Taniwha

Taniwha (pronounced [ˈtaniɸa]) are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers. The word ‘taniwha’ is also used to refer in a complimentary way to chiefs. The famous saying of the Tainui people of the Waikato district plays on this double meaning: Waikato taniwha rau ‘Waikato of a thousand chiefs’. Anthropologists such as A. Asbjørn Jøn have recognised that the taniwha has “analogues that appear within other Polynesian cosmologies”.

In some traditions, Taniwha would kidnap females from tribes and have them as wives.

Characteristics

At sea, taniwha often appear as a whale or a large shark; the Māori name for the Great white shark is Mangō-taniwha. In inland waters, they may still be of whale-like dimensions, but look more like a gecko or a tuatara, having a row of spines along the back. Other taniwha appear as a floating log, which behaves in a disconcerting way (Orbell 1998:149-150, Reed 1963:297). One as a large, white eel. Some can tunnel through the earth, uprooting trees in the process. Certain taniwha are credited with creating harbours by carving out a channel to the ocean. Wellington‘s harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, was reputedly carved out by two taniwha; the petrified remains of one of them turned into a hill overlooking the city. Other taniwha are said to have caused landslides beside lakes or rivers. Taniwha can either be male or female. The Taniwha Araiteuru is said to have arrived in New Zealand with the early voyaging canoes and her eleven sons are credited with creating the various branches of the Hokianga Harbour.

Taniwha as tribal Guardians

Most taniwha are associated with tribal groups; each have a taniwha of their own. The taniwha Ureia, depicted on this page, was associated as a guardian with the Māori people of the Hauraki district. Many well-known taniwha arrived from Hawaiki, often as guardians of a particular ancestral canoe. Once arrived in New Zealand, they took on a protective role over the descendants of the crew of the canoe they had accompanied. The origins of other taniwha are unknown. When taniwha were accorded the appropriate respect, they usually acted well towards their people. Taniwha acted as guardians by warning of the approach of enemies, communicating the information via a priest who was a medium; sometimes the taniwha saved people from drowning. Because they lived in dangerous or dark and gloomy places, the people were careful to placate the taniwha with appropriate offerings if they needed to be in the vicinity or to pass by its lair. These offerings were often of a green twig, accompanied by a fitting incantation. In harvest time, the first kūmara (sweet potato) or the first taro was often presented to the taniwha (Orbell 1998:149-150).

As Notorious Monsters

In their role as guardians, taniwha were vigilant to ensure that the people respected the restrictions imposed by tapu. They made certain that any violations of tapu were punished. Taniwha were especially dangerous to people from other tribes. There are many legends of battles with taniwha, both on land and at sea. Often these conflicts took place soon after the settlement of New Zealand, generally after a taniwha had attacked and eaten a person from a tribe that it had no connection with. Always, the humans manage to outwit and defeat the taniwha. When Hotu-puku, a taniwha of the Rotorua district, was finally killed, his stomach was cut open to reveal a number of bodies of men, women, and children, whole and still undigested, as well as various body parts. The taniwha had swallowed all that his victims had been carrying, for his stomach also contained weapons of various kinds, darts, greenstone ornaments, shark’s teeth, flax clothing, and an assortment of fur and feather cloaks of the highest quality (Orbell 1998:149-150, Reed 1963:299). Many Taniwha were killers but in this particular instance the Taniwha Kaiwhare was eventually tamed by Tamure. Tamure lived at Hauriki and was understood to have a magical mere/ponamu with powers to defeat Taniwha. The Manukau people then called for Tamure to help kill the Taniwha. Tamure and Kaiwhare wrestled and Tamure clubbed the Taniwha over the head however unabling the kill he tamed the Taniwha. Kaiwhare still lives in the waters but now lives on Koura (crayfish) and wheke (octopus) (Reed 2004: 288-289)

Relationships with People

Sometimes, a person who had dealings with taniwha during their lifetime might turn into a taniwha after they died. This happened to Te Tahi-o-te-rangi, who had been a medium for the taniwha, and had been rescued at one time by one of the creatures. Tūheita, an early ancestor who drowned, became a taniwha despite the fact that he had no prior dealings with the mythical beasts. Sometimes relationships are formed between humans and taniwha. Hine-kōrako was a female taniwha who married a human man, and Pānia was a woman from the sea who married a human and gave birth to a taniwha (Orbell 1998:150). Witi Ihimaera, author of “Whale Rider” explains that he has a female Kaitiaki or female Taniwha name Hine Te Ariki and she lives in the Waipaoa River (Te Ara; Encyclopedia of New Zealand-Taniwha)