shark tooth weapon.

fearn · 21st February 2010, 11:35 PM

Hi Chregu,

These have shown up previously (here and here among other places). I think they're still making these for tourists in Kiribati.

Name: Tetoanea. Te is the definite particle, like "the" in English (calling it "the tetoanea" is a duplication). Tebutje (Stone's name) isn't a word in I-Kiribati. I-Kiribati is similar to Polynesian languages, in that a consonants always followed by a vowel, and they don't have "j". No one's figured out where tebutje came from, to my knowledge.

As Vandoo noted, it's probably from Kiribati (which is an indigenous version of "Gilbert" from the old name, Gilbert Islands. They didn't have a collective name for the archipelago before, and adopted the English name). On the longer weapons (e.g. te unun), they usually brace the teeth with splints along the base, under the wrapping (look here to see what I'm talking about). The wood appears to be coconut, outside possibility of it being pandanus.

I agree with Vandoo on the teeth as well--they look like they're from a requiem shark which includes both bull and reef white tip.

Best,

F
Tetoanea

Nathaniel · 22nd February 2010, 01:16 AM

Chregu,

These shark tooth weapons are truly wicked...I would hate to see the nasty gashes made by a slash with one of these. The Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawai'i in the USA has a fantastic weapons collection that are shark teeth lined...that is the extent of what I've seen

Thanks for sharing..and comments Fern and Vandoo

chregu · 22nd February 2010, 09:47 PM

hello together
Many thanks to you all for your help.
a piece of information I have forgotten, this weapon I have, together with other objects from a legacy of a captain of the 1915-1925 was purchased at sea. He has brought many beautiful souvenirs to take home from all over the world.
gruss chregu

fearn · 22nd February 2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathaniel

Chregu,

These shark tooth weapons are truly wicked...I would hate to see the nasty gashes made by a slash with one of these. The Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawai'i in the USA has a fantastic weapons collection that are shark teeth lined...that is the extent of what I've seen

Thanks for sharing..and comments Fern and Vandoo

Back a number of years ago, a forumite actually chopped some cardboard with a shark-tooth weapon, just to see how it cut. He wasn't able to slash with it. As I recall, the teeth went in just fine, but when he pulled for the draw cut, the teeth grabbed rather than slicing. So instead of getting sliced by one of these, apparently you get a row of puncture wounds to gashes.

Hopefully that thread is sitting in the old archives somewhere. The archive search doesn't seem to be working at the moment.

Best,

F

VANDOO · 23rd February 2010, 12:15 AM

THE DAGGER THAT STARTED THIS POST IS STRAIGHT AND HAS A LANYARD SO I SUSPECT IT WAS ONLY USED FOR A DAGGER. THERE ARE MANY SIMULAR CURVED DAGGERS THAT WERE OFTEN USED AS GAURDS ON THE LONGER WEAPONS AND ARE OFTEN FOUND DETACHED.

A PICTURE OF THIS GAURD IT HAS A SINGLE BUT I HAVE SEEN THEM WITH A DOUBBLE GAURD.

A PICTURE OF A SAWFISH WEAPON WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY THE INSPIRATION FOR SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS OF THE SORT FOUND ON THE GILBERT IS. IT IS NOT A SLASHING WEAPON BUT ONE THAT INFLICTS DEEP MULTIPLE PUNCTURES AND POSSIBLY BROKEN BONES.

A PICTURE OF A WARRIOR IN ARMOR WITH A LONG POLE ARM I HAVE SEEN A 6 FOOT ONE BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE LONGER.

A EXAMPLE OF A OLD CURVED SWORD 25 INCHES LONG

A EXAMPLE OF THE CURRENT SOUVINEER OR CEREMONIAL TYPE WITH DECORATIVE FIBER COVER.

Nathaniel · 24th February 2010, 02:45 AM

A few years back I stumbled upon the Hawai'ian martial Art of Lua.

Off the 'Õlohe Solomon Kaihewalu Lua Hâlau O Kaihewalu Schools website here is a list they have of weapons...some of which you see are shark tooth lined:

http://www.olohe.com/weapons-of-lua.html

chregu · 4th March 2010, 09:17 PM

Hi Fearn
I found something in the internet. in tepapa Museum in New Sealand.
The bestzen 2 pce with images. But there they are called Rere shark tooth weapon.
Are you sure that Tetoanea is the name, or did you simply read on the specified link?
gruss chregu

fearn · 8th March 2010, 08:19 PM

Hi Chregu,

You could be right. See URL=http://www.trussel.com/kir/less01.htm]link to Kiribati language[/URL] . Thanks for spotting that. I took the names in the illustration at face value (it's from an old ethnographic report I checked out of the library many years ago), but it looks like rere is in the dictionary I linked to, but tetoanea is not. Learned something new!

