MYTHOLOGIES OF MAORI/NEW ZEALAND
The Māori (/ˈmaʊri/, Māori: [ˈmaːɔɾi] (listen)) are the indigenousPolynesian people of mainland New Zealand (Aotearoa). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several centuries in isolation, these settlers developed their own distinctive culture, whose language, mythology, crafts, and performing arts evolved independently from those of other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to the Chatham Islands, where their descendants became New Zealand’s other indigenous Polynesian ethnic group, the Moriori.
In the Māori language, the word māori means “normal”, “natural”, or “ordinary”. In legends and oral traditions, the word distinguished ordinary mortal human beings—tāngata māori—from deities and spirits (wairua). Likewise, wai māori denotes “fresh water”, as opposed to salt water. There are cognate words in most Polynesian languages, all deriving from Proto-Polynesian *ma(a)qoli, which has the reconstructed meaning “true, real, genuine”. The earliest period of Māori settlement, known as the “Archaic”, “Moahunter” or “Colonisation” period, dates from c. 1300 to c. 1500. The early Māori diet included an abundance of moa and other large birds and fur seals that had never been hunted before. This Archaic period is known for its distinctive “reel necklaces”, and also remarkable for the lack of weapons and fortifications typical of the later “Classic” Māori.
The Maori are indigenous people of New Zealand. They came from Polynesia in the 1300s. Today, they make up 17% of New Zealand’s population. Te Reo is the official language of the country, along with English and New Zealand sign language. Most places in New Zealand have Maori and English names. The fact is, after hundreds of years of racial integration, there are not many 100% Maori people left. They don’t bear much resemblance to their ancestors in the way they look, carry themselves, or the work they do. Most of them hold high ranking positions in the public and private sectors, as well as own large companies.
Māori people greet each other by pressing foreheads and noses. Traditionally Māori people cook their food underground. Māori people are the greatest storytellers. Māori people can tell a social status through a person’s tattoo. Music and dance (Kapahaka) is very important to Māori people. Māori is a rich distinctive culture that has the combination of art, oratory and collective performance with a spiritual understanding that is entwined with the meaning of their culture, language and people. The language is considered a taonga (a treasure and one to be cherished and protected). This approach is supported by our school’s teaching method and curriculum. To the point we include Maori celebrations such as Waitangi Day ( the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi) and Matariki (Maori new year), into our program.
The Māori people have long remained huge supporters and participants in New Zealand’s sporting heritage, especially with their noticeable representation among rugby and netball teams. Additionally, roughly twenty percent of New Zealand athletes competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics were of Māori descent. With these numbers, it’s no surprise that many New Zealand sports teams, including the national rugby union team, often pay tribute to the Māori culture by performing the haka prior to international matches. Again, attending one of these matches is a fantastic experience you should try to have while studying abroad in New Zealand.
Odds are that you’ve probably already heard of the Haka, a ceremonial war dance of the Māori people which consists of synchronized stomping and chanting combined with vigorous physical motions. There’s actually a lot more to the popular dancing of Haka than it solely being used to intimidate competitors. In fact, Haka is often used as means to greet notable guests, honor significant achievements, or pay respect at occasions or funerals.
Ta moko is the traditional art of tattooing in the Maori culture. They are unique on each individual because they show that person’s genealogy, knowledge and social status with their tribe (or “iwi”). “Moko” was originally done with pigment on the end of a sharp bone hit into the skin. However, nowadays, most Maori people opt for more modern methods of tattooing. Most tattoo parlours in New Zealand offer tattoos with traditional Maori designs.
The first Maori people arrived in New Zealand in the 1300s. It’s not 100% certain where the Maori originally came from, but it is said that the Maori culture as we know it was developed during these first voyages in New Zealand. As this was only around 700 years ago, this makes the Maori culture one of the youngest in the world. The greeting in Maori is called a Hongi. This is when two people press their foreheads and noses briefly together, closing their eyes and breathe deeply. This is to representing sharing the “breath of life” where souls and meeting.
