Hi Everyone,

                Years ago I remember seeing a write-up (no pictures though) in the World Atlatl Association news letter on this. Watching the movie is no good because the scenes where the Wendol are using the spear throwers are so dark that no detail can be made out - it almost looks like they are throwing the darts by hand.
       Recently I found that one of them was being sold on a site specializing in movie props (www.propstore.com) and here is the description:

A Decorated Atlatl Weapon from the 1999 John McTiernan directed action/adventure film, The 13th Warrior. In the film, Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan (Antonio Banderas) is an Arab ambassador. When he is exiled from his homeland he comes across a band of Norse warriors who he soon discovers he is destined to join. Weapons of this style can be seen used by the Wendol warriors during their attacks on the encampments.

The body of the atlatl is sculpted from wood that is attached to a plastic bone. The handle has been wrapped with leather and includes a loop for the wrist. At the tip of the atlatl is a tuft of animal hair along with a small metal pin used to hold a spear.

This item remains in in good condition.

Item size - 3.0" x 4.0" x 25.0" (7.62cm x 10.16cm x 63.5cm)

   Note the mention of a small metal pin; this indicates that the curved, claw-like thing (might be horn, but is probably plastic) at the end is not the spur. At a guess, the metal pin should be on the side of the deep groove in the wood body of the spear thrower. Maybe not though, after all, this is Hollywood.
    I am almost positive that others have looked for this in vain, so here it is.

Steven

I'm no expert at atlatls so excuse the ignorance of this question but if the hook isn't the spur it's just for looks and you throw it from the metal pin inside the groove wouldn't the hook possibly interfere with the throw seems to me as you went into the follow through the dart or spear would hit the hook possibly knocking it off course