Taupo, Tongariro and Maui the Fisherman
One of these legends tells of a man named Maui who, one day, went fishing with his brothers. Maui used a jawbone as a hook and some flax soaked in blood as bait. Maui pulled up a gigantic fish called Hahau-whenua; the fish was so big that there were fires burning and people walking on its back. Maui's brothers started to cut and crimp the fish, but it began to struggle. The fish thrashed back and forth, and its back was thrown into wrinkles and folds. The land that was created from this fish is now known as Te Ika-a-Maui, or the fish of Maui, and it is covered in mountains and valleys. Of these mountains, the volcanoes Taupo and Tongariro make up the belly of the fish (Anderson, 1969).
Taupo and the Lizard, Hotupuku
There is another legend involving the area around Taupo. In this legend a huge lizard named Hotupuku lived near Taupo, and he ate people who traveled between Taupo and the village of Rotorua. Villagers became angry and set out to find Hotupuku. Hotupuku was eventually killed by men from the Rotorua village (Anderson, 1969).
Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, White Island and the Fire Demons
The volcanoes Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and White Island are present in a Maori legend. A medicine man named Ngatoro was climbing up Tongariro with a woman named Auruhoe. He told his followers not to eat while he was gone in order to give him strength on top of the cold mountain. When Ngatoro didn't return for some time, his followers thought him to be dead, and they broke their fast. Ngatoro and Auruhoe immediately began to feel the cold, and Ngatoro prayed to his sisters in the faraway land of Hawaiki. The sisters called upon fire demons that began swimming underwater toward Ngatoro. They first came out of the water at White Island to see where they were, and the land burst into flames that are still burning. The demons continued on underwater until they reached Ngatoro and burst through the summit of the mountain, thus creating the volcano Ngauruhoe. Ngatoro was saved by the warmth, but Auruhoe had already died. Ngatoro then took Auruhoe's body and threw it into the volcano. The underwater path of the fire demons can still be seen, for everywhere they surfaced is now a thermal area (Vitaliano, 1973).
The Giants: Tongariro, Taranaki, and Ruapehu
In another myth, the volcanoes Tongariro, Taranaki, and Ruapehu were all giants. Taranaki and Ruapehu fell in love with Tongariro and proceeded to fight for her. Taranaki threw himself at Ruapehu, but Ruapehu sprayed scalding water from his lake one Taranaki. In retaliation, Taranaki threw stones at Ruapehu destroying his once beautiful summit. Ruapehu was able to swallow the fragments of his cone, melt them, and spit them back at Taranaki. Taranaki retreated up the coast to where he lives now, plotting his revenge (Vitaliano, 1973).
Eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886
There are two myths involving the recent eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886. One of these legends blames the eruption on the people of Te Ariki village for eating forbidden honey. Those in the village that ate the honey were killed, while people in nearby villages who did not eat it were allowed to live. The other myth involving Mount Tarawera is similar, but more creative. A man-eating demon named Tamaohoi once lived on the flank of Mount Tarawera. He was imprisoned on the mountain by Ngatoro. Tamaohoi slept for many centuries. Under the influence of the white man, the morals of the local people declined until there was a call for Tamaohoi to return and punish the sinners. Tamaohoi exploded from the mountain and killed many people in the village of Te Ariki. From Vitaliano (1976).
Kakepuku, Kawa, and Karewa
The Maoris also have a legend involving two extinct volcanic cones made of basalt named Kakepuku and Kawa. Kakepuku loved Kawa but had to fight several opponents in order to win her over. Kakepuku went up against Karewa, who was another basaltic hill. Kakepuku defeated Karewa in a great battle causing Karewa to back off into the sea to where he lives today. Karewa is now known as Gannet Island (Vitaliano, 1973).
~~~
volcano.oregonstate.edu/oldroot/legends/newz/newzealand.html
When Te Arawa canoe landed on the coast at Maketu after a long sea voyage from Hawaiki, among those on board was Ngatoro-i-rang, a tohunga (priest) of extraordinary power. Ngatoro set off to explore the new country.
He journeyed to Taupo and claimed the land. Ngatoro then headed south, to the mountains at the far end of the lake. In order to assert his claim over the land, Ngatoro began to climb Mount Ngauruhoe. But he found a rival: Hape, a leader of one of the early peoples already living in the country was also looking to claim land and he attempted the climb as well. Ngatoro spoke to his gods who summoned up a snowstorm.
