Kāhu-tupua
The ogres or cannibal giants who supposedly inhabited the South Island of New Zealand before the advent of the Polynesians (Māori). They could step from one mountain range to another and swallow up whole rivers in a single gulp. They were also said to be able to take any form they wish.
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References
Sources
- Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, pp. 114, 465.
- White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, p. 3:189.