Hākuturi

In Māori mythology, the hākuturi are guardians of the forest. They are responsible for guarding the forest,
and to avenge any desecration of its sacredness. When Rātā cut down a tree without first making the proper
incantations and rituals, the hākuturi rebuked him by re-erecting the tree. When he showed remorse, they felled
the tree again and made it into a canoe for him in a single night. The hākuturi seem to have been regarded as
birds or birdlike: one source calls them the children of Tāne, god of the forest and ancestor of birds (Orbell
1998:23-24). A Ngati Kahungunu version (White 1887–1891, III:2) refers to 'the host of Haku-tiri, of Roro-
tini, and of Pona-ua'. