Wooden wahaika club

Description:

Wooden wahaika club

Beautiful wooden wahaika club made from tulip wood. A Wahaika is a type of traditional Māori hand weapon. Wahaika are short club-like weapons usually made of wood or whalebone. They are used for thrusting and striking in close-quarter, hand-to-hand fighting. Wahaika (club) were used in close hand-to-hand combat to deflect blows. And also to strike the chest, head and wrist.

Pūkaiora

Many wahaika have a small figure carved on their side called a pūkaiora which represented a tribal war God that would guard over the warrior during battle.

Details wahaika club

Or check out our large carved wahaika club 

More information about Māori wahaika

The wahaika was a pre-European weapon that was traditionally used in hand-to-hand contact. Wahaika, which means “Mouth of the Fish,” was mostly made from wood or whalebone.

The wooden wahaika is often carved with intricate designs. These weapons have a concave back and have a carved notch on the edge of the back of the weapon. Many also have carvings on the reke, and many have carvings of small human-looking figures near the handle.

The weapons were used in battle, of course, but also used in speeches and ceremony to accentuate the delivery of a particular point where Rangitira wanted people to pay attention. As with the other Māori weapons, the wahaika were used in hand-to-hand combat. The warrior would thrust the wahaika into the body of their enemy, and since the wahaika has a sharp edge, much harm could be done.