Te Arawa Cosmology
In the Beginning.
In all things Maori there is a purpose, a reason for why it came to be. From the smallest insect to the brightest star, each has their own story, their own beginning. Every life is part of the cosmos. Maori cosmology, therefore, should not be confused with mythology. That implies doubt when, for Maori, the evidence is all around.
Ancestors were precise and methodical. They studied, they questioned, read the stars and listened to the earth. Chance and faith simply did not figure in a race that migrated seven great canoes across the uncharted Pacific Ocean to a land they knew was waiting.
“Everything was very logical to our old people. The answers were right there. They weren’t plucked out of thin air,” says cultural advisor, Te Keepa Marsh.
“They have passed on the knowledge that takes us back to the beginning of creation. We still hold that link. Our spirit has never been broken.”
Indeed, many stories lean more towards the study of science. The story of creation, the evolution of heavens and solar systems told ancient Maori 700 years ago the earth was round. They knew they wouldn’t fall off.
The stars, mainly Patikitiki, forecast weather. When this diamond shaped grouping lies parallel to the Milky Way, expect fine weather. When Patikitiki points away, it will be bad.
The exact path of fault lines and geothermal channels beneath the earth were mapped as early as 1325 A.D through the journey of Te Pupu and Te Hoata, the Goddesses who brought fire to this land.
More recently, the people of Whakarewarewa were treating rheumatic disorders with mud long before it was first packaged and exported in the 1920s. Even the mud has its own story. "Why would we need myths when the land, the elements, tell us everything?" says Te Keepa. Everyone has their beliefs. This is what we know.”
The stories shared at Te Puia, therefore, are based on the teachings of ancestors from the Te Arawa canoe, the people of this region. Methods of learning were practical. Simple lullabies for babies carried centuries of information. Carvings recorded history. Songs and chants promoted memory and rhythm. Even today, there are descendants able to recite no less than 4,000 names in their family line. Thus, Maori cosmology is embedded in rationale. It is knowledge from the ancients and through them, a gift from the Gods.
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