Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - African spears. Tourist stuff or genuine weapons?

VANDOO · 5th January 2007, 05:57 PM

FROM WHAT LITTLE I KNOW ABOUT THE MASAI IN THE PAST THE CUSTOM WAS FOR A YOUNG WARRIOR TO KILL A LION WITH A LION SPEAR. I HAVE SEEN A FILM OF THIS ACTUALLY BEING DONE WEATHER IT WAS THE REAL WAY IT WAS DONE OR JUST DONE FOR THE FILM I DON'T KNOW. THE WAY IT WENT WAS A GROUP OF WARRIORS SURROUNDED A LION THE CHOSEN WARRIOR WOULD APPROCH THE LION WITH HIS SHIELD AND SPEAR AND TAUNT IT INTO CHARGEING. HE WOULD PLANT THE SPEAR BUTT AND LET THE LION RUN ON TO IT AND HE WOULD BE KNOCKED OVER BUT PROTECTED BY HIS SHIELD. AS SOON AS THE LION KNOCKED HIM OVER THE OTHERS WOULD CHARGE IN AND DISTRACT AND SPEAR THE LION. THE OTHERS USED THE OTHER TYPE OF SPEAR WHICH COULD ALSO BE THROWN THE LION WOULD BE KILLED AND THE WARRIOR WOULD HAVE PROVED HIS BRAVERY BY TAKEING THE CHARGE AND WOULD MAKE HIS WARRIOR HAT OUT OF THE FUR OF THE LION. I COULD BE WRONG ON SOME OF THIS BUT I THINK THE LION SPEAR WAS ONLY USED FOR LIONS OR CEREMONY NOT FOR HUNTING OR FIGHTING ON CATTLE RAIDS SO IT WAS MORE OF A SYMBOL OF BRAVERY THAN WEAPON. THE WARRIOR ON THE RIGHT IN THE MASAI PICTURE ABOVE HAS A LION SKIN HEADRESS.

MANY OF THE SPEARS TODAY WERE MADE BY FACTORYS AND BROUGHT IN AND ARE NOT AS CRUDE AS THE OLDER LOCALY MADE ONES. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN HAMMERED OUT BY THE LOCALS TO BE SOLD AS SOUVINEERS AND MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE TEMPER TO BE A VERY GOOD WEAPON. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THE GOOD OLD NATIVE MADE ONES HAD POOR TEMPER AND WERE PRONE TO BEND ESPECIALLY THE VERY LONG POINTS ON LION SPEARS. THE QUESTION IS IF A MECHANIC BUYS A WRENCH IT IS A TOOL IF A TOURIST BUYS A WRENCH IT IS A SOUVINEER.

5th January 2007, 05:57 PM	#18
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	FROM WHAT LITTLE I KNOW ABOUT THE MASAI IN THE PAST THE CUSTOM WAS FOR A YOUNG WARRIOR TO KILL A LION WITH A LION SPEAR. I HAVE SEEN A FILM OF THIS ACTUALLY BEING DONE WEATHER IT WAS THE REAL WAY IT WAS DONE OR JUST DONE FOR THE FILM I DON'T KNOW. THE WAY IT WENT WAS A GROUP OF WARRIORS SURROUNDED A LION THE CHOSEN WARRIOR WOULD APPROCH THE LION WITH HIS SHIELD AND SPEAR AND TAUNT IT INTO CHARGEING. HE WOULD PLANT THE SPEAR BUTT AND LET THE LION RUN ON TO IT AND HE WOULD BE KNOCKED OVER BUT PROTECTED BY HIS SHIELD. AS SOON AS THE LION KNOCKED HIM OVER THE OTHERS WOULD CHARGE IN AND DISTRACT AND SPEAR THE LION. THE OTHERS USED THE OTHER TYPE OF SPEAR WHICH COULD ALSO BE THROWN THE LION WOULD BE KILLED AND THE WARRIOR WOULD HAVE PROVED HIS BRAVERY BY TAKEING THE CHARGE AND WOULD MAKE HIS WARRIOR HAT OUT OF THE FUR OF THE LION. I COULD BE WRONG ON SOME OF THIS BUT I THINK THE LION SPEAR WAS ONLY USED FOR LIONS OR CEREMONY NOT FOR HUNTING OR FIGHTING ON CATTLE RAIDS SO IT WAS MORE OF A SYMBOL OF BRAVERY THAN WEAPON. THE WARRIOR ON THE RIGHT IN THE MASAI PICTURE ABOVE HAS A LION SKIN HEADRESS. MANY OF THE SPEARS TODAY WERE MADE BY FACTORYS AND BROUGHT IN AND ARE NOT AS CRUDE AS THE OLDER LOCALY MADE ONES. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN HAMMERED OUT BY THE LOCALS TO BE SOLD AS SOUVINEERS AND MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE TEMPER TO BE A VERY GOOD WEAPON. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THE GOOD OLD NATIVE MADE ONES HAD POOR TEMPER AND WERE PRONE TO BEND ESPECIALLY THE VERY LONG POINTS ON LION SPEARS. THE QUESTION IS IF A MECHANIC BUYS A WRENCH IT IS A TOOL IF A TOURIST BUYS A WRENCH IT IS A SOUVINEER.