Hawaiian Terminology & Definitions

Ma'a - word for sling; the snapping/cracking sound made by the sling breaking the sound barrier; the act of using/throwing with a sling

Pōhaku - word for rock

Ma'a pōhaku - basic word for rock sling, but may also be used to describe the action of slinging

UPDATE: 4/30/21

'Eke'eke ma'a - sling pouch ('eke'eke = small pouch/bag; maʻa: see previous reference above)

Pōhaku ma'a - most basic reference of a sling stone

Kanawao - type of stone used for slinging and/or fishing (i.e. sinkers); likely refers to water worn, striped/layered stones and pebbles collected from streams/rivers. Given the nature of the term, I believe this specifically refers to stones naturally rounded by moving water, rather than intentionally shaped stones (as in the case of ʻalā) or naturally occurring, non-symmetrical stones.

'Alā / 'alā o ka ma'a - another general term for sling stone; mostly refers to a specific type of water worn, dense basalt that was mined and shaped for use as tools (i.e. adzes) and sling stones; may also refer to bioconical shaped ammunition, similar to Roman glandes.

Ma'akū - another term for slinging with a sling and stone / the act of using the sling. I believe this term has been defined too generally in dictionaries, given that the word kū has numerous meanings (depending on how it is being used). In one aspect, the word kū can refer to simply hitting or striking (with), of which maʻakū can simply refer to hitting/striking with a sling. In another light, the word kū can also refer to the act of rising or being/becoming alight, which may refer to the act of casting the stone high into the air, as with a volley or hitting things in flight or high off the ground. Example of term being used: "Ua maʻakū aku lāua i ka manu" (They slung a stone at the bird with the sling). In this case, my interpretation is that the term refers to slinging a stone at a bird in flight, rather than simply slinging at a bird that is stationary on the ground, though it could be used in that capacity as well; again, depends on HOW you are using the term.

Kā 'alā - the act of throwing sling stones/ammunition. I believe this refers specifically a fast, powerful throw, due to disambiguation of the term kāʻalā (kā: to hit, strike, throw, smite, hack, thrust, toss, fling, hurl, dash, especially with a quick hard stroke;  'alā: see previous reference above)

UPDATE: 8/22/24

Kā 'alā also appears in some texts to be the term applied to slingers



Ma'a ālai'oā - to "shoot" with the sling. I believe the definition provided is incorrect and instead refers to a specific capacity in which the sling was utilized to break defenses/formations of troops due to the disambiguation of the word ālaiʻoā (ālai [obstruction/defense]; 'oā [to crack / crack open]

Kākia - to hit (sling) with precision (non-traditional term). I initially misinterpreted this term as relating to slinging, but the term actually refers to nailing, hammering or wedging an object (as in the case of striking a nail). However, there is  the possibility that the term could have referred to a slinger hitting a target with extreme precision due to the disambiguation of the word kākia (kā: see previous reference above; kia: to concentrate or direct [with precision]). In any case, if this term is truly non-traditional it can now be incorporated into the modern maʻa pōhaku lexicon to reflect precision aiming/hits.

Mea kaua - weapon. Because the sling was most generally an implement of war, it falls into this category of ʻtoolsʻ. (from mea: thing/object; kaua: war)





Origin

It is generally believed that Polynesian migrations to Hawaii took place in multiple waves between 100-1400, and the islands were settled by multiple different peoples of Polynesia and potentially other seafaring peoples of the Pacific, the most recognized influences/colonizations coming from the Marquesas Islands and Tahiti, with sling technology arriving in the Hawaiian islands during these migration/colonization periods. It is unknown which specific people first introduced sling technology, or when.

There are ongoing debates on the influence of South American cultures on Hawaii, Polynesia and Oceania as a whole, as well as hypotheses and emerging evidence of inter-Oceanic travel that may have included contact and cultural exchanges between the peoples of the Americas, Australia and Eastern Pacific thousands of years ago, though this is largely dismissed by researchers and scholars.


Materials

Slings - primarily made from hau (sea hibiscus), coconut and hala (pandanus) fibers, though sometimes made with other types of natural fiber materials and more exotic materials like human hair (which in Hawaiian tradition contains the mana or spiritual power and essence of an individual). I would suspect that the strongest slings were made from the fibers of the olonā plant, which is one of the strongest natural fibers in the world.

UPDATE: 8/22/24

Texts indicate that hau was, in fact, the most common fiber utilized to create ma'a in Hawai'i, likely due to the ease of production and availability of this type of fiber. However, hau was more susceptible to rot and water permeation/absorption, which would affect the slings capabilities in certain conditions; namely rain or battlefields around water (ocean warfare and fighting in or amongst fresh water bodies was common in Hawaiian warfare).