“Our culture sets Aotearoa [the Maori name for New Zealand] apart on the world stage.” Our venue designers, our artists, our leaders and our hosts are embracing Maori culture at many levels in their business-event thinking. Maori culture is more than something we do, it is who we are, from the way we greet our visitors to the time and care we take in hosting them.”
TRADITIONAL HISTORY AND FIRST CONTACT
Their traditional history describes their origins in terms of waves of migration that culminated in the arrival of a “great fleet” in the 14th century from Hawaiki, a mythical land usually identified as Tahiti. This historical account provides the basis for traditional Māori social organization and is generally supported by archaeological discoveries, which have dated Māori arrival in New Zealand to about 1300 CE. Members of each tribe (iwi) recognized a common ancestry (which might be traced through either or both parents) and common allegiance to a chief or chiefs (ariki).
In 1845 some Māori chieftains began ravaging the Bay of Islands and other areas of the far north (in what has sometimes been called the First Māori War), and they were not finally suppressed until 1847, by colonial forces under Gov. Sir George Grey. His victories brought a peace that lasted from 1847 to 1860. In 1857 several tribes of the Waikato area of North Island elected as king Te Wherowhero, who reigned as Pōtatau I. In addition to electing a king, they established a council of state, a judicial system, and a police organization, all of which were intended to support Māori resolve to retain their land and to stop the intertribal warfare over the issue.
The last of the wars—known to the Europeans as “the fire in the fern” and to the Māori as Te riri Pākehā, “the white man’s anger,”—was fought from 1864 to 1872. Hostilities spread to virtually the whole of North Island. The main Māori combatants in the mid-60s were the fanatic Hauhau warriors. The British government wanted to conclude peace in 1864, but the colonial government, wishing to acquire more land, continued the war and assumed an increasing share of the fighting.
“My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul”
The long and intriguing story of the origins of the indigenous Maori people can be traced back to the 13th century, the mythical homeland Hawaiki, Eastern Polynesia. Due to centuries of isolation, the Maori established a distinct society with characteristic art, a separate language and unique mythology.
Originally, Maori architecture in New Zealand was influenced by the styles used back in their Polynesian homelands. Dwellings were temporary, and included small houses with low doors to keep the cold away. Wooden frames covered with reeds and leaves formed the walls of the houses, and fires were burnt inside to keep them warm. The architecture of the Maoris gradually developed with time and, during the 15th Century, they started building community houses called wharepuni. Such houses served as the resting places for many families, and were accompanied by storehouses called pātaka and large kitchens called kāuta. At a much later stage, during the Mid-19th Century, large meeting houses, referred to as whare whakairo, were built by the Maoris to discuss important issues.
Maori culture had, and continues to have, significant impacts on the lives of the people of New Zealand, both native and European. Their language, the Te Reo Maori, has been recognized as one of the three official languages of the country. Maori customs include two major aspects: manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. The former preaches about the practice of kindness and hospitality towards a guest, and the latter inculcates reverence for nature and all of its beings. Both of these aspects are central to Maori culture and have been adopted by a larger section of New Zealanders, since these customs promise the future well-being of all.
Rapid urbanization and migration of Maori men and women to urban settlements threatens the practice of Maori customs and traditions. Indeed, Maori people living in modern, urban areas are usually unable to practice their traditional ways of life. Marriages to those outside their own culture has also led to the creation of an assimilated population, with the Maori culture gradually becoming diluted into that of the dominant New Zealand population and its European influences, which is more often than not given preference to in practice.
KIA ORA! THE EXPRESSION, in New Zealand’s indigenous language, te reo Māori, means different things to different people in different contexts. It may mean “hello,” “thank you,” “goodbye,” “I agree,” or, to people very far away, a concentrated orange juice drink. For many New Zealanders, it’s the only te reo Māori they know. Perhaps because of that, it’s also the theme of this year’s Maori Language Week (Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, that is), currently taking place in a country commonly thought of as home to The Lord of the Rings and a whole lot of sheep.
