shark tooth weapon.

VANDOO · 28th July 2010, 04:58 PM

KIRIBATI IS A GROUP OF ISLANDS NORTH OF TODAYS MARSHALL ISLANDS AND TODAY THAY ARE CONSIDERED DIFFERENT GROUPS AND NATIONS. PERHAPS IN THE PAST THEY WERE ALL GROUPED TOGETHER BY EUROPEANS??? HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS ARMOR AND WEAPON WAS THRUOUT MICRONESIA I DO NOT KNOW.
AT ANY RATE I HAVE SEEN THE WEAPONS AND ARMOR LISTED OVER THE YEARS AS FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, KINGSMILL ISLANDS ,GILBERT ISLANDS AND MORE RECENTLY AS KIRABATI. AS TO WEATHER THE ARMOR OR SPECIFIC TYPES OF SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS WERE DIFFERENT ON EACH ISLAND OR GROUP OF ISLANDS I HAVE NO REFRENCES TO FIND OUT. I SUSPECT THERE WERE VARIATIONS PERHAPS BASED ON THE TRIBE OR INDIVIDUAL FAMILY DESIGNS (NOTE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE DESIGN OF THE ARMOR ESPECIALLY THE BACK/ HEAD GUARDS IN THE ABOVE PICTURE) NOTE ALSO THE TWO INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT FULL ARMOR DO HAVE A PROTECTIVE GIRDLE AND GRASS SKIRT.
THESE CHEST AND BELLY GIRDLES ARE ALSO USED IN NEW GUINEA AND SOME OF THE ISLANDS IN THE REGION. SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS ARE USED IN NEW GUINEA AND HAWAII AS WELL. I STILL SUSPECT THIS WAS CEREMONIAL COMBAT NOT OPEN WAR. ON AN ISLAND WAR AS THE EUROPEANS PRACTICED IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE AS IF EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED OFTEN EVERYONE PERISHED. THE RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT ARE IN A DELICATE BALANCE ON AN ISLAND AND IF YOU FOUL YOUR NEST THERE IS NO WHERE TO GO. THE FACE OFF IN THE PICTURE APPEARS TO BE KIND OF LIKE A DUEL WITH THE TWO WARRIORS AND THEIR SECONDS. AT ANY RATE THE TWO GROUPS INVOLVED ARE THERE TO CHEER THEIR TEAM ON AND PERHAPS IT DECIDED WHO GOT TO HARVEST THE COCONUTS IN A CERTAN PRIME PART OF THE ISLAND THAT YEAR OR SOME OTHER THING. THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE AS IT WAS JUST COMPETICIAN AND TAUGHT PRIDE IN YOUR GROUP AND INSPIRED WARRIORS TO WORK HARD AND DO THEIR BEST FOR THE TEAM (TRIBE OR FAMILY).
SHARKS WERE MENTIONED

THE OCEANIC WHITETIP AND THE REEF WHITETIP ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE REEF WHITE TIP IS MUCH SMALLER AND LIVES NEAR LAND OR REEFS AND IS NOT A THREAT TO MAN. THE OCEANIC WHITE TIP IS AN OPEN WATER SPECIES AND OCCURS IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS. THOUGH YOU SELDOM HEAR OF IT IS WAS INVOLVED IN MANY OF THE LARGE FEEDING FRENZYS WHEN SHIPS WERE SUNK DURING THE WARS. IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE LARGE SHARKS THAT LIKE TO FOLLOW SHIPS AND EAT WHAT IS THROWN OVERBOARD. I HAVE SEEN IT IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS AROUND THE NORTH OF NEW GUINEA IT COMES NEAR ISLANDS WHERE THERE ARE WALLS (UNDER WATER CLIFF DROP OFF) WITH DEEP WATER CLOSE TO LAND. I SAW A LARGE GROUP PATROLLING A WALL THAT WERE FROM 16 TO 18 FEET LONG , LUCKILY THEY WERE FULL OF FISH AND LIKELY CONSIDER A DIVER TOO UGLY TO EAT.

fearn · 28th July 2010, 05:15 PM

Hi Vandoo,

Yes and no. The Kiribati weapons like the one that started this thread are unique to that archipelago. Shark teeth on weapons are found all over the place, including on clubs in Indonesia. If we want to get technical, there are different ways of attaching the teeth to the club, and the Kiribati came up with one way (where the teeth are tied to thin splints of wood, which is tied to the club) that so far has only popped up there and maybe on Truk/Chuuk in knuckle dusters.

