Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland Paddle Shape

In a message dated 9/9/2004 8:59:53 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com writes:


> I like simple: a long, narrow blade that is easy to build and does 
> > most of
> > what other types of blades do. Most importantly, it was part of a 
> > hunting kit.
> > It is quiet, it doesn't throw water around. In the event of catching 
> > an animal,
> > it is easy to manipulate the blade to help fill the larder, rather than
> > hinder it.
> 
> How does this response explain that the long, narrow blades of the 
> modern Inuit style paddle is less than about 300 years old? Before that 
> they had paddles with broad and short blades. If this type of blade was 
> bad, why did they develop it and use it for a long time? Did those 
> earlier hunters starve to death?

As the website you linked suggests, not much is known of Thule culture 
paddles, those that precede what we assume to be Greenland Paddles. There are so 
many different types of paddles in use historically there I doubt it will ever be 
known what was most commonly used.

As for the shape we commonly associate with a West Greenland  style blade, it 
is understood to be 300 years old. In my local kayak store, a replica kayak 
built from a CE 1600's example by Harvey Golden has a paddle in the lanceolate, 
or leaf shaped tip, accompanying it. It is more long and slender than it is 
broad and short.

http://www.traditionalkayaks.com/Kayakreplicas/WFM232.html

Scroll down to the second image to see what I mean.This is a much subtler 
change than you suggest. So, why did it change?

Rob G
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