A patu is a generic term for a club or pounder used by the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The word patu in the Māori language

Maori language

Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

 means to strike, hit, beat, or subdue. .

Weapons

This type of short handled clubs were hand made weapons used during inter-tribal wars. A patu is 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). Patu made from pounamu were generally called Mere

Mere (weapon)

The mere is a type of short, broad-bladed club , usually made from Nephrite jade . A mere is one of the traditional, close combat, one-handed weapons of the indigenous Māori, of New Zealand. A mere could be used to split a skull open.- Form :The Mere is a spatulate, leaf shaped, form of short club...

. 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 closely resemble the mere in outline but are much thicker because the greywacke stone used was more easily broken than the harder and more resilient poumanu.
• patu paraoa - made of whale bone. Other short handled clubs made from wood include those named for the Kotiate
  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...
  
   and Wahaika forms.
• patu tawaka and patuki - made from wood. Other short handled clubs made from wood include those named for the Kotiate
  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...
  
   and Wahaika forms.
• patu pora - made from iron. Another short handled club made from iron was the Patiti or war hatchet.

Pounders

Types of patu include:

• patu muka - a pounder used to soften flax fibre (muka) in preparation for weaving.
• patu aruhe - a pounder used to break up edible fern roots for food.
• patu phan - a sharp blade used to cut hair and other fibers

External links

• http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/term.aspx?irn=71Mere pounamu in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
  
  
• http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Term.aspx?irn=76Patu onewa in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
  
  ]
• http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Term.aspx?irn=77Patu paraoa in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
  
  ]
• http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search.aspx?&term=patu+muka&search=SearchPatu muka in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
  
  ]
• http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search.aspx?&term=patu+aruhe&search=SearchPatu aruhe in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
  
  ]
• Patu on New Zealand coins from Dema Yuriy coins collection