As for warfare, where to start? Supposedly, the northern Kiribati group were invaded and taken over by a group of exile Samoans. These islanders were known for raiding the southern islands for slaves, women, and whatever. Even today, northern Kiribati is governed by chiefs, while the southern islands are governed more democratically by groups of elders.

There are lots of stories of groups from Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji raiding outlying islands, and occasionally, outlying islands returning the favor. The Fijians thought it was proper to launch their warships (the ndruas) over the bodies of 4-5 human sacrifices (captured from...?). The Carolines were even raided by one or two Papuan tribes.

Let's not forget the Hawaiian wars of conquest, ending with Kamehameha. Or Easter Island. Or whatever happened to the Henderson Island/Mangareva group, which was totally depopulated by the time Europeans arrived.

Or the history of conquest and blackbirding that started when the Europeans arrived.

Island warfare was a small-scale affair, if only because tens to hundreds, rarely thousands of people were involved, not the tens of thousands we think about with modern European warfare. Still, they were pretty serious affairs.

I agree that coral atolls are small and fairly limited, but that also made them vulnerable, and there's no real place to hide on a small atoll, either. So they fought.

Fortunately, at least in Micronesia, they typically had enough ties with other islands that, if things got bad enough, through storm, drought, or war, the survivors could move in with relatives on other islands, until they rebuilt their gardens and could resettle.

Best,

F

VANDOO · 29th July 2010, 05:05 AM

PERHAPS HERE WOULD BE A GOOD POST TO PUT IN A LITTLE SHARK INFO AND PICTURES.
PICTURE #2 TIGER SHARK. #1. SIX GILL SHARK
#6. TIGERSHARK #3. GREAT WHITE, #4.BULL SHARK
#5. OCEANIC WHITE TIP #11. SIX GILL, BOTTOM TEETH
#10. DENTICIAN SHOWING TOP AND BOTTOM, BULL SHARK
#9. OCEANIC WHITE TIP TOOTH. #8. SEVEN GILL SHARK
#7. SAND TIGER SHARK

THE PICTURES WERE IN ORDER I DO HATE IT WHEN THEY CHANGE.

VANDOO · 29th July 2010, 05:54 AM

THE SIX AND SEVEN GILL SHARKS ARE DEEP WATER AND SEEM TO BE A PREFERRED TYPE FOR USE ON THE MAORI MARIPI A KNIFE USED TO CUT HUMAN FLESH.
#1.A OCEANIC WHITE TIP, AROUND 13 FEETLONG
#2 WHITE TIP REEF SHARK GETS UP TO A LITTLE OVER 5 FEET LONG, MOSTLY A BOTTOM FEEDER.
#3. TIGERSHARK KNUCKLEDUSTER, #4 GREAT WHITE SHARK TOOTH HAWAIIAN CLUB. VARIOUS TIGER SHARK TOOTH CLUBS #5. THREE MAORI MARIPI , #6 PLATE WITH ONE MARAIPI AND CLUB, ECT.

Ron Anderson · 15th August 2010, 01:38 PM

Hello all

I arrive on this thread late as I am a new member.

I live in Australia and recently acquired what is known as a Taap knife here - an aboriginal hand held weapon with shark's teeth.

I post this out of interest as it was an unknown fact to me and most people I know that such things existed in Australia. These shark tooth weapons are of course pretty common in Polynesia and elsewhere.

People I've spoken to are of the opinion this knife is well over a 100 years old as such things are no longer seen. Or, at the very least, are extremely uncommon.

I will post a picture of the item. I think you'll see if is quite unusual.

If anyone out there has encountered another of these, I'd very interested to know.

