TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN WEAPONS

Dr. B. Ka’imiloa Chrisman gives a detailed review of traditional Hawaiian weaponry, showing many examples, in this copyrighted video. He has personally made all of the items shown, except for two. In pre-contact times, Hawaiians had multiple weapons for battlefield fighting. Sling-stones were used like opening artillery, and then it became spear-throwing and hand-to-hand fighting. There were weapons of stone and wood, the latter sometimes studded with shark’s teeth. Many were superbly made, and the Hawaiians even had swords made of swordfish bills, and were the only Polynesians who had daggers. For more information, see the website for our non-profit organization, Aloha ’Āina o Hawai’i, Inc.: