The modern fireknife dance has its roots in the Samoan "Ailao"
- a Samoan warrior's knife dance
which was done with the "nifo oti",
which means "tooth of death".
The Samoan's eventually combined the nifo oti with the "lave"
- which was basically a hook and was used to snare parts
of an enemy's body.
When modern machetes became available,
the Nifo Oti evovled into its current form,
a machete with the tip cut off,
fashioned into a hook,
and then welded back on.
The Ailao dance was done both pre-battle,
to intimidate the enemy
and to psyche up the warrior,
and also post-battle as a victory dance.
The hook was often used
to
carry and display the head
of a defeated enemy.
let the dead bury the dead
