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A Wahaika is a type of traditional 
Various wahaika
from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Two wahaika
in the collection of the Otago Museum
Two wahaika
in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum Ceremonial weapons Clubs (weapon) Māori weapons {{Blunt-weapon-stub
A Wahaika is a type of traditional Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
hand weapon. Wahaika are short club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
-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
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose 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
In Māori culture, () are tribal chiefs, the hereditary Māori leaders of a hapū. Ideally, rangatira were people of great practical wisdom who held authority () on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land and that ...
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 to the Chilean Mapuche people
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
's clava hand club has been cited as "soft evidence" for Pre-Columbian Polynesia-South America contact.
See also
*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, h ...
*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 t ...
*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 ...
*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 w ...
*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 ...
*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), ...
References
External links
Various wahaika
from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Two wahaika
in the collection of the Otago Museum
Two wahaika
in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum Ceremonial weapons Clubs (weapon) Māori weapons {{Blunt-weapon-stub