Story: Taniwha

'He tarakona'

'He tarakona'

In 1846, Mananui Te Heuheu Tūkino II and his followers were killed by a landslide on Kākaramea mountain, above Waihī. Te Rangikāheke, a Ngāti Rangiwewehi scholar, suggested that the landslide had been caused by a taniwha. He sketched out what it looked like, and noted that this was what Europeans referred to as a ‘tarakona’ (a transliteration of ‘dragon’).

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Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: 7-A3159

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Taniwha - Ngārara – giant reptiles', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/10883/he-tarakona (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 24 Sep 2007