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Kōrero: Matariki – Te Tau Hou Māori

Whārangi 4: Puanga o te Rangi

Tākina Puanga
Ko Puanga kei runga
Ko Puanga e Rangi
Tākina mai te ara o Puanganui-o-te-rangi
Tākina ngā pou o te tau
Ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama.

Ko Puanga te whetū e mōhiotia ana ko Rigel, koinā te whetū tuawhitu muramura rawa i te rangi, he whetū nō te kāhui o Orion.

Ko ngā iwi/hapū kei te Taiuru (o Taranaki, o Whanganui, o Rangitīkei) ngā rohe o te Tai Hauāuru (te uru o te Ika ā Māui) ka whai i ngā tohutohu o Puanga mō te tau hou Māori.

Ko te ingoa Puanga-o-te-rangi e kōrero ana mō Puanga me tētahi tokorua whetū – arā, ko Puanga Hori (Proycon) rāua ko Whakaahu (Gemini) – me tā rātou motuhaketanga i ngā marama e whā, mai i te marama whakamutunga o ngahuru, tae noa ki te tīmatanga o kōanga.

Ko Puanga, ko Rigel rānei, e mōhiotia ana ki ngā iwi o te Taitokerau ki a Puangarua. Ahakoa kitea tonu ana i te nuinga o te tau, mārakerake ana te kitea i ngā pō i te tōmuri o ngahuru, i mua i te ata hāpara i te marama tuatahi o te tau hou.

Ka ara a Puanga Hori (Proycon) ki raro iho o Takurua (Sirius) i te marama tuarua o te tau. Ka takiruahia a Whakaahu (Gemini) rāua ko Puanga i te marama tuatoru, hei tohu i te huhuatanga.

Ka kitea a Puanga i te roanga o te tau – kāore e heke ki raro i te paewai o te moana, pērā i a Matariki. E kite ai koe i a Puanga, rapua a Tautoru (te Tātua o Orion, te kōhua rānei). Kei runga ake i tēnei kāhui, ka kitea he whetū muramura takitahi – nā, ko Puanga tērā.

Ngā Pou o te Tau – ngā ritenga i te tau

Koianei ngā ritenga i te tau, ko ngā ritenga e rua mō Puanga (Te Maru o te Tau me Te Tahi o te Tau), ko tētahi i te wā o kōanga (Te Matamata o te Tau), ko tētahi i te raumati (Te Matiti o te Tau), ka mutu ko tētahi i te wā hauhake i te ngahuru (Te Huatahi o te Tau).

Te Maru o te Tau 

Ko te hautuku he ritenga ka tū i te wā e tō ana te rā, ā, e hāngai ana ki:

  • te tuku i ngā mate ki Te Whata nā Maru (he kohinga whetū i te uru o te rangi pō, hui katoa ko Puanga, ko Tautoru, ko Pūtara (Betelgeuse) hoki.
  • te tuku hoki i ngā taumahatanga nō te tau i mua; me te 
  • te tīmata i te wānanga hōtoke i te Pō Roa o Takurua – arā, i te wā o ngā pō roa o te hōtoke. 

Te Tahi o te Tau

Ko te hautapu he ritenga ka tū i mua i te ata hāpara, ā, e hāngai ana ki:

  • te whakahu i ērā e whakawhiti ana ki tua o paerau, rātou ka whetūrangitia
  • te pōhiri i te tau hou i roto i te ngākau reka; te whakaū hoki i te ngākau nui ki ō tātou tīpuna, ki te taiao, ki te anamata hoki.

Te Matamata o te Tau

Ko Te Matamata o te Tau he ritenga ka tū i te tīmatanga o kōanga. He kaupapa haupawa e hāngai ana ki:

  • te whakakā i te ahi hei hou i ngā tipu e matomato ai tā rātou tipu; me
  • te tuku i ngā wawata, i ngā akoranga nō ngā wānanga takurua, ki ngā tīpuna kei ngā rangi.

Ko te auahi, he mea rewa, kia tāpirihia ai ngā rau kākāriki ki te ahi, he mea tuku i ngā karakia ki ngā rangi. 

Mutu ana te ritenga, ka tāpirihia ngā puehu mai i te ahi ki te māra, hei tīmatanga mahi māra. I tēnei ritenga hoki, ka taea hoki te karanga īnanga, ika kē atu hoki, kia hoki whakateuta mai, hei tohu i te hokinga mai o Hineraumati (te kōhine o te raumati) mai i te moana.

Ko ‘Matariki mā Puanga’ te kaupapa i kōwhiria mō te hararei ā-motu tuawhā mō Matariki i te 2025. He whai whakaaro tēnei ki ngā iwi Tai Uru, hapori kē atu hoki, ka mātai i a Puanga i ā rātou tikanga mātai whetū. 

Ki mua Whai muri: Whārangi 5. Hononga, rauemi nō waho Whai muri

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Paul Meredith, Matariki – Te Tau Hou Māori – Puanga o te Rangi, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/matariki-te-tau-hou-maori/page-4 (accessed 28 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Paul Meredith, i tāngia i te 30 April 2026, reviewed and revised 30 April 2026 me te āwhina o Che Wilson.