MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 4: SAMOA

[VANDOO]

I START THIS HERE AS PLANNED FOR THE SERIES SO I CAN KEEP THINGS IN ORDER.
THE ISLANDS OF SAMOA LIKE THE FIJI ISLANDS HAVE QUITE A LOT OF INFLUENCE FROM TONGA BUT LIKE FIJI HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE DESIGNS AS WELL. MANY CLUB FORMS ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME NATURAL SHAPES THE MOST PREVELENT BASIC FORM IS FROM THE COCONUT LEAF STALK, IN SAMOA THIS FORM OF CLUB IS CALLED ( LAPALAPA ). THEY ARE CARVED USING AN ADZ. CUTTING FROM THE CENTER LINE TO THE EDGES WHICH FORMS 4 ANGLED FLAT SURFACES WITH A THICKER RIB IN THE MIDDLE AND EDGES TO THE SIDES. THE STRIKING END OF THE CLUB IS WIDE AND TAPERS TO THE SMALLER ROUND GRIP. THIS COPIES THE COCONUT LEAF STALK, IF THE COCONUT LEAF WERE MADE OF HEAVY WOOD THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CONVERTED DIRECTLY INTO CLUBS. PERHAPS THE LEAF STALKS MAY HAVE BEEN USED FOR CLUB PRACTICE AS NOT MUCH HARM WOULD COME FROM SPARING WITH THEM.
THE LAPALAPA'S EARLY FORMS WERE LIKELY QUITE SIMPLE AND SOME HAD BRAIDED SENNIT BANDS IN GROUPS OF 3 TURNS FORMING RINGS ON THE CLUBS STRIKING END. LATER THESE CORD BANDS WERE REPLACED WITH CARVED WOOD RIDGES THAT "MAY " HAVE LEAD TO THE ADDING OF TEETH TO SAMOAN CLUBS. WHEN THESE RIDGES EXTEND BEYOND THE CLUBS STRIKING EDGES CONCENTRATING POWER TO A SMALLER AREA.
THE BUTT END (HANDLE/ GRIP) ON SAMOAN CLUBS FLARES OUT BUT DOES NOT HAVE A FLANGE AS FOUND ON SOME FIJI OR TONGAN CLUBS. THERE IS OFTEN A LUG WITH A HOLE FOR A CORD ON THE BUTT OF SOME FORMS OF SAMOAN CLUBS BUT IT IS ABSENT ON SOME FORMS AS WELL.
1. PICTURE SHOWING COCONUT TREE AND LEAF AND PARTS THERE OF.
2. PICTURE SHOWING PLAIN LAPULAPU AND VARIATIONS EVOLVING FROM THE SIMPLE ORIGINAL FORM.
3 & 4 & 8 A OLD STONE CARVED EXAMPLE HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE.44 X5 INCHES FIGURE 8 SHOWS TOP EDGE.
5. 29.25 INCH EXAMPLE WITH A FORKED END
6 & 7. 37 INCH MODERN EXAMPLE, SAMOA
9. 26 X 2.5 IN. VARIATION OF LAPULAPU
10. A PICTURE OF AN EXAMPLE BROUGHT BACK BY CAPTIAN COOK.
11. SAMOA WARRIOR WITH LAPULAPU CLUB
12. ANOTHER PAGE OF VARIATIONS OF LAPULAPU

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE EXAMPLES OF THE LAPALAPA, COCONUT STALK FORM WITH A FEW VARIATIONS.
PICTURES 1. & 2. MODERN EXAMPLE WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS 44 INCHES LONG.
PICTURE #6 IS 91 X 17 X 5 CM.
THE OTHER PICTURES OF SEVERAL VARIATIONS OF FORM WITH SOME THAT CROSS OVER TO ANOTHER FORM. ONE 1950 PICTURE OF TWO MEN MAKEING A CLUB THE OLD WAY.

[KraVseR]

Wow! Thank you!
Forward to continuing)

[KraVseR]

I think that on second image are not lapalapa. They described as talavalu, eight-spiked club. Or you think that talavalu - is the species of lapalapa?

[KraVseR]

I drew three warriors of Samoa. Is that correct?
Figures 1 and 2: The pre-colonial Samoan warriors.
Figure 3: Samoan chief, 19th century.

