Micronesian spears?

[fearn]

Hi All,

I haven't seen a lot of weapons confidently sourced to Micronesia, except for the shark-tooth weapons of Kiribati. Then I tripped over a 1982 Black Belt Magazine article on the martial arts of the Caroline Islands aka pwang or bwang. (link to article).

Interesting thing is that they use a distinctive, short (3-4'), heavy, double-headed wooden spear called a Pochoch as a central weapon. The spears are used hand-to-hand, either on land or in canoes.

I've never seen these before (although I've seen double-ended spears before). Does anyone have a physical example of a pochoch, or know of one in a collection?

Best,

F

[Tim Simmons]

Ringing my bell. Cool I wish we knew more about Micro + Melanesian weapons and fighting.

Once real war was decided. I would think many islanders would confront each other, like any other warriors, with an array of weapons with different ways of use?

[fearn]

Absolutely, Tim.

They even talk about the different weapons in the article (which is based largely on anthropologists' field notes). I was just interested because they show multiple pictures of the pochoch being used, and offhand, I don't recall seeing one in real life.

Best,

F

[Tim Simmons]

Something to look out for "pochoch" This form "school" of fighting has probably died out. I have googled Microneasian stick fighting and dancing. The results have been cheasy to say the least.
The short double pointed fighting stick is seen in Aus and Africa often with a punching shield. Even a heavy short blunt ended stick used in the right way with the right controlled aggression is a formidable weapon espcially if your opponent is taken off guard by such close quater combat. In the recent years I have become more and more interested in war with wood weapons. In the context of some small island communities, I find it terrifying and heroic at the same time. Yet little interest seems to be found here. I think war is the same in all its ways for a microcosm as macrocosm. Not nice basiclly.

[Tim Simmons]

I hope it is not out of order to add this picture from "Malinowski, the ethnography of the Trobriand islands 1915-18". From what I has gleaned, Malinowski, in the recent decades seems to be thought of as rather a prig, but to be honest what would you expect from a chap with his background and it was 1915!!!

Back to the picture and its relation to the macrocosm this food distibution is really heavy stuff. Look at the armed fellows, carrying European axe heads on local hafts. Just like UN food distribution, note the civilian population in the background.

[fearn]

Hi Tim,

According to The Last Navigator, there were still people who knew pwang (or bwang), the Carolines martial art, back in the late 1970s, and the article is from 1982. Pwang was supposed to be one of their basic arts, along with fishing, farming, and building a house, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few families hasn't kept the art alive. There's not a lot of difference between a paddle club and a machete, after all.

Anyway, if you search for bwang, you'll find some references. Pwang also works.

As for the Trobriands, last I'd heard, they upgraded to machetes, fishing spears, and crowbars, instead of traditional clubs and spears. One of my grumps about Malinowski is that he talks a little about their weapons, but never studied them and didn't put any references in his index. Hmmph!

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CLUBS FROM THE AREA THAT CAN BE USED TO STRIKE WITH EITHER END. SOME HAVE EVOLVED INTO THE MORE ORNATE CEREMONIAL FORMS AS TOURISTS LIKE TO BUY THEM MOST AND THEY ARE NO LONGER A GOOD WEAPON AS MUCH BETTER THINGS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. I HAVE A FEW FROM THE CAROLINE IS. BUT THEY ARE SMALLER HAND WEAPONS. I WILL INCLUDE SOME PIC'S OF SOME NEW GUINEA AND A NEW HEBRIDES CLUB THAT MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING LIKE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BEFORE IT GOT TOO FANCY TO BE PRACTICAL.

[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.

[fearn]

Hi Tim,

I knew that plate was around here somewhere, but I couldn't find it in my collection.

Thanks!

F

[Tim Simmons]

The trouble is there is no idea of scale in the plate. At that time of etching the plate they were more interested in the finished pattern. I imagine with the central knuckle it is a one handed weapon?

Also adding this picture of Malinowski. Interesting he displays a strong power posture. It is no wonder he felt his work lacked something. Still not many decades earlier the Islanders would have be seen as godless savages, so there was some improvement.

[Tim Simmons]

I have this stick. I have always thought it to be African because of the bi-coloured wood. This is need not be the case. F nows about wood he is a botonist. I show it next to an Australian club and Massim region sword club. The sword club also displays bi-colouration. I suspect the double ended spike thing is a palmwood, I am not sure about the sword club. I have googled palmwood and it is said to appear in varried colours. I am now thinking this might be a more interesting piece?

[fearn]

Got me, Tim.

The grain will give the wood away faster than the color. Palm wood has parallel fibers in it, like bamboo, randomly dispersed in the wood matrix. It looks very different from dicot wood. Just looking at the coloring, I'd say that all three are from dicot woods.

As for the origin of the double-spike, I don't know either. I'm pretty comfortable saying it's not coconut, pandanus, or breadfruit wood. It might be from Casuarina equisetifolia (she-oak/ironwood), Terminalia wood, or something else (if you want to do your own research).

Most of the atoll woods seem to be lighter in color than those weapons, but then again, I don't know what they're making them out of in the Massim region either.

Best,

F

[Tim Simmons]

F. Thanks for the link. These pictures are where the grain can be more easily seen by a dummy like me and my camara. They probably do not help. I was thinking , a type of palmwood by the long open grain? Looking and bit like blood vessels in a piece of bone? The other items shown in the thread have a more closed? grain. What do you think?

[fearn]

You're right, that does look like palmwood, although I'm definitely not an expert on tropical woods. Thanks: I didn't know that palm wood could be bicolored like that. Interesting...

Best,

F

[Tim Simmons]

Just had to add this picture. How things change? two decades on from Malinowski. Alfred Buhler in the Admiralty Islands. So all old oppions and records could be suspect in many ways.