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.[1] Whalebone wahaika are called wahaika parāoa.[2]
Wahaika translates to "mouth of the fish",[3][4] 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,[5] particularly used against the opponent's temples, face, and ribs.[3] The rest of the spherical edge is sharp like a blade.[2][6][7]
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.[4] Special wahaika would only be given to people with considerable ranking in the Māori tribal structure.[8]
The resemblance of the wahaika to the Chilean Mapuche people's clava hand club has been cited as "soft evidence" for Pre-Columbian Polynesia-South America contact.[9]
See also
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