Te Mangoroa - The Milky Way

The Milky Way stretches out across the southern part of the New Zealand night sky. Crux, or the more poetic name of the Southern Cross, sits embedded in the Milky Way, a strong focal point, rather like an Olympic medal on an athlete.

I have long been interested in learning the Maori view of the night sky. The Maori people were the first people in New Zealand and they have their own constellations, star names and stories. As there are many different Maori tribes, there are many Maori names for the stars, constellations and heavenly bodies. The Milky Way is no exception. Stories often accompany these names and tell the origin of the stars and how the Milky Way got there.

Some names for the Milky Way include:
Te Tuahiwi-nui-o-rangi
Te Ika a Maui (The fish of Maui)
Te Ika-matua a Tangaroa (The important/parent fish of Tangaroa)
Te Ika-o-te-rangi (The fish of the sky)
Te Ikaroa (The long fish)
Te ika-whenua-o-te-rangi (The land fish of the sky)
Te Mangoroa
Te Mangoroiata
Mokoroa-i-ata
Te Paeroa o Whanui
Tuahiwi o Rangi-nui (the ridge of a hill of Ranginui the Sky Father)
Whiti-Kaupeka (South Island name. It's also the name of 'Spica', the brightest star in the constellation, Virgo)
Te Kupenga a Taramainuku (Tuhoe Tribe's name for the Milky Way)

Te Mangoroa

This is the most common name for the 'Milky Way'. The name Mangoroa can be translated as long shark (Mango = shark; roa = long) There is an old Maori myth about Maui, a great Maori demigod, who fought a monster, whom he put up in the sky. This monster was known as Mangoroiata. From the list of names above you can see that Mangoroiata is another name for the Milky Way.

Another story about Mangoroa is told by Hamiora Pio, from the Ngati Awa tribe. "The most numerous tribe in the heavens is the Mangoroa, the most numerous folk in the sky. Their duty is to move together - elder and younger, father and mother, grandchildren, husband, wife, child, old man, cousin, all move together. Their chief task is to foretell the coming of day. That people of the heavens represents our principal token of daylight. When one end of the Mangoroa swings eastward, the other westward, then day is at hand." Here, stars are personified as people in the heavens, te Whanau Marama - the family of light. In some tribes they are known as children of the Sky Father, Ranginui and the Earth Mother, Papatuanuku.

Te Kupenga a Taramainuku

Another interesting name for the Milky Way is 'Te Kupenga o Taramainuku' or the net of Taramainuku. Here the Milky Way is likened to a fishing net in the sky. I know of Taramainuku as a taniwha (dragon like, water spirit, monster, spiritual guardian), who used to meet with other taniwha at Whatipu, a bay in Auckland. Whatipu became known as Whatipua, "bay of the spiritual guardians". The rocks around the bay are named after the taniwha, Taramainuku, and are called "Te Kupenga o Taramainuku", meaning the net of Taramainuku. It wouldn't surprise me if this were the same Taramainuku the Maori are talking about when they refer to "Te Kupenga a Taramainuku" as a name for the Milky Way.

Te Ika a Maui

Another name for the Milky Way is 'Te Ika a Maui' meaning, 'the fish of Maui'. This phrase is well known in New Zealand as a name for New Zealand's North Island. This name came from the tale about Maui, a demigod, who pulled up the North Island with a magic fishhook, the jawbone of his grandmother. Once he had pulled up the North Island, his brothers jumped out of the waka (canoe) and chopped it up. This made hills and valleys. One name for the South Island is "Te Waka a Maui" or the canoe of Maui. The North Island looks a little like a fish, with its head down the bottom and tail up the top. The South Island looks a bit like a canoe. Stewart Island is sometimes known as "Te Punga o te Waka a Maui" - the anchor of the canoe of Maui, or anchor stone of Maui, and sits down below the South Island. Check a map, you'll see.

Bibliography:
Auckland Regional Council, Whatipu: Our History
Best, E. (1922). The Astronomical Knowledge of the Maori, Genuine and Empirical. Dominion Museum, Wellington.
http://www.stewartisland.co.nz/pages/history-and-naming-of-stewart-island/
http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/the-legend-of-new-zealand/

My telescope is fixed!

The good news is I've managed to fix my telescope. Some of the screws fell out but I won a trade me auction of a broken old Meade telescope and borrowed the screws off that. Now mine should work fine. I've only to try it out on the beautifully clear night skies of Maraetai, Auckland. I've previously tried it out before it was fixed and was still able to locate Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Due to low light pollution, the Milky Way is clearly visible. Currently, Aquila the Eagle is beginning its flight, with Altair or Poutu-Te-Rangi, as it is known in Maori, prominently leading the take off.