Based on application of use in other capacities, I believe sennit (coconut fiber rope) and olonā likely made the "best" ma'am when factoring in tinsel strength, elasticity and resistance to water absorption, with olonā being the best in all these regards.

Stones - naturally rounded/ovoid river stones (likely referred to as kanawao) seem to be the most basic form of ammunition, but biconical shaped stones of from a dense form of basalt (called ʻalā) were preferred.

Update 4/3/21: some text indicate that Hawaiians also used shaped pieces of dense wood in some cases.


No examples of clay ammunition have been found, as pottery techniques were not utilized in traditional Hawaiian practices (to my knowledge).


Sling Design

All examples I have seen utilize a basket template.

Resources indicate a plaited pouch was first weaved and then attached to cords a yard or longer.

Update: 4/30/21: resources indicate that the herringbone weave seems to have been preferred for sling making

No pre-European contact examples remain. It is believed that all remaining examples in collections were made in the 1800s.

UPDATE: 8/22/24

All examples found in the Bishop Museum archive are modern creations of the 20th century.



Technique

The most referenced traditional technique seems to be the basic helicopter style, though it's possible that different schools of slinging may have developed other specialty technique. However, additional in depth knowledge is not readily available or has been lost.



Usage

Because Hawaiians did not develop or widely utilize the bow outside of specialty functions (rat hunting & games), the sling and spear were the primary ballistics utilized in limited capacity for hunting but primarily for warfare.

Update 4/30/21: evidence that bow was utilized in warfare, as late as Kamehamehaʻs conquest of the Hawaiian Islands. However, it seems that the sling was still the preferred projectile, likely due to Hawaiian bow technology not being as developed as other bow-centric societies around the world.


Other notes

There appear to have been specialty training schools for the warrior class on each major island specifically dedicated to the sling.

It is not known currently if slingers were held in as high regard as other sling cultures around the world, though these schools are referenced in numerous chants and dances.

Update 4/3/21: have been finding more references and stories about famous Hawaiian slingers, one of which involves one of the most famous slingers from the Kingdom of Maui, Oulu, and his bout with my ancestor, Kekūhaupi'o, teacher (and eventual lieutenant) to Kamehameha the Great. In the story, Oulu's skill is talked about quite extensively, to the point where it mentions that people throughout the islands feared how good he was with the sling, which highlights that expert slingers were held in high regard both on and off the battlefield.

There is a specialty type martial art that focused on the utilization of a strangulation cord. It is highly likely that slingers also specialized in this strangulation cord technique as a form of close quarter combat when the sling could not be employed due to the enemy being in close proximity, along with other CQB weapons like the knife or shark tooth knuckle duster.

Update 4/30/21: consultation with practitioners of traditional Hawaiian martial art (called Lua) reaffirm the idea that a slinger likely carried a CQB weapon, either to finish of a stunned opponent or for defense when opponents were out of ideal range (i.e. too close).

Fantastic. Intrigued by this "Olona" fibre, I went searching and found this!
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Oc-HAW-175">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Oc-HAW-175

Kick wrote on Mar 7^th, 2021 at 1:47pm:

Try clicking the second one (the one at the end). Even though I pasted one link, two things come up in the post 

I'd like to see the CQB strangulation technique 

Thanks for the additional info! Interesting that the sling was used other than a ranged weapon. Also interesting that the Hawaiians had specific martial arts/techniques for tripping/strangulation.

Kick wrote on Mar 8^th, 2021 at 3:03am:


It would be more similar to a meteor hammer, with either a stone or dense wood as the weighted end with varying lengths of rope.

But again, this is surviving knowledge. We must remember that the Hawaiian population was decimated within the first 100 years following western contact (+400,000-500,000 population in 1778 to ~60,000 population in 1878), so a lot of our arts, practices and cultures died with our people.

Also, beginning with the introduction of firearms in the late 1700s (which aided Kamehameha the Great significantly in his conquest of the islands) and moreso after our traditional form of government and religion (known as the Kapu system) was abolished and the battle of Kuamo'o (where there was a final stand to preserve the Kapu), our kingdom essentially phased out traditional forms of warfare from military practice and no major conflicts occurred until the Wilcox rebellion of 1898, which by then what military we did have was completely westernized and used modern military firearms and weapons.

Given these scenarios, we likely lost unimaginable amounts of knowledge regarding traditional Hawaiian warfare, which may have included more sophisticated types of projectile weapons similar to the bolas or more advanced designs of slings.

It's so cool to hear about the history of a culture I don't know almost anything about. Thanks for these posts!

Added some updates to the original post for those still following