MAORI SHORT CLUBS (PATA FORM)

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THE MOST SIMPLE FORM AND I SUSPECT THE CLUB THE OTHERS EVOLVED FROM IS THE PATA. THIS CLUB HAS MORE EXAMPLES MADE OF STONE THAN THE OTHERS AND ALL OLD ONES HAVE NO ARTISTIC DECORATION OR VERY LITTLE CONSISTING OF GROVES CUT AT THE END OF THE GRIP. SOME OF THE NEWER ONES DO HAVE DECORATIVE CARVING BUT STILL MAINTAIN THE PROPER FORM AND SHAPE. THEY ARE MADE FROM WOOD, WHALE BONE AND VARIOUS TYPES OF STONE AND RANGE IN THE SAME SIZES AS THE OTHER FORMS. THE ONES MADE OF JADE ARE THE ONLY ONES REFERRED TO AS MERE, ALL OTHERS ARE REFERRED TO AS PATA (FOLLOWED BY THE WORD FOR THE MATERIAL USED WOOD, WHALEBONE OR STONE).

THE MERE (JADE) WAS THE MOST DESIRED AND PRESTIGIOUS CLUB. JADE IS THE TOUGHEST OF STONES AND DOES NOT BREAK, SHATTER OR CHIP EASILY SO IS SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS NOT TO MENTION VERY BEAUTIFUL. JADE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK AND IS UNCOMMON. IT TAKES A LOT MORE WORK AS WELL AS TIME TO MAKE ONE SO ONLY THE ELITE OR CHIEF WOULD BE LIKELY TO OWN ONE. I SUSPECT A WARRIOR COULD AQUIRE ONE IN BATTLE IF HE COULD KILL OR DEFEAT A CHIEF OR WARRIOR WHO HAD ONE. THERE ARE STORIES OF WARRIORS WHO WERE CAPTURED ASKING FOR THE HONOR OF BEING KILLED WITH THE MERE AS IT WAS HELD IN SUCH HIGH REGARD AND HAD SO MUCH MANA.

(CONJECTURE FOLLOWS) I SUSPECT THE PATA FORM OF CLUB REPRESENTS THE HUMAN TONGUE. THE REASON FOR THIS IDEA IS THE IMPORTANCE PLACED BY THE MAORI ON THE TONGUE. IN THE TERRITORIAL THREAT DISPLAY DANCE HAKA THE EYES ARE BUGGED AND THE TONGUE THRUST OUT. THE HAKA IS VERY AGRESSIVE IN ITS MOVEMENTS, EXPRESSIONS AND SHOUTS OR CHANTS. THE TONGUE BEING THRUST OUT BEING THE ULTIMATE THREAT. THE CARVINGS AND THE END OF THE LONG WEAPON FEATURES A TIKI WITH TONGUE THRUST OUT AS A RECURING THEME.
THREAT DISPLAYS ARE COMMON IN ALL ANIMAL SPECIES USUALLY OVER TERRITORY, FOOD OR FEMALES.
MY ANCESTORS PAINTED THEMSELVES BLUE AND WENT TO WAR NAKED, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THEIR HAKA WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE.