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Pouwhenua
Pouwhenua or pou whenua (land post), are carved wooden posts used by Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand to mark territorial boundaries or places of significance. They are generally artistically and elaborately carved and can be found throughout New Zealand. The Pouwhenua is also a long-handled fighting staff with a club-like broad head for striking. Cultural significance Much like totem poles, pou whenua tell a story. They are significant to the Māori people, representing their contributions to the cultural heritage of New Zealand. They acknowledge the association between the people ( tāngata) and the land ( whenua). Specifically, they reflect the relationship between the ancestors, environment, and the reputation or standing of the tangata whenua. Weaponry Belonging to the same class of weaponry as the tewhatewha and taiaha, pouwhenua are usually made of wood and have a large, broad blade known as ''rau'' at one end and a pointed, sharp tip at the other end. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiaha
A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha are usually between in length. It has three main parts; the ''arero'' (tongue), used for stabbing the opponent and parrying; the ''upoko'' (head), the base from which the tongue protrudes; and the ''ate'' (liver) or ''tinana'' (body), the long flat blade which is also used for striking and parrying. Use Mau rākau is the martial art that teaches the use of the taiaha and other Māori weapons in combat. As with other martial arts styles, students of the taiaha spend years mastering the skills of timing, balance and co-ordination necessary to wield the weapon effectively. The taiaha is widely known due to its use in the ''wero'' — the traditional Māori challenge during the pōwhiri, a formal welcoming ceremony. A ''wero'' is comm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pou Whakarae
Pou whakarae is the main post in the palisade of a Māori pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites .... They are traditionally made of wood and are carved. See also * Pou whenua References Māori art Māori culture {{Maori-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wahaika
A Wahaika is a type of traditional Māori hand weapon. Wahaika are short club-like weapons usually made of wood or whalebone and are used for thrusting and striking in close-quarter, hand-to-hand fighting. Whalebone wahaika are called ''wahaika parāoa''. ''Wahaika'' translates to "mouth of the fish", in reference to the notch on one side which is used to catch an opponent's weapon. On the other side just above the handle the concave tip above a carved humanoid figure is the primary striking edge, particularly used against the opponent's temples, face, and ribs. The rest of the spherical edge is sharp like a blade. Wooden wahaika are often carved with intricate designs. In addition to being a fighting weapon, rangatira would hold wahaika during ceremonies and speeches, especially if they wanted people to pay attention to something important. Special wahaika would only be given to people with considerable ranking in the Māori tribal structure. The resemblance of the wahaika t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiaha
A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha are usually between in length. It has three main parts; the ''arero'' (tongue), used for stabbing the opponent and parrying; the ''upoko'' (head), the base from which the tongue protrudes; and the ''ate'' (liver) or ''tinana'' (body), the long flat blade which is also used for striking and parrying. Use Mau rākau is the martial art that teaches the use of the taiaha and other Māori weapons in combat. As with other martial arts styles, students of the taiaha spend years mastering the skills of timing, balance and co-ordination necessary to wield the weapon effectively. The taiaha is widely known due to its use in the ''wero'' — the traditional Māori challenge during the pōwhiri, a formal welcoming ceremony. A ''wero'' is comm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patu
A patu is a club or pounder used by the Māori. The word ''patu'' in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, kill or subdue. Weapons These types of short-handled clubs were mainly used as a striking weapon. The blow administered with this weapon was a horizontal thrust straight from the shoulder at the enemy's temple. If the foe could be grasped by the hair then the patu would be driven up under the ribs or jaw. Patu were made from hardwood, whale bone, or stone. The most prestigious material for the patu was pounamu (greenstone). Maori decorated the patu by carving into the wood, bone or stone. Types of patu include: * '' patu pounamu'' or '' mere'': made from pounamu (greenstone). * ''patu onewa'': made of stone. These resemble the mere in outline but thicker, because the stone used was more easily broken than the resilient pounamu. * ''patu paraoa'': made of whale bone * ''patu tawaka'' and ''patuki'': made from wood. Other styles of short handled wooden clubs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tewhatewha
