New Zealand Myths & Legends
There are a lot of natural phenomena in New Zealand. In order to explain these events Maoris told myths and legends.
At last the children were able to separate the parents. Rangi and Papatuanuku were broken hearted. Papatuanuku turned onto her stomach. She was expecting a son, Ruaumoko but he wasn’t able to escape from the womb and he’s is still there. Sometimes he gets angry and it is he who causes the earthquakes and eruptions.
It is said that the Maoris came from the island of Hawaiki originally. They were gifted navigators so they were able to use signs in nature to guide them to land. They called the country Aotearoa because when they saw it for the first time it was covered in a long white cloud. Aotearoa means Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand has two main islands and so you have to fly or go by boat to get from one island to another. The Maori have a story to explain it.
Long ago there lived a Maori man called Maui. Maui and his brothers went fishing one day. Maui caught a huge fish. The fish was very strong. It tried to escape but Maui held on to him. The brothers started rowing. The canoe nearly sank but eventually they managed to get the fish to the surface. The fish became the North Island and the canoe became the South Island. |
The Legend of Mount Taranaki
Click on the video to learn the story of Mount Taranaki:
Click on the video to learn the story of Mount Taranaki: