MAORI LONG WEAPONS

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THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF MAORI LONG WEAPONS THEY ARE MADE MOSTLY FROM WOOD BUT SOME ARE MADE OF WHALE BONE. I WILL START WITH THE MOST COMMON FORM THE TAIAHA OR TAHIATIA . IT IS A LONG STAFF WITH A POINT AT ONE END AND A WIDE FLAT STRIKING END. THRUSTS AND STRIKES ARE MADE WITH THE WIDE FLAT END WHICH IS THE PART OF THE CLUB USED THE MOST IN FIGHTING. THE SMALLER END NEAR THE GRIP IS OFTEN CARVED WITH A HEAD WITH A TONGUE STICKING OUT WHICH FORMS THE POINT. THIS CAN BE USED FOR THRUSTING BUT DOES NOT FORM A SHARP SPEAR POINT. OFTEN FEATHERS OR DOG HAIR IS ATTACHED JUST ABOVE THIS CARVED FACE, THIS IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN USED TO TAUNT THE ENEMY AS WELL AS TO SHOW STATUS AND BE A DECORATION.
#1. & #2. 1885 PICTURE OF A MAORI CHIEF WHO LEAD A RESCUE PARTY AND HIS WIFE
#3. 1913 PRINT
#4. 1932 CARD DEPICTING A MAORI CHIEF
#5. ,#6. #7. MAORI CHIEFS WITH TAHIATIA
#8. TAHIATIA 1.46 METERS LONG 18TH TO EARLY 19TH CENTURY WITH CARVED DECORATIONS ON BLADE.
#9. THRU #12. SHOWS DETAIL OF HEAD AT GRIP AND STRIKING AND THRUSTING PART OF BLADE.

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MORE EXAMPLES AND INFORMATION ON TAIAHA / TAHIATIA. THE EYES WERE IN ROUND AND SLANTED SHAPES AND SOME WERE INLAYED WITH ABALONE SHELL AND LATER RED SEALING WAS WAS IN FASHION.
#1. & #2. DETAILED DRAWINGS OF CARVED FACE FOUND AT GRIP END OF WEAPON.
#3. SIDE VIEW OF POINT
#4.ROUND EYE FORM, MISSING INLAY
#5. SLANT EYED FORM RED SEALING WAX INLAY 95.3 CM. SMALL SIZE PERHAPS FOR CHILD.
#6. THRU #9 1.46 METER LONG 18TH TO EARLY 19TH CENTURY CARVED BLADE
#10., 1.85 METER LATE 18TH TO EARLY 19TH. CENTURY
#11. DETAIL VARIATION OF CARVING.
#12. SIMPLE CARVED POINT END OF TAHIATIA

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MORE EXAMPLES

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MORE VARIATIONS OF THE FORM

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THERE SEEMS TO BE 3 VARIATIONS TO THE STRIKING END OF THE TAIAHA / TAHIATIA THE MOST COMMON IS THE ROUNDED TIP SHAPED LIKE THAT ON THE SHORT PATU CLUBS. THERE ARE EXAMPLES WITH A FLAT END WITH SQUARE TIP AND ONE THAT COMES TO A POINT BUT NOT A VERY SHARP POINT. THE SHELL INLAY IS USUALLY FROM THE LOCAL ABALONE SHELL AND CAN COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPES AND DESIGNS. MOST BLADES ARE LEFT PLAIN BUT SOME EXAMPLES MAY BE CARVED IN DESIGNS COMPLETELY OR ON PART OF THE BLADE. SOME ARE INLAYED WITH PUA SHELL AS WELL. THEY USUALLY ARE FOR CEREMONIES AND BELONG TO SOMEONE OF IMPORTANCE. THEY LIKE TO USE RED SEALING WAX FOR THE EYES ON SOME CLUBS AS WELL AS ON THEIR JADE HEI TIKI'S. THE CARVING AND SHAPE ON THE POINT WITH THE HEAD VARIES AS WELL. SIMILAR CLUB FORMS AND FIGHTING STYLES CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER CULTURES NOTABLY EASTER ISLAND.
#1. A FULLY CARVED TAHAITIA WITH SHELL INLAY THRU-OUT
#2. #3. & #4. TWO UNUSUAL VARIATIONS I SUSPECT IS MAORI, 58 IN. OR 147CM.
#5. CONTEMPORARY SOUVENIR WITH JADE POINT.
#6.& #7 CONTEMPORARY SOUVENIRS.

[kahnjar1]

Hi Barry,
Some practical background just in case you want to try it!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nns816pzIrY
Stu

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THANKS STU THAT GIVES A GOOD DEMONSTRATION OF THE BLOCKING AND STRIKING TECHNIQUES USED WITH THIS WEAPON PLUS IT GIVES ME THE CURRENT SPELLING OF THE WEAPONS NAME. PERHAPS THE SPELLING I USED ORIGINALLY IS FROM A OLD BOOK OR A MISTAKE FROM A OLD REFERENCE OR JUST ME AT ANY RATE THE CURRENT SPELLING HAS BEEN ADDED THOUGH THE OLD SPELLING REMAINS. AT ANY RATE THERE ARE LIKELY MORE PICTURES OF VARIOUS TAIAHA IN ONE PLACE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE AND IF EACH PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ITS WORTH DOING . I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE " WHERE THE MOREPORK PERCHES " BLOCKING MOVE IN THE VIDEO.
PICTURE #1. CLOSE UP DETAIL OF CARVED HANDLE END OF 2 EXAMPLES IN CHRISTCHURCH MUSEUM.
#2. & #3. my Maori long weapons
#4.,#5 & #6. my oldest heaviest stone carved Taiaha, fully carved, 57 inches long.
#7. & #8. longest ceremonial Taiaha for chief or shaman in charge very heavy with carving on blade.69.5 inches long.
#9. 52.5 in long Taiaha
#10. a good heavy more recent Taiaha I've had it over 20 years, 61 inches long
#11. taiaha 1800's book plate
#12. old postcard warrior with dogskin mat and decoration on taiaha

[kronckew]

current full sized taiaha (1.5 metre +/-) commercially available are mostly made of evergreen wood & are fairly light. my feathered one falls in this category. i've found a couple carvers online that will make them from traditional hardwood, but they are much more expensive as good hardwoods are hard to come by and hardwood is harder to carve too.

i managed to acquire one from a collection estate sale, also around 1.5 metres, but it weighs more than twice what the contemporary one does. it also appears to be a lot harder. it has a flax fibre 'skirt' in lieu of feathers or dog hair bundles.

there are two more two handed weapons, the pouwhenua, similar to the taiaha with a similar bladed striking end, but a sharp round section point on the other end for stabbing, and the tewhatewha, again, point one end and a quarter circular axe-like protrusion, frequently with feathers or hair attached to improve visibility - it's carried by the war chiefs as a signalling device similar to the japanese war fan...copies of these from museum photos below my two.

if the martial arts interest you, there is a movie called "the deadlands: where the warrior spirit was born'' on dvd that might interest y'all. (it's available thru amazon). also available thru amazon is a fairly thin book reprint 'traditional maori weapons' by jeff Evans- i do have a copy of that. (cover below)

aother link to youtube video of a haka with tewhatewha, patu, etc. is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLmS9e_4m6A

as a humorous aside, note the bruises to their chests as the video progresses and they slap themselves. i read recently of german army drill team men having to have breast reduction surgery as in their routine the rifle is slapped into their chests, causing enlargement over time.

p.s. - the tewhatehwa 'axe blade' was NOT used to strike, the side opposite was. the blade just added mass to the strike.

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MORE EXAMPLES OF TAIAHA FROM OLD POSTCARDS, BOOKS ,ECT.
#1., #2., #3., #4, # 5. & #6 VARIOUS TAIAHA
#7. 1840 DRAWING OF WARRIORS UNKNOWN LONG WEAPON
#8. DRAWING OF A MAORI PA (FORTRESS)
#9. DRAWING, BATTLE AT THE PA
#10. SIGNALING WITH A TEWHATEWHA AT THE PA

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THE SECOND MOST COMMON MAORI LONG WEAPON IS THE TEWHA TEWHA THEY ARE MADE OF WOOD AND RARELY OUT OF WHALE BONE AND HAVE A LARGE AX LIKE BLADE AT ONE END AND A SHARP ROUNDED POINT FOR THRUSTING AT THE OTHER END. A TUFT OF FEATHERS IS OFTEN TIED THRU A SMALL HOLE UNDER THE AX HEAD, IT IS SAID TO CONFUSE OR IRRITATE THE ENEMY. SOME EXAMPLES ARE PLAIN AND SOME HAVE A SMALL DESIGN CARVED NEAR THE SHARP TIP, SOME ARE ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY CARVED WITH MAORI DESIGNS.
#1. THE HEAVY AX LIKE AX STRIKING END.
#2. THE SHARP THRUSTING TIP.
#3. 3 EXAMPLES OF TEWHA TEWHA
#4.& #5.TWO TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF THE CARVED DESIGNS OFTEN FOUND
TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY DOWN THE SHAFT TOWARD THE SHARP TIP.
#6. DRAWING FROM COOKS VOYAGE 1778
#7. OLD CHIEF WITH TEWHA TEWHA
#8. MAORI CHIEF, ROTACU ANAHA 1901
# 9. THRU #12. VARIOUS OLD PICTURES OF WARRIORS WITH TEWHA TEWHA

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MORE EXAMPLES OF TEWHA TEWHA SOME WITH CARVED DESIGNS SOME WITH FEATHER BUNDLES WOOD AND WHALEBONE EXAMPLES.

