR THAT TYPE OF SPEAR AND THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 31st December 2015 at 09:38 PM.