Story: Traditional Māori warfare – Riri

Tewhatewha

Tewhatewha

This engraving of a Māori warrior from Poverty Bay is a copy of a drawing by Sydney Parkinson from 1769. He holds both a short-handled and a long-handled weapon. The short one appears to be either a mere pounamu (greenstone club) or a patu onewa (stone club), while the long-handled weapon is a tewhatewha.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0037-15
Hand-coloured engraving after a drawing by Sydney Parkinson

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Traditional Māori warfare – Riri - Rākau Māori – Māori weapons and their uses', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/37093/tewhatewha (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 20 Jun 2012