The magic of myths, Te tūmatarau o ngā kōrero pūrākau

This resource can also help you share the magic of kōrero pūrākau with whānau and help parents connect with their children about their future directions.

Three Māori myths have been retold by Wiremu Grace in both English and te reo Māori and illustrated by Andrew Burdan. Activities are provided in English for each myth.

Storytelling is a fundamental part of human culture. Through myths and legends we pass on our visions, values, feelings and memories in a way that is enjoyable and entertaining.

Well-known kōrero pūrākau help students to feel more comfortable with what they're learning.

Kōrero pūrākau enable us to retain, reflect on and understand our experiences. They also help us to communicate to others what we have learned from those events or encounters.

Kōrero pūrākau often hold universal life lessons for audiences. They also provide a context through which students can identify and consider the relevance of key messages to their own life experiences.

For Māori students and whānau, kōrero pūrākau can provide a cultural learning context through which students can explore their future pathways in a way that is safe, relevant and enjoyable.

This is the story of Rona, a woman who fights constantly with her husband. One night Rona storms out of her whare after the couple fight about who should fill their tahā (water containers). As Rona walks away, cursing her husband, Marama (the moon) watches and listens.

When a cloud passes in front of the moon, Rona stumbles in the dark. She falls, then curses the moon for her fall. Marama tells Rona, "Be careful what you say, lest you be made to pay." But Rona only yells more insults at Marama, who gets so angry that he reaches down, grabs Rona and pulls her up into the sky.

The next day Rona's husband searches for his wife but cannot find her. He misses Rona and is sorry he treated her badly. Meanwhile, Marama welcomes Rona and treats her with kindness. Rona gets happier and happier. When Marama asks her one day if she would like to return to earth, Rona realises she loves Marama, so says she wants to stay with him.

Touched, Marama gives Rona a special taonga (gift) in return – a korowai (cloak), adorned with stars. Rona then becomes the controller of tides, Rona-whakamau-tai.

A young man named Rata decides to build a waka to help his people sail across the sea to the Fish of Māui, because their village is constantly battered by storms. He finds the tallest, straightest tree in the forest for the waka, but forgets to offer prayers to Tāne, the God of the forest, before cutting the tree down. The children of Tāne are outraged and decide to teach him a lesson.

When Rata returns for the tree the next day, it is standing upright. He is puzzled but again chops down the tree – and again returns to find the tree is upright. So he cuts down the tree a third time. He then returns at night to watch what happens and sees all the insects and birds putting the tree back together. Rata asks, "What do you think you are doing?" They tell him he has disrespected Tāne by not offering prayers.

Rata is ashamed of his actions and asks for forgiveness. The children of Tāne decide not to punish Rata, because he is trying to help his village, and the next day carry the gift of a hollowed-out waka to Rata's village. Rata then becomes a respected leader in the community.

This story tells the tale of how Māui got his name. It starts with Taranga giving birth to her fifth child – who is not breathing. In her grief Taranga cuts off her topknot, wraps her son in the hair, and sends the bundle out to sea. Papatūānuku, Ranginui and all their children hear Taranga’s grief, and send their help through the creatures of the sea and the forest.

The boy survives, and when a tohunga hears the baby's cries, the boy is pulled from the surf. The tohunga decides to raise the boy, who is a special child and can do all sorts of magical things. But the boy longs to find his human family. After getting the tohunga's permission, Māui sets off in search of them. He eventually finds his mother, who names him Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, or Māui of the topknot of Taranga.