At first sight, Kiribati armor may look a bit of unusual, it’s definitely not a go well with of armor as we have a tendency to think about it.  It was surprisingly efficient, provided that it was comprised of coconut fibers, and little else. Kiribati society modified drastically after their first encounters with westerners, however their armor gives an interesting glimpse into what Kiribati life was once like.

Kiribati man sporting coconut armor, holding a shark tooth spear (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0 )

Who’re the Kiribati?

The nation, identified right this moment because the Republic of Kiribati, was as soon as referred to as I-Kiribati. It’s a nation made up of thirty-three coral atolls which might be unfold over 1.3 million sq. miles (3.5 million sq. kilometers). The islands are positioned in Micronesia, a area of the Western Pacific.

The islands have been inhabited by Austronesian peoples talking the identical Oceanic language since someday between 3000 BC and 1300 AD. Quite than one individuals, the islands characteristic a excessive stage of cultural variety. Early Samoan, Tongan, and Fijian guests introduced in Polynesian and Melanesian cultural facets.

The truth that the islands had been so unfold out, and so vulnerable to new guests coming and settling, meant that the Kiribati needed to turn out to be adept at not solely defending themselves, but additionally fixing land disputes. That is the place the indigenous Kiribati armor comes from.

Kiribati armor and blowfish pores and skin helmet, Gilbert Islands of Kiribati, late 1800s (Daderot / Public Domain )

What’s Kiribati Armor?

Being comparatively remoted on a series of islands meant the Kiribati individuals had restricted assets, and so turned adept at creating spectacular objects from comparatively rudimentary supplies.

Kiribati armor was designed to supply safety from the shark-toothed swords, spears, and daggers that rival warriors usually carried. The go well with was a set of overalls and sleeves which had been woven from coconut fiber. On high of this, a coconut cuirass was worn. This cuirass was distinctive, in that it usually got here with a excessive backboard to guard from again assaults.

On high of the cuirass, warriors wore thick belts, additionally comprised of woven coconut fiber, or generally dried ray pores and skin. The belt’s objective was to supply further safety to the very important organs. The cuirass was normally embellished with human hair, feathers, or shells – mainly something fairly Kiribati might get their palms on.

On their palms, warriors generally wore fearsome gauntlets comprised of coconut fiber, with shark tooth inlaid on every knuckle. The fibrous materials helped warriors retained a lot of their dexterity, whereas the tooth gave the warrior a fearsome punch.

The Kiribati armor of coconut was additionally used with a gauntlet and dagger or spear, with shark tooth added for further impression. (Daderot / Public Domain )

To guard the pinnacle, helmets had been worn. These had been comprised of porcupine fish pores and skin that had been left within the solar to dry out and harden. Simply as with helmets from different components of the world, beneath the Kiribati helm was a cap. The cap was comprised of but extra coconut fiber, or woven pandanus leaves.

Left: Helmet manufactured from coconut fiber. Two ear guards lengthen from the rim of the helmet, and plaited coconut fiber ties for fastening lengthen from these ear guards. (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0 ). Proper: Helmet manufactured from porcupine fish pores and skin and coconut fiber. The physique of a porcupine fish has been expanded and made right into a helmet. Ear guards are reduce from the fish’s physique and a two-ply twisted coir tie is used for fastening (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0 ).

Early Kiribati’s historical past was all transmitted orally, that means there are only a few present information. Sadly, this implies we’ve got no approach of figuring out how lengthy the customized of Kiribati coconut armor has existed.

Crafting Kiribati Armor

Coconut fiber string was used for its availability in addition to its excessive stage of energy and suppleness. The fibers got here from the coconut husk (the layer between the inside and outer shells), and had been soaked within the water of a lagoon for 2 to a few months. They had been then rinsed, dried, and rolled into small strands.

The strands had been then rolled collectively to create longer cords, and people cords had been then woven collectively to craft the coconut armor. The a number of layers of fiber amassed to supply an excellent diploma of safety. In some methods, it was not in contrast to the trendy concept of Kevlar armor, which is made up of an artificial fiber that’s woven collectively.

