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Māori Myths and Legends

Explore Māori culture through the pūrākau about creation myths including and Ranginui and Papatūānuke, the exploits of Maui Kupe’s voyage and discovery of Aotearoa, and legends about gods, goddesses, places and taniwha. SCIS no. 1808309

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Mahuika and her fingernails of fire

Mahuika and her fingernails of fire

In one tradition Auahi-roa (a comet) married Mahuika – goddess of fire and the grandmother of Māui.

Māori myths and traditions: myths

The main body of Māori mythology is contained in three story complexes.

Māori religion and mythology

Digitised copy of Elsdon Best’s work Māori Religion and Mythology.

Many Answers has relevant links to Māori myths and legends.

Māori myths and legends in clay

Māori myths and legends in clay

Māori myths and legends expressed in clay by Lower Hutt sculptor Frances Wood.

Tiniru and Kae: a Māori legend

Newspaper article about the legend of Tinirau and Kae.

Fairy folk tales of the Māori

Māori legends of the “Patu-paiarehe” by James Cowen.

Māui chants the fishing karakia

The demi-god Māui chants a karakia (incantation) to entice his great fish to the surface.

Māui

Carving of Māui capturing the sun. Māui was one of the great characters of Hawaiki, renowned for his daring.

Tamatoa the brave warrior – the taniwha

Tamatoa the brave warrior – the taniwha

In this episode, the pint-sized Tamatoa sets off to rescue his talkative friend Moko the tuatara.

Māori myths and legends

Māori myths and legends

A DNZ set of items relating to Māori myth and legend heroes.

Taniwha: freshwater taniwha

Taniwha were also believed to inhabit lakes, rivers and other freshwater areas.

Gods of the natural world

Gods of the natural world

Traditionally, Māori divided the natural world into realms ruled by various gods. These gods, the children of Ranginui (sky) and Papatūānuku (earth), were seen as the original kaitiaki (guardians) ...

Matariki story – Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Matariki story – Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Hear the Matariki story of Ngāti Toa Rangatira iwi (tribe), retold for children by kaumātua (elder) Te Waari Carkeek.

Māui names the land

Māui names the land

Māui’s legendary fishing up of the North Island gave rise to many place names.

Pania Of The Reef

Pania Of The Reef

A photograph of the Pania Of The Reef statue in Napier, New Zealand.

The little New Zealand mermaid

The little New Zealand mermaid

The story of the Little Mermaid is being retold in a new way at the Court Theatre these school holidays.

Hatupatu’s rock

Hatupatu’s rock

A distinctive rock by the side of State Highway 1 is significant to Māori for its role in the story of Hatupatu.

Māori myths & legends with a love theme

Māori myths & legends with a love theme

Peter Dowling on New Zealand place names and their links to Māori myths and legends.

Newspaper article about the opera ‘Hinemoa’ performed in 1915.

Hinemoa and Tutanekai sculpture

Hinemoa and Tutanekai sculpture

A sculpture of Hinemoa and Tutanekai in Rotorua.

A legend of the Whanganui river

A legend of the Whanganui river

This documentary film tells the story of the Whanganui River. It recounts a Māori myth believing the river is the path carved by a god.

Tiki carving

A photograph of a Tiki carved into a wooden waka (canoe) at Te Puia, Rotorua.

Māui

The demigod Māui is suspended over the smoke of a fire by his grandfather.

The Gods of the ancient Māori world

The Gods of the ancient Māori world

Discusses the Māori gods of pre-European times.

Ranginui – the sky: Polynesian myths

Traditionally, Māori divided the natural world into realms ruled by various gods. These gods, were the children of Ranginui (sky) and Papatūānuku (earth).

Kūmara whakapapa

This kūmara whakapapa (genealogy) shows how kūmara is descended from Rongo-māui and Pani-tinaku.

Māui legend

Māori family (ancestors of the Reiri family) outside a whare puni (small communal sleeping house) at Mangaakuta, a hamlet near Masterton. The legend regarding the fishing of the North Island byMāu...

Stage set for Hinemoa

Stage set for Hinemoa

A stage set for Hinemoa as performed at the City Hall Auckland

Hinemoa

Shows a naked Hinemoa walking thigh-deep through water, towing two gourds on a string around her waist, and dipping her left hand in the water. At the top left is a constellation of stars and these...

Mokoia Island from Ohinemutu

Mokoia Island from Ohinemutu

Painting titled Mokoia Island from Ohinemutu by Charles Blomfield.

Māui

A group of men representing oil companies, and the New Zealand Prime Minister Norman Kirk are pulling on the ropes of a net to drag to shore a Māori ancestor figure, Māuii, who holds a flaming tor...

How Māui slowed the sun

A famous Māori legend from the animated series, A Māui te tipua - Māui, the enchanted.

Te mahi hī a Māui - Māui’s fishing

Bilingual lesson plan for the myth Te mahi hī a Māui - Māui’s fishing.

Top 5 Māori gods

Video about the five famous Māori gods.

Rona in the moon

Poem about the legend Rona and the Moon.

The story of Auckland

Legend behind the Auckland – Tāmaki Makaurau.

Myths and Legends of Te Tau Ihu

Te Tau Ihu myths about events in the history of the South Island.

Māori myths and legends to live by

A recent article celebrating te reo Māori and famous parakau or legends of the land.

Mataora Moko - Robley: Te Ropere, 1840—1930

The designs of Maori male facial tattooing commonly known as Moko, are also referred to as Mataora Moko. Mataora is the Mythical figure attributed with venturing into Rarohenga (the Underworld), br...

Ngā Pūrākau me Ngā Pakiwaitara

This link very briefly explains why myths and legends are important.

Māori mythologies of creation

Tales from the mythologies of creation, including Maui and Aoraki.

Māori myths and legends

A gallery of items relating to Māori myths and legends.

Māori legends and myths

Four popular Māori Myths and Legends.

Units and lesson plans

Units and lesson plans for a drama on Māui.

Māori creation story in sand art

Marcus Winter is an indigenous artist of New Zealand, and is the only "performance painter" of his kind in Australasia and the Pacific.

Matariki waiata (song)

Song about the seven stars of Matariki.

The Story of the waka of the gods

Legends of how the Gods made the Waka.

The origins of pounamu

Different myths and legends on the origin of pounamu.

Legends of the Māori

Anthology of Māori myths and legends.

Tukutuku Tuturu Māori

Education kit about Māori patterns and their links to myths and legends.

Myth lesson plans

Pdf with mythology lesson plans, flowcharts and worksheets.

Māori legends

Many Answers has relevant links to Māori myths and legends.

Tiki carving

A photograph and information about a tiki carved from pounamu.

Pania Of The Reef

Pania Of The Reef

A photograph of the Pania Of The Reef statue in Napier, New Zealand.

Maui fishing

Maui fishing New Zealand out of the ocean

The great fish of Maui

The great fish of Maui

This picture illustrates the Māori myth of fishing up New Zealand (in other words, its discovery) by the Polynesian hero and demi-god Maui-tikitiki-o-Taranga.