MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

VANDOO · 29th August 2014, 11:18 PM

PICTURES #1 THRU #4 REFERRED TO AS TUKI IN FIJIAN. THEY WERE A TYPE OF BATTLE HAMMER SOME WITH A FLAT STRIKING HEAD AND SOME WITH A SHORT BROAD SPIKE LIKE THIS EXAMPLE. THEY EVOLVED INTO THE MORE COMMON FLAMBOYANT TOTOKIA AND ARE MORE RARE. SEE CLUNNIE'S BOOK FIG .#5 AND TEXT ON PAGE 54. THIS OLDER EXAMPLE DOES SHOW WEAR AND PATINA CONSISTENT WITH USE. 36.5 INCHES LONG
#5 THRU #8 IS A FORM USED IN FIJI BUT THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM TONGA AND OFTEN SHOWS STRONG TONGAN INFLUENCE. IN FIJI IT WAS CALLED TEIVAKATONGA SEE PAGE 56 AND FIGURE 9 IN CLUNNIE'S BOOK. ITEM A AND F BEING THE CLOSEST TO THIS EXAMPLE.

VANDOO · 18th November 2014, 12:20 AM

A FEW MORE EXAMPLES FROM FIJI FOR REFRENCE.
#1. SMALL BATON SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A WIFE BEATING CLUB 16.75 IN.L.
#2. RECENT FIJI TOOTHED GATA DESIGN
#3. THRU #5. FIJI ULA, NOTE THIS IS THE FORM WITH THE CONCAVE CAVITY IN THE HANDLE 38 CM. LONG.
#6. 73 CM. FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB, UNUSUAL VARIATION WITH GOOD AGE
#7. FIJI GATA VARIATION WITH BACK SPIKES, I HAVE NOT SEEN OLD TRADITIONAL EXAMPLES OF THE FORM WITH SPIKES AND SUSPECT IT IS A RECENT DESIGN AS THIS CLUB IS RECENT.
#8. THRU #11. RECENT FIJI CLUB WITH SHELL INLAY AND TONGAN INFLUENCED DESIGNS CARVED HUMAN FIGURE, ECT..
#12. CLOSEUP OF NEW STYLIZED FIJI TOOTHED GATA CLUB

VANDOO · 18th November 2014, 01:48 AM

A FEW MORE #1. THREE FIJI TOURIST CLUBS
#2 THRU #4 LOOKS LIKE A UNUSUAL RECENT INTERPRETATION OF A FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INLAY. ITS ORIGIN COULD BE FIJI OR MOST ANYWHERE

#5 & #6. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB WITH SENNIT CORD AND FIJI TAPA WRAP. COMPLETELY CARVED TONGAN INFLUENCE.

kronckew · 20th November 2014, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

...
#5 & #6. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB WITH SENNIT CORD AND FIJI TAPA WRAP. COMPLETELY CARVED TONGAN INFLUENCE.

what is the purpose of blunting & padding (and presumably weakening) the edges by wrapping them? it appears they are wrapped thru slots parallel to the edge.

VANDOO · 20th November 2014, 10:15 PM

I AGREE THIS OPENWORK EDGE AND CORD ON THE STRIKING EDGE OF THE CLUB HEAD WOULD MAKE FOR A LESS EFFICENT WAR CLUB. I HAVE SEEN THIS OPENWORK WRAPPED WITH SENNIT CORD ON THIS EXAMPLE AND ONE OTHER, BOTH CLUBS WERE MADE 1960'S OR LATER. ORIGINALLY THIS SORT OF LARGE CLUB (KINIKINI) WAS MORE A BADGE OF OFFICE CARRIED BY CHIEFS OR PRIESTS AT SPECIAL OCCASIONS RATHER THAN A WAR CLUB. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SORT OF CORD AND OPENWORK EDGE WAS BASED ON A REAL TRADITIONAL OLD CLUB FORM OR A RECENTY MADE UP DESIGN.
THE USE OF TAPA CLOTH ON A CLUB HANDLE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED TRADITIONALLY BUT I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ANY EXAMPLES ON OLD CLUBS. MOST OLD CLUBS ARE MISSING THE WRAP ON THE HANDLES AS IT DRYS AND BECOMES BRITTLE AND BREAKS OFF AND IS LOST. I HAVE SEEN SENNIT CORD AND WOVEN FIBERS USED TO COVER OLD CLUB HANDLES BUT NO TAPA WITH DESIGNS.
THE MODERN CLUBS MADE TODAY USING MODERN TOOLS FALL LOOSLY INTO THREE CATEGORYS. #1. GOOD FULL SIZE REPLICAS OF OLD CLUBS #2. FANTASY FORMS OFTEN BORROWING FROM OTHER CULTURES. #3. SMALL VERSIONS OF BOTH OF THE ABOVE CATEGORYS ESPECIALLY FOR TOURISTS.
THERE IS SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW BUT I TRY TO PUT DOWN WHAT LITTLE I CAN AND HOPE SOME ONE WITH MORE KNOWLEGE WILL SHOW UP WITH THE ANSWERS AND CORRECT ANY MISTAKES I MAY MAKE.

