MAORI SHORT CLUBS (PATA FORM)

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE. THE TAIAHA IS A LONG WEAPON AND ILLISTRATES THE PATA SHAPED STRIKING EDGE AND END OF THE LONG CLUB AS WELL AS THE TIKI WITH ITS TONGUE STICKING OUT AT THE SPEAR END.

[migueldiaz]

Amazing! Thanks, Vandoo

[VANDOO]

A PICTURE OF BOTH ENDS OF THE TAIAHA (SPEAR END AND STRIKING END) AND A PIC. OF A WARRIORS HAKA

[fearn]

Hi Vandoo,

It's possible that the pata was a tongue, but I think something else is going on there.

For one thing, I remember that the archeologists dug up a whalebone pata somewhere around Tahiti, so we can argue that it's an old (but useful) design, sort of like the leaf-shaped knife blade.

The bigger issue is material. For whatever reason, we don't really see stone spearheads in Polynesian or Micronesian culture, except on Easter Island where they were an independent development. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I'm willing to bet it's that there's a fundamental problem with grinding sharp stone points out of basalt, jade, or whalebone (same process, different materials).

Since a pata is supposed to have a sharpish edge and they thrust with it, I bet that the axehead-like edge is a compromise that is effective when blunt, and more effective when sharp, especially when you target it properly. It's also good for chopping/smashing, on the same principle.

I also recall that some tribe went to war to capture a mere a one point, and they were named too. I don't know the details, but they were so valuable that I would be surprised if it wasn't the case.

Best,

F

[VANDOO]

YOU ARE CORRECT THAT MOST OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER ROCK THAT WOULD FLAKE AND ALL SHAPEING HAD TO BE DONE BY SPLITTING ,CUTTING AND GRINDING. LAVA, BASALT,SERPENTINE AND IN SOME AREAS GRANITE WERE THE ONES MOST COMMONLY FOUND. MOST STONE CUTTING TOOLS WERE IN THE COMMON CELT FORM AND WERE HAFTED, I WILL SHOW A MAORI JADE EXAMPLE. EXAMPLES OF GROUND POINTS ASIAN GROUND SLATE DAGGERS. ESKIMO GROUND SLATE ULU KNIFE. AND A OLD NEW GUINEA STONE AX HEAD LIKELY FROM MOUNT HAGEN (IT IS THE CLOSEST IN SHAPE AND SIZE I CAN COME TO A MAORI PATA)

NO DOUBT THE PATA SHAPE SPREAD THRUOUT POLYNESIA THERE IS A WOODEN FORM WITH A ROUNDED TIP FOUND ON EASTER ISLAND (SEE PIC. OF 18 INCH LONG EXAMPLE). THATS A LONG WAY FROM NEW ZEALAND OR TAHITI. GROUND SLATE WEAPONS, CEREMONIAL OBJECTS AND JEWLRY WERE FOUND IN NORTH AMERICA AS WELL.
THE CONJECTURE THAT THE PATA MAY REPRESENT THE TONGUE WAS A CONTROVERSIAL COMMENT TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY LURKERS OR MEMBERS WITH A LOT OF KNOWLEGE IN THE FIELD FOR A REBUTTEL. EVIDENTLY NOT

[VANDOO]

HERE IS A MODERN MERE MADE AS AN ARTISTIC PIECE AND BASED ON A OLD POLYNESIAN LEGEND. THE ARTIST FASHIONED IT FROM JADE AND MADE IT WITH AN OCTOPUS ON IT. THE GIVEN LEGEND WAS OF A LEGENDARY POLYNESIAN NAVIGATOR NAMED KUPE WHO DISCOVERED NEW ZEALAND WHILE HE WAS CHASING A TROUBLESOME WHEKE (OCTOPUS). THE OCTOPUS HAD BEEN EATING ALL THE FISH IN KUPE'S HOMELAND OF HAWAIKI. THE OCTOPUS WAS FINALLY CONQUERED WITH A PADDLE. THE MERE IS 11.5 INCHES LONG X 4 IN. WIDE AND 1.25IN. THICK MADE OF NEW ZEALAND JADE I BELIEVE IT TO BE A TYPE REFERED TO AS FLOWER JADE AND IS USED IN JEWLRY AND HAS VARIOUS COLORS AND PATTERNS. IT IS NOT CURRENTLY FOR SALE BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT HAS BEEN SOLD OR SIMPLY TAKEN OFF THE MARKET. I THINK IT IS A UNUSUAL EXAMPLE OF A MODERN ETHNOGRAPHIC ART PIECE MADE IN NEW ZEALAND. IT IS CALLED KUPE'S MERE I DON'T KNOW IF THE LEGEND IS A OLD ONE OR MODERN ONE BUT IT MAKES A GOOD STORY

[Iliad]

Patu, not Pata.

Best,
Brian