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Polynesian Slings (Read 9675 times)
bigkahuna
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Polynesian Slings
Nov 24th, 2005 at 12:44am
 
I just did a quick search of the holdings at The Bishop Museum in Hawaii. They have in their collection about 200 sling stone made of limestone, shell, coral or basalt. Most of these are elliptical or egg shaped. They also have about a dozen slings from all over the pacific. They all are made quite similar out of cordage made from coconut fiber, with a very thin single plaitng and an  open pouch. They only show two pictures of the slings. The first one is Artifact #C.05923 and the second is Artifact #C.06169. You can view both of these by going to the Bishop Museum Website. Evidently slings were quite popular in the Pacific.
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Willeke
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #1 - Nov 25th, 2005 at 12:42am
 
Can you give us a link, please?

Willeke
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bigkahuna
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #2 - Nov 25th, 2005 at 1:47am
 
Hi Willeke! The site is    http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnologydb/closeup.asp?ARTNO=C.05923         That is just the way it is printed across the bottom of the picture that I printed out from their web site. Hope it helps. Smiley
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Willeke
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #3 - Nov 25th, 2005 at 3:01am
 
Thanks, it did work.

Willeke
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bigkahuna
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #4 - Nov 25th, 2005 at 3:36am
 
Wink
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #5 - Feb 20th, 2006 at 9:43pm
 
thats an awesome sling, love the simplicity. looks like the point at which the cordage was doubled over to wrap back into itself is used as a 'slip knot' for an adjustable (or circulation cutting, depending on how you look at it) finger loop.
or am i horribly mistaken?

good find!
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #6 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 12:07am
 
Nice!!!

It looks like it CanDo. I prefer fixed loops for the reason you descripe, but allowing a sliding fit also changes the relative lengths of the cords, which can be hassle as well.

Pretty minimalist design! Except for that giant bead... I've never tried using anything larger than a small knot or flat tab on the retention end, and big grippers are rare in artifacts as well. I know a couple of us have used chunky releases though - I'll have to try one one of these days I guess.

Matthias
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slingbadger
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #7 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 12:07pm
 
Wow, I had heard of coconut twine before, but didn't know that it could look so smooth.
   Coral as sling shot? OUCH Shocked
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #8 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 3:17pm
 
wow imagine having a newbie get hold of that sling. When they go to do an overhand the bead could smash right into there leg Shocked

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slingbadger
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #9 - Feb 22nd, 2006 at 12:49pm
 
  I still have a scar (and dent) on my shin from a similar incident. Everytime I teach someone about slings, I point it out to them.
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #10 - Feb 23rd, 2006 at 5:52am
 
I find the whole "open pouch" concept fascinating.  It lends new meaning to the term "thong."  Seems you need very uniform ammo to match the pouch.  The design must be good or it wouldn't  have been developed all over the world--and used by so many members at slinging.org.  Certainly the place to start as a newbie braider.

Aack, to think I buzzed right by the Bishop museum... this goes right to the top of the list for any future Hawaii trip.

This is truly a beautiful simplicity of cordage and wood.  

Looks like something that would crack coconuts of any type--plant or animal.

Thanks for the post & link.

AjlouniBoy
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bigkahuna
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #11 - Feb 23rd, 2006 at 6:10am
 
My pleasure Grin
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #12 - Mar 20th, 2006 at 7:39pm
 
I've found another Hawaiin sling specimen that might interest you.

http://www.olohe.com/weapons/maa.html

As to the topic brought up earlier about a slipknot cutting off the circulation of your finger, I don't think it would bother a Hawaiin fighter. Their fingers were well conditioned through the practice of their unique fighting forms, as well as work around the village. I'd expect their digits to be alot less sensitive than ours.
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CanDo
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #13 - Mar 21st, 2006 at 12:53am
 
Quote:
As to the topic brought up earlier about a slipknot cutting off the circulation of your finger, I don't think it would bother a Hawaiin fighter. Their fingers were well conditioned through the practice of their unique fighting forms, as well as work around the village. I'd expect their digits to be alot less sensitive than ours.



Amen to that. I just read in article about Chinese martial artists who condition their hands to become as hard as iron. They punch steel each day, and break bricks with their finger tips. The final stage of training is punching through heated (very high heated) iron filings with their finger tips. Eeek.

The other issue is getting the sling back off. I've had to cut constricing string off of my finger before (no soap or oil around).
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siguy
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Re: Polynesian Slings
Reply #14 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 7:05pm
 
for the conditioning, they would start with stuff like bowls of sand and rice.  they would graduate to stuff like gravel, steel, etc.
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