Ngahue
Encyclopedia
According to Maori mythology
Ngahue (sometimes known as Ngake) was a contemporary of Kupe
and one of the first Polynesian
explorers to reach New Zealand
. He was a native of the Hawaiki
and voyaged to New Zealand in “Tāwhirirangi
”, his waka
(canoe). No time has been fixed for these voyages, but according to legend he discovered pounamu (Greenstone) and Ngahue killed a Moa
(large flightless bird - now extinct) Pounamu was sometimes called Te Ika-o-Ngāhue (Ngāhue’s fish). and they took several boulders back to Hawaiki.
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...
Ngahue (sometimes known as Ngake) was a contemporary of Kupe
Kupe
In the Māori mythology of some tribes, Kupe was involved in the Polynesian discovery of New Zealand.-Contention:There is contention concerning the status of Kupe. The contention turns on the authenticity of later versions of the legends, the so-called 'orthodox' versions closely associated with S....
and one of the first Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
explorers to reach 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...
. He was a native of the Hawaiki
Hawaiki
In Māori mythology, Hawaiki is the homeland of the Māori, the original home of the Māori, before they travelled across the sea to New Zealand...
and voyaged to New Zealand in “Tāwhirirangi
Tawhirirangi
In Māori tradition, Tāwhirirangi was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand. Tāwhirirangi was captained by Ngāhue, and originally landed in the Bay of Plenty before heading to the South Island...
”, his 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...
(canoe). No time has been fixed for these voyages, but according to legend he discovered pounamu (Greenstone) and Ngahue killed a Moa
Moa
The moa were eleven species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about ....
(large flightless bird - now extinct) Pounamu was sometimes called Te Ika-o-Ngāhue (Ngāhue’s fish). and they took several boulders back to Hawaiki.