Regards
Ron Anderson

VANDOO · 24th May 2016, 05:58 PM

A FEW MORE PICTURES OF SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS, TOOLS AND ARMOR. THE FIRST 4 PICTURES ARE FROM THE MUSEUM IN AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND WHICH HAS MORE MAORI AND OTHER OCEANIC WEAPONS AND ART ON DISPLAY THAN ANY OTHER I HAVE VISITED AND SHOULD NOT BE MISSED IF YOU ARE EVER THERE. PICTURE #5 IS FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND MUSEUM AND SHOWS 2 LONG EXAMPLES OF THE TOOTHED SPEARS. #6. I TRIED TO CLEAN UP A PICTURE POSTED PREVIOUSLY OF COMBAT. MY CAMERA AND MY PHOTO SKILLS ARE LACKING SO I APOLOGIZE FOR PICTURE QUALITY. JUDGING FROM THE MUSEUM DATA BASE SOURCES, THE MAJORITY OF THEIR ARTIFACTS ARE NOT ON DISPLAY, BUT IN STORAGE. THE ONE WITH THE MOST AND LARGEST VARIETY ON DISPLAY WAS THE MUSEUM IN AUCKLAND THE DISPLAYS IN CHRISTCHURCH WERE VERY GOOD FOR MAORI ITEMS. THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WELLINGTON HAS LESS ON DISPLAY BUT SOME ITEMS WITH IMPORTANT MAORI HISTORICAL PROVENANCE. ALL THREE ARE VERY GOOD AND SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. THE MUSEUM IN DUNEDIN IS MOSTLY TRANSPORTATION RELATED BUT DOES HAVE SOME MAORI ITEMS ON DISPLAY. THERE ARE INTERESTING SMALL LOCAL MUSEUMS LOCATED IN SMALLER TOWNS THRU-OUT NEW ZEALAND. A WONDERFUL COUNTRY TO VISIT AND I SUSPECT TO LIVE IN.

Shakethetrees · 25th May 2016, 06:28 PM

Last year I visited the Peabody Museum at Harvard. It had been about forty years since I last visited and remember viewing a group of Gilbert Islands weapons and fiber armor.

I didn't have great hope things would be the same, since these days museums have gotten away from dusty glass cases filled with relics to highlighting single objects with some sort of interpretive display nearby.

But, to my surprise, it's still on display, along with a fair amount of other weapons and ethnographic material.

If you ever find yourself in The Boston area, it might be worth your time to go for a visit. But, beware! Parking anywhere nearby is an absolute nightmare!

Sorry the image is a little out of focus. Shooting through glass with lights everywhere is tricky!

28th July 2010, 04:58 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	KIRIBATI IS A GROUP OF ISLANDS NORTH OF TODAYS MARSHALL ISLANDS AND TODAY THAY ARE CONSIDERED DIFFERENT GROUPS AND NATIONS. PERHAPS IN THE PAST THEY WERE ALL GROUPED TOGETHER BY EUROPEANS??? HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS ARMOR AND WEAPON WAS THRUOUT MICRONESIA I DO NOT KNOW. AT ANY RATE I HAVE SEEN THE WEAPONS AND ARMOR LISTED OVER THE YEARS AS FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, KINGSMILL ISLANDS ,GILBERT ISLANDS AND MORE RECENTLY AS KIRABATI. AS TO WEATHER THE ARMOR OR SPECIFIC TYPES OF SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS WERE DIFFERENT ON EACH ISLAND OR GROUP OF ISLANDS I HAVE NO REFRENCES TO FIND OUT. I SUSPECT THERE WERE VARIATIONS PERHAPS BASED ON THE TRIBE OR INDIVIDUAL FAMILY DESIGNS (NOTE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE DESIGN OF THE ARMOR ESPECIALLY THE BACK/ HEAD GUARDS IN THE ABOVE PICTURE) NOTE ALSO THE TWO INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT FULL ARMOR DO HAVE A PROTECTIVE GIRDLE AND GRASS SKIRT. THESE CHEST AND BELLY GIRDLES ARE ALSO USED IN NEW GUINEA AND SOME OF THE ISLANDS IN THE REGION. SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS ARE USED IN NEW GUINEA AND HAWAII AS WELL. I STILL SUSPECT THIS WAS CEREMONIAL COMBAT NOT OPEN WAR. ON AN ISLAND WAR AS THE EUROPEANS PRACTICED IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE AS IF EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED OFTEN EVERYONE PERISHED. THE RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT ARE IN A DELICATE BALANCE ON AN ISLAND AND IF YOU FOUL YOUR NEST THERE IS NO WHERE TO GO. THE FACE OFF IN THE PICTURE APPEARS TO BE KIND OF LIKE A DUEL WITH THE TWO WARRIORS AND THEIR SECONDS. AT ANY RATE THE TWO GROUPS INVOLVED ARE THERE TO CHEER THEIR TEAM ON AND PERHAPS IT DECIDED WHO GOT TO HARVEST THE COCONUTS IN A CERTAN PRIME PART OF THE ISLAND THAT YEAR OR SOME OTHER THING. THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE AS IT WAS JUST COMPETICIAN AND TAUGHT PRIDE IN YOUR GROUP AND INSPIRED WARRIORS TO WORK HARD AND DO THEIR BEST FOR THE TEAM (TRIBE OR FAMILY). SHARKS WERE MENTIONED THE OCEANIC WHITETIP AND THE REEF WHITETIP ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE REEF WHITE TIP IS MUCH SMALLER AND LIVES NEAR LAND OR REEFS AND IS NOT A THREAT TO MAN. THE OCEANIC WHITE TIP IS AN OPEN WATER SPECIES AND OCCURS IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS. THOUGH YOU SELDOM HEAR OF IT IS WAS INVOLVED IN MANY OF THE LARGE FEEDING FRENZYS WHEN SHIPS WERE SUNK DURING THE WARS. IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE LARGE SHARKS THAT LIKE TO FOLLOW SHIPS AND EAT WHAT IS THROWN OVERBOARD. I HAVE SEEN IT IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS AROUND THE NORTH OF NEW GUINEA IT COMES NEAR ISLANDS WHERE THERE ARE WALLS (UNDER WATER CLIFF DROP OFF) WITH DEEP WATER CLOSE TO LAND. I SAW A LARGE GROUP PATROLLING A WALL THAT WERE FROM 16 TO 18 FEET LONG , LUCKILY THEY WERE FULL OF FISH AND LIKELY CONSIDER A DIVER TOO UGLY TO EAT. Last edited by VANDOO; 28th July 2010 at 05:13 PM.

