Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/artofattackbeingOOcowp THE ART OF ATTACK BEING A STUDY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS AND APPLIANCES OF OFFENCE, FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE AGE OF GUNPOWDER. By H< Sr cow PER, F.S.A., AUTHOR OF HAWKSHEAD : ITS HISTORY, ANTIQUITIES, FOLKLORE, ETC," AND OTHER WORKS. Fig. 258. - 59995 With 361 Illustrations. Ulverston : W. Holmes, Ltd., Printers, 1906. %«% c 1 V To A. M. C. and c, s. c Preface. Some years back, the author's attention was drawn by certain papers, (written now^ nearly forty years ago), by the late General Pitt- Rivers (then Colonel Lane-Fox) to the apparent development of certain weapon types from others, or from natural forms ; and it seemed to him worth while to gather further material, and to try how far it would be possible to draw up a tabular pedigree of all types from the most primitive down to gunpowder and developed explosives. As however classification advanced, it soon became evident that, even supposing that the many existing lacuncB might event- ually be filled; the idea of a single table could not be established. At the same time it seemed probable that every weapon of offence might properly be included in one of some seven or eight groups, each having its own primitive ancestral form. These supposed groups the reader will find indicated in Chapter II. of the present work, and indeed the general scheme is based upon this assumption. In offering these pages to the public, the author is only too conscious that his subject is one in which at present any degree of finahty is not attainable, and that in what he has written, will be found many suggestions open to controversy, and some no doubt to refutation. Nevertheless, it may be remembered that the time has actualh^ arrived when a general review of weapon types may properly be attempted, since over large areas where ** savages " made their own weapons until the end of the i8th century, this industry has given way to imported imitations, or to firearms. It is in fact doubtful if hand weapons of offence can now^ be said to be developing any longer ; so that a conspectus of native weapons is much to be desired for students. The author hopes that the present collection of material may at least stimu- late students to further research -into the many problems which the subject contains. While the course of ethnographic study must necessarily now be retarded, archaeological research is continually reveaUng variations among the types used by long vanished civilizations ; and we may probably look for a great increase in our knowledge on the subject of ancient weapon types. The limits of the work are indicated in the title. Weapons are traced down to gunpowder only, though some account of inflammables is included. Defensive weapons are left alone, for they would require a volume to themselves. The work is a viii. PREFACE. study of types, and not of periods, cultures, or geographical areas: an attempt to note the occurrence of parallel ideas under varying conditions and in separated regions. The illustrations are from the author's own drawings made from numerous sources publish- ed and otherwise. Where he has drawn freely from a publication he has asked and been freely given permission to utilize his draw- ings: (i) and in all cases where he has noted the source of his information he has tried to acknowledge the fact either in the text or hst of illustrations. In a great many cases the sketches were originally drawn on sheets to a common scale, but in deciding to place the figures in the text, it became necessary to dispense with the scales yet as ; the dimensions of the objects are frequently noted, this is not of great importance. Though mostly mere pen and ink drawings, they are fairly accurate, and will, it is hoped, serve their purpose. To avoid confusion, some of the best known authorities are alluded to by the surname under which their works were issued, and without any titles or degrees subsequently inherited or be- stowed. This course, the author is sure will be understood as dictated by the necessity of conciseness, and is not in any way due to lack of courtesy. Lastly he must acknowledge with gratitude the help and advice of numerous students, travellers and antiquaries, who have answered his letters or queries with courtesy and promptitude. In a work which covers so large a field, and the material of which is drawn from so many sources, there must be numerous errors, either repeated from other works, or of the author's own judgment. Every endeavour however, has been made to re- present accurately and fairly the researches and opinions of others. h. s. cowper. Hawkshead, 1905. I. —Especially perhaps he should acknowledge his indebtedness to the following : Lord Egerton of Tatton, Sir Evans, Professor Haddon — John ; the Secretaries or Editorial Committees of the Anthropological