Massim "sword club"

colin henshaw · 31st October 2015, 03:20 PM

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.

31st October 2015, 03:20 PM	#4
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,429	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.