Lefoantsoro from Madagascar

[fearn]

Hi All,

Now for something completely different....

THE CONTEXT: I found this spear in a greenhouse in the Cleveland Botanic Garden. That's not a typo. CBG has two themed greenhouses, one mimicking a Costa Rican forest (complete with butterflies and birds), one mimicking a Madagascar dry forest from the southern half of the island. One major threat to this forest is that it's being cut down for charcoal, and the spear below is part of a small grouping of artifacts that talk about the people of the dry forest.

I'm pointing this out to explain three things: 1) the plant that's in front of it (which wasn't there the last time), 2) the crappy condition of the spear--it's not being conserved, and since I was there last, someone buried the spear tip in the loam, and 3) the fact that I didn't move the plant out of the way for better photos. I had a teen-aged docent standing behind me while I took the pics, and I didn't see a reason to ask him to pull the spear out of the landscaping so that I could get a better image.

Here's the stats: the entire spear is roughly four feet long. At one end is a leaf-shaped spearhead with the blade about 6" long (take my words for it--it was unphotographable). At the other end is a chisel tip roughly the same length, pictured below. The spear was about 2 cm diameter (3/4"). I didn't measure these, I'm guesstimating.

This spear is labelled as a lefoantsoro. In the previous incarnation of this board, I'd suggest that an unidentified thingie might be a blade from one of these spears. Well, here's the spear. I'd also suggested that perhaps the chisel blade was an asian concept. I've changed my mind on the last, after seeing those taureg spears a few months ago. I'll post the links to the previous threads when I find them, if someone doesn't beat me to it.

Aside from the condition of the spear, what do all you ethnos think? Pure african? Afro-asian? How about in the context of Malagasy culture? And, does anyone want to go to Madagascar to do some shopping ?

Here's the pics:
1. A sign about the people who make lefoantsoros, the Mikea.
2. A view of the sign.
3. The entire lefoantsoro.
4. A "clean" view of the chisel head (chisel butt?)




Cheers,

Fearn

[fearn]

Here are some links:

http://www.vikingswTaureg spear on Ebay (from Tom Hyle)

"Oddject" that might be a chisel tip from a spear (also from Tom Hyle)

And a tourist(?) Taureg spear (allarh) image.

Fearn

[Conogre]

Spears, for want of a better word, are a real can of worms.
To the best of my knowledge almost all African spears have some sort of counterbalance on the end, ranging for a simple tighly wound oiece of crude iron to all sorts of elaborate shapes, with the wide "scaper" type common to at least a dozen tribal subgroups.
You'll also find spikes of all lengths, rods and in one case even a bell, complete w/clapper.
Freddy was kind enough to send me a compilation of regional forms a few years back that was quite comprehensive.
The heads, likewise cover a wide range with some of the most unbelievable shapes imaginable and one N African barbed type that was even the basis for a tribal "summit meeting" where they agreed not to make or use them as there were no "flesh wounds"...if you were hit, you were maimed...period!
Madagascar has it's own native spears, axes and such, plus was widely visited from the mainland over the centuries as well with trading a common occurance.
To make matters WORSE many tribes never acieved metal working skills, thus trade was extremely widespread with each group often re-hilting, modifying , re-dressing, etc. to the point that it was common to find spears 1,000 miles outside of their original range.
Surprisingly (to me anyway) the majority of tanged spearheads and spears without a vounterweight on the butt are almost all of S. African origin (Zulu, Swazi, etc, etc)
People often think the spear butt had to had a purpose....wrong!
Very often a weapon or weapon piece had a symbolic meaning in the form that often was counteproductive to actual use, but would rather die than use another shape, for fear of upsetting the Gods, ancestors or spirits.
In Africa the other tribes and wild animals were often of lesser importance than the spirit world, with any death outside of being killed in battle or eaten by wildlife (the only "natural deaths") directly attribtable to witchcraft and sorcery.
Mike

[fearn]

Thanks Conogre,

That opens up a second can of worms. Looking at that "spear," I'll admit that I wasn't sure whether the chisel end was strong enough to dig up yams. The blade was fine, but the socket... it depends on the soil. If the soil was hard clay, that spear was too wimpy. If it's sandy, then it would work fine.

However, one thing I think is fascinating (and contentious) is a simple question: is it a spear?

Assuming that the chisel end is functional, then basically it's a digging stick with a spear point on the butt end. That's from a functional perspective. I seriously doubt that they would have used the spear except as a threat, or in extreme self-defense.

From a symbolic point of view--I don't know the answer. There's some anthropological literature about the Mikea , and perhaps an answer's there.

I agree that the categories get blurry. For instance, it looks like the "Mikea" are a caste as much as a separate tribe. They're the ones who forage in the forest, and all members of the "tribe" seem to have extensive familial links with the "tribes" in the area that farm and fish (that's from the bibliography I linked to above).

Fun stuff! (unless you're trying to produce a comprehensive categorization of African spears, that is )

Fearn

[fearn]

Well, I hate to keep posting on my own thread, but here's some more germane information:

Apparently, "Mikea" is an ambiguous term, like "gypsie," or "cowboy" that could be taken as a tribe, the remnants of an indigenous group, people who gather materials (especially food) from the forest, or people who fled into the forest to escape being conquered (or forced into slavery) in the 17th to 19th centuries. All of these are at least partially true.

Now, with the subtext of "forest dweller," Mikea has taken on meaning for the international conservation movement, so recent settlers in the area are also claiming to be Mikea to get a piece of the action and (possibly?) to keep from being relocated out of the Mikea forest.

Now, how does this relate to the spear? Well, one of the major forest gathering activities is (as noted on the sign) digging up wild yams for food. Thus the digging end on this spear is important.

The spearhead also makes sense in context. The Mikea took to the forests to remain free, and one of their historic threats (sometimes actions) was to ambush and spear anyone who pursued them into the forest.

So basically, functional or not, this spear looks like a symbol of Mikea identity: yam digger on one end, free man's weapon on the other.

Getting back to what Conogre posted, I don't think we have to invoke the supernatural in this case to explain the shape of this spear. Whether this is true for other African spears is an entirely different question.

Personally, I'd love to see a copy of that list that Freddy made up, if you have a way of sending it.

Fearn

[Conogre]

I have no problem with making copies and snail mailing it to you, as its size pretty well prohibits posting (or it could be put on a disc, but my burner seems to hate other peoples PCs).
From an ecological standpoint Madagascar is a real tradjedy, with 75% of the owrlds chameleons endemic to the island as well as many of the freshwater fish, mammals, reptiles, birds and even insects, with nearly all endangered as the island becomes more and more deforested and sterile.
As to this particular spear, little can really be determined about it without a good photograph of the entire spearhead, as far as origin goes, with your suggestion that its primary use until removed was likely self defense or sneak offense.......as in many places visited by seamen, defending oneself from ferel/wild pigs is always a realistic possibilty, many of them having a much more carnivorous side than the average person is aware of.
Mike