Institute, the Smithsonian Institute, the Royal United Service Institute, the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge; Messrs. Bell and Sons, Mr. John Murray, Messrs. Routledge and Sons, and Messrs. Swan, Sonnenschein and Co. Contents. Part I. CHAPTER I I Introductory. Plan. Unarmed races. The early age of weapons—Stone, bone, and wood. Offensive arms of attack. Animal weapons. The coming of metal. Retention of primitive materials. Superstitious regard for stone implements. The war cry. Battle Sounds. Weapons also tools. Weapons of war also weapons of the chase. Evolution of weapons from instruments. Connection between club, paddle, and spear. Savage shifts. Patience. Decoration and ornament. Personal strength and manual dexterity. Official ceremonial and processional types. Weapon worship. Baptism of arms. The abuse of arms. Chivalry and barbarity. The bowels of compassion. CHAPTER II 33 The Genesis of Arms, (a Sketch). PART 11. CHAPTER III. ... 41 Arming the Hand. Unhafted Appliances for striking, bruising, and ripping. In primitive times. In advanced culture. The simple club. Development of other forms of the club. The wooden and bone sword. CHAPTER IV 61 Reinforcing the Arm. The developed striking weapons which originated in the com.- bination of the stone and the club. Hafting. Methods of attach- ing the head to the shaft. Axe and adze types. Perforated and socketed types. Weapons of the ball and thong type. CHAPTER V 87 The Point. Horn weapons and nature models. The flint dagger. The metal dagger. The Katar of India and its derivatives. Shafted and handled piercing weapons in primitive and advanced culture. Bident, trident and multipoint spears. X. CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI 105 Capture. Hooking and catching weapons. CHAPTER VII Ill Cutting Weapons. The edged tool. Serrated weapons. The sword. The two edged straight sword. The one edged sword. The scymitar and Eastern swords. Concave edged types. The Egyptian falchioja. Other types. PART III. CHAPTER VIII • 153 Missiles. Stones. Wooden Missiles, Boomerangs. CHAPTER IX 177 Missiles (continued). The throwing spear. The Arrow. The Javelin. Harpoons. CHAPTER X 199 The Development of Missiles. The Bolas, the noose, the lasso ancient and modern. PART IV. CHAPTER XI ... 219 Missile Throwers. The sling ancient and modern. The stone or pellet bow. CHAPTER XII ... 229 Missile Throwers (continued). The A mentiim and Oiinep. The throwing stick or wumrnerah. The Kotaha or whip sling. The blow pipe or tube. CHAPTER XIII 247 Missile Throwers (continued). The bow and the cross bow. PART^V. CHAPTER XIV 269 War Engines. The catapult. The balista. The trebuchet. The spring engine. CONTENTvS. xi. * PART VI. CHAPTER XV 279 Missile Auxiliaries. Inflammables (Greek Fire, etc), Explosives. Poisoned arms. PART VII. CHAPTER XVI 293 The Horse, Chariots, Armed Animals and their use in attack. BIBLIOGRAPHY 8 XII. Hrrata. p. 48 line 1 For Wagnakh read Waghnakh. p. 69 ,, 23 For Schiemann read Schliemann. p. 73 „ 10 For Falchion „ Glaive. p. 75 last line For Pick Axe ,, Pick. p. 78 line I The same. p. 98 ,, 17 For Mohammedens read Mohammedans. p. 122 ,, 32 For Civilisations read Civilizations. p. 129 ,, 4 For Hallstadt read Hallstatt. Additions. p. 124. —The leaf shaped bronze sword occurs also in the Early dolmens of Japan. ) List of Illustrations. Fig. 287 Frontispiece. Fig. 258 on Title page. 1 Palaeolithic hand flint, Reculver. 2 Hand Celt, Ireland. 3 Stone Hand celt for cutting wood, 9 in. long. Hawaii (Brit. Mus.) 4 Stone Clubs, Hebrides. (Nat. Museum, Edinburgh). 5 Do. Queen Charlotte Sound, i 5 in. long. (Brit. Mus. 6 Maori Patu patu. 7 Stone pestle or club, Coniston, Lancs. (Author's Collection). 8 Greek Cestus. {Smith.' ^ Smaller Lat. Diet.) 9 Etruscan Boxers, Monkey tomb Chiusi, (Dennis Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria). 10 Bracelet, Dor Tribe, Africa. 11 Do., DjIBBA. 12 Samoa, Shark's tooth gauntlet. ^^ i India, Waghnakh or Tiger's claw. (Egerton Indian Arms). i Hawaii, Shark's knuckle dusters. (British Museum). J^ tooth 17 African Knobkiri. 18 Dacotah (Knight). 19 Fiji, root-ended club (British Museum). 20 Australia, knotted type. 21 Fiji " Gunstock " type (British Museum). 22 Marquesas Islands (British Museum). 23 Samoa, Paddle type (British Museum). 24 Fiji (ditto) (Wood, Nat. Hist. Man). 25 Ditto. 26 New Ireland, double paddle type. { Solomon Isles, glaive shaped types. I 29 Wooden Sword of Tuau (17 Dynasty). 30 NicoL Bay, W. Australia, (Lane Fox. Prim. Warfare). 31 Marquesas Islands, (Ditto). 32 Savage Island, Niue (c. 4^ ft. long), (Brit. Mus.) 33 Samoa. 34 Paleolithic flint, Warren Hill, (Author's Collection). 35 Bronze Celt, flanged type, (Evans B.I.) 36 ,, ,, Winged type, {Primitive Warfare). 37 ,, ,, Pocket TYPE, (Evans B./.) 38 ,, ,, Socketed TYPE. 39 ,, ,, German type, (Demmin), 40 Banyai TRIBE Zambesi, Iron Axe, (Knight), 41 Elephant axe.