Kererū

The father or tutelary deity of pigeons. He came down to earth to look after Rupe. Rupe is another Polynesian name for the pigion. Kereru ate some bitter tawa berries, which made his voice hoarse and he could only say "ku, ku," hence pigeon-names kūku and kūkūpa.

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References

Sources

  • Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, p. 143.
  • White, John. (1885). "Maori Customs and Superstitions." In T. W. Gudgeon, History and Doings of the Maoris from 1820 to 1840. Auckland: Brett, pp. 97-225, p. 115.

This article incorporates text from Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (1891) by Edward Tregear, which is in the public domain.