Category details
Categorytete
Alternative termskaniwha, tara-whai, tarawhai, tete-paraoa, tete-whai, teteparaoa, tetewhai, ahao, rakau hoto, , hoto whai, katete
SourceMātauranga Māori Thesaurus
Overview
A spear with a detachable point, or matarere, fixed into a grooved notch in the forward end. The matarere is usually held in position by a two-ply cord tighly wrapped around the end of the tete. While the occasional tete featured a small amount of surface carving, it was more usual for them to be ornamented with tufts of dog's hair (awe) tied about the lashings.