مير (سلاح)

استُخدمت عصي الميري، وغيرها من عصي الباتو، في القتال المباشر . تُمسك هذه الأسلحة الهجومية القريبة بيد واحدة، وتُستخدم أساسًا للطعن أو اللكم من الأمام. في القتال، تُوجّه اللكمات أو الضربات إلى الأضلاع أو الرقبة أو الصدغ . يُزعم أن ضربة على الجمجمة مصحوبة بحركة سريعة للمعصم قد تُؤدي إلى فتح جمجمة الضحية أو خلعها. ^{[ 3 ] [ 4 ]} يُعدّ استخدام الميري للطعنات الأمامية سمة غير مألوفة في عصي الباتو الماورية، حيث تُستخدم الهراوات في أجزاء أخرى من العالم عادةً بضربة سفلية تشبه ضربة الفأس. ^{[ 5 ]} كما يُمكن استخدام مؤخرة الميري (ريكي) لضرب رأس الخصم.

كان حجر البونامو أكثر صلابة بكثير [ 6 ^{] من حجر} الباتو المصنوع من الخشب أو العظم، وأكثر متانة - وأقل عرضة للكسر - من حجر الباتو أونيوا المصنوع من أي نوع آخر من الأحجار. ^{[ 7 ]}

It was stated that a proficient warrior armed with a patu was able to defeat a man armed with a longer weapon, like a taiaha or a spear. A fighter using a patu often used a type of pad (whakapuru), held or on the off-side arm, used to parry or lessen the impact of an opposing weapon.^[4]

When not in use mere were carried in a flax belt (tātua) or sometimes suspended from a wrist cord.

Pounamu was highly prized by Māori and the mere pounamu as the weapon of a chief or rangatira, was the most revered of all Māori weapons. These mere were passed through generations; they were given names, and were said to possess a spiritual quality or mana of their own. Particularly special mere were imbued with magical powers, or supernatural qualities. Due to the high value placed on revered mere pounamu they would often be hidden when not in use,^[4] and kept in specially constructed cases.^[8] Considerable efforts were undertaken, often by an entire tribe, to recover or regain significant mere that were lost or stolen. Mere were buried with their chiefly owners, but were considered so valuable that they were later recovered from the grave during the second burial.^[8] It was considered an honour to be killed by a specially significant mere pounamu. Captives would sometimes volunteer their own mere pounamu as their means of execution rather than be killed by a lesser weapon.^[4][8]

Giving such a valuable item was common as a sign of good faith^[9] and it retains this symbolic importance today.^[10][11]

The mere is shown as one of the features of the Māori Kotahitanga flag, where it is crossed with a scroll representing the Treaty of Waitangi.