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#1. & #2. MY TEWHA TEWHA 53 INCHES LONG FULLY CARVED HARD BUT LIGHT
WEIGHT WOOD FOR CEREMONIAL USE NOT A OLD FIGHTING EXAMPLE. CIRCA
1950'S
#3. GOOD OLD CARVED EXAMPLE
#4. THRU #12. FULLY CARVED TEWHA TEWHA 46.5 INCHES LONG, 6.25 INCH
BLADE. CEREMONIAL USE PICTURES SHOWING DETAILS.

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THE TEWHA TEWHA WAS A SORT OF LONG AX WEAPON IN FUNCTION. WHEN IRON TRADE AXES WERE INTRODUCED A LONG AX AND A SHORT AX WEAPON WAS CREATED. THE LONG AX WAS CALLED KAKAUROA SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS A TOMAHAWK, I AM NOT SURE IF THE SHORT AX HAS A DIFFERENT NAME.

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#1, #2. #3. #5. & #6 MAORI SHORT AXES
#4.MAORI LONG WEAPONS, a. POUWHENUA, b. TEWHA TEWHA,
c & d. TAIAHA, e. LONG AX KAKAUROA
#7. VARIOUS WEAPONS AND SHORT AX
#8, # 9., #10, & #11. CEREMONIAL ADZ, (TOKI POUTANGATA)
#12. VARIOUS MAORI WEAPONS, a.& b. TAIAHA , c. POUWHENUA,
d. TEWHA TEWHA ,e. WHALEBONE, HOEROA

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POUWHENUA SIMILAR TO THE TAIAHA IN SIZE AND FUNCTION BUT WITH A SHARPER MORE EFFICIENT POINT FOR SPEARING. OFTEN MADE OF WHALEBONE AND BELONGING TO PROMINENT WARRIORS OR MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE.
#1. 175.5 CM. LONG POUWHENUA
#2. & #3. POUWHENUA
#4. VARIOUS MAORI LONG WEAPONS CHRISTCHURCH MUSEUM. N.Z.
HOEROA CLUB, MAORI WERE SAID TO TIE A CORD ON THESE AND THROW THEM AT THE ENEMY FROM THE WALLS OF THE PA. (FORTRESS) . MADE OF THE JAW FROM SPERM WHALES THEY ARE HEAVY AND HARD.
#5., DRAWING OF A HOEROA
#6., #7, HOEROA WITH SOME OTHER WEAPONS
#8, #9, #10. HOEROA, 43.5 INCHES LONG WHALE BONE
#11. OLD DRAWING OF VARIOUS MAORI WEAPONS.

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#1. TWO MAORI WHALEBONE CLUBS, HOEROA
#2. THREE TYPES OF MAORI WEAPONS
#3. MAORI LONG AX AND HOEROA
#4. MAORI WEAPONS SHOWING FRONT AND SIDE VIEWS
#5. DETAILED PICTURES OF MAORI WHALE BONE HOEROA
#6. MAORI WITH LONG AX ,PERHAPS FROM A PLAY
#7. WHALEBONE CLUB HOEROA
#8. TWO MAORI ADZES
#9. A MAORI POUWHENUA
#10. DETAIL OF POUWHENUA WITH CARVED BLADE
#11. GROUP OF MAORI TEWA TEWA
#12. MAORI EEL SPEARS, MATARAU, NOT A WEAPON BUT COULD BE USED IF NEEDED.