28th July 2010, 05:15 PM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Vandoo, Yes and no. The Kiribati weapons like the one that started this thread are unique to that archipelago. Shark teeth on weapons are found all over the place, including on clubs in Indonesia. If we want to get technical, there are different ways of attaching the teeth to the club, and the Kiribati came up with one way (where the teeth are tied to thin splints of wood, which is tied to the club) that so far has only popped up there and maybe on Truk/Chuuk in knuckle dusters. As for warfare, where to start? Supposedly, the northern Kiribati group were invaded and taken over by a group of exile Samoans. These islanders were known for raiding the southern islands for slaves, women, and whatever. Even today, northern Kiribati is governed by chiefs, while the southern islands are governed more democratically by groups of elders. There are lots of stories of groups from Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji raiding outlying islands, and occasionally, outlying islands returning the favor. The Fijians thought it was proper to launch their warships (the ndruas) over the bodies of 4-5 human sacrifices (captured from...?). The Carolines were even raided by one or two Papuan tribes. Let's not forget the Hawaiian wars of conquest, ending with Kamehameha. Or Easter Island. Or whatever happened to the Henderson Island/Mangareva group, which was totally depopulated by the time Europeans arrived. Or the history of conquest and blackbirding that started when the Europeans arrived. Island warfare was a small-scale affair, if only because tens to hundreds, rarely thousands of people were involved, not the tens of thousands we think about with modern European warfare. Still, they were pretty serious affairs. I agree that coral atolls are small and fairly limited, but that also made them vulnerable, and there's no real place to hide on a small atoll, either. So they fought. Fortunately, at least in Micronesia, they typically had enough ties with other islands that, if things got bad enough, through storm, drought, or war, the survivors could move in with relatives on other islands, until they rebuilt their gardens and could resettle. Best, F

29th July 2010, 05:05 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PERHAPS HERE WOULD BE A GOOD POST TO PUT IN A LITTLE SHARK INFO AND PICTURES. PICTURE #2 TIGER SHARK. #1. SIX GILL SHARK #6. TIGERSHARK #3. GREAT WHITE, #4.BULL SHARK #5. OCEANIC WHITE TIP #11. SIX GILL, BOTTOM TEETH #10. DENTICIAN SHOWING TOP AND BOTTOM, BULL SHARK #9. OCEANIC WHITE TIP TOOTH. #8. SEVEN GILL SHARK #7. SAND TIGER SHARK THE PICTURES WERE IN ORDER I DO HATE IT WHEN THEY CHANGE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 30th July 2010 at 02:22 AM.

