Nicobarese swords and knives?

Royston · 16th March 2022, 07:11 AM

I worked off the coast of the Andamans for a year in 1981, this was before it was opened up to tourists. We were only allowed there as we were drilling for oil for the Indian National oil company. I did not get to see much onshore as we were only in the airport and surrounds for transfer to a chopper out to the rig. We had quite a few local working with us and they were a friendly bunch. The two interesting things that I do remember were chasing the goats off the runway to allow our plane to land and more relevant was being called to the radio room one evening by our Indian radio operator who was listening ( and translating for us ) to a mayday call from an Indian fishing boat that had run aground and was being attacked by locals with bows and arrows. I cannot remember which Island they were on.

Sajen · 16th March 2022, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royston

The two interesting things that I do remember were chasing the goats off the runway to allow our plane to land and more relevant was being called to the radio room one evening by our Indian radio operator who was listening ( and translating for us ) to a mayday call from an Indian fishing boat that had run aground and was being attacked by locals with bows and arrows. I cannot remember which Island they were on.

I guess it was North Sentinel Island.

Regards,
Detlef

ausjulius · 19th March 2022, 02:32 AM

nicrobar islanders are unrelated to the people in the andiman islands.. the nicrobars are splint into two groups of people - a stone age hunter-gatherer nomadic people who live in the jungle and a tribal iron-age culture that inhabits the coasts. the iron-age people have taken to the modern world with missionary activity in the latter part of the 19th century but the nomad people still stay as they always have. the nicrobarses speak nicrobarese a language related to Cambodian and its family of languages but culturally they appear similar to the malaysian people..
i have seen images of them with some machetes and knives but they look like products from india.. they definitely made their own arms and in the 18th and 19th century traders form ache were very active there.
but I've never seen any images of their swords, spears knives and other native weapons. the nicrobarese knew of metal working and made large dugout canoes to raid shits that passed their islands

colin henshaw · 12th April 2022, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausjulius

nicrobar islanders are unrelated to the people in the andiman islands.. the nicrobars are splint into two groups of people - a stone age hunter-gatherer nomadic people who live in the jungle and a tribal iron-age culture that inhabits the coasts. the iron-age people have taken to the modern world with missionary activity in the latter part of the 19th century but the nomad people still stay as they always have. the nicrobarses speak nicrobarese a language related to Cambodian and its family of languages but culturally they appear similar to the malaysian people..
i have seen images of them with some machetes and knives but they look like products from india.. they definitely made their own arms and in the 18th and 19th century traders form ache were very active there.
but I've never seen any images of their swords, spears knives and other native weapons. the nicrobarese knew of metal working and made large dugout canoes to raid shits that passed their islands

This thread caught my attention as I could not remember having seen weapons from the Nicobar Islands before now. As you mention they are a quite separate people from the Andamanese.

The old British Museum catalogue has a small section on the Nicobar Islands (extract attached). I visited the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford a few days ago... they only have on display an iron spearhead and a child's bow. Also shown was a carved wooden "scare-devil" which would have held a wooden spear (images attached). Excuse the poor photo quality... taken through the glass.

There are a few ethnographical monographs on the Nicobar Islands, but I don't have them. Should I find any further information on this subject, I will post it.

ausjulius · 17th April 2022, 09:18 AM

says they dont use bows.. and the meseum shows a bow (and plenty of photos).. wouldnt trust that acocunt at all hahah

Tim Simmons · 17th April 2022, 01:46 PM

made large dugout canoes to raid shits that passed their islands, or just unpleasant types.

16th March 2022, 07:11 AM	#1
Royston Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Poole England Posts: 441	Andaman I worked off the coast of the Andamans for a year in 1981, this was before it was opened up to tourists. We were only allowed there as we were drilling for oil for the Indian National oil company. I did not get to see much onshore as we were only in the airport and surrounds for transfer to a chopper out to the rig. We had quite a few local working with us and they were a friendly bunch. The two interesting things that I do remember were chasing the goats off the runway to allow our plane to land and more relevant was being called to the radio room one evening by our Indian radio operator who was listening ( and translating for us ) to a mayday call from an Indian fishing boat that had run aground and was being attacked by locals with bows and arrows. I cannot remember which Island they were on. Last edited by Royston; 16th March 2022 at 07:12 AM. Reason: Additional comment

19th March 2022, 02:32 AM	#3
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 415	nicrobar islanders are unrelated to the people in the andiman islands.. the nicrobars are splint into two groups of people - a stone age hunter-gatherer nomadic people who live in the jungle and a tribal iron-age culture that inhabits the coasts. the iron-age people have taken to the modern world with missionary activity in the latter part of the 19th century but the nomad people still stay as they always have. the nicrobarses speak nicrobarese a language related to Cambodian and its family of languages but culturally they appear similar to the malaysian people.. i have seen images of them with some machetes and knives but they look like products from india.. they definitely made their own arms and in the 18th and 19th century traders form ache were very active there. but I've never seen any images of their swords, spears knives and other native weapons. the nicrobarese knew of metal working and made large dugout canoes to raid shits that passed their islands

17th April 2022, 09:18 AM	#5
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 415	says they dont use bows.. and the meseum shows a bow (and plenty of photos).. wouldnt trust that acocunt at all hahah

17th April 2022, 01:46 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,742	made large dugout canoes to raid shits that passed their islands, or just unpleasant types.