[VANDOO]

IN THE FIRST POST SECOND PICTURE A & B ARE LAPALAPA FORMS THE OTHER TWO ARE TOOTHED CLUBS BUT ONE CAN STILL SEE THE 4 SIDED RIBBED CENTER FORM. YOUR PICTURES ARE GOOD EXCEPT IN PICTURE 1 THE WARRIOR HAS A AX SHAPED CLUB WHICH CAME ALONG QUITE A BIT LATER AFTER STEEL AXES HAD BEEN INTRODUCED. THE LARGER BLADED DECORATED FORMS SEEN ON EBAY ARE FAIRLY RECENT AND FOR THE TOURIST MARKET. SOME ARE GREAT WALL HANGERS THOUGH.

[KraVseR]

First warrior has the wooden fighting axe, like this:

[VANDOO]

THE BASIC FORM USED IN MAKEING MOST CLUBS IS THE COCONUT LEAFSTALK THE NEXT BASIC FORM IS SAID TO BE THE BANNA LEAF ( LAUFA'I ). THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THE BANNA LEAF HAS A ROUNDED STRIKING END NOT FLAT AS IN COCONUT STALK FORMS. I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A BASIC PICTURE OF THIS FORM AS IT AND THE PADDLE CLUBS ARE SO SIMULAR IN MANY WAYS.
1.BANNA LEAF TO SHOW GENERAL SHAPE.
2. AN EXAMPLE OF COCONUT STALK AND BANNA LEAF FOR COMPARISON. I THINK THESE ARE TONGAN IN ORIGIN BUT MAY BE SAMOAN .
3. THE END LOOKS LIKE BANNA LEAF FORM BUT THE REST IS MODIFIED HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE OR TONGAN MADE?.
4. SEVERAL CLUBS THE ONES WITH ROUNDED END ARE BANNA LEAF THE FLAT ENDS ARE COCONUT STALK. ALL ARE TONGAN STATE CLUBS
5. A FEW MORE OF THE GENERAL BANNA LEAF FORM
I DON'T HAVE PICTURES OF CERTIFIED SAMOAN EXAMPLES OF THIS FORM AND AM HAVING TO USE TONGAN EXAMPLES FOR ILLISTRATION SO WILL MOVE ON TO OTHER BASIC FEATURES OF SAMOAN CLUBS.
TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS HAVE A FLAIR TO THE BUTT (PROXIMAL END) WITH NO FLANGES AS FOUND IN SOME CLUBS FROM FIJI. SEE FIGURE #6
TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS OFTEN HAVE LUGS ON THE PROXIMAL END FOR ATTACHING A CORD FOR HANGING OR AS A LANYARD. THIS LUG IS NOT FOUND ON FIJI CLUBS BUT AS TONGAN INFLUENCE WAS STRONG THEY ARE PRESENT IN FIJI AS WELL. SEE FIG. #7 FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF LUG
SOME PICTURES MAY BE PADDLE FORM RATHER THAN BANNA LEAF THE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO IS VERY CLOSE.
OLDER SAMOAN CARVED DESIGNS WERE NOT AS ORNATE AND DID NOT CONTAIN HUMAN FIGURES AS FOUND ON TONGAN CLUBS. THE DESIGNS ON THE OLD ONES WERE DEEPLY CARVED AND FILLED WITH WHITE LIME. THE DESIGNS OFTEN RESEMBLE THE TAVATAVA DESIGNS OF FIJI BUT AS IT IS A BASIC DESIGN MAY HAVE ORIGINATED INDEPENDENTLY IN SEVERAL PLACES. SEE PICTURES 8,9 &10
THE NEW WAY DESIGNS ARE BEING MADE TODAY ARE DIFFERENT THEY COAT THE CLUB IN BLACK AND THEN SCRATCH THE BLACK OFF DOWN TO THE WOOD MAKEING THE DESIGNS, WHITE LIME IS SELDOM USED THESE DAYS. THE NEW DESIGNS ARE MORE COMPLEX AND ATTRACTIVE THAN THE OLD IN SOME CASES BUT I PREFER THE OLD WAY, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. SEE PICTURES 11 & 12