A uniquely short tewhatewha, a nod to the little shiny cuckoo (pīpīwharauroa) a migratory bird that summers here in Aotearoa.
Māori would welcome the arrival of pīpīwharauroa with the proverb “Ka tangi te wharauroa, ko ngā karere a Mahuru,” which means “If the shining cuckoo cries, it is the messenger of spring".
Tewhatewha are long handled clubs, shaped with an axe like blade and pointed end. Often adorned with feathers below the blade, they were used for signalling in battle, much like a flag.
