Ringatu
Encyclopedia
The Ringatū church was founded in 1868 by Te Kooti
Rikirangi. The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand, or "Ringa Tū" in Māori
.
Te Kooti was one of a number of Māori detained at the Chatham Islands
without trial in relation to the East Coast disturbances of the 1860s. During his captivity, Te Kooti studied the Bible intensely and conducted religious services based particularly on the Old Testament. His mana
and understanding of the Bible led many other detainees to reject the Pai Marire
movement and convert to his new faith.
In June 1868, Te Kooti's followers seized a vessel and sailed back to the North Island of New Zealand. From the next four years Te Kooti and his followers fought a series of battles
with Government forces and Te Kooti was pursued until his pardon in 1883. During this time, his personal popularity and following in Ringatu continued to grow.
In 1926, Robert (Rapata) Biddle, a Minister and Secretary of this faith, designed the Ringatu seal (crest). The seal consists of the Old and New Testament in the centre, surrounded by the words Te Ture A Te Ātua Me Te Whakapono Ō Ihu meaning 'The Law of God and the Truth of Jesus'. There are also two upraised hands (one on either side of the inner design) and an eagle perched atop the centre ring (in reference to Deuteronomy
32:11-12, where the eagle is compared to God).
Ringatū services are generally held at a tribal meeting houses and the church leaders include a poutikanga and a tohunga, an expert in church law. Church members read and memorise scripture, and chants and hymns are also held in memory.
The 2006 New Zealand census showed 16,000 members of the Ringatū Church, with a third found in the Bay of Plenty
region.
Te Kooti
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatu religion and guerrilla.While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Chatham Islands without trial along with captured Hauhau, he experienced visions and...
Rikirangi. The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand, or "Ringa Tū" in Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
.
Te Kooti was one of a number of Māori detained at the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
without trial in relation to the East Coast disturbances of the 1860s. During his captivity, Te Kooti studied the Bible intensely and conducted religious services based particularly on the Old Testament. His mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
and understanding of the Bible led many other detainees to reject the Pai Marire
Pai Marire
The Pai Mārire movement was a syncretic Māori religion that flourished in New Zealand from about 1863 to 1874. Founded in Taranaki by the prophet Te Ua Haumene, it incorporated Biblical and Māori spiritual elements and promised its followers deliverance from Pākehā domination, providing a...
movement and convert to his new faith.
In June 1868, Te Kooti's followers seized a vessel and sailed back to the North Island of New Zealand. From the next four years Te Kooti and his followers fought a series of battles
Te Kooti's War
Te Kooti's War was one of the New Zealand Wars, the series of conflicts fought between 1845 and 1872 between the Māori and the colonizing European settlers, often referred to as Pākehā. This particular conflict covered most of the East Cape region and the centre of the North Island of New Zealand...
with Government forces and Te Kooti was pursued until his pardon in 1883. During this time, his personal popularity and following in Ringatu continued to grow.
In 1926, Robert (Rapata) Biddle, a Minister and Secretary of this faith, designed the Ringatu seal (crest). The seal consists of the Old and New Testament in the centre, surrounded by the words Te Ture A Te Ātua Me Te Whakapono Ō Ihu meaning 'The Law of God and the Truth of Jesus'. There are also two upraised hands (one on either side of the inner design) and an eagle perched atop the centre ring (in reference to Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
32:11-12, where the eagle is compared to God).
Ringatū services are generally held at a tribal meeting houses and the church leaders include a poutikanga and a tohunga, an expert in church law. Church members read and memorise scripture, and chants and hymns are also held in memory.
The 2006 New Zealand census showed 16,000 members of the Ringatū Church, with a third found in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region.
See also
- Season of the JewSeason of the JewSeason of the Jew is an historical novel by Maurice Shadbolt, published in 1987. Set in mid-nineteenth century New Zealand it is a semi-fictionalized account of the story of the Māori leader Te Kooti, told from the perspective of one of his pursuers, an officer in the colonial army.-Explanation of...
(a historical novel that refers to the history of the Ringatū)