Tunarua

A water monster, a tāniwha, slain by the hero Māui. The rimu, totara, and some other trees have red wood because they absorbed the blood of Tunarua. See also Tūna.

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References

Sources

  • Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, pp. 415, 552.
  • White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, p. 2:9.