If you’re a fan of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Angel,” you may remember this strange looking hunk of metal. It looks like something a Klingon would carry and they might…if they are African. Yes, the Hunga Munga is a “thing.” It was employed as a tool of war in African tribes south of Lake Tchad. It is also known a “danisco” by the Marghi, “goleyo” by the Musgu, and “njiga” by the Bagirmi.
The spikes are used as a melee weapon (hand to hand) but it is more intended for throwing. That beautiful crescent blade is intended to be thrown in a rotary motion, end over end, much like a boomerang, a terrifying, decapitating boomerang. I would imagine if you saw this coming at you, the next thing you would see is Jesus.
Here is what the Hunga Munga can do from one of my favorite shows, Forged in Fire. Note that when thrown, the crescent blade is away from the target, not facing. The video is small because in order to get it full sized, it had to be rented. But, you can still see the different uses. Skip forward to 28:00.
This is closer look of the weapon itself. Notice that the addition of a spike at the bottom isn’t the best idea. Think about that as you create weaponry. Imagine holding it and how it would rest against your body.
If your character carries a Hunga Munga, get ready to be descriptive. This tool is hard to describe even when you are looking directly at it. And, remember, when thrown, the crescent should be opposite the target. If used as a melee weapon, be sure your character doesn’t push their body into the tool. It has to be used away from the wielder or they will be pushing into a blade.