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THE HOEROA IS MENTIONED AS BEING USED AS A THROWING CLUB WITH A CORD ATTACHED TO IT. FROM THE ONES I HAVE SEEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE VERY AWKWARD AND IMPRACTICAL TO USE THAT WAY. THERE ARE THROWING WEAPONS CALLED KOTAHA ALSO SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS WHIP SPEAR. IT IS BASICALLY A ATAL ATAL ,SPEAR THROWER WITH A CORD USED TO THROW A SMALL DART OR SPEAR. THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN IS THE SPEAR BUTT IS STUCK IN THE GROUND THE CORD ATTACHED FROM THE THROWING STICK TO IT THEN THE OPERATOR WHIPS IT FORWARD AND AROUND AND THE CORD IS RELEASED AT THE PROPER TIME TO PROPEL THE DART WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE A LONG DISTANCE. PERHAPS THE HOEROA WAS USED AS THE SPEAR THROWER RATHER THAN THE PROJECTILE.? THERE ARE SOME WEB SITES GIVING BETTER INFORMATION BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LINK THEM. SOME PICTURES OF SPEARS AND SPEAR THROWERS
#1. PICTURE SHOWING 1. KOTAHA KURUTAI 2.KOTAHA 3. HOEROA AKA PARAOA
#2. & #3. PICTURES SHOWING HOW SPEAR IS PLACED AND THROWING TECKNIQUE
#4. DRAWING OF TWO EXAMPLES OF KOTAHA I ASSUME THE CARVING IS AT THE END THAT IS GRIPPED.
#5 THRU #12 VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF KOTAHA

THE SPEARS ARE USUALLY LIGHT WEIGHT WITH NOTCHED TIPS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO BREAK OFF IN THE BODY AND USUALLY ASSURED A SLOW DEATH. PERHAPS THESE WERE USED WHEN DEFENDING THE VILLAGE AS THE MAORI DID NOT USE BOWS OR BLOWGUNS.

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MAORI SPEARS COME IN SEVERAL TYPES SOME FOR HUNTING SMALL BIRDS FOR FOOD AND MORE ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR FEATHERS. A BLIND WAS BUILT IN A TREE WHERE A FRUIT THE BIRDS EAT GROWS, WHEN BIRDS CAME TO EAT A LONG BARBED SPEAR WAS USED TO KILL THEM. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE WERE EVER USED IN WARFARE BUT NO DOUBT COULD SERVE IF NEEDED. PICTURE
#1. A 26.8 CM. 19TH CENTURY WHALEBONE BIRD POINT.
#2. IRON TRADE BIRD SPEAR POINT 18TH TO 19 TH. CENTURY 14.5 CM.
#3. BONE BIRD SPEAR POINTS
#4. DRAWING OF A MAORI BIRD SPEARING PLATFORM
THERE WERE TWO TYPES OF WAR SPEARS A SHORTER ONE FOR THROWING OR FENCING AND A LONGER ONE OFTEN USED FROM THE WALLS OF THE PA, FORT.
#5. & #6. MAORI SPEAR FOR HUNTING MOA 219 CM. LONG, 10 NOBBED
HANDLE
#7. DRAWING HUNTING MOA
#8. MAORI SPEAR CALLED TAO
#9. MAORI SPEAR
#10. MAORI SPEAR TAO FIGHTING POSITION

[kahnjar1]

Hi Barry, A couple of other pics which you will be familiar with...
Stu

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THAT JUST ABOUT COVERS MAORI ITEMS THAT ARE PRIMARILY WEAPONS. I WILL INCLUDE A FEW TOOLS AND CEREMONIAL ITEMS THAT WOULD SERVE AS WEAPONS WHEN NEEDED.
#1 THRU #6 . KO, A MAORI SPADE OR DIGGING STICK, WOULD MAKE A GOOD WEAPON IF SURPRISED IN THE FIELD. THERE ARE SOME OTHER AGRICULTURAL TOOLS IN ONE PICTURE.
#7. MAORI MAULS NOT VERY EFFICIENT BUT IF YOU CONNECTED THEY WOULD MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION.
#8. MAORI 48 X 7 CM. DANCE PADDLE
#9. MAORI DANCE PADDLE 50 INCHES LONG
#10. MAORI FLAX BEATER
#11. & #12. MAORI CEREMONIAL CHIEFS PADDLES CALLED HOE

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SHARP POINTED PADDLES NO DOUBT SERVED WELL AS SPEARS WHEN NEEDED.
#1. & #2. CHIEFS CEREMONIAL PADDLE HOE 190 CM.
#3.& #4. MAORI HOE PADDLE 128.3 CM.
#5. THRU #7. MAORI CHIEFS HOE, 155 CM. CIRCA 1850'S
#8. VARIOUS MAORI OBJECTS
#9. DETAIL OF POINTS ON MAORI POUWHENUA WEAPONS

[kronckew]

'nother small dance paddle

measurements are 18.5 inches (47cm) by 3.75 inches (9.5cm), and about an inch thick (2.54) in the middle. 180 grams. 'pommel' end carved as a bird's head with shell eyes.