THE HOEROA IS MENTIONED AS BEING USED AS A THROWING CLUB WITH A CORD ATTACHED TO IT. FROM THE ONES I HAVE SEEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE VERY AWKWARD AND IMPRACTICAL TO USE THAT WAY. THERE ARE THROWING WEAPONS CALLED KOTAHA ALSO SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS WHIP SPEAR. IT IS BASICALLY A ATAL ATAL ,SPEAR THROWER WITH A CORD USED TO THROW A SMALL DART OR SPEAR. THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN IS THE SPEAR BUTT IS STUCK IN THE GROUND THE CORD ATTACHED FROM THE THROWING STICK TO IT THEN THE OPERATOR WHIPS IT FORWARD AND AROUND AND THE CORD IS RELEASED AT THE PROPER TIME TO PROPEL THE DART WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE A LONG DISTANCE. PERHAPS THE HOEROA WAS USED AS THE SPEAR THROWER RATHER THAN THE PROJECTILE.?
THERE ARE SOME WEB SITES GIVING BETTER INFORMATION BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LINK THEM. SOME PICTURES OF SPEARS AND SPEAR THROWERS
#1. PICTURE SHOWING 1. KOTAHA KURUTAI 2.KOTAHA 3. HOEROA AKA PARAOA
#2. & #3. PICTURES SHOWING HOW SPEAR IS PLACED AND THROWING TECKNIQUE
#4. DRAWING OF TWO EXAMPLES OF KOTAHA I ASSUME THE CARVING IS AT THE END THAT IS GRIPPED.
#5 THRU #12 VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF KOTAHA
THE SPEARS ARE USUALLY LIGHT WEIGHT WITH NOTCHED TIPS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO BREAK OFF IN THE BODY AND USUALLY ASSURED A SLOW DEATH. PERHAPS THESE WERE USED WHEN DEFENDING THE VILLAGE AS THE MAORI DID NOT USE BOWS OR BLOWGUNS.