Aotea (canoe)
Encyclopedia
In Māori tradition
, Aotea is one of the canoes by which Māori migrated to New Zealand
; it is particularly associated with the tribes of Taranaki and Whanganui, including Ngāti Ruanui
and other tribal groups. Aotea was a double canoe built by Toto from half of a great tree from Hawaiki, the other half being used for the canoe Matahourua
. Toto gave Aotea to his daughter Rongorongo
, who was married to Turi
. In strife with the chief Uenuku
, Turi killed the chief's son and thereafter had to flee for New Zealand with 33 passengers. During the voyage, they stopped at Rangitahua and encountered some of the crew from the Kurahaupō
canoe (Craig 1989:24). The Aotea canoe arrived at Aotea
Harbour on the west coast of the North Island
, and its people eventually settled in the Taranaki region.
Maori mythology
Māori mythology and Māori traditions are the two major categories into which the legends of the Māori of New Zealand may usefully be divided...
, Aotea is one of the canoes by which Māori migrated to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
; it is particularly associated with the tribes of Taranaki and Whanganui, including Ngāti Ruanui
Ngati Ruanui
Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi.-Early history:...
and other tribal groups. Aotea was a double canoe built by Toto from half of a great tree from Hawaiki, the other half being used for the canoe Matahourua
Matahourua
In Māori tradition, Matahourua was the canoe of the legendary hero Kupe, who, in some accounts, was the discoverer of Aotearoa .-References:...
. Toto gave Aotea to his daughter Rongorongo
Rongorongo (wife of Turi)
In Māori tradition, Rongorongo is the wife of Turi, the chief of the Aotea canoe. She is an ancestress of the Whanganui and Ngati Ruanui iwi. The Aotea canoe was given to Rongorongo as a present by her father Toto .-References:...
, who was married to Turi
Turi (Maori ancestor)
Turi, according to Māori tradition, was the captain of the Aotea canoe and an important ancestor for many Māori iwi, particularly in the Taranaki region.-Arrival in New Zealand:...
. In strife with the chief Uenuku
Uenuku
In Māori mythology, Uenuku is the god of rainbows. He is particularly special to the Tainui Māori.-Legend:The legend of Uenuku is similar to many other vanishing lover tales such as Cupid and Psyche or Beauty and the Beast....
, Turi killed the chief's son and thereafter had to flee for New Zealand with 33 passengers. During the voyage, they stopped at Rangitahua and encountered some of the crew from the Kurahaupō
Kurahaupo
In Taranaki tribal tradition, Kurahaupō is known as 'Te Waka Pakaru ki te moana' or 'The Canoe broken at sea', and was reputed to have arrived in Aotearoa in the same generation as the other great migration vessels of the Māori like Aotea, Mataatua, Takitimu, Tainui, Arawa etc...
canoe (Craig 1989:24). The Aotea canoe arrived at Aotea
Aotea
Aotea can refer to:*Great Barrier Island*Aotea Square, a square in downtown Auckland*Aotea Harbour, a natural harbour in New Zealand*Aotea , traditional canoe by which some Māori settled New Zealand...
Harbour on the west coast of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, and its people eventually settled in the Taranaki region.