Hey All,
I appreciate the responses...
Wouldn't you know, I did a 'Google' after all this time and came up with the following book from the University of the South Pacific.
"Fijian Weapons and Warfare" by Fergus Cline
Harcover, 239 pages
It was just published in the past year. Looks like I may have to order it.
I found this website as well:
http://www.tribalsite.com/index.html (Seems like a fairly new site with some potential)
In case you've never seen warclubs here are some examples:
http://www.artspacific.com/sites/fjclubs.htmlAnd here's a large excerpt from another website:
Warfare was one of the bases of Fijian society. From archaeological discoveries; the journals of seamen, traders and missionaries; or from oral histories - the story that comes through is one of war being an everyday way of life in early Fiji.
Heavy clubs, spears and other weapons accompanied the wary Fijian on even short walks beyond his village or town perimeter. When working in his vegetable gardens, a spear was stuck into the earth beside him or a club lay handy nearby.
Many of the fights and the wars which were constantly going on were conducted on a local scale, between neighbouring villagers. Large wars between confederated chiefdoms were known as i valu ni tu or state wars and tended to be more openly conducted, with war being formally declared and allied armies marching to attack fortified towns.
More general wars involving several confederations of tribes or states were termed i valu rabaraba or widespread wars. It has been noted that the wars did not cause very heavy casualities, many dragging on for several months with thousands of warriors in the field and great organizations, pomp, bold words and excitement, but in which only a few people were killed. In other wars, battle and especially massacre casualties climbed into the hundreds, and on rare occasions, into the thousands.
The most serious and destructive conflicts were those between large tribal confederations or states under high chiefs who were bitter personal enemies. They involved allied armies or mata-i-valu of several thousand warriors and resulted in the ransacking and depopulation of large tracts of land and entire islands, sometimes continuing until one of the rival high chiefs was cut down or fled into exile. In the latter case, plotting vengeance and living to fight again when opportunity offered.
The causes of wars in 19th century Fiji were many and varied. It has been said that the possession of land and women and the commission of murder were the principle causes. Matters like personal affronts to chiefs; the refusal to give up a particular club, band or shell; the unlawful eating of the turtle; the lust of conquest; the wish to murder; a violation of the tabu; or a love affair were other causes of war.
Before engaging in a war or raid, the Fijians conducted religious ceremonies and consulted the gods in an attempt to ensure success, When consulted on serious matters, the god spoke to the people through the medium of the priest in the temple. The priest, when not too old, also accompanied the war parties in a fighting role.
For at least several days before a fight, the warriors usually kept away from their wives and isolated themselves in an attempt to ensure the success of the expedition. Religious ceremonies were conducted undethe direction of a priest or bete to make the warriors vodi or invulnerable.
Before engaging in a large scale war, the advantages and disadvantages of the war had to be weighed up. This would involve a meeting between the council of chiefs, priest and elders who would meet in the burekalau. If the consensus was agreed upon, the council appointed the turaga-ni-valu literally the war chief to be general of the army. This would usally be the paramount chief of the tribal confederation or a member of his family noted for his generalship.
After it was decided to go into a war, preparations began for it, vakalici i valu or neighbouring villages were notified of the likely path of the advancing army. Weapons were prepared and special houses were built for the shelter of the allied troops.
If a town was likely to be attacked, its fortification were strengthened or renewed. Fijian forts were generally well designed to withstand assault by warriors armed with the various weapons found in the Fijian armory. 1. iUlabulibuli - Throwing club
A companion piece to club. Throwing clubs or iUla were worn alone or in pairs, with their handles thrust through the waistband of a man's loincloth, ready on hand in any emergency.
In battle, an iUla was hurled to bring down an enemy so that he or she could be finished off with a heavier two-handled club. Thrown with great velocity and precision by men trained since infancy, its head delivered a heavy, stunning and sometimes lethal blow (it also earned the nickname of the 'Handy Billy' by early traders).
2. Cali
Spurred and bladed war club, fashioned after the clawed flower of a wild banana-like plant. These were used to inflict a cutting rather than a crushing blow. The spur may well have been useful in warding off an enemy's blow, while keeping the club in position for a quick retaliatory strike.
3. Culacula
Often called 'paddle' clubs or 'spade' clubs because of their shape. The clubs are said to be Tongan or Samoan in origin. They were widely used in the islands and coastal parts of Fiji. With these broad flat-headed clubs the blow was struck with the thin edges of the head, cutting through the bone like an axe rather than smashing and shattering it. Craftsmen making these clubs were highly skilled. A good club maker was a recognized expert, a man who earned the reputation for himself and his tribe. He had not only to see the potential of a tree, he had to know the type of carving suitable for the particular variety of wood to carve while still wet and which had to be buried in the mangrove swamp first.
4. Kinikini
A broad club with the head shaped like a shield. This type of club was more ornamental than offensive and accounts referred to it as a chief's club, which was carried as a symbol of rank and authority. Fijian clubs, amongst the finest in Oceania, were made with extreme care, a highly skilled craftsman taking months, even years to bring a single specimen to perfection. The carvings on these old clubs is made all the more remarkable when one considers the tools at the craftman's disposal - stone adzes, a nokonoko hammer, fish teeth, rat teeth and sea urchin spines for intricate carving; mushroom coral, ray skin and pumice stone for rasps; and files and shells for planes and scrapers.
5. Sokilaki
Multibarbed war spear with coir sinnet grip. Fijian spears were often intricately carved and decorated. Spears were carved from a single length of wood. Many carried a most vicious series of barbs extending behind the head for two feet or more, to make extraction of the spear from a wound most difficult.
I could read about this stuff for years. It's a shame that so much of our examination of warfare is either center on the Western approach or the Asian, and not much heed is paid to the Pacific, African, and Native American cultures and their ways.
Thanks,
Miguel