Hape was destroyed but when Ngatoro reached the summit he and his slave were numb with cold. So Ngatoro called upon his sisters back in Hawaiki and asked for fire. The sisters heard him and came at once. Their fire still burns on the crater of Mt Ngauruhoe and in many other places they passed on the way, where thermal and volcanic activity exists today.
The Maori Legend of Tongariro National ParkLong ago, seven mountains stood close together around Lake Taupo. All were male except for the beautiful Pihanga. One night the men fought fiercely for her favours. There were violent eruptions, smoke and fire as the land trembled under the violent battle. In the morning Pihanga stood by the victor, Tongariro. Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu stood a respectable distance behind but Tauhara - unable to completely leave his love, sat smoldering at the northern end of the lake. Further north Putauaki slumped tired and defeated while Taranaki fled south along the Wanganui River to the shores of the Tasman Sea.
The Volcanic Origins of Lake TaupoIn 186AD a series of nine volcanic eruptions culminated in the most violent eruption history has recorded. In a few short minutes 30km2 of poisonous ash, rocks, lava and pumice were emitted at speed of up to 900 km/hr, to a height of 50km. Such was the extent of the volcanic fallout, even the ancient Romans and Chinese are reported to have experienced darkened skies.
The debris was deposited some 30,000km2 wide to a depth of tens of metres thick in some places. The whole of the North Island was coated in a thick, toxic ash, which destroyed entire forests. Lake Taupo was formed in the crater left by the eruption and remains volcanically active (something you'll notice as you swim through pockets of much warmer water, heated by thermal activity in lake's depths). Today, at 359m above sea level, the lake measures 616km2 and is 159m at its deepest.
The legendary Nagtoroirangi led his people to Lake Taupo 700 years ago and Ngati Tuwharetoa became the dominant tribe of the area. Although the major volcanic eruptions were long over before the tribe arrived, they were left with a legacy of poor, ashy, soil.
The winters were harsh and the lake proved to be a poor source of food. Remarkably, considering the Ngati Tuwharetoa's harsh subsistence on bush birds, plants and roots, they remained unconquered throughout a prolonged and violent history of intertribal warfare. Major pa (settlements) were situated at the southern, more fertile end of the lake at Pukawa, Te Rapa, Waitahnui and Motutere.
Peace was shattered during the Maori Wars when, in 1869, rebel leader Te Kooti approached the Ngati Tuwharetoa for help. Pursued by an advance guard of the Armed Constabulary scouting Taupo for a potential new HQ, Te Kooti and his men ambushed the soldiers at Opepe, killing all but four. The graves of the 18 slain men can be seen on the Opepe Graves walk. Te Kooti escaped capture, maintaining a lower profile in the King Country until he was pardoned in 1883.
Early European SettlementTypically, missionaries were among the first to have contact with Ngati Tuwharetoa, building churches and converting the Maori to Christianity. After an initial flurry of converts, the Maori became suspicious during the Maori Wars, believing the missionaries were plotting to destroy Maori ways and take tribal lands away.
Taupo as it stands today was founded in 1869 as an Armed Constabulary post. The Taupo Domain marks the site of the redoubt. Following an initial survey, the Government bought the land on which the town now stands. AC Baths marks the site of the original hot baths used by soldiers of the redoubt.
Taupo resisted development for the next 50 years or so. The roads were appalling and the township didn't even have an electricity supply until the early 1950s. Attempts to farm the land failed miserably due to a cobalt deficiency in the soil, which rendered it incapable of supporting livestock. It took masses of money and labour to clear and fertilise the land, and farming wasn't really possible until the 1950s.
The 1950s proved to be a boom time for Taupo. Farming flourished on the now lush pasture and the region's potential for forestry was finally realised. A geothermal power station was built, followed by numerous hydro-electric schemes. The first pine plantations matured in the 1960s creating a lucrative timber-processing industry. Improved roads and accommodation saw Taupo boom from a 700-strong sleepy outpost to the prosperous tourist Mecca it is today. Energy developments, forestry, farming and tourism remain the economic mainstays of Taupo today.
