Gonzo808
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Slinging Rocks!
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Honolulu, HI
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The ma'a (sling) was also an important instrument used by the lua (the Hawaiian fighting art) warriors. Emory (note: Kenneth Emory, noted twentieth-century anthropologist) says the sling was more effective than the bow in Polynesian warfare for two reasons. First, the sling could be tucked in a malo (loincloth) during fighting, freeing both hands until it was needed. Also, the ammunition - unworked stones - could be found anywhere. All a warrior had to do was look on the ground. Slings were made of coconut fiber, plaited hala (pandanus tree, Pandanus odoratissimus) leaves, or hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus). In battle, first a stone was placed in the pocket of the sling. The sling was laid over the shoulder and "gripped in the left hand behind the back." After being stretched tight with both hands, the sling was let go from the left hand, swung around the head once with the right hand, and then released. The aim was to get the stone to travel as low to the ground as possible so that it would be hard to evade.
In "The Story of Kihapi'ilani," Samuel Kamakau describes the sling's effectiveness. Ho'olae-makua, the chief of Hana, "fought with those who slung the solid 'ala stones of Kawaipapa, the skilled throwers of the smooth pebbles of Waika'ahiki, the expert stone-tossers of Waikiu and Honokalani, and the quick stone-slinging lads of Ka'eleku." The Hawai'i island warriors had a difficult time getting to Ho'olae-makua's fortress atop Ka'uiki hill because of the "expert sling-shooters [who] did not miss a blade of grass or a hair, [and] sent the stones flying as fast as lightning."
Source: "LUA: Art of the Hawaiian Warrior" by Richard Kekumuikawaiokeola Paglinawan, Mitchell Eli, Moses Elwood Kalauokalani and Jerry Walker, with Kristina Pilaho'ohau'oli Kikuchi-Palenapa. (pages 51 and 52).
I have taken the liberty of adding appropriate explanatory notes and translations to the above text.
The photo attached is from page 51 of the book. It is a sling and various sizes of sling stones. The photographer is David Franzen of Bishop Museum.
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