But te reo Māori, and New Zealand’s indigenous population, were there before either. When the British colonized the country in the 19th century, they brought English with them, and it became the most commonly spoken language nationwide. By the 1970s, te reo Māori was identified as being at risk. Māori parents who had been discouraged from using it when they had been in school were not passing it on to their children, and it began to fade from regular use. On top of that, people feared the language’s small vocabulary meant it would have difficulty adapting to modern usage. There are between about 10,000 and 20,000 te reo Māori words in common use, to English’s 140,000 or so. Words that don’t exist are often borrowed: “secretary,” for instance, becomes “hekeretari.”
New Zealand’s Māori women have more to contend with than ordinary sexism
Aotearoa New Zealand is often lauded as a global forerunner in women’s rights, praise which is usually rooted in our parliament securing the women’s vote before other nations, in 1893. While Māori female elders were repositories of sacred knowledge, women were restricted from even attending school in Britain and Europe. And even though women were significant landholders and
political leaders at the time of the treaty, they were in many cases disallowed or discouraged from signing by the men who were charged with collecting signatures. Such practices were seen around the world, wherever colonisation took place. At the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in North America, officers noted that the women and children were specifically targeted because they would “make up the future strength of the Indian people”.
ORIGINS
The Maori meaning people of the land, are one of the native peoples of Polynesia, that inhabit the islands of New Zealand. Modern research has concluded that the distant ancestors of all Polynesian people are the indigenous aboriginals of Taiwan. In ancient times, speculated to be around 5.200 B.C these people had begun an epic journey, beginning from Taiwan, heading toward South Asia, island hopping for many years before finally reaching their new homes, and settling in New Zealand, Hawaii, Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island and the rest of the smaller islands scattered around the Pacific Ocean.
According to tradition, the first explorer to arrive in Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand, was Kupe. This mythical Polynesian navigator used the stars and ocean currents as his directional guides, and ventured across the Pacific on his voyaging canoe or waka hourua. Ethnologists estimate he arrived in Aotearoa around 925 CE. The first mass arrival of Polynesian settlers, known as the Great Fleet, brought the Māori to Aotearoa in several waves. Modern scholars estimate this happened between 1250 and 1300. The Māori are the native Polynesian people of New Zealand. The ancestors of the Māori originated from south-east Asia. Some historians trace these early settlers as migrating from today’s China. However, more commonly, the indigenous Māori are believed to have come from Haiwaiki, an island or group of islands in Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean. Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer, noticed that the kumara, or the sweet potato, originated in central South America. This was the staple cultivated food crop of the Māori. Along with the very distinct similarities between the Māori language and the culture and those of Polynesia, such as the Cook Islands, Hawaii, and Tahiti, scholars were led to believe that the Māori came from Haiwaiki. It is not possible to locate Haiwaiki on a modern-day map, however.
Maoris are better integrated into NZ-society than Aboriginals in Australia. Here’s why. Indigenous people have it tough across the world. Why are Maoris fairing “less badly” than Aboriginals?
Because of these 3 things:
Smallpox; Maoris were far more unified, & Establishing formal treaties
In fact, over the few preceding days, I noticed a great many things: newsreaders began their shows with “Kia Ora”, instead of Good Evening, there were Maori TV channels and language lessons, the Hakka was performed by the National Rugby League team to large crowd filled stadiums, a Maori party prominently featured in national politics, Maori issues often discussed in the news, and Maori words — be they names of places, people, or things — were enunciated with care, by white and brown alike.
The rich and varied Maori culture holds much prominence in today’s world. Known for its contemporary and traditional art, this culture has earned immense appreciation over the years. Traditional arts like weaving, whaikorero (oratory), kapa haka (group performance), and moko (tattoo) are practiced throughout New Zealand. Practitioners follow the footsteps of their ancestors and implement the techniques that they used to produce marvelous art work. Additionally, they also develop their individual forms and techniques so as to come up with masterpieces. Now, Maori culture also includes film, art, poetry, television, theatre, and hip-hop music.
