Taniwha
From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)
Contents |
Taniwha as tribal guardians
Most taniwha are associated with tribal groups; each have a taniwha of their own. The taniwha Ureia, depicted on this page, was associated as a guardian with the people of the Hauraki district. Many well-known taniwha arrived from Hawaiki, often as guardians of a particular ancestral canoe. Once they had arrived in New Zealand, they took on a protective role over the descendants of the crew of the canoe they had accompanied.<ref>One Maori legend mentions taniwha, in the form of wheke (octopuses), escorting two canoes in the Ngati Toa migrations of the 19th century. Another story concerns three taniwha that escorted (Ngati) Ruanui and Nga Puhi on the journey from Hawaiki after the people called out to the atua (spiritual overlords) seeking a means of safe passage. Two taniwha oversaw the safety of Nga Puhi and the other guarded Ruanui.{{fix |link=Wikipedia:Citation needed |text=citation needed |class=noprint Template-Fact |title=This claim needs references to reliable sources |date={{{date|}}} |cat= |cat-date=Category:Articles with unsourced statements}}{{#switch:|Template:-0|Template|Talk={{#if:{{{date|}}}|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements since {{{date}}}||}}|}}}}</ref> The origins of other taniwha are unknown. When taniwha were accorded the appropriate respect, they usually acted well towards their people. Taniwha acted as guardians by warning of the approach of enemies, communicating the information via a priest who was a medium; sometimes the taniwha saved people from drowning. Because they lived in dangerous or dark and gloomy places, the people were careful to placate the taniwha with appropriate offerings if they needed to be in the vicinity or to pass by its lair. These offerings were often of a green twig, accompanied by a fitting incantation. In harvest time, the first sweet potato or the first taro was often presented to the taniwha (Orbell 1998:149-150). The word 'taniwha' could also refer to chiefs. The famous saying of the Waikato people plays on this double meaning: Waikato taniwha rau 'Waikato of a thousand chiefs' (Mead & Groves 2001:421).
As notorious monsters
In their role as guardians, taniwha were vigilant to ensure that the people respected the restrictions imposed by tapu. They made certain that any violations of tapu were punished. Taniwha were especially dangerous to people from other tribes. There are many legends of battles with taniwha, both on land and at sea. Often these conflicts took place soon after the settlement of New Zealand, generally after a taniwha had attacked and eaten a person from a tribe that it had no connection with. Always, the humans manage to outwit and defeat the taniwha. When Hotu-puku, a taniwha of the Rotorua district, was finally killed, his stomach was cut open to reveal a number of bodies of men, women, and children, whole and still undigested, as well as various body parts. The taniwha had swallowed all that his victims had been carrying, for his stomach also contained weapons of various kinds, darts, greenstone ornaments, shark's teeth, flax clothing, and an assortment of fur and feather cloaks of the highest quality (Orbell 1998:149-150, Reed 1963:299).<ref>Reed makes the comment that Hotu-puku's stomach contents constituted a fairly standard list that was repeated in many other taniwha stories.</ref>
Relationships with people
Sometimes, a person who had dealings with taniwha during their lifetime might turn into a taniwha after they died. This happened to Te Tahi-o-te-rangi, who had been a medium for the taniwha, and had been rescued at one time by one of the creatures. Tūheita, an early ancestor who drowned, became a taniwha despite the fact that he had no prior dealings with the mythical beasts. Sometimes relationships are formed between humans and taniwha. Hine-kōrako was a female taniwha who married a human man, and Pānia was a woman from the sea who married a human and gave birth to a taniwha (Orbell 1998:150).
Modern controversy
Beliefs in the existence of a taniwha caused controversy in 2002 when Ngāti Naho, a Māori tribe from the Meremere district, successfully halted and eventually caused the redevelopment of part of the country's major highway, State Highway 1, to be rerouted in order to protect the abode of their legendary protector. This taniwha was said to have the appearance of large white eel, and Ngāti Naho argued that it must not be removed but rather move on of its own accord; to remove the taniwha would be to invite trouble.<ref>"19 December 2002 - Transit New Zealand and Ngati Naho announced today that they had reached agreement on the Taniwha site at Meremere.." [1]. This agreement could be construed as legal acknowledgement of the importance of the mythological creature to the local people.</ref>
Other information
Scientists have named a fossil mosasaur Taniwhasaurus oweni in honour of the taniwha. Another was named Mosasaurus mokoroa after the name of a specific taniwha.
See also
- Taniwharau
External links
- Information and maps on the Meremere taniwha
- Taniwhasaurus oweni
- Taniwha Rugby Club
- Taniwha Wool Mural
- Taniwha - Maori Folklore
Notes
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References
- H.M. Mead, N. Grove, Ngā Pēpeha a ngā Tīpuna, The Sayings of the Ancestors (Victoria University Press: Wellington) , 2001.
- M. Orbell, The Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend (Canterbury University Press: Christchurch), 1998.
- A.W. Reed, Treasury of Maori Folklore (A.H. & A.W. Reed:Wellington), 1963.
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