MAORI SHORT CLUBS (PATA FORM)

VANDOO · 18th February 2016, 08:28 PM

http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com...weapons-maori/

I found this short reference that is good and covers a bit more than I have. you are right its PATU but I have no way of going back and correcting it.
ONE REFERENCE STATES THAT THE PATU WAS MADE OF STONE OR WHALE BONE BUT NEVER WOOD.THERE ARE MANY WOODEN ONES AROUND NOW SO PERHAPS THEY ARE OF MORE RECENT ORIGINS. SOME OTHER CLUBS WERE MADE OF WOOD BUT NOT STONE AS WELL. THIS INFORMATION MAY BE ABOUT THE OLD PRE-CONTACT TRADITIONS FOR MAKING WEAPONS. OF COURSE IN A ARCHELOGICAL DIG MOST WOODEN ITEMS WILL BE LONG GONE.

josh stout · 18th February 2016, 10:28 PM

The tongue idea may be speculation, but it is interesting. It is certainly not uncommon to see Chinese and other steel weapons with the blade coming out of the open mouthed head forming the guard.

I wonder about the shape based on the long triangle of the original stone "handaxe" that served as models for later celts. Louis Leaky speculated that some handaxes might have been designed for throwing. If so, they would have been held from the tip to put the greater mass of the wide end on the end of a lever arm. The kawas of Vanuatu was a sort of stone throwing stick, but the oldest versions were basically stone hand axes in one piece with a stone handle. I wonder if the patu didn't start as something of the sort. They seem too high value to throw around, but I could imagine that one would have stopping power as a close quarter missile. Slings and spears propelled by cords were excellent Maori distance projectiles, so perhaps in later use they became solely high status clubs.

Well, it is fun to speculate...

VANDOO · 9th June 2016, 08:56 PM

PICTURES #1. THRU #6. PATU MADE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIALS
#7.VARIOUS STONE CLUBS OR TOOLS
#8. WHALE BONE VARIATION OF PATU
#9. MODERN EXAMPLES PACKED AND READY TO TRAVEL
#10.UNUSUAL MAORI STONE CLUB 18 TO 20 INCHES LONG
#11. VARIOUS STONE FORMS OF PATU
#12. A WELL CARVED WHALE BONE PATUKI CLUB

9th June 2016, 08:56 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PICTURES #1. THRU #6. PATU MADE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIALS #7.VARIOUS STONE CLUBS OR TOOLS #8. WHALE BONE VARIATION OF PATU #9. MODERN EXAMPLES PACKED AND READY TO TRAVEL #10.UNUSUAL MAORI STONE CLUB 18 TO 20 INCHES LONG #11. VARIOUS STONE FORMS OF PATU #12. A WELL CARVED WHALE BONE PATUKI CLUB Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 9th June 2016 at 09:29 PM.

18th February 2016, 08:28 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com...weapons-maori/ I found this short reference that is good and covers a bit more than I have. you are right its PATU but I have no way of going back and correcting it. ONE REFERENCE STATES THAT THE PATU WAS MADE OF STONE OR WHALE BONE BUT NEVER WOOD.THERE ARE MANY WOODEN ONES AROUND NOW SO PERHAPS THEY ARE OF MORE RECENT ORIGINS. SOME OTHER CLUBS WERE MADE OF WOOD BUT NOT STONE AS WELL. THIS INFORMATION MAY BE ABOUT THE OLD PRE-CONTACT TRADITIONS FOR MAKING WEAPONS. OF COURSE IN A ARCHELOGICAL DIG MOST WOODEN ITEMS WILL BE LONG GONE. Last edited by VANDOO; 18th February 2016 at 10:58 PM.

18th February 2016, 10:28 PM	#2
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	The tongue idea may be speculation, but it is interesting. It is certainly not uncommon to see Chinese and other steel weapons with the blade coming out of the open mouthed head forming the guard. I wonder about the shape based on the long triangle of the original stone "handaxe" that served as models for later celts. Louis Leaky speculated that some handaxes might have been designed for throwing. If so, they would have been held from the tip to put the greater mass of the wide end on the end of a lever arm. The kawas of Vanuatu was a sort of stone throwing stick, but the oldest versions were basically stone hand axes in one piece with a stone handle. I wonder if the patu didn't start as something of the sort. They seem too high value to throw around, but I could imagine that one would have stopping power as a close quarter missile. Slings and spears propelled by cords were excellent Maori distance projectiles, so perhaps in later use they became solely high status clubs. Well, it is fun to speculate...