MAORI CULTURE HISTORY
Maoris may trace their arrival back to the influx of the first waka from Hawaiki (the original home of the Maori). The term “waka” may imply “descendants from a canoe” or “canoe” based on the context. The settlers from the waka segregated into tribes (iwi). However, with a considerable increase in the population of this tribe, the iwis further got split into whanau and hapu. Genealogy has always held importance in Maori culture. In fact, the prestige and status to the Maori were largely based on their origins. Over and above, they called on their ancestors for providing guidance and spiritual strength. “Whakapapa” is the term used for describing Maori genealogy
According to Māori and Polynesian myths and legends, Māui was the gifted and clever demigod who won the affection of his supernatural parents after a miraculous birth and upbringing. He was bold and sharp-witted and taught useful arts to mankind, although he was not always liked. He tamed the sun and bought fire to the world, but one of his most famous feats was the creation of the islands we know today as Aotearoa, New Zealand. Māori believe that one-night Māui’s four brothers planned to go fishing and leave him behind. Overhearing their plans and not wanting to be left out, Māui hid under the floorboards of his brother’s canoe and waited until they were far away from the shore before revealing himself. He had carved a magic fishhook from an ancestors’ jawbone and he cast it deep into the sea, chanting powerful words.
Soon, Māui realized he had caught something. Something huge! With the help of his brothers, the catch was hurled to the surface of the water. Much to their surprise, the fish they had caught was in fact a huge piece of land and they were delighted to find that they had discovered ‘Te Ika a Māui’ (Māui’s fish), which we know today as the North Island. Before Māui had time to thank Tangaroa (the god of the sea) for the gift of this land, Māui’s brothers began carving out pieces of the huge fish, creating the many valleys, mountains, and lakes that you see today on the North Island.
Māori arrival and settlement
New Zealand has a shorter human history than any other country. The date of first settlement is a matter of debate, but current understanding is that the first arrivals came from East Polynesia in the late 13th century. It was not until 1642 that Europeans became aware the country existed.
A ROBUST PEOPLE
In favourable conditions, Māori lived reasonably well. Their life expectancy was low by modern standards, but comparable to that of Europeans in the same era. The Māori population before European contact may have reached 100,000.
AN ORAL CULTURE
Māori passed on rich and detailed history and legends orally. Society was organised around groups that traced their descent from common ancestors. Reciting whakapapa (genealogies) was an important way to communicate knowledge.
WARFARE
The concepts of mana (status) and utu (reciprocity) were central to the culture, and led to widespread warfare. But the violence was usually episodic. For most of the time Māori lived not in fortified pā but in unprotected settlements or seasonal camps.
MATERIAL CULTURE
The greatest achievements of Māori material culture were carving wood for important buildings and canoes, and fashioning stone and bone into tools and ornaments. Warfare did not inhibit regular trade in desirable stones and foods, and was itself a means by which resources were appropriated.
Māori (Māori: [ˈmaːɔɾi] (listen)), also known as te reo (‘the language’), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian, it gained recognition as one of New Zealand’s official languages in 1987. The number of speakers of the language has declined sharply since 1945.
11 Fascinating Māori Myths and Legends
Māori myths and legends offer a fascinating take on New Zealand’s origins and the Earth’s creation. There are stories about gods (ngā atua), mythical creatures, nature, warfare and astronomy to name a few. Māori are indigenous Polynesian people who arrived in New Zealand between the year 1250 and 1300 from eastern Polynesia. They had a long and hard journey on canoes to reach New Zealand and this voyage became known as the “Great Fleet”. The majority of the Māori people live in the North of New Zealand and today, many tourists flock to these areas in order to experience the Māori culture, history and food.
THE CREATION STORY tells the tale of Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatūanuku the Earth Mother, and their many children plotting to separate them. In RONA AND THE MOON we learn how Marama, the Moon, came to look the way it does in our southern skies today. THE GREAT WAKA tells of the creation of The Milky Way with all its constellations, and how they have been used through the ages to guide Polynesian sailors navigating the southern seas.
Monomyth
The core structure of mythology is called the monomyth. It involves three rites of passage—separation, initiation, and return. From the myths of the ancient Egyptians and the medieval Arthurian legend to the Maori myths and legends of New Zealand, the pattern of the hero’s journey usually follows this cycle: a separation from the world he or she has always known (embarking on the quest), gaining some spiritual or other-worldly power, and a return in which they share the boon of the new power with humanity. There are familiar beats throughout world-legend—the call to action; the initial reluctance of the hero; the aid of a supernatural helper; the crossing of the threshold into the world of the unknown; union with the mother-goddess; the slaying of the father-god; the return to the land of the living; and the sharing of the ultimate boon. We’ll look at how one, in particular, is exemplified in Maori myths and legends.
