Mahuhu-ki-te-rangi
Encyclopedia
In Māori tradition
, Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi (also known as Māhuhu) was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes
that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand
.
According to Māori traditions, the waka
Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi explored the upper reaches of the North Island north of the Kaipara
harbour during early Māori settlement
of New Zealand.. Its crew explored Whangaroa
, Tākou and Whangaruru
. They continued south before returning to Pārengarenga and sailing down the west coast.
On the west coast there are two narratives of the captaincy of Māhuhu. Te Roroa
people of the Waipoua forest say the Māhuhu canoe was captained by Whakatau and called at Kawerua on the west coast of the North Island where Whakatau's son married a local. The alternative narrative, told by the Te Uri-o-Hau and Te Taoū (from the Ngāti Whātua
tribe of Helensville and Auckland
) has Māhuhu under the command of Rongomai and stopping not at Kawerua but Tāporapora Island in the Kaipara Harbour
(this island no longer exists). Rongomai was drowned when the canoe overturned after visiting the island and his body was eaten by the araara or trevally
fish. Because of this incident, the Nga Puhi and Te Rarawa
iwi
who claim descent from Rongomai, did not dare to eat the trevally in the times before they embraced Christianity. The tradition then tells of Māhuhu heading back north to Rangaunu Harbour
where the crew eventually settled. At the end of its service the waka
was interred in a creek, Te Waipopo-o-Māhuhu in the Rangaunu Harbour
.
As part of the 1990 commemorations of the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
, Ngāti Whātua
made a large waka which also bears the name Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi or Māhuhu-o-te-rangi.
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...
, Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi (also known as Māhuhu) was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes
Maori migration canoes
Various Māori traditions recount how their ancestors set out from their homeland in great ocean-going canoes . Some of these traditions name a mythical homeland called Hawaiki....
that was used in the migrations that settled 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...
.
According to Māori traditions, the waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi explored the upper reaches of the North Island north of the Kaipara
Kaipara
Kaipara can refer to:*Kaipara Harbour, a bay in northern New Zealand**Kaipara River, a river draining into the harbour**Kaipara District, an administrative division centred around the harbour*Kaipara a former Parliamentary electorate...
harbour during early Māori settlement
Maori migration canoes
Various Māori traditions recount how their ancestors set out from their homeland in great ocean-going canoes . Some of these traditions name a mythical homeland called Hawaiki....
of New Zealand.. Its crew explored Whangaroa
Whangaroa
Whangaroa is a locality on the harbour of the same name in Northland, New Zealand.Whangaroa is 8km north-west from Kaeo and 45km north from Okaihau. The harbour is almost landlocked and is popular both as a fishing spot in its own right and as a base for deep-sea fishing.The harbour was the scene...
, Tākou and Whangaruru
Whangaruru
Whangaruru is a locality and harbour on the east coast of Northland, New Zealand. Whangarei is to the south and the Bay of Islands to the northwest....
. They continued south before returning to Pārengarenga and sailing down the west coast.
On the west coast there are two narratives of the captaincy of Māhuhu. Te Roroa
Te Roroa
Te Roroa is a Māori iwi from Northland, New Zealand....
people of the Waipoua forest say the Māhuhu canoe was captained by Whakatau and called at Kawerua on the west coast of the North Island where Whakatau's son married a local. The alternative narrative, told by the Te Uri-o-Hau and Te Taoū (from the Ngāti Whātua
Ngati Whatua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It consists of four hapu : Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taoū, and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei....
tribe of Helensville and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
) has Māhuhu under the command of Rongomai and stopping not at Kawerua but Tāporapora Island in the Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
(this island no longer exists). Rongomai was drowned when the canoe overturned after visiting the island and his body was eaten by the araara or trevally
White trevally
White trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex, is a jack of the family Carangidae widespread in tropical and warm temperate areas between 40°N and 47°S, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has a deep body, and a greenish colour with metallic overtones and a dark spot above the...
fish. Because of this incident, the Nga Puhi and Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand.-Prominent Te Rarawa:*Hector Busby, navigator and waka builder.*Whina Cooper, woman of mana, teacher, storekeeper and community leader....
iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
who claim descent from Rongomai, did not dare to eat the trevally in the times before they embraced Christianity. The tradition then tells of Māhuhu heading back north to Rangaunu Harbour
Rangaunu Harbour
Rangaunu Harbour is a shallow harbour in the far north of New Zealand. It is situated on the east coast at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula. The name in Māori means "To pull out a shoal of fish". With an area of it is the fifth-largest harbour in New Zealand....
where the crew eventually settled. At the end of its service the waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
was interred in a creek, Te Waipopo-o-Māhuhu in the Rangaunu Harbour
Rangaunu Harbour
Rangaunu Harbour is a shallow harbour in the far north of New Zealand. It is situated on the east coast at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula. The name in Māori means "To pull out a shoal of fish". With an area of it is the fifth-largest harbour in New Zealand....
.
As part of the 1990 commemorations of the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
, Ngāti Whātua
Ngati Whatua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It consists of four hapu : Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taoū, and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei....
made a large waka which also bears the name Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi or Māhuhu-o-te-rangi.