The tōtara is associated with strength and grandeur. It is considered the greatest of all the trees in Tāne’s forest.
Listen to Huirangi Waikerepuru from Taranaki and Te Āti Awa tribes explain the proverb, ‘Ka hinga te tōtara o te wao nui o Tāne’ (the mighty tōtara in Tāne’s forest has fallen).
Transcript
Kua hinga te tōtara o Te Waonui o Tāne and what are we saying in fact? And why? Because a tōtara is part of that forest and it is significant not only for its physical appearance, but what it provided for man's use. So the mere fact of using the tōtara in symbolising the magnificence of the tree, but also it signifies magnificence of man himself. So when you say kua hinga te tōtara o Te Waonui o Tāne, then you understand straight away that that person that has died is a man the very high standing in the community.
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Reference: 47306
Image: Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand, Gy0014smt, by Peter E. Smith
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