Papua – The development of the times is accelerating at this time and always innovating with technology, but with the existence of traditional culture, goods or customs that have long existed until now still exist despite the rapid development of the world.
One of them is traditional weapons, growing and developing along with cultural values in a region. Each region of Indonesia has its own traditional weapons, including Papua.
The dagger knife is one of Papua’s traditional weapons, also known as the Papuan dagger. This knife has a very unique shape and has a tassel on the handle of the weapon.
This weapon is used to protect yourself from enemy attacks or others. Behind that, the typical Papuan dagger knife is quite popular and known, because it has a uniqueness. In the Student and General Encyclopedia (2010) by Gamal Komandoko, the dagger is a traditional weapon that is unique. Because the main material for making it is different from traditional weapons in general, namely from cassowary bird bones.
Although made from cassowary bones, this weapon is quite sharp and can kill enemies or targets. In addition to using bones, the feathers of this bird are also utilized and attached to the handle of the dagger.
The position can be at the end of the handle, but some are mounted on the side. To make it even more unique, the handle is given a woven bark that has previously been painted white. Another uniqueness of this dagger is the presence of shells as weapon decoration. The shell is located on the handle of the weapon which is mounted together with cassowary bird feathers. This traditional weapon was first introduced by the Asmat tribe. It is believed that in the past the weapon was only used for ritual killings. However, for now the dagger is often worn as a complement to traditional Papuan men’s clothing and the way to wear it is by wrapping it around the side of the man’s waist.
According to researchers, besides being used as a complement to traditional clothing, this traditional weapon is also used for hunting animals and fighting.