Spears

Spears (tao) were made of pau wood and also of mature coconut wood. They were scraped, polished, and oiled. The long spears were usually from 9 to 10 feet long. Shorter spears of 6 to 7 feet were also used as staves which could be converted into weapons of offense or defense. The general name for spear is tao. A chief's spear or staff was called uai. A short spear used as a staff could be referred to as to'oto'o.

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The spears were made in one piece including barbs. Barbs are termed tala. One end only was pointed, the other end being blunt and without any differentiation into grip or counterpoise.

Barbless spears. Some spears were, merely scraped to a point and hence termed tao valu fua (valu, scraped; fua, alone). Here fua means without barbs. Pratt (23, p. 35) gives ato as a stick sharpened at both ends and used in ancient times as a spear. This is the exception to the usual one pointed spears.

Barbed spears. The barbs noted may be divided into simple and compound barbs.

The simple barbs are made by cutting nicks in the head of the spear as in figure 316, a. In this form, the head is shaped to form a projecting longitudinal edge in which nicks are cut with a forward obliquity. The type of barb is present in the spear in Pl. LII, B, 3, which conies from Malaeloa, Tutuila, where it was called fa'atala lau paongo (made like the spikes of paongo pandanus leaf). The longitudinal sharp edge on which the barbs are cut is prolonged forward towards the point. The spear was used as an orator's staff and hence called to 'oto'o fa'atala lau paongo. The barbs are on one side only of the head.

Another type of simple barb is made projecting out from the head and usually with a curve backward. This type restricted to one side of the head is shown in figure 316 b.

The simple barbs may be arranged in transverse rows around the head. The spear in Plate LII, B, 1 has long backward curved barbs arranged in three longitudinal rows and in transverse rows of threes. To get this formation the head is cut out of the solid in triangular form in section. The points of the longitudinal rows thus coincide with the longitudinal edges and the intervening material is cut away. Towards the point of the spear in Plate LII, B, 2 the barbs are arranged in four longitudinal rows and in transverse rows of four. Here the spear head is cut out in quadrangular shape and the angles correspond with the points of the barbs. Where the diameter decreases towards the point of the spear, the barbs are short with the usual backward obliquity. If made further back on the head, the barbs become Monger and curved. The point beyond the last barbs usually maintains the triangular or quadrangular character of the head until it rounds off into the actual terminal point.

While, the barbs are sloped backward to render penetration easier and extraction more difficult some of the furthest back barbs, as in the proximal end of the head in Pl. LII, B, 2 may be directed forward.

The compound barbs in Samoan spears consist of three points with their bases together and all cut out of the solid. The middle element of the three page 608stands out vertically from the head of the spear, while of the other two, which are on either side in the longitudinal line, the distal one is directed obliquely forward and the proximal one, obliquely backward. These three-point barbs termed tala-o-le-lo (spine of the lo fish) are generally arranged in three or four longitudinal rows and also in transverse rows. Again the spear head is cut triangular or quadrangular and the points are formed on the angles by cutting out the intervening material. Sometimes the simple and compound barbs are intermixed. Even the spears in which the compound barb is the main theme are furnished with simpler barbs towards the point as the thickness of the head diminishes. The compound barbed point gives its name of tala-o-le-lo to the spear itself and such spears are the most prized. They were made out of both pau and coconut wood. (See Plate LII, B, 2.)

The elements of the compound barb are triangular in shape with the bases attached to the head end and the apices forming the free points. (See figure 316, c.) The fore and aft elements have median longitudinal edges which made the barbs lozenge-shaped in cross section.