Kinikini · 21st November 2014, 12:55 PM

Hi Vanado, thank's for your reply, I must point out that the Musket balls have not been hammered into the shaft.....The deep crack in the shaft is the result of the musket balls hitting it at such a high velocity that they have "Mushroomed" at the moment of impact. One of the musket balls is loose and it's possible to see the way the ball has deformed as it's penetrated the shaft. The hole it's created is not man made or natural and you can see the way that the wood has "bent" in with the force of the impact rather than flush and drilled like I guess it would have been in order to intentionally "inlay" the shaft.
It's a shame that your not here to handle and inspect the club in person as I think you would agree that this club has been in a battle where the air must have been full of the sound of gunfire, with bullets flying everywhere.
Another interesting feature of the club is that in the area that it would have been gripped it's as though it has been "sprayed" with something that's stained it darker while it was being held/gripped and this has left a lighter area where the hand was gripping it. Maybe it's me reading too much into this but I still believe that the stains are caused by blood. I will post some more pic's of my clubs soon. Good Luck and Good Hunting Kinikini

VANDOO · 22nd November 2014, 04:08 AM

I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO HANDLE THESE CLUBS TOO.

ITS NOT POSSIBLE TO TELL MUCH OR TO GET A FEEL FOR A WEAPON FROM PICTURES. BUT A PICTURE IS STILL OFTEN BETTER THAN A THOUSAND WORDS.
I ASSUMED THE LEAD WAS INLAYED BECAUSE IT WAS FLUSH WITH THE CLUB HANDLE AND THERE APPEAR TO BE LONG THIN PIECES IN THE CRACKS. SO PERHAPS THE WARRIOR SURVIVED THE BATTLE AND HAD LEAD BULLETS ON HAND TO INLAY WHERE HIS CLUB WAS STRUCK IN THE FIGHT. IF THE CLUB COULD ONLY TALK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING STORY. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO RUN MODERN FORENSIC TESTS ON SUCH CLUBS AS BLOOD SPLATTER COULD HELP TELL SOME STORIES. I REMEMBER IN SOME ISLANDS WHEN ONE SIDE LOST THE FIRST MAN ,IN BATTLE THAT SIDE RAN OFF, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS FIJI FOR SURE.

THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH INFORMATION AND GOOD STORIES LOST IN THE PAST ITS GOOD WE CAN PUT WHAT WE KNOW OR REMEMBER HERE SO EVERYONE WILL NOT HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN IN EACH GENERATION.

29th August 2014, 11:18 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PICTURES #1 THRU #4 REFERRED TO AS TUKI IN FIJIAN. THEY WERE A TYPE OF BATTLE HAMMER SOME WITH A FLAT STRIKING HEAD AND SOME WITH A SHORT BROAD SPIKE LIKE THIS EXAMPLE. THEY EVOLVED INTO THE MORE COMMON FLAMBOYANT TOTOKIA AND ARE MORE RARE. SEE CLUNNIE'S BOOK FIG .#5 AND TEXT ON PAGE 54. THIS OLDER EXAMPLE DOES SHOW WEAR AND PATINA CONSISTENT WITH USE. 36.5 INCHES LONG #5 THRU #8 IS A FORM USED IN FIJI BUT THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM TONGA AND OFTEN SHOWS STRONG TONGAN INFLUENCE. IN FIJI IT WAS CALLED TEIVAKATONGA SEE PAGE 56 AND FIGURE 9 IN CLUNNIE'S BOOK. ITEM A AND F BEING THE CLOSEST TO THIS EXAMPLE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 29th August 2014 at 11:51 PM.

18th November 2014, 12:20 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE EXAMPLES FROM FIJI FOR REFRENCE. #1. SMALL BATON SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A WIFE BEATING CLUB 16.75 IN.L. #2. RECENT FIJI TOOTHED GATA DESIGN #3. THRU #5. FIJI ULA, NOTE THIS IS THE FORM WITH THE CONCAVE CAVITY IN THE HANDLE 38 CM. LONG. #6. 73 CM. FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB, UNUSUAL VARIATION WITH GOOD AGE #7. FIJI GATA VARIATION WITH BACK SPIKES, I HAVE NOT SEEN OLD TRADITIONAL EXAMPLES OF THE FORM WITH SPIKES AND SUSPECT IT IS A RECENT DESIGN AS THIS CLUB IS RECENT. #8. THRU #11. RECENT FIJI CLUB WITH SHELL INLAY AND TONGAN INFLUENCED DESIGNS CARVED HUMAN FIGURE, ECT.. #12. CLOSEUP OF NEW STYLIZED FIJI TOOTHED GATA CLUB Attached Images

18th November 2014, 01:48 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE #1. THREE FIJI TOURIST CLUBS #2 THRU #4 LOOKS LIKE A UNUSUAL RECENT INTERPRETATION OF A FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INLAY. ITS ORIGIN COULD BE FIJI OR MOST ANYWHERE #5 & #6. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB WITH SENNIT CORD AND FIJI TAPA WRAP. COMPLETELY CARVED TONGAN INFLUENCE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 18th November 2014 at 01:58 AM.

