Thanks very much Eric. It is always good to keep an objective view in the study of weapons, as they reflect important perspective in learning and understanding more on those who used them.
Which leads me to a question I have tried to find out more about many times through the years, and may have some relation to these crocodile themed weapons. There seem to have been 'crocodile cults' which are mentioned in Briggs, regarding anthropological work done by Colin Turnbull, but nothing firther to explain where or what these were. There is mention of 'blades' so presumably swords were involved.
There were I believe secret societies in some of the tribes toward the west in the Congo and perhaps other regions which may have had to do with the crocodile totem, I know there were leopard themed groups.
In these groups there were elements of dress with leopard skins, some had armor made of pangolin shell (Benin I believe) .
Possibly some out there with deeper knowledge of African ethnography might have some information on these 'crocodile cults'?
All best regards,
Jim
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