Why didn the ancient Hawaiians use the bow?
The ancient Hawaiian warriors did have knowledge of the weapon, however they considered it a toy or for hunting. Slings ( Ma’a) were for war. The reason the sling was the ancient Hawaiian warriors main missile weapon are many. Slings offered an advantage in range; this was true of the ancient Western world as well. In the battle of Thermopoly the Greeks were able to hold the Persian archers at bay with the greater range of their slings. This has been documented in several sources throughout the ancient world. The sling persisted as the longest ranged hand weapon until the advent of the long bow. It had other advantages in that its ammunition was readily available; in fact the heavy volcanic stones of Hawaii were perfect for this purpose. Slings also have the advantage of being easily carried, a slinger could carry several back up weapons with them on campaigns. Another advantage is that slings are not as adversely effected by weather as the bow. Wind can effect the flight of an arrow s
