MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE MAORI WOULD DO A HAKA WHEN VISITORS APPROACHED THEIR VILLAGE AND THEN END IT WITH A GREETING WHICH IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY WAS TO RUB NOSES. BOTH GROUPS PREFORMED THEIR HAKAS AND TAUNTED AND INSULTED THE OTHER SIDE BEFORE THE FIGHT BEGAN. THE TAUNTING IS COMMON IN MANY TRIBES THERE ARE SOME GOOD FILMS OF IT FROM NEW GUINEA AS THIS KIND OF WARFARE HAS HAPPENED VERY RECENTLY AND MAY STILL OCCUR AMOUNG SOME GROUPS. THE FILM BRAVEHEART SHOWS THE SCOTTS TAUNTING THEIR ENEMYS QUITE WELL. SOME OF THE PACIFIC CLUBS ARE VERY PALLIC IN NATURE AND ARE WAVED AROUND IN A VERY INSULTING MANNER WITH X RATED TAUNTS NO DOUBT. SOME OF THE GUNSTOCK VARIETYS WERE OFTEN PHALLIC AT THE HANDLE END AND WERE HELD UPSIDE DOWN BY THE SPIKE AT THE STRIKING END AND BRANDISHED AT THE ENEMY.
I CAN'T SAY AS I REMBER WHERE I READ THAT THE PIPES WERE CONSIDERED A WEAPON OF WAR BUT EARLY ON I THINK THEY WERE MOSTLY USED BY MILITARY MEN. THEY WERE USED ON THE MARCH INTO BATTLE JUST AS THE DRUM WAS AT THE TIME AND THEIR PURPOSE WAS NOT TO SOUND SIGNALS LIKE THE BUGLE AS FAR AS I KNOW. I WOULD THINK THEY HELPED PREPARE THE WARRIORS MENTALY WHILE MARCHING TO BATTLE AND THE STRANGE SOUND WOULD MAKE THE ENEMY A BIT NERVOUS. I SUPPOSE WE NEED A PIPER TO FILL US IN ON THE HISTORY OF THE BAGPIPE. I IMAGINE SOME TUNES WERE TO BOLSTER YOUR COURAGE AND INSPIRE CLAN SPIRIT WHILE OTHERS WERE DESIGNED TO SOUND WILD AND CRAZY KIND OF LIKE SOUNDING A CHARGE INTO BATTLE. I THINK SOME OF THEM TELL A STORY AND SOME ARE JUST TO GET THE BLOOD PUMPING. I JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEGE ON THE SUBJECT SO PERHAPS THERE WILL BE SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO CAN SET ME STRAIT IF I AM OFF. BUT FROM THE WAY THE PIPES SOUND AND THE REPUTATION OF THE SCOTS AS FIGHTING MEN, I CAN SEE AS TO HOW THEY WOULD HAVE A PSYCOLOGICAL EFFECT.
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