Knobkierrie, also spelled knobkerrie, knopkierie or knobkerry, are African clubs used mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for throwing at animals in hunting or for clubbing an enemy's head. This knob is carved out of a treetrunk and the shaft is simply the branch that protruded from the tree at that point.
The name derives from the Afrikaans word knop, meaning knot or ball and the word kierie, meaning cane or walking stick. The name has been extended to similar weapons used by the natives of Australia, the Pacific islands and other places.
Knobkierries were an indispensable weapon of war, particularly among southern Nguni tribes such as the Zulu and the Xhosa.
During the apartheid era in South Africa they were often carried and used by protesters and sometimes by the police opposing them.[1][2]
Knobkierries are still widely carried, especially in rural areas. The weapon is employed at close quarters, or as a missile, and in time of peace may serve as a walking-stick.
The head, or knob, is often ornately carved with faces or shapes that have symbolic meaning. The knobkierie itself serves this function in the crest of the 2000 new coat of Arms of South Africa[3] and also features on the Order of Mendi for Bravery.[4]
Dougherty, Terri. Zulu Warriors. New York: Capstone Press. (2008)
Journal of Natal and Zulu history. University of Natal. Dept. of History. Durban: South Africa. (1992)
Knight, Ian. The Zulus. London: Osprey Press. (1989)