A tewhatewha is a long-handled Māori club weapon shaped like an axe. Designed to be held in two hands, the weapon comes to a mata (point) at one end and a rapa (broad, quarter-round head) at the other. Use Like pouwhenua and taiaha, this long club was designed for sparring and lightning strokes and thrusts, aided by quick footwork on the part of the wielder. The blows were not struck with the blade as one would with an axe, but rather with the thicker straight front edge. It was common for tewhatewha to be decorated with a bunch of split pigeon or hawk feathers which hang from a drilled hole near the lower edge of the extension. This decoration may have also had the added benefit of confusing an opponent Modern use A tewhatewha was the symbol of command of Royal New Zealand Navy hydrographic survey ship HMNZS ''Resolution''. The drum major of the New Zealand Army Band uses a tewhatewha instead of a mace to give direction and keep time. See also * Mau rākau Other Mā ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kotiate
Kotiate is a type of traditional hand weapon of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. A kotiate is a short club normally made of wood or whalebone. Kotiate means to cut or divide the liver (koti = cut in two or divide; ate = liver), is probably taken from its shape, which resembles the lobed part of the human liver. See also *Mere (weapon) *Pouwhenua *Tewhatewha *Patu *Taiaha A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha a ... * Wahaika References External linksKotiate in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa">Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa">Kotiate in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Clubs (weapon) Māori weapons Ceremonial weapons {{Blunt-weapon-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tewhatewha
A tewhatewha is a long-handled Māori club weapon shaped like an axe. Designed to be held in two hands, the weapon comes to a mata (point) at one end and a rapa (broad, quarter-round head) at the other. Use Like pouwhenua and taiaha, this long club was designed for sparring and lightning strokes and thrusts, aided by quick footwork on the part of the wielder. The blows were not struck with the blade as one would with an axe, but rather with the thicker straight front edge. It was common for tewhatewha to be decorated with a bunch of split pigeon or hawk feathers which hang from a drilled hole near the lower edge of the extension. This decoration may have also had the added benefit of confusing an opponent Modern use A tewhatewha was the symbol of command of Royal New Zealand Navy hydrographic survey ship HMNZS ''Resolution''. The drum major of the New Zealand Army Band uses a tewhatewha instead of a mace to give direction and keep time. See also * Mau rākau Other Mā ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mere (weapon)
The mere () is a type of short, broad-bladed weapon in the shape of an enlarged tear drop. It was used to strike/jab an opponent in the body or the head, usually made from nephrite jade (pounamu or greenstone). A mere is one of the traditional, hand to hand, one-handed weapons of the indigenous Māori of New Zealand, and a symbol of chieftainship. Form The mere is a spatulate, leaf shaped, form of short club. It has a broad, rounded apex that narrows to form a handle, terminating in a butt or heel (reke), marked by several grooves. Mere have two convex, almost flat sides and a rounded top. The top of the mere was ground to a sharp edge, extending down both sides of the weapon. Generally, short clubs had holes carved or drilled through the butt end of the handle, allowing a wrist cord (tau or patui) made of plaited New Zealand flax, or Polynesian dog skin, to be passed through and attached to the wielder's wrist. Passing the wrist cord over the thumb and around the han ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring from mother Earth here in New Zealand". Usually known as Te Papa (Māori for " the treasure box"), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery. An average of more than 1.5 million people visit every year, making it the 17th-most-visited art gallery in the world. Te Papa's philosophy emphasises the living face behind its cultural treasures, many of which retain deep ancestral links to the indigenous Māori people. History Colonial Museum The first predecessor to Te Papa was the ''Colonial Museum'', founded in 1865, with Sir James Hector as founding director. The Museum was built on Museum Street, roughly in the location of the present day Defence House Office Building. The mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Māori People
The Māori (, ) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several centuries in isolation, these settlers developed their own distinctive culture, whose language, mythology, crafts, and performing arts evolved independently from those of other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to the Chatham Islands, where their descendants became New Zealand's other indigenous Polynesian ethnic group, the Moriori. Initial contact between Māori and Europeans, starting in the 18th century, ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence; Māori actively adopted many technologies from the newcomers. With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the two cultures coexisted for a generation. Rising tensions over disputed land sales led to conflict in the 1860s, and massive land confiscations, to whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