The Kiribati armor additionally made heavy use of human hair. Human hair was each particular to Kiribati tradition and available. Hair was used to brighten the armor and bind shark tooth to swords.

As soon as completed, the armor was put by a robust ritual meant to instill the armor with the ability and properties of the bottom supplies it had been crafted from. The wearer went by the same ritual, binding them to their weapons and armor.

Kiribati Coconut Armor in Use

Typically talking, the armor was used when land disputes or claims of retribution cropped up between both people or teams. The Kiribati method to conflict was refreshingly completely different from that of most individuals. The Kiribati had been a individuals used to coping with restricted assets, so waste was unacceptable. To take an individual’s life was to waste a worthwhile useful resource.

Kiribati armor manufactured from coconut fiber might shield towards low-velocity musketballs; nonetheless, their tradition revered life and settled disputes by merely wounding their opponent ( Mary Harrsch / CC BY NC SA 2.0 )

As such, the purpose of Kiribati fight was to not kill however solely wound. If you happen to did kill somebody from the opposing aspect, fee needed to be made. This was normally a present of land, the very factor most contests had been about within the first place.

Kiribati fight was a type of group duel. The armored warrior carried a spear lined with shark tooth and tipped with a stingray barb. He was flanked by a number of unarmored allies who carried spears, golf equipment, and small daggers. In larger fights, comparable to these between villages or islands, the forces marched in three teams, with the armored ‘heroes’ within the middle.

The coconut armor might even resist most blows from a shark tooth spear! This weapon consisted of a pointed workers of palm wooden surrounded with rows of sharks’ tooth, sure with coconut coir and edged with ribs of leaves. On the base are three curved limbs, every having two rows of shark tooth of comparable development. (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0 )

When the opposing sides met, it was not all-out warfare. As an alternative, the result of the battle got here all the way down to particular person challenges made by the soldiers. The main target of those battles was solely to wound the opponent, not kill.

Kiribati Armor and the West

The Kiribati had been remoted from the West for a lot of centuries. Then, in 1606 Pedro Fernandes de Queiros got here throughout the islands. The British explorers John Byron, Thomas Gilbert, and John Marshall then handed by the island chain between 1764 and 1788. Russian and American adventurers then totally mapped the islands within the early nineteenth century.

It was round this time that Kiribati armor first began showing in western collections. Not lengthy after this, nonetheless, the armor began to vanish. That is believed to be because of the French and British missionaries, the nice destroyers of many native cultures, who descended on the island between 1888 and 1892. 

The island nation of Kiribati consists of three foremost teams, the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands ( Peter Hermes Furian / Adobe Inventory)

These missionary colonizers tried to ‘modernize and pacify’ the islanders by introducing new legal guidelines. The outdated methods of settling disputes had been out. As a individuals, the Kiribati solely produced what was wanted. As quickly as they not wanted the armor, they stopped producing it. Additionally they didn’t consider in preserving issues they didn’t want, so all the prevailing units of armor had been shortly provided away to vacationers, diplomats, explorers, and whalers.

Conclusion

At this time, there are much more fits of Kiribati armor in overseas palms than native. It’s believed the one examples of the armor on the island are in Te Umwanibong, the Kiribati Museum and Cultural Centre on the Tarawa atoll. When the Pacific Presences Undertaking, based mostly on the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Cambridge determined to recreate the armor, they’d to make use of New Zealand-based artists, because the Kiribati themselves had lengthy misplaced the know-how. 

It could be unhappy to assume that the Kiribati individuals misplaced a lot of their tradition on account of colonization, however fortunately, this isn’t true. Kiribati separated from the British Empire in 1979, and since then, conventional Kiribati tradition has seen a resurgence.

The picture of the Kiribati warrior has reemerged, and is often seen on clothes and mascots for island sports activities groups. It’s a image of energy and pleasure that youthful islanders have gravitated to, happy with their heritage.

Prime picture: The backboard of the Kiribati armor was designed to guard from rear assaults (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0 )

By Robbie Mitchell