Rākaihautū | |
---|---|
Born | 9th century? Eastern
Polynesia |
Spouse |
|
Children |
|
Rākaihautū was the captain of the Uruaokapuarangi canoe ( waka) and a Polynesian ancestor of various iwi, most famously of Waitaha and other southern groups, though he is also known in the traditions of Taitokerau, and in those of Rarotonga. [1]
In Māori traditions, once Rākaihautū landed the Uruaokapuarangi at the top of the South Island, he moved southward and dug up many of the island's major lakes using a magical kō (digging stick), filling them with food for his many descendants. [2]
Rākaihautū originally sailed with his wife Waiariki-o-āio, their son Te Rakihouia, [a] and their people from Te-patunui-o-āio [b] aboard the Uruaokapuarangi canoe [5] [6] over 34 generations ago. [4] [7] The crew included some of Rākaihautū's kin who were of the tribes Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko, and Te Kāhui Waitaha. [8] [9] Rākaihautū's daughter Te Uhi-tataraiakoa stayed behind in Te-patunui-o-āio. [7]
On the journey to the South Island the heavens and the ocean blocked the canoe's path, until Rākaihautū chanted a karakia and cut a passage with his adze. He eventually landed the Uruaokapuarangi at Nelson, at the top of the South Island. [10]
From Nelson, Rākaihautū and his wife separated from Te Rakihouia and began to explore the Southern Alps. [5] Te Rakihouia and Te Kāhui Waitaha took the canoe and continued down the east coast, eventually landing it near the Clutha River. [8]
In the tradition of Ngā Puna Wai Karikari o Rākaihautū, [11] Rākaihautū dug out the large lakes from Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoroa, and Rangitahi [12] in the north to Lake Te Anau [13] and Lake Manapouri [14] in the south. [5] For this purpose he used a digging stick named Tūwhakarōria. [5] Upon reaching Foveaux Strait he then travelled back up along the east coast, reunited with Te Rakihouia, and settled in Banks Peninsula where he thrust his stick into a hill called Pūhai above Akaroa Harbour, renaming it (the stick) to Tuhiraki.
External videos | |
---|---|
Rākaihautū and the creation of Lake Pūkaki on Vimeo (2 mins 43 s) |
[5] The stick became the rocky peak that is known to Pākehā as Mount Bossu. [14] [15]
Specific lakes that Rākaihautū is credited with digging include Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Lake Ōhau, Lake Hāwea, Lake Wānaka, Lake Wakatipu, Whakatipu Waitī, Te Aitarakihi near Washdyke, Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, and Lake Forsyth. [9]
Namesakes of Rākaihautū include Te Pataka o Rākaihautū (The Storehouse of Rākaihautū) [16] and Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū (The Fish Basket of Rākaihautū). [17]
He is most famously known as an ancestor of Waitaha, [5] [c] though the founders of Kāti Māmoe [d] and the lesser known Te Kāhea, [e] [f] iwi are both said to be descendants of Te Uhi-tataraiakoa's great grandson Toi. Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu are also said to be descended from Toi through the ancestor Rāhiri. [4] [g] The ancient Hāwea tribe is sometimes said to descend from Toi, [7] [h] or they could have arrived on their own canoe—the Kapakitua under Taiehu's captaincy—earlier than the Uruaokapuarangi. [21] Kapakitua might have otherwise been the name of Rākaihautū's adze onboard the Uruaokapuarangi when it arrived to the South Island. [8]
Rākaihautū | |
---|---|
Born | 9th century? Eastern
Polynesia |
Spouse |
|
Children |
|
Rākaihautū was the captain of the Uruaokapuarangi canoe ( waka) and a Polynesian ancestor of various iwi, most famously of Waitaha and other southern groups, though he is also known in the traditions of Taitokerau, and in those of Rarotonga. [1]
In Māori traditions, once Rākaihautū landed the Uruaokapuarangi at the top of the South Island, he moved southward and dug up many of the island's major lakes using a magical kō (digging stick), filling them with food for his many descendants. [2]
Rākaihautū originally sailed with his wife Waiariki-o-āio, their son Te Rakihouia, [a] and their people from Te-patunui-o-āio [b] aboard the Uruaokapuarangi canoe [5] [6] over 34 generations ago. [4] [7] The crew included some of Rākaihautū's kin who were of the tribes Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko, and Te Kāhui Waitaha. [8] [9] Rākaihautū's daughter Te Uhi-tataraiakoa stayed behind in Te-patunui-o-āio. [7]
On the journey to the South Island the heavens and the ocean blocked the canoe's path, until Rākaihautū chanted a karakia and cut a passage with his adze. He eventually landed the Uruaokapuarangi at Nelson, at the top of the South Island. [10]
From Nelson, Rākaihautū and his wife separated from Te Rakihouia and began to explore the Southern Alps. [5] Te Rakihouia and Te Kāhui Waitaha took the canoe and continued down the east coast, eventually landing it near the Clutha River. [8]
In the tradition of Ngā Puna Wai Karikari o Rākaihautū, [11] Rākaihautū dug out the large lakes from Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoroa, and Rangitahi [12] in the north to Lake Te Anau [13] and Lake Manapouri [14] in the south. [5] For this purpose he used a digging stick named Tūwhakarōria. [5] Upon reaching Foveaux Strait he then travelled back up along the east coast, reunited with Te Rakihouia, and settled in Banks Peninsula where he thrust his stick into a hill called Pūhai above Akaroa Harbour, renaming it (the stick) to Tuhiraki.
External videos | |
---|---|
Rākaihautū and the creation of Lake Pūkaki on Vimeo (2 mins 43 s) |
[5] The stick became the rocky peak that is known to Pākehā as Mount Bossu. [14] [15]
Specific lakes that Rākaihautū is credited with digging include Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Lake Ōhau, Lake Hāwea, Lake Wānaka, Lake Wakatipu, Whakatipu Waitī, Te Aitarakihi near Washdyke, Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, and Lake Forsyth. [9]
Namesakes of Rākaihautū include Te Pataka o Rākaihautū (The Storehouse of Rākaihautū) [16] and Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū (The Fish Basket of Rākaihautū). [17]
He is most famously known as an ancestor of Waitaha, [5] [c] though the founders of Kāti Māmoe [d] and the lesser known Te Kāhea, [e] [f] iwi are both said to be descendants of Te Uhi-tataraiakoa's great grandson Toi. Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu are also said to be descended from Toi through the ancestor Rāhiri. [4] [g] The ancient Hāwea tribe is sometimes said to descend from Toi, [7] [h] or they could have arrived on their own canoe—the Kapakitua under Taiehu's captaincy—earlier than the Uruaokapuarangi. [21] Kapakitua might have otherwise been the name of Rākaihautū's adze onboard the Uruaokapuarangi when it arrived to the South Island. [8]