Solomon Islands wooden war club

[colin henshaw]

Hi

I thought that club enthusiasts on the forum might like to see this recent acquisition. Its made of a close-grained, heavy red/brown wood. Has quite sharp edges. Feels like it was made for using in earnest - one good thwack with it would finish the contest !

Comments are welcome....

[VANDOO]

THESE ARE REALLY NICE CLUBS AND ARE ALWAYS VERY WELL FINISHED AND SMOOTH. IT IS LIKELY MOST HAD A DECORATIVE FIBER WRAP ON THE GRIP AND UP THE SHAFT TO THE STRIKING END. MOST OLD ONES HAVE LOST IT OR NEVER HAD THE WRAP. THE FORM AND FUNCTION IS SIMULAR TO THE NEW ZEALAND MAORI LONG CLUB TAIAHA BUT IS MUCH HEAVIER WITH A THICK CENTER LINE. WITH THIS FORM OF CLUB THE SHARP EDGES CAN CUT FLESH AS WELL AS BREAK BONES NICE ONE
A PICTURE OF TWO WITH FIBER INTACT 1800'S

[fearn]

Beautiful clubs.

F

[colin henshaw]

Thanks to Vandoo & Fearn for their comments.

The similarity between these clubs and the Maori taiaha is very interesting.

I had a good look at mine and can't see any evidence or residue of a fibre wrap at one time. But the handle part has that slight "rippling" in the wood, that can mean stone-carved. Perhaps the lack of decorative elements including a central ridge means an earlier date ??

Certainly feels good to swing in the arms, and would be a deadly weapon in the hands of a warrior trained in their use since childhood

[fearn]

At this remove, it's hard to determine whether a design is culturally conservative, or independently derived. Thing about the Maori clubs is that the archeologists have dug up a bone club in the shape of the mere from about the time the Maori left for New Zealand. One could therefore say that the Maori retained an old design, at least in their hand clubs. One could also speculate that the taiaha is based on an old Polynesian design.

On the other hand, quite a few people and cultures have come up with that shape blade for everything from clubs to swords. Since it works so well, many craftsmen have figured it out.

So, shared history or independent origin? We'll likely never know.

Best,

F

[colin henshaw]

Here are some images of more Oceanic clubs from different areas :-

Tonga
Maori (NZ)
Easter Island
Solomon Islands

The first three clubs have a basically similar spatulate form to mine. The last has a hooked form. Some clubs from aboriginal Australia are also of a hooked form, for reaching around aboriginal shields. The Solomon Islanders also had shields, but not the other islands mentioned. So could there be both shared origins and stand-alone evolution to meet circumstances, at play here ??

[fearn]

Possibly, although I agree that a case can be made for the Polynesian models sharing a common heritage. Was the Solomons club used to strike around a shield, or (like the Maori tewhatewha), was the blade there to add to tip weight? I've never seen one in three dimensions, so I honestly don't know.

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

THE HOOKED SOLOMON ISLAND CLUB IS SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A SHIELD CLUB. NEVER HAVING WITNESSED COMBAT WITH THESE I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT IN THE PAST IT WAS USED AS A PARRYING SHIELD AS WELL AS A CLUB WHEN POSSIBLE. SEE THE PICTURE.
THE BLUNT SPATULATE SHAPED TIP OF SOME CLUBS NOTABLY THE MAORI SHORT PATA FORMS AND THE END OF THE LONGER TAHIATA CLUBS MAY REPRESENT THE HUMAN TONGUE. OFTEN THE CHALLENGE WAS YOU ARE MY DINNER AND IF YOU LOST IT BECAME A FACT. JUST TAKE THIS AS A GOOD STORY AS I CAN'T QUOTE FACTUAL REFRENCES FOR THIS AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO LOOK TO FIND WHERE I READ IT.