boomerangs

     

A boomerang is a simple wooen implement used for various purposes. It is primarily associated with Australian Aborigines, but other forms are found amongst peoples of North East Africa, Sardinia, Arizona and southern California Native Americans and in India. Besides the ancient boomerangs of Egypt and Sardinia, another old one found so far was discovered in a cave in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland and is believed to be about 20,000 years old. Boomerangs come in many shapes and sizes depending on their geographic/tribal origins and intended function. The most recognizable type is the returning boomerang, a kind of throwing stick that, when thrown correctly, travels in a curved path and returns to its point of origin. Other types of boomerang are of the non-returning sort, and indeed, some are not thrown at all but are used in hand-to-hand combat by Aboriginal people. Boomerangs can be variously used as hunting weapons, percussive musical instruments, battle clubs, fire-starters, decoys for hunting waterfowl, and as recreational play toys. The smallest boomerang may be less than 10 cm from tip-to-tip, and the largest over 2 meters in length. Tribal boomerangs may be inscribed and/or painted with designs meaningful to its maker. Most boomerangs seen today are of the tourist or competition sort, and are almost invariably of the returning type.

Trivia about boomerangs

  • The ABA, Inc. in Sydney is an Australian association that gives lessons in how to throw these

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