Puhaorangi

A heavenly personage, a descendant of Rangi or Hoehoe. Puhaorangi came down from the skies and took away Kurae-moana (Kura-i-moana), the wife of Toi-te-huatahi (after the birth of Rauru). By Kura-e-moana, Puhaorangi had four children, viz., Ohomairangi, Ohotaretare, Tāwhirioho, and Oho-mata-kamokamo. From Ohomairangi descended Houmaitawhiti, Tama-te-kapua, and other heroes of the Migration from Hawaiki to New Zealand; also Te Kaho-reremoa.

Puhaorangi was the original owner of the Arawa canoe. When it left Hawaiki for New Zealand, Puahorangi said, Farewell to you all. Look carefully to Autahi and Rehua — meaning presumably that those stars would guide them to New Zealand.

References

Sources

  • Best, Eldson. (1899). "Notes on Maori Mythology." Journal of the Polynesian Society 8:93-121, p. 108.
  • Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, p. 367.
  • White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, p. 4:25.

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