Best,

F

22nd February 2010, 09:47 PM	#3
chregu Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: switzerland Posts: 298	Many thanks to you all for your help hello together Many thanks to you all for your help. a piece of information I have forgotten, this weapon I have, together with other objects from a legacy of a captain of the 1915-1925 was purchased at sea. He has brought many beautiful souvenirs to take home from all over the world. gruss chregu

23rd February 2010, 12:15 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE DAGGER THAT STARTED THIS POST IS STRAIGHT AND HAS A LANYARD SO I SUSPECT IT WAS ONLY USED FOR A DAGGER. THERE ARE MANY SIMULAR CURVED DAGGERS THAT WERE OFTEN USED AS GAURDS ON THE LONGER WEAPONS AND ARE OFTEN FOUND DETACHED. A PICTURE OF THIS GAURD IT HAS A SINGLE BUT I HAVE SEEN THEM WITH A DOUBBLE GAURD. A PICTURE OF A SAWFISH WEAPON WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY THE INSPIRATION FOR SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS OF THE SORT FOUND ON THE GILBERT IS. IT IS NOT A SLASHING WEAPON BUT ONE THAT INFLICTS DEEP MULTIPLE PUNCTURES AND POSSIBLY BROKEN BONES. A PICTURE OF A WARRIOR IN ARMOR WITH A LONG POLE ARM I HAVE SEEN A 6 FOOT ONE BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE LONGER. A EXAMPLE OF A OLD CURVED SWORD 25 INCHES LONG A EXAMPLE OF THE CURRENT SOUVINEER OR CEREMONIAL TYPE WITH DECORATIVE FIBER COVER. Attached Images

4th March 2010, 09:17 PM	#7
chregu Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: switzerland Posts: 298	Tetoanea or Rere ? Hi Fearn I found something in the internet. in tepapa Museum in New Sealand. The bestzen 2 pce with images. But there they are called Rere shark tooth weapon. Are you sure that Tetoanea is the name, or did you simply read on the specified link? gruss chregu

21st February 2010, 11:35 PM	#1
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Chregu, These have shown up previously (here and here among other places). I think they're still making these for tourists in Kiribati. Name: Tetoanea. Te is the definite particle, like "the" in English (calling it "the tetoanea" is a duplication). Tebutje (Stone's name) isn't a word in I-Kiribati. I-Kiribati is similar to Polynesian languages, in that a consonants always followed by a vowel, and they don't have "j". No one's figured out where tebutje came from, to my knowledge. As Vandoo noted, it's probably from Kiribati (which is an indigenous version of "Gilbert" from the old name, Gilbert Islands. They didn't have a collective name for the archipelago before, and adopted the English name). On the longer weapons (e.g. te unun), they usually brace the teeth with splints along the base, under the wrapping (look here to see what I'm talking about). The wood appears to be coconut, outside possibility of it being pandanus. I agree with Vandoo on the teeth as well--they look like they're from a requiem shark which includes both bull and reef white tip. Best, F Tetoanea

22nd February 2010, 01:16 AM	#2
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	Chregu, These shark tooth weapons are truly wicked...I would hate to see the nasty gashes made by a slash with one of these. The Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawai'i in the USA has a fantastic weapons collection that are shark teeth lined...that is the extent of what I've seen Thanks for sharing..and comments Fern and Vandoo

24th February 2010, 02:45 AM	#6
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	A few years back I stumbled upon the Hawai'ian martial Art of Lua. Off the 'Õlohe Solomon Kaihewalu Lua Hâlau O Kaihewalu Schools website here is a list they have of weapons...some of which you see are shark tooth lined: http://www.olohe.com/weapons-of-lua.html

8th March 2010, 08:19 PM	#8
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Chregu, You could be right. See URL=http://www.trussel.com/kir/less01.htm]link to Kiribati language[/URL] . Thanks for spotting that. I took the names in the illustration at face value (it's from an old ethnographic report I checked out of the library many years ago), but it looks like rere is in the dictionary I linked to, but tetoanea is not. Learned something new! Best, F