Micronesian spears?

[fearn]

Hi Vandoo,

Great pics! Those double-ended daggers at the bottom look sort of like pochochs, but shorter. I know you posted them before. Where are they from?

Could you post one of your Caroline clubs too, by any chance?

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

THE TWO SHORT WEAPONS ARE HELD IN THE MIDDLE WITH THE SHARP SPIKES PROTRUDING OUT THE SIDES. IT CAN BE USED TO PUNCH AS WELL AS TO STAB IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED IF THESE AND SOME OF THE SHORT DIAMOND SHAPED CLUBS MAY HAVE BEEN USED IN PAIRS WHEN FIGHTING. THEY ARE FROM MICRONESIA BUT I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ISLAND. I DO HAVE A SIMULAR HAND WEAPON USED IN THE SAME WAY FROM TRUK IN THE CAROLINES AS WELL AS A LONGER CLUB AROUND 30 INCHES LONG. I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF IT BUT IT WILL BE SIMULAR IN FORM TO THE LONGER CLUBS FROM TRUK.
THE CLUBS WITH THE DIAMOND SECTIONS ARE ALL FROM THE CAROLINE ISLANDS. THE OTHER ONE IS FROM FIJI

[fearn]

Hi Vandoo,

Great! I thought their clubs were simpler, and it's nice to see that I was wrong.

One thing I haven't seen is a reference for the Micronesians using weapons in pairs. My understanding is that they would be more likely to grab with the off hand and strike with the weapon.

Also, some of these weapons were intended for fighting in boats, and even with the outrigger platform, big weapons aren't very useful in that environment.

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

THE SIDE SPIKES AND SMALL BLADES ON THE SIDES OF THE TRUK CLUBS ARE NOT FOR DECORATION BUT TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING GRABBED WITHOUT DAMMAGE TO THE HANDS. POLYNESIAN MARTIAL ART DOES HAVE A LOT OF GRABBING, TRIPPING AND FANCY FOOT WORK SO HAVING A FREE HAND MAY HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BEST BY MOST. BUT I STILL WONDER IF A FEW INDIVIDUALS MIGHT HAVE DEVELOPED A TWO WEAPON SYSTEM USING SHALLER CLUBS. MANY ORIENTAL MARTIAL ARTS HAVE SUCH SYSTEMS AND IT IS LIKELY TO HAVE HAPPENED IN THE ISLAND TRIBES UNLESS THERE WAS A TAPU (TABOO) AGAINST
IT.

LONG WEAPONS WERE USED ON WAR CANOES AS MOST FIGHTING WAS DONE FROM CANOE TO CANOE. BOARDING THE OTHER CANOE AS IN PIRATE ATTACKS WAS NOT TOO LIKELY GIVEN THE SIZE AND STABILITY OF WAR CANOES. THE BIG VOYAGING CANOES WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGE AND STABLE ENOUGH BUT WERE NOT REALLY WAR CANOES. MOST OF WHICH WERE LONG AND NARROW AND DESIGNED FOR SPEED. SPEARS AND ARROWS WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST AND PERHAPS THE PADDLES OR LONG CLUBS WERE USED WHEN THEY WERE CLOSE ENOUGH. WHEN ENOUGH WARRIORS IN A CANOE WERE ELIMINATED PERHAPS THEY BOARDED THEN WITH SHORTER WEAPONS?. THE PROBLEM BOARDING A WAR CANOE IS THE ONES IN IT HAVE GOOD FOOTING AND IF YOU DON'T AND CAN'T GET SOLID FOOTING YOU ARE AT A GREAT DISADVANTAGE. PIC'S SOLOMON ISLAND WAR CANOES, AND ONE PICTURE OF A MAORI WAR CANOE MODEL.

[fearn]

The double-weapon guess is reasonable. I don't know of any evidence, but the whole "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" statement probably applies.

As for your war canoes, you're right, to a point. However, those long, thin paddled boats were typically used for short-distance fighting, as in Tahiti and New Zealand as well as in the Solomons.

Other islands quite certainly did use double-hulled warships. The most famous is the Fijian ndrua. Additionally, the long-distance raids I described in the shark-toothed weapons thread had to have been carried out with voyaging canoes. Additionally, on the atolls, I don't think they had any purpose-built war canoes. If you wanted to attack a distant island, you voyaged to it.

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

I WOULD AGREE ANY LONG RANGE RAIDS WOULD MOST LIKELY INVOLVE LARGER VOYAGING TYPE WARCRAFT. THE LARGER CRAFT WOULD LIKELY BE MET BY THE LOCAL WAR CANOES AS THEY WERE MUCH FASTER AND MORE MANUVERABLE. THEY WERE NOT TOO GOOD FOR LONG RANGE RAIDS BUT WERE BETTER NEAR THE SHORES OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS. MOST LIKELY PROJECTILE WEAPONS WERE USED AT RANGE (SILNGS, ARROWS, SPEARS) AND CLOSER RANGE WEAPONS USED WHEN THEY CAME IN CONTACT.
FIRST PICTURE A SAMOAN LONG RANGE WAR CANOE
THEN TWO COLOR PICTURES FROM THE POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY ONE OF THEIR 60 FOOT LONG VOYAGING CANOE.
THEN A DRAWING OF A OLD MARQUESAN WAR CANOE AND FINALLY A 1800 DRAWING OF NAVAL COMBAT IN TAHITI.

[Tim Simmons]

Found this picture of Micronesian double pointed spear/fighting stick.