Whakanoho-a-tai, active 18th century?

Date: 1750 - 1840

By: Maruwahia, active 18th century; Shaw, George William, active 1970s-1980s; Best, Elsdon, 1856-1931; Whakanoho-a-tai, active 18th century?; Te Papa, active 18th century?; Haruru, active 19th century; Pa-roa, active 19th century; Paitini Wi Tapeka, 1844?-

Reference: Curios-019-018

Description: Stone patu (Maori weapon) originally belonging to Tuhoe chief, Maru-Wahia. Elsdon Best, in "Tuhoe" page 344, says: "We will note a famous weapon (patu) that he [Te Papa] possessed. When the tiwha, or token, was sent by Ngati-Raka to the Whakatohea tribe, to ask their help as against Tuhoe, this weapon was named Te Whiu:"Ka whiua nga kara ki a Te Whakatohea, ka tapaina te ingoa o taua patu ko Te Whiu. Tona maramatanga o taua ingoa, ko te whiunga o te riri ki te tai rawhiti" - (The kara (tokens asking for armed assistance) were sent to Te Whakatohea, and that weapon was named Te Whiu. The meaning of that name is the transferring of the war to the East Coast. Maru-wahia was the first owner of Te Whiu. Then it came to Whakanoho-a-tai, then to Te Papa, then to Haruru, then to Pa-roa, then to Paitini, an old man now living, and a descendant of Maru-wahia, and he, having no issue, handed it over to the present writer [Elsdon Best]. It now hangs upon the wall of my primitive camp below the ramparts of Haukapua, and across the valley lie the fertile lands it was wielded in vain to retain." Whakapapa generally do not specify the dates at which chiefs were alive. Maru-wahia may have lived as many as 5 generations before Elsdon Best. Inscriptions: Uninscribed. Quantity: 1 curio(s). Physical Description: Argillite, 295 mm, with string of plaited flax threaded through hole in narrow ridged handle end.