20th November 2014, 10:15 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I AGREE THIS OPENWORK EDGE AND CORD ON THE STRIKING EDGE OF THE CLUB HEAD WOULD MAKE FOR A LESS EFFICENT WAR CLUB. I HAVE SEEN THIS OPENWORK WRAPPED WITH SENNIT CORD ON THIS EXAMPLE AND ONE OTHER, BOTH CLUBS WERE MADE 1960'S OR LATER. ORIGINALLY THIS SORT OF LARGE CLUB (KINIKINI) WAS MORE A BADGE OF OFFICE CARRIED BY CHIEFS OR PRIESTS AT SPECIAL OCCASIONS RATHER THAN A WAR CLUB. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SORT OF CORD AND OPENWORK EDGE WAS BASED ON A REAL TRADITIONAL OLD CLUB FORM OR A RECENTY MADE UP DESIGN. THE USE OF TAPA CLOTH ON A CLUB HANDLE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED TRADITIONALLY BUT I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ANY EXAMPLES ON OLD CLUBS. MOST OLD CLUBS ARE MISSING THE WRAP ON THE HANDLES AS IT DRYS AND BECOMES BRITTLE AND BREAKS OFF AND IS LOST. I HAVE SEEN SENNIT CORD AND WOVEN FIBERS USED TO COVER OLD CLUB HANDLES BUT NO TAPA WITH DESIGNS. THE MODERN CLUBS MADE TODAY USING MODERN TOOLS FALL LOOSLY INTO THREE CATEGORYS. #1. GOOD FULL SIZE REPLICAS OF OLD CLUBS #2. FANTASY FORMS OFTEN BORROWING FROM OTHER CULTURES. #3. SMALL VERSIONS OF BOTH OF THE ABOVE CATEGORYS ESPECIALLY FOR TOURISTS. THERE IS SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW BUT I TRY TO PUT DOWN WHAT LITTLE I CAN AND HOPE SOME ONE WITH MORE KNOWLEGE WILL SHOW UP WITH THE ANSWERS AND CORRECT ANY MISTAKES I MAY MAKE.

21st November 2014, 12:55 PM	#6
Kinikini Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 18	Interesting Totokia Hi Vanado, thank's for your reply, I must point out that the Musket balls have not been hammered into the shaft.....The deep crack in the shaft is the result of the musket balls hitting it at such a high velocity that they have "Mushroomed" at the moment of impact. One of the musket balls is loose and it's possible to see the way the ball has deformed as it's penetrated the shaft. The hole it's created is not man made or natural and you can see the way that the wood has "bent" in with the force of the impact rather than flush and drilled like I guess it would have been in order to intentionally "inlay" the shaft. It's a shame that your not here to handle and inspect the club in person as I think you would agree that this club has been in a battle where the air must have been full of the sound of gunfire, with bullets flying everywhere. Another interesting feature of the club is that in the area that it would have been gripped it's as though it has been "sprayed" with something that's stained it darker while it was being held/gripped and this has left a lighter area where the hand was gripping it. Maybe it's me reading too much into this but I still believe that the stains are caused by blood. I will post some more pic's of my clubs soon. Good Luck and Good Hunting Kinikini Attached Images

22nd November 2014, 04:08 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO HANDLE THESE CLUBS TOO. ITS NOT POSSIBLE TO TELL MUCH OR TO GET A FEEL FOR A WEAPON FROM PICTURES. BUT A PICTURE IS STILL OFTEN BETTER THAN A THOUSAND WORDS. I ASSUMED THE LEAD WAS INLAYED BECAUSE IT WAS FLUSH WITH THE CLUB HANDLE AND THERE APPEAR TO BE LONG THIN PIECES IN THE CRACKS. SO PERHAPS THE WARRIOR SURVIVED THE BATTLE AND HAD LEAD BULLETS ON HAND TO INLAY WHERE HIS CLUB WAS STRUCK IN THE FIGHT. IF THE CLUB COULD ONLY TALK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING STORY. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO RUN MODERN FORENSIC TESTS ON SUCH CLUBS AS BLOOD SPLATTER COULD HELP TELL SOME STORIES. I REMEMBER IN SOME ISLANDS WHEN ONE SIDE LOST THE FIRST MAN ,IN BATTLE THAT SIDE RAN OFF, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS FIJI FOR SURE. THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH INFORMATION AND GOOD STORIES LOST IN THE PAST ITS GOOD WE CAN PUT WHAT WE KNOW OR REMEMBER HERE SO EVERYONE WILL NOT HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN IN EACH GENERATION.