The origins of the cane
When primitive man reared off all fours and first stood erect, it was probably with the aid of a stick, which successively became his walking stick, his cudgel and then his flint-tipped spear. As man became more civilized, this stick weapon in the hands of the chief evolved into a badge of office as a staff.Canes through the ages. F.H. Monek 1995 Pag. 21