Pahoa A'u Ku - Swordfish bill dagger
John M Cummings III
Pahoa A'u Ku - Swordfish bill dagger
Craft
The Pahoa A’u Ku was one of many weapons carried into battle by Hawaiian Warriors trained in the art of Lua or bone breaking. Pahoa of this style would be carried tucked in the malo (loin cloth) and used as a piercing weapon in close quarters fighting. The favored killing blow would be either a thrust down the clavicle into the heart and lungs or directly into the eye socket puncturing the brain. This Pahoa is made from the bill of the Pacific Swordfish and the handle is wrapped in white bark cloth with coconut sennit to improve the grip. The bark cloth and sennit would absorb blood, sweat, sea water or other body fluids.