7 MOST FASCINATING MĀORI LEGENDS
The Separation of the Earth and the Sky
In Maori tradition, Tāne is known as the creator of human life and the world as we see it. He is given various names according to the different roles he plays in local legends. The most common story around this god involves Tāne separating his parents Ranginui (the ‘sky father’) and Papatūānuku (the ‘earth mother’) from their tight embrace that once shrouded the planet in darkness.
Māui Fishing at North Island
This is one of the most well-known Māori legends around. In local NZ tradition, Māui is associated with the origins of the island itself. As the tale goes, New Zealand’s North Island is the fish that the mischievous Māui hauled up the Pacific Ocean, while the South Island served as his canoe. Nearby Stewart Island is widely considered to have been the canoe’s anchor.
| Maui, the legendary hero of Maori mythology, and the creation of New Zealand. Maui used a magic jawbone for fishing and pulled New Zealand out of the sea. |
Tāwhirimātea the Weather God
Tāwhirimātea was another of Ranginui and Papatūānuku’s sons, and opposed their separation. In his anger over what his brothers had done, he sent the winds and the clouds to rain down upon the Earth in formidable storms. Tāne’s forests were destroyed by these storms, but ultimately, Tūmatauenga managed to defeat his malicious brother.
Supernatural Taniwha
According to Māori legend, Taniwha are supernatural monsters that can be compared to lizard or shark-like humanoids. To this day, local tribes-people still believe that these creatures exist in the waterways and rivers of New Zealand. One of the most infamous Taniwha is Tuhirangi, who protected Kupe of Polynesia as he discover the Cook Strait. Nowadays, we would be more likely to play at Crazy Luck Casino for fun rather than sailing in search of new continents like he did!
Māngōroa the Galaxy-Creating Shark
Sharks are viewed as protectors and guardians in Polynesian cultures, and Māori mythology agrees. According to old legends, Māui placed the shark Māngōroa way up in the sky to form what we know today to be the Milky Way galaxy.
The Battle of Mountains
One of New Zealand’s most pervasive legends when it comes to the creation of its mountains is the legend of the battle of the mountains. When the Earth was still young, the Māori say that 4 warriors – Tongariro, Taranaki, Tauhara and Pūtauaki – battled to win the affections of the mountain girl Pihanga. Tongariro eventually won the fight, and the mountains that were defeated separated to create the ranges that cover NZ today.
The Beginnings of Matariki
Matariki is a term associated with both the Māori New Year and the constellation that gave the tradition its name. The term translates to ‘the eyes of god’, and originated from a myth associated with the weather god Tāwhirimātea. It is said that in his anger in seeing his parents separated, he gouged out his own eyes and threw them into the heavens where they remain to this day.
Maori peoples are an indigenous people who traveled to New Zealand or Aotearoa between the 9th and 13th centuries from the Hawaiian islands using large canoes. Maori is derived from the term Ma-Uri or Children of Heaven. Known to be fierce warriors, they inhabited Polynesia including the Cooke Islands, Samoan Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, and the Niue Islands. With them came their traditions, folklore and customs. Mythologies and spiritual beliefs were important and were shared generation through generation. Even though Christian missionary work had a major part in shaping modern New Zealand, Maori communities held on to their ancestry and local myths which are present today. They believe in a world where gods control people’s lives and could be found in nature. All things have a life force. They have myths to explain the creation of the earth, the stars and moon and special events. They are renown for their decorative artwork and use art to describe their beliefs. There are priests who conduct rites. Spirits are good or evil and could influence people. Myths and religious knowledge are shared by stories through the elders to the young.
