You guys have sent me off on a great research spree, I even discovered a web site devoted to atlatl throwing.

I am certainly clear now about what I am seeing in various illustrations and have decided to make one from the remains of the lay up for my Aleutian paddle that I have made.

What i have not quite come to grips with is the lack of a "notch" on the atlatl, both on the plans I have found on the net and in the pictures I have seen. The groove is there, but what "hooks in" to the harpoon?

: Brian,
: I tried to post this yesterday, but somehow it never showed up here...
: As you've figured out already, the tool you're wondering about is a norsaq.
: It is used by the Inuit hunter to throw his harpoon. Here is an old
: picture of a hunter and his kayak with all his hunting gear. The harpoon
: with the norsaq attached is hanging at the side of the kayak. If needed
: the norsaq could be grabbed and used as a hand paddle, as in the case of
: capsize with a lost paddle. There are a number of rolls performed as part
: of the Greenland championships using the Norsaq
: (http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/rolls/rolls.html). And, I agree with you --
: the history of this stuff is fascinating.

: -John