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What does patu mean in Māori?

Author

William Rodriguez

Published Jan 22, 2026

Definition of patu

: a short two-edged Maori weapon of stone, wood, or bone resembling a club and tapering in thickness but expanding in width from the butt and designed to give a crushing rather than cutting blow.

What does the name patu mean?

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.

What does the patu symbolize?

Mere / Patu / War Club

Represents the weapon the Maori used. It gives the wearer strength and courage to do, get through face and achieve anything in life. It signifies high status and authority.

What is the difference between a patu and a mere?

A mere pounamu was much harder than a patu of wood or bone, and much tougher - less likely to fracture - than a patu onawe of any other type of stone. It was stated that a proficient warrior armed with a patu was able to defeat a man armed with a longer weapon, like a taiaha or spear.

What was the Maori patu used for?

Patu (club)

Patu were made from wood, stone or whale bone. Both the tip and the blade could be used. It was used for striking, stabbing or parrying.

45 related questions found

What is a patu weapon?

The patu parāoa was a pre-European weapon made of whale bone, which again, was a local resource for the Maori. This weapon was used as a club, and the warriors would attempt to hit their opponents shoulder in hopes that it will break or dislocate, causing them to drop their weapon.

What is a Māori axe called?

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.

What were patu made from?

Patu onewa refer specifically to hand clubs carved from stone (greywacke or basalt) such as this one, which was cut and painstakingly polished with natural abrasives to achieve its smooth surface and fine lines.

What are the weapons of the Māori?

A taiaha (Māori pronunciation: [ˈtaiaha]) 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.

Who used jade weapons?

It was one of the most common weapons used by the Maori. The durability of the jade also allowed a warrior to pass on the club to his decedents.

What does a Toki pounamu mean?

A symbol of strength

Today, toki pounamu are often gifted as as a celebration of courage, determination, success, and bravery, as well as to link the past to the present with reverence and respect.

What tools did Māori use?

In the 1300s, Māori were transporting both finished tools and selected raw materials around the country.

  • Adzes and chisels. The most important tools were adzes (toki) and chisels (whao). ...
  • Making an adze. Making a stone adze was a skilled job. ...
  • Flake tools. ...
  • Drills and files.

What is patu in Sanskrit?

པཱཏུ m. a protector, L. N.

What does Paru mean?

paru noun, adjective, verb. dirty, contaminate, contamination, dirt, filth.

What wood is a patu made of?

The Patu is a traditional Maori weapon used as a thrusting weapon to strike the opponent below the ribs, on the temple, or across the jaw. Traditionally the patu was made from wood, whalebone, or stone. If made from greenstone (pounamu) the patu was usually called a mere.

How did the Māori fight?

Māori warfare traditionally involved hand-to-hand combat, with weapons designed to kill. Reasons for war could be practical, such as for land or resources, but could also be to increase mana or as revenge for insults.

Is greenstone only found in New Zealand?

Pounamu is only found in New Zealand, whereas much of the carved "greenstone" sold in souvenir shops is jade sourced overseas.

What is the Pukana?

Pukana – meaning to stare wildly or dilate the eyes, this is done by both men and women during dances or songs to emphasize certain words and their meanings and to add excitement to the performance. See if you can spot the performers using this technique during their dances and songs.

What is the meaning of in Sanskrit?

કોણ ⇄ which. જે વષતુ(ઓ) ⇄ which.

What is the meaning of Itastatah in Sanskrit?

here and there (here and there) दूषारि (dUSAri)

What is the meaning of Kutrapi in Sanskrit?

कुत्रापि Kutrapi Meaning in English

1. कुत्रापि Kutrapi. Anyplace. adv.

What is Māori food?

Along with root vegetables, they also introduced Kiore (the Polynesian rat) and Kurī (the Polynesian dog), both valuable sources of meat. Māori hunted a wide range of birds (such as mutton birds and moa), collected seafood and gathered native ferns, vines, palms, fungi, berries, fruit and seeds.

What food did Māori eat?

These crops included wheat, potatoes, maize, carrots, cabbage and other vegetables. Māori also began raising sheep, pigs, goats and poultry. Potatoes were easier to grow than kūmara, and pigs could be fattened quickly, so pork, pūhā and potatoes became a new staple meal.

How did Māori carry water?

Pōhā were used to carry fresh water. Pōhā mata (fresh kelp bags that have not been dried) were used to enclose food as it cooked in an umu (earth oven).

What does mana mean in New Zealand?

(noun) prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma - mana is a supernatural force in a person, place or object. Mana goes hand in hand with tapu, one affecting the other. The more prestigious the event, person or object, the more it is surrounded by tapu and mana.