Hawaiian Spears (Pololu)

In ancient Hawaii, unlike other ancient tribal (feudal) people from polynesia or Micronesia, the spear or pike was the primary weapon of their armies. These ancient Hawaiian weapons had several variations and styles. Pike weapon formations were the anvil that opposing armies were smashed on with in Ancient Hawaii. These 12' to 15' foot weapons allowed several ranks of ancient Hawaiian Warriors to attack at once. These linear formations advanced on to enemies presenting a wall of barbed spear points (these would break off in a punctured enemy). Using their weapons in a similar way to the phalanxes of Alexander the great. This main group of ancient warriors moved steadily forward while other Kao Warriors, equipped with melee weaponry, allowed for greater speed and maneuverability. It has been theorized that these weapons were used by Hawaiian commoners, but Royal spear companies are known to have existed. These would have been a disciplined core to the ancient royal armies of Hawaii. The second spear weapon is the short spear, these were used by ancient Hawaiian melee units for close combat. These weapons ranged from 4-6 feet long and generally used as a thrusting weapon or for leg sweeping. Ancient Koa Warriors were masters of the short spear and spent hours each day perfecting their technique in the ancient art of Lua. The final type of spear weapon was the javelin and is covered under missile weapons. Spears were made out of dense tropical wood. The wood is so dense that they sinks in water.

Ancient Hawaiian warriors, or Koa, gave their name to the hard wood tree that most of their weaponry was carved from. They shaved before battle and lathered their bodies with oil to prevent enemies from getting a grip on them. Warriors specialized in various arms but carried an arsenal of weapons into combat. A warrior might use a missile weapon (Javelin, Sling), followed by a first strike weapon (Trip Weapon) and then finally use a finishing off type weapon (Dagger, club). They entered battle only wearing a loin cloth. However nobles often wore protective helmets and capes and in the final years of ancient Hawaiian combat even wore woven armor. The capes and crests of Hawaiian nobles were covered with red, yellow, and black feathers in colorful patterns. The King of ancient Hawaii had a "king Akhenaten's sword" of sorts in his cape, passed from high king to high king. The helmets were made of gourds or woven fibers and defended a warriors head from missiles. 
    
Hawaii Melee Weapons
 
One of the most interesting early arms of Hawaii is the shark toothed club. Although this name is some what misleading, due to the fact that the shark toothed laced weapons were used more for slashing than clubing. A round weapon may have 30 or more shark teeth around the edges, other varieties featured as few as 3 in a claw shape. The shark tooth weapons was a most preffered weapon of ancient Hawaiian nobles. Short spears and stone clubs made up the bulk of Hawaiian close melee weapons. Short spears were not larger at the base like the longer pikes. Stone clubs were in fact stone maces, similar to European designs.

Hawaiian weapons also included wooden tripping weapons, or pikoi, which had long cords attached to variously shaped club-like heads made with or without handles. The weighted part of the rope was thrown at an opponent's legs to trip him, and then another Hawaiian weapon, perhaps a stone hand club shaped like today's hand-held weights with bulbous ends and a slimmer connecting section to grasp would be used to finish off the disadvantaged enemy.
    
Daggers were unique to Hawaii amongst the polynesian islands. Five kinds of daggers were written about by early explorers. They were the heavy truncheon dagger with a hole in the handle for a loop made of olona fiber to be attached, long-bladed daggers, shark-tooth or marlin bladed daggers , bludgeon daggers and curved bladed daggers. The daggers use is to stab in close fight; and it seems well designed to the purpose. Some of these may be called double daggers, having a handle in the middle with which they are better enabled to strike both ways."

Another ancient Hawaiian weapon is the strangle cord, generally made of woven olona fiber. Unlike the rest of Polynesia, Hawai'i had a designated public executioner, who meted out punishment to those who broke the kapu (established taboos, or laws). The executioner, called "mu," prepared victims for sacrifice and used the strangling cord to dispense of them to the god of war, Ku.

Hawaiian Missile Weapons     
 
The missile weaponry of ancient Hawaii include slings, javelins and throwing weapons similar to modern day axes know as the Hawaiian throwing axe. As opposing ancient Hawaiian armies closed upon each other stones and spears were said to fall from the sky like "rain water". These deadly weapons softened the enemy ranks by maiming and killing warriors before close physical combat occurred.

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Ancient Hawaiian Slings

When it came to warfare the sling was the weapon with the greatest range and was the deadliest weapon. Early Hawaiian's crafted rounded conical stones from the dense volcanic rock which made them an extremely deadly Hawaiian weapon. Rocks can be flung two to three times the speed thrown, distances from modern slingers using these archaic arms can be from 100 - 200 yards. These were fashioned out of a pouch woven of strips of hau situated in the center of longer plaited ropes. Bows and arrows were used in ancient Hawaii, however they were used only for games and hunting. This is similar to warfare in the ancient Greek world where contemporary writers and military historians mentions that sling weapons conquered the distance of bows (at Thermopoly for example). 

Hawaiian Throwing Weapons

As opposing Hawaiian armies came even closer it was time to let loose the javelins. These attractive and deadly spears are 6'- 8' and 'decorated' with feather and sharks teeth for serration. The armies of ancient Rome used javelins, called pilla, in a similar manner before their legions closed with enemy ranks. Once enemies were within approximately 20', Hawaiian throwing axes could be used. These weapons were serrated and used to target individuals with high accuracy. They could be used to hit a warriors legs to trip them or to kill with a deadly strike to the neck or chest. These exquisite, original hawaiian, arms were usually not only a primary weapon, but a one strike weapon in their deadly arsenal.