Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 18th August 2006, 05:50 PM

FROM WHAT LITTLE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND TO READ AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS I HAVE COME TO A FEW CONCLUSIONS.
THESE WEAPONS WOULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE WARRIORS WERE NAKED BUT WITH THE ALMOST COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE ARMOR A FATALITY WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY.
SOME EXAMPLES HAVE THE ANGLE OF THE SHARK TEETH POINTED FOREWARD AND OTHERS HAVE THEM POINTED BACK ,THAT WOULD INDICATE A LUNGING ATTACK FOR THE BEST SLICEING ACTION OR A PULLING BACK FOR BEST RESULTS ON THE OTHER STYLE.
THE SWORD POINTS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH BEFORE THE TEETH START AND WOULD STOP DEEP PENETRATION SO RUNNING SOMEONE THRU WAS PROBABLY NOT THE MAIN OFFENSIVE FUNCTION OF THE WEAPON.
THE WEAPONS ARE RELATIVY LIGHT WEIGHT SO KNOCKING YOUR OPPONENT OUT WOULD NOT BE LIKELY ESPECIALLY WITH THE PORQUIEPINE FISH HELMUTS WHICH WOULD BE FRAGILE AND EASILY DESTROYED BUT HAVE FIBER PROTECTION UNDERNEATH. PERHAPS THE OBJECT WAS TO KNOCK OFF THE OTHER GUYS HAT

THE DESCRIPTIONS I HAVE READ STATED THAT THE WOMEN AND OTHER VILLAGERS WERE PRESENT AND STOOD CLOSE ENOUGH BEHIND THEIR WARRIOR TO THROW ROCKS AND STUFF AT HIS OPPONENT. THE RAISED PART OF THE ARMOR BEHIND HIS HEAD WAS TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING HIT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD BY HIS OWN SUPPORTERS. THEY DID NOT THROW SPEARS OR USE SLINGS SO WERE NOT TRYING TO KILL THE OTHER WARRIOR JUST DISTRACT HIM.
I HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THE BIG SWORDS WITH THE GUARDS THAT WERE OVER 9 FEET LONG.

ALL THIS INFORMATION LEADS ME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THESE WERE MOSTLY USED IN SOME KIND OF FORMAL FIGHTING CONTEST WHERE THERE WERE RULES AND JUDGES. THE NON COMBATANTS WERE NOT IN DANGER IF THEIR WARRIORS LOST OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE.
THE WEAPONS USED WERE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE ARMOR USED, THE FACE BEING THE ONLY EXPOSED AREA AND PROBABLY AGAINST THE RULES TO STAB WITH THE POINT BUT POSSIBLY OK TO SLASH.
THE FIGHTING STYLE WOULD BE LIKE FENCING WITH LUNGES AND SWINGS BEING KEPT IN CLOSE.
A GOOD HEAVY WOOD WAR CLUB WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE AGAINST THIS ARMOR THAN THE SHARKTOOTH WEAPONS SO KILLING WAS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE CONTEST.
THE FIGHTS MAY HAVE DETERMINED THE WARRIORS COURAGE AND PRESTIGE OR MAY HAVE DETERMINED WHICH VILLAGE HAD THE BEST WARRIORS? IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN A WAY TO SETTLE DISPUTES AMONG TRIBES SUCH AS WHO GOT TO FISH OR PICK COCONUTS IN CERTIAN AREAS.
THEY COULD ALSO HAVE HAD SOME RELIGIOUS OR RITUAL PURPOSE AND PERHAPS THE LOSER WAS SACRIFICED AFTERWARDS.

CONJECTURE AND GUESSES BASED ON VERY LITTLE KNOWN FACTS BUT POSSIBLY ACCURATE IN PART.

18th August 2006, 05:50 PM	#16
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	FROM WHAT LITTLE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND TO READ AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS I HAVE COME TO A FEW CONCLUSIONS. THESE WEAPONS WOULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE WARRIORS WERE NAKED BUT WITH THE ALMOST COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE ARMOR A FATALITY WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY. SOME EXAMPLES HAVE THE ANGLE OF THE SHARK TEETH POINTED FOREWARD AND OTHERS HAVE THEM POINTED BACK ,THAT WOULD INDICATE A LUNGING ATTACK FOR THE BEST SLICEING ACTION OR A PULLING BACK FOR BEST RESULTS ON THE OTHER STYLE. THE SWORD POINTS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH BEFORE THE TEETH START AND WOULD STOP DEEP PENETRATION SO RUNNING SOMEONE THRU WAS PROBABLY NOT THE MAIN OFFENSIVE FUNCTION OF THE WEAPON. THE WEAPONS ARE RELATIVY LIGHT WEIGHT SO KNOCKING YOUR OPPONENT OUT WOULD NOT BE LIKELY ESPECIALLY WITH THE PORQUIEPINE FISH HELMUTS WHICH WOULD BE FRAGILE AND EASILY DESTROYED BUT HAVE FIBER PROTECTION UNDERNEATH. PERHAPS THE OBJECT WAS TO KNOCK OFF THE OTHER GUYS HAT THE DESCRIPTIONS I HAVE READ STATED THAT THE WOMEN AND OTHER VILLAGERS WERE PRESENT AND STOOD CLOSE ENOUGH BEHIND THEIR WARRIOR TO THROW ROCKS AND STUFF AT HIS OPPONENT. THE RAISED PART OF THE ARMOR BEHIND HIS HEAD WAS TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING HIT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD BY HIS OWN SUPPORTERS. THEY DID NOT THROW SPEARS OR USE SLINGS SO WERE NOT TRYING TO KILL THE OTHER WARRIOR JUST DISTRACT HIM. I HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THE BIG SWORDS WITH THE GUARDS THAT WERE OVER 9 FEET LONG. ALL THIS INFORMATION LEADS ME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THESE WERE MOSTLY USED IN SOME KIND OF FORMAL FIGHTING CONTEST WHERE THERE WERE RULES AND JUDGES. THE NON COMBATANTS WERE NOT IN DANGER IF THEIR WARRIORS LOST OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE. THE WEAPONS USED WERE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE ARMOR USED, THE FACE BEING THE ONLY EXPOSED AREA AND PROBABLY AGAINST THE RULES TO STAB WITH THE POINT BUT POSSIBLY OK TO SLASH. THE FIGHTING STYLE WOULD BE LIKE FENCING WITH LUNGES AND SWINGS BEING KEPT IN CLOSE. A GOOD HEAVY WOOD WAR CLUB WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE AGAINST THIS ARMOR THAN THE SHARKTOOTH WEAPONS SO KILLING WAS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE CONTEST. THE FIGHTS MAY HAVE DETERMINED THE WARRIORS COURAGE AND PRESTIGE OR MAY HAVE DETERMINED WHICH VILLAGE HAD THE BEST WARRIORS? IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN A WAY TO SETTLE DISPUTES AMONG TRIBES SUCH AS WHO GOT TO FISH OR PICK COCONUTS IN CERTIAN AREAS. THEY COULD ALSO HAVE HAD SOME RELIGIOUS OR RITUAL PURPOSE AND PERHAPS THE LOSER WAS SACRIFICED AFTERWARDS. CONJECTURE AND GUESSES BASED ON VERY LITTLE KNOWN FACTS BUT POSSIBLY ACCURATE IN PART.