Pūrākau (Māori myths and legends)
Supernatural beings like the legendary Taniwha are called Tipua in Maori. They can take any form and dwell in the natural environment. Sometimes they become guardians like the famed Taniwha. The Taniwha is a great example because there are many who believe the whale in Whale Rider and the Paikea mythology was a whale form of a Taniwha. “I would contend that these supernatural elements in the film, particularly the figure of the giant whale, which Ihimaera referred to repeatedly in the original novel as a taniwha, along with other instances of similar content in other texts, also have a more specific function as indexes of a new confidence in the expression of Maori worldviews within New Zealand culture.” Like many supernatural creatures they can be fierce and monstrous and highly regarded spiritual guardians. Trees and rocks are also seen as supernatural being as termed in Tipua such as ” Rakau Tipua” (supernatural trees) and ” Kohatu Tipua” (Supernatural rocks).
Te Ara – Encyclopedia of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Māori people, who define themselves as iwi (tribes), by descent from the crew of voyaging canoes or other illustrious ancestors. Over the centuries the tribes have adapted to new circumstances. Some have combined, while others have divided, and they have moved from place to place in response to changing conditions. ‘Te ara’ in Māori means ‘the pathway’. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand offers many pathways to understanding New Zealand. It is a comprehensive guide to the country’s peoples, natural environment, history, culture, economy, institutions and society. As an encyclopedia founded on historical principles, it is written mainly in the past tense.
Kāore noa iho i roa te wā, ka ako te Māori mō ngā tipu me ngā kararehe nā te Pākehā i mau ki Aotearoa, ko te otinga, ka whai hua i ngā tauhokohoko ahuwhenua. Heoi, nā ētahi ture hou i unu te mana o ngā iwi ki ō rātou whenua, ka whakawhiwhi kē ki tēnā tangata takitahi, ki tēnā tangata takitahi. Nō konei ka uaua ngā kaupapa ahuwhenua a ngā iwi. I whakatenatena a Āpirana Ngata i ngā iwi kia whakatū rōpū kaitiaki, kaporeihana hoki hei whakahaere i ngā pāmu. Ahakoa tini ngā tāngata kīhai i te noho i runga ō rātou whenua papatipu, ka hiahia tonu rātou kia whai wāhi ki ngā kaupapa me ngā whakahaere o te whenua.
Myths are set in the remote past and their content often have to do with the supernatural. They present Māori ideas about the creation of the universe and the origins of gods (atua) and people. The mythology accounts for natural phenomena, the weather, the stars and the moon, the fish of the sea, the birds of the forest, and the forests themselves. Much of the culturally institutioned behaviour of the people finds its sanctions in myth, such as opening ceremonies performed at dawn to reflect the coming of light into the world. In one generalised telling of the universe’s creation: in the beginning, there was Te Kore (The Nothing; Void) which became Te Korematua (The Parentless Void) in its search for procreation. From it came Te Pō (The Night), becoming Te Pōroa (The Long Night), and then becoming Te Pōnui (The Great Night). Gradually Te Ao (The Light) glimmered into existence, stretching to all corners of the universe to become Te Aotūroa (The Long-Standing Light)] Next came Te Ata (The Dawn), from which came Te Mākū (The Moisture), and Mahoranuiatea (Cloud of the Dawn). Te Mākū and Mahoranuiatea wed to form Rangi.
According to the New Zealand encyclopedia “Paikea was the grandfather of Tahupōtiki, the founding ancestor of Ngāi Tahu. An important ancestor to both Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Konohi of Whāngārā, Paikea is depicted on Ngāi Tahu marae”. He was almost killed off by Ruatapu an unwelcomed son who seeked revenge. Paikea jumped to the sea and was rescued by the sea gods he called on. He started his family in the Ngati Porou tribe in the area of Whangara.
Maui and his brothers were continually frustrated that there was never enough sunlight during the day to get their work done. No matter how early they got up, Tamanuitera (the sun) would move swiftly across the sky and always set before they were finished the day’s tasks. One day Maui announced he would capture Tamanuitera and force him to stay in the sky longer so they could enjoy extra daylight. So he got all the women in the tribe to gather and weave flax into strong ropes. He then set off to the east equipped with the rope and a magic axe made from the jawbone of his grandfather to find Tamanuitera lair.
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