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www.greatlaketaupo.com/new-zealand/legends
One of these legends tells of a man named Maui who, one day, went fishing with his brothers. Maui used a jawbone as a hook and some flax soaked in blood as bait. Maui pulled up a gigantic fish called Hahau-whenua; the fish was so big that there were fires burning and people walking on its back. Maui's brothers started to cut and crimp the fish, but it began to struggle. The fish thrashed back and forth, and its back was thrown into wrinkles and folds. The land that was created from this fish is now known as Te Ika-a-Maui, or the fish of Maui, and it is covered in mountains and valleys. Of these mountains, the volcanoes Taupo and Tongariro make up the belly of the fish (Anderson, 1969).
Taupo and the Lizard, Hotupuku
There is another legend involving the area around Taupo. In this legend a huge lizard named Hotupuku lived near Taupo, and he ate people who traveled between Taupo and the village of Rotorua. Villagers became angry and set out to find Hotupuku. Hotupuku was eventually killed by men from the Rotorua village (Anderson, 1969).
Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, White Island and the Fire Demons
The volcanoes Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and White Island are present in a Maori legend. A medicine man named Ngatoro was climbing up Tongariro with a woman named Auruhoe. He told his followers not to eat while he was gone in order to give him strength on top of the cold mountain. When Ngatoro didn't return for some time, his followers thought him to be dead, and they broke their fast. Ngatoro and Auruhoe immediately began to feel the cold, and Ngatoro prayed to his sisters in the faraway land of Hawaiki. The sisters called upon fire demons that began swimming underwater toward Ngatoro. They first came out of the water at White Island to see where they were, and the land burst into flames that are still burning. The demons continued on underwater until they reached Ngatoro and burst through the summit of the mountain, thus creating the volcano Ngauruhoe. Ngatoro was saved by the warmth, but Auruhoe had already died. Ngatoro then took Auruhoe's body and threw it into the volcano. The underwater path of the fire demons can still be seen, for everywhere they surfaced is now a thermal area (Vitaliano, 1973).
The Giants: Tongariro, Taranaki, and Ruapehu
In another myth, the volcanoes Tongariro, Taranaki, and Ruapehu were all giants. Taranaki and Ruapehu fell in love with Tongariro and proceeded to fight for her. Taranaki threw himself at Ruapehu, but Ruapehu sprayed scalding water from his lake one Taranaki. In retaliation, Taranaki threw stones at Ruapehu destroying his once beautiful summit. Ruapehu was able to swallow the fragments of his cone, melt them, and spit them back at Taranaki. Taranaki retreated up the coast to where he lives now, plotting his revenge (Vitaliano, 1973).
Eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886
There are two myths involving the recent eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886. One of these legends blames the eruption on the people of Te Ariki village for eating forbidden honey. Those in the village that ate the honey were killed, while people in nearby villages who did not eat it were allowed to live. The other myth involving Mount Tarawera is similar, but more creative. A man-eating demon named Tamaohoi once lived on the flank of Mount Tarawera. He was imprisoned on the mountain by Ngatoro. Tamaohoi slept for many centuries. Under the influence of the white man, the morals of the local people declined until there was a call for Tamaohoi to return and punish the sinners. Tamaohoi exploded from the mountain and killed many people in the village of Te Ariki. From Vitaliano (1976).
Kakepuku, Kawa, and Karewa
The Maoris also have a legend involving two extinct volcanic cones made of basalt named Kakepuku and Kawa. Kakepuku loved Kawa but had to fight several opponents in order to win her over. Kakepuku went up against Karewa, who was another basaltic hill. Kakepuku defeated Karewa in a great battle causing Karewa to back off into the sea to where he lives today. Karewa is now known as Gannet Island (Vitaliano, 1973).
~~~
volcano.oregonstate.edu/oldroot/legends/newz/newzealand.html
When Te Arawa canoe landed on the coast at Maketu after a long sea voyage from Hawaiki, among those on board was Ngatoro-i-rang, a tohunga (priest) of extraordinary power. Ngatoro set off to explore the new country.
He journeyed to Taupo and claimed the land. Ngatoro then headed south, to the mountains at the far end of the lake. In order to assert his claim over the land, Ngatoro began to climb Mount Ngauruhoe. But he found a rival: Hape, a leader of one of the early peoples already living in the country was also looking to claim land and he attempted the climb as well. Ngatoro spoke to his gods who summoned up a snowstorm.
