Massim "sword club"

[colin henshaw]

Hi

Those on the forum who like Pacific weapons, might be interested to see this recent acquisition, a sword-club from the Massim area of New Guinea.

It shows the typical curvilinear decoration to be found on objects from that region. Perhaps the hilt finial is phallic in inspiration ? I imagine the weapon could be used for both slashing and thrusting blows in combat. Wonder if the "sword-club" concept was completely invented by the natives of New Guinea or inspired by swords carried by early European visitors ?

Comments and information are welcome, also if anyone has comparable examples, do please post them.

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Colin,
This is an intriguing item, and your observations and thoughts very interesting . While far from any area I have studied, I like the way you present ideas, and wanted to join in with what I could find.

I remembered a reference I have, but not presently with me, and luckily found it online.

" Weapons and Implements of Savage Races: Australasia, Oceania and Africa"
Lt Col. L.A.D.Montague, London, 1921

(the title could use some revision in todays P.C. climate

In the book I could find nothing similar to this in the section on the Massim area (old British New Guinea, southeast region), but turning to that on Australia I found a virtually identical example.

P.10, fig. 4 (4), which is from SE Australia and is a 'parrying stick' used to deflect kylie (boomerang) and spear, but also serves as a light club.
It seems most of these implement/weapons may serve as either and as required, but most items intended as clubs seem to be heavier toward business end or often angled as in Fijian examples.

The 'phallic' similarity seems to reflect influence from New Caledonian items which have 'mushroom heads' on many of them.

While it seems curious that this is captioned from Massim region, it is noted in that section that the weapons and implements of these regions are difficult to classify with considerable diffusion and outside influence. So perhaps this could be from there in some fashion influenced by these Australian examples.

Probably closer examination of either motif or type of wood etc might be more revealing. Hopefully Vandoo (the house expert on these types of esoterica) or Gav might be in on this as they have more familiarity.

[kronckew]

my massim png sword clubs for comparison: top one retains it's liming

[colin henshaw]

Thanks to Jim and kronkew for their input on this thread.

Jim, you raise some pertinent issues here, the diffusion of tribal weapons is certainly interesting though difficult to quantify sometimes. As you say, no doubt tribal weapons could be "multi-purpose", to suit the occasion. I have read that Aboriginal weapons from Queensland were sometimes influenced by the New Guinea Melanesians. Australia and New Guinea were geographically linked in the distant past. An example of this would be spears with multiple points which are seemingly to be found only in Northern Australia as well as New Guinea.

Kanak "birds head" clubs from New Caledonia are very similar to the Australian Aboriginal "leangle" club (both L shaped), but this may just be coincidence ? hard to say. My Massim club is made of palm wood, which is found throughout Melanesia, I believe.

The phallus shape was also used on New Caledonia clubs, as you have noted, but again whether this is just coincidence, I can't say. Procreation was of great importance to primitive peoples, but having said that, I have read that some Australian Aboriginal tribes historically did not associate the act of copulation with pregnancy !

I have the Montague book you mention...its a gem, there is an amusing bit in the hints to collectors, warning of potential damage to ethnographic items by the housemaid's brush !

If anyone else can expand on these topics, and/or post examples, references etc, please do so.

[Jim McDougall]

Colin, thank you for your kind and personal reply, very much appreciated, and especially for responding in such detail sharing further perspective on these fascinating Oceanic weapons.

Entering into this topic, as I noted, I had virtually zero knowledge on them or on clubs etc. for that matter. Your posting encouraged me to delve into this and try to gain at least some foothold on the subject.

With Kronckews entry with more examples, as well as your response I know I have learned a good deal along with my cursory research. I also hope others will join in by adding more examples and notes.
These truly are fascinating!

[kronckew]

the definitive series by vandoo "MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS" 1-4 is a masterpiece and should be read by all clubbers, along with anything else he's posted.

tim's thread on massim sword clubs is also worth looking at, and shows some examples very similar to the original poster's here in this thread. just do a forum search on 'massim'.

[Tim Simmons]

I have only had time for these rather hasty pictures that I have been meaning to post here, to show how massive they can be. It has clear signs of metal tools. These over sized clubs are made for a festival dance. I have been informed as to the name of this festival. I have it somewhere in my email history. Will add it. Should be seen in the same light as the over sized Fijian clubs.

[Tim Simmons]

The information was less an I thought. Just that made for dance and the holes are for banana leave tassles pre 1920.