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Ethnology of Manihiki and Rakahanga

Spears

page 195

Spears

The spear (tokotoko) was made of coconut wood and was from 2.5 arm spans to 3 arm spans long. The distal end had a sharp, rounded point (mata), and the proximal end had a raised butt flange to prevent the back hand from slipping off. A modern spear obtained on Rakahanga is shown in figure 108, a. Edge-Partington (6, vol. 1, p. 62, fig. 7) figures a Manihiki spear 89 inches long, inlaid with pearl shell discs, and with a four-sided point. The weapon was primarily used for piercing with a thrust (wero) but could also be used for striking (rutu).

Figure 108. Weapons: a, spear (tokotoko); b, long club (korare). a, spear, 8 feet 8 inches long: 1, four-sided pyramidal point, 4.1 inches long, 1.5 inches wide at base; 2, second pyramidal projection, 2.6 inches long, 1.6 inches wide on two opposite sides of base and 1.5 inches wide on other opposite sides, narrow part at base of first point is 1 inch in all diameters; 3, shaft, diameter at rounded base of second projection is 1.1 inches, maximum diameter about 1 foot from junction is 1.4 inches, diameter 2 feet from proximal end is 1.2 inches, cross diameters at end are 0.8 inch by 0.6 inch, shaft not perfectly round, difference of 0.05 inch to 0.1 inch in some cross diameters, b, club, 8 feet 5 inches long: 1, blade inlaid with double rows of circular pearl-shell discs with single row about midway to shaft and another toward tip, lateral edges sharp, blade is 2 feet 1 inch long, maximum width 1 foot 3 inches from pointed tip is 2.4 inches, where thickness is 0.7 inch, blade is 1.4 inches wide at junction with shoulder; 2, shoulder ornamented with five rows of pearl-shell discs and five pearl-shell discs on sides corresponding in line with rows on upper and lower surfaces, prolonged like cuff for 6.5 inches, 2 inches wide at each end, 1.5 inches wide in middle, 0.6 inch thick; 3, shaft, 5 feet 6 inches long, 1.2 inches wide in middle, 0.85 inch thick, somewhat rectangular in cross section; 4, proximal butt, 4 inches long, 1.4 inches wide at shaft junction, 0.9 inch wide at end.

Figure 108. Weapons: a, spear (tokotoko); b, long club (korare). a, spear, 8 feet 8 inches long: 1, four-sided pyramidal point, 4.1 inches long, 1.5 inches wide at base; 2, second pyramidal projection, 2.6 inches long, 1.6 inches wide on two opposite sides of base and 1.5 inches wide on other opposite sides, narrow part at base of first point is 1 inch in all diameters; 3, shaft, diameter at rounded base of second projection is 1.1 inches, maximum diameter about 1 foot from junction is 1.4 inches, diameter 2 feet from proximal end is 1.2 inches, cross diameters at end are 0.8 inch by 0.6 inch, shaft not perfectly round, difference of 0.05 inch to 0.1 inch in some cross diameters, b, club, 8 feet 5 inches long: 1, blade inlaid with double rows of circular pearl-shell discs with single row about midway to shaft and another toward tip, lateral edges sharp, blade is 2 feet 1 inch long, maximum width 1 foot 3 inches from pointed tip is 2.4 inches, where thickness is 0.7 inch, blade is 1.4 inches wide at junction with shoulder; 2, shoulder ornamented with five rows of pearl-shell discs and five pearl-shell discs on sides corresponding in line with rows on upper and lower surfaces, prolonged like cuff for 6.5 inches, 2 inches wide at each end, 1.5 inches wide in middle, 0.6 inch thick; 3, shaft, 5 feet 6 inches long, 1.2 inches wide in middle, 0.85 inch thick, somewhat rectangular in cross section; 4, proximal butt, 4 inches long, 1.4 inches wide at shaft junction, 0.9 inch wide at end.