Wellington Harbour's taniwha - Roadside Stories

Wellington's wind-buffeted airport is on land uplifted from the sea by earthquakes. In Māori tradition, the harbour was once a lake occupied by two taniwha (supernatural creatures). One of the taniwha created the harbour entrance by breaking out to the open sea. Polynesian navigator Kupe is also believed to have visited Wellington Harbour.
Wellington Harbour,
www.teara.govt....
Historic earthquakes,
www.teara.govt....
Taniwha of the sea,
www.teara.govt....
Kupe,
www.teara.govt....
Islands in Wellington Harbour,
www.teara.govt....
Prisoners of war on Somes Island,
www.teara.govt....
-
Taonga puoro courtesy of Richard Nunns.
Roadside Stories are a series of audio guides to places of interest on major road trips in New Zealand. Each guide tells the story of an attraction along the way -- its people, its history, its cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit www.mch.govt.nz...

[@adambamf9365]

i heard that the taniwha sleeps and waits for his friends return

[@user-oh4yd5uh4e]

Maori mythology is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence. Take for example the myth of the slowing down of the sun. In the days of old Tamanuiterā, the sun, used to move through the sky at much too fast a pace for humanity to complete all their days' chores leaving long, cold nights that lasted for many hours while Tamanuiterā slept. Māui and his brothers journeyed to Tamanuiterā's sleeping pit with a large rope, which in some tellings was made from their sister Hina's hair. The brothers fashioned the rope into a noose or net, and in doing so "discovered the mode of plaiting flax into stout square-shaped ropes, (tuamaka); and the manner of plaiting flat ropes, (paharahara); and of spinning round ropes", which when Tamanuiterā awoke found himself caught in. Using a patu made from the jawbone of their grandmother, Murirangawhenua, Māui beat the sun into agreeing to slow down and give the world more time during the day. So you see if that had that not happened McDonald´s would only be serving breakfast

[@elikitto8714]

Cool

[@superduper184]

cheese