Hape was destroyed but when Ngatoro reached the summit he and his slave were numb with cold. So Ngatoro called upon his sisters back in Hawaiki and asked for fire. The sisters heard him and came at once. Their fire still burns on the crater of Mt Ngauruhoe and in many other places they passed on the way, where thermal and volcanic activity exists today.
The Maori Legend of Tongariro National ParkLong ago, seven mountains stood close together around Lake Taupo. All were male except for the beautiful Pihanga. One night the men fought fiercely for her favours. There were violent eruptions, smoke and fire as the land trembled under the violent battle. In the morning Pihanga stood by the victor, Tongariro. Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu stood a respectable distance behind but Tauhara - unable to completely leave his love, sat smoldering at the northern end of the lake. Further north Putauaki slumped tired and defeated while Taranaki fled south along the Wanganui River to the shores of the Tasman Sea.
The Volcanic Origins of Lake TaupoIn 186AD a series of nine volcanic eruptions culminated in the most violent eruption history has recorded. In a few short minutes 30km2 of poisonous ash, rocks, lava and pumice were emitted at speed of up to 900 km/hr, to a height of 50km. Such was the extent of the volcanic fallout, even the ancient Romans and Chinese are reported to have experienced darkened skies.
The debris was deposited some 30,000km2 wide to a depth of tens of metres thick in some places. The whole of the North Island was coated in a thick, toxic ash, which destroyed entire forests. Lake Taupo was formed in the crater left by the eruption and remains volcanically active (something you'll notice as you swim through pockets of much warmer water, heated by thermal activity in lake's depths). Today, at 359m above sea level, the lake measures 616km2 and is 159m at its deepest.
The legendary Nagtoroirangi led his people to Lake Taupo 700 years ago and Ngati Tuwharetoa became the dominant tribe of the area. Although the major volcanic eruptions were long over before the tribe arrived, they were left with a legacy of poor, ashy, soil.
The winters were harsh and the lake proved to be a poor source of food. Remarkably, considering the Ngati Tuwharetoa's harsh subsistence on bush birds, plants and roots, they remained unconquered throughout a prolonged and violent history of intertribal warfare. Major pa (settlements) were situated at the southern, more fertile end of the lake at Pukawa, Te Rapa, Waitahnui and Motutere.
Peace was shattered during the Maori Wars when, in 1869, rebel leader Te Kooti approached the Ngati Tuwharetoa for help. Pursued by an advance guard of the Armed Constabulary scouting Taupo for a potential new HQ, Te Kooti and his men ambushed the soldiers at Opepe, killing all but four. The graves of the 18 slain men can be seen on the Opepe Graves walk. Te Kooti escaped capture, maintaining a lower profile in the King Country until he was pardoned in 1883.
Early European SettlementTypically, missionaries were among the first to have contact with Ngati Tuwharetoa, building churches and converting the Maori to Christianity. After an initial flurry of converts, the Maori became suspicious during the Maori Wars, believing the missionaries were plotting to destroy Maori ways and take tribal lands away.
Taupo as it stands today was founded in 1869 as an Armed Constabulary post. The Taupo Domain marks the site of the redoubt. Following an initial survey, the Government bought the land on which the town now stands. AC Baths marks the site of the original hot baths used by soldiers of the redoubt.
Taupo resisted development for the next 50 years or so. The roads were appalling and the township didn't even have an electricity supply until the early 1950s. Attempts to farm the land failed miserably due to a cobalt deficiency in the soil, which rendered it incapable of supporting livestock. It took masses of money and labour to clear and fertilise the land, and farming wasn't really possible until the 1950s.
The 1950s proved to be a boom time for Taupo. Farming flourished on the now lush pasture and the region's potential for forestry was finally realised. A geothermal power station was built, followed by numerous hydro-electric schemes. The first pine plantations matured in the 1960s creating a lucrative timber-processing industry. Improved roads and accommodation saw Taupo boom from a 700-strong sleepy outpost to the prosperous tourist Mecca it is today. Energy developments, forestry, farming and tourism remain the economic mainstays of Taupo today.
~~~~
www.greatlaketaupo.com/new-zealand/legends