29th July 2010, 05:54 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE SIX AND SEVEN GILL SHARKS ARE DEEP WATER AND SEEM TO BE A PREFERRED TYPE FOR USE ON THE MAORI MARIPI A KNIFE USED TO CUT HUMAN FLESH. #1.A OCEANIC WHITE TIP, AROUND 13 FEETLONG #2 WHITE TIP REEF SHARK GETS UP TO A LITTLE OVER 5 FEET LONG, MOSTLY A BOTTOM FEEDER. #3. TIGERSHARK KNUCKLEDUSTER, #4 GREAT WHITE SHARK TOOTH HAWAIIAN CLUB. VARIOUS TIGER SHARK TOOTH CLUBS #5. THREE MAORI MARIPI , #6 PLATE WITH ONE MARAIPI AND CLUB, ECT. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 29th July 2010 at 06:05 AM.

15th August 2010, 01:38 PM	#5
Ron Anderson Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 228	Taap Knife Hello all I arrive on this thread late as I am a new member. I live in Australia and recently acquired what is known as a Taap knife here - an aboriginal hand held weapon with shark's teeth. I post this out of interest as it was an unknown fact to me and most people I know that such things existed in Australia. These shark tooth weapons are of course pretty common in Polynesia and elsewhere. People I've spoken to are of the opinion this knife is well over a 100 years old as such things are no longer seen. Or, at the very least, are extremely uncommon. I will post a picture of the item. I think you'll see if is quite unusual. If anyone out there has encountered another of these, I'd very interested to know. Regards Ron Anderson

24th May 2016, 05:58 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE PICTURES OF SHARK TOOTH WEAPONS, TOOLS AND ARMOR. THE FIRST 4 PICTURES ARE FROM THE MUSEUM IN AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND WHICH HAS MORE MAORI AND OTHER OCEANIC WEAPONS AND ART ON DISPLAY THAN ANY OTHER I HAVE VISITED AND SHOULD NOT BE MISSED IF YOU ARE EVER THERE. PICTURE #5 IS FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND MUSEUM AND SHOWS 2 LONG EXAMPLES OF THE TOOTHED SPEARS. #6. I TRIED TO CLEAN UP A PICTURE POSTED PREVIOUSLY OF COMBAT. MY CAMERA AND MY PHOTO SKILLS ARE LACKING SO I APOLOGIZE FOR PICTURE QUALITY. JUDGING FROM THE MUSEUM DATA BASE SOURCES, THE MAJORITY OF THEIR ARTIFACTS ARE NOT ON DISPLAY, BUT IN STORAGE. THE ONE WITH THE MOST AND LARGEST VARIETY ON DISPLAY WAS THE MUSEUM IN AUCKLAND THE DISPLAYS IN CHRISTCHURCH WERE VERY GOOD FOR MAORI ITEMS. THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WELLINGTON HAS LESS ON DISPLAY BUT SOME ITEMS WITH IMPORTANT MAORI HISTORICAL PROVENANCE. ALL THREE ARE VERY GOOD AND SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. THE MUSEUM IN DUNEDIN IS MOSTLY TRANSPORTATION RELATED BUT DOES HAVE SOME MAORI ITEMS ON DISPLAY. THERE ARE INTERESTING SMALL LOCAL MUSEUMS LOCATED IN SMALLER TOWNS THRU-OUT NEW ZEALAND. A WONDERFUL COUNTRY TO VISIT AND I SUSPECT TO LIVE IN. Attached Images

25th May 2016, 06:28 PM	#7
Shakethetrees Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Louisiana Posts: 363	Last year I visited the Peabody Museum at Harvard. It had been about forty years since I last visited and remember viewing a group of Gilbert Islands weapons and fiber armor. I didn't have great hope things would be the same, since these days museums have gotten away from dusty glass cases filled with relics to highlighting single objects with some sort of interpretive display nearby. But, to my surprise, it's still on display, along with a fair amount of other weapons and ethnographic material. If you ever find yourself in The Boston area, it might be worth your time to go for a visit. But, beware! Parking anywhere nearby is an absolute nightmare! Sorry the image is a little out of focus. Shooting through glass with lights everywhere is tricky! Attached Images