He korero whakarapopoto
He aha te taniwha?
He wāhi nui tō te taniwha i te ao Māori; ka rite rātou ki ngā tipua, ki ngā dragons kei ngā pūrākau a te Pākehā me ētahi atu iwi. Noho ai rātou ki ō rātou rua kei te moana, kei ngā awa, kei ngā roto, kei ngā ana.
He kaitangata, he kāhaki wahine ētahi taniwha. Ko ētahi atu taniwha he kaitiaki mō te iwi. Ka tāpaea he koha ki mua i tō rātou aroaro, ka takina he karakia atawhai.
He aha te āhua o te taniwha?
He rite te āhua o ētahi taniwha ki te mokomoko, ka mutu, he parirau ō ētahi. Waihoki, ka rite ētahi ki ngā ika nui o te moana pērā i te mangō, te tohorā, taea rawa ki ngā tāwhaowhao kei ngā awa. Taea ai e ētahi taniwha te whakapanoni ō rātou āhua.
Taniwha rongonui
Ko Kupe te tangata nāna a Aotearoa i hura. Ko Tuhirangi tana taniwha mōkai, ka ārahi i ngā waka ka haere mā te moana o Raukawa. Nō muri rawa, nō te taenga mai o te Pākehā ki Aotearoa, ka tipu te whakaaro, kua huri a Tuhirangi ki te aihe rongonui i ōna rā, a Pelorus Jack.
I whānau mai te taniwha rā a Tūtaeporoporo he mangō. Nāwai, ka nui haere, ka nui haere tōna hanga. Nāwai ā, ka panoni te āhua o taua mangō – ka mārō haere, ka taratara haere tōna kiri, ka puta he parirau pekapeka i tōna tuarā, ka huri tana hiku kia rite ki tō te mokomoko. Ka huirapa ōna waewae kia rite ki tō te manu, ko ōna matihao anō he kārearea. Ko tōna ūpoko pērā i te manu kore huruhuru. Kātahi ka tīmata tana kai i ngā tāngata ka haere i te awa. Ka haere mai te toa rā a Ao-kehu, ka huna ki roto i tētahi tāwhaowhao i roto i te awa. Nāwai, ka haere mai te taniwha rā, ka rongo i te kakara tangata, ka horomia te tāwhaowhao rā, me Ao-kehu e huna ana ki roto. Ka haehae a Ao-kehu i te puku o te taniwha rā, mate rawa atu. Nō te huakitanga o te puku o Tūtaeporoporo, ka kitea ngā waka me ngā tāngata kua kainga e ia.
Tērā a Hine-kōrako he taniwha, ka moe i tana tāne tangata. Ka taka ki tētahi rā, ka whiua a Hine-kōrako ki te kupu taunu e ngā uri o tana tāne. Ka rere a ia ki te wairere o Te Rēinga i Te Wairoa huna ai. Nō tētahi rā ka mau tētahi waka i te waipuke, ka autōngia kia tata rawa ki te wairere. Ka puta atu a Hine-kōrako ka kukume i te waka rā ki te wāhi haumaru.
Taniwha i ēnei rā
I te tau 2002 ka whakahēngia e Ngāti Naho te whakaaro kia takoto he huarahi matua ki tētahi wāhi ake o tō rātou rohe. I te āwangawanga a Ngāti Naho kei wāhia te rua o te taniwha rā a Karutahi. Ko te mutunga iho, ka takoto te huarahi matua rā ki runga whenua kē.
I ātete te iwi o Ngāpuhi ki te whakatūnga o tētahi whare herehere ki tō rātou rohe. I whakapono rātou he taniwha kei ngā awaawa tata. Ahakoa tērā, ka whakatūria tonutia te whare herehere.
Kei te kaha tonu te whakapono a te tokomaha o te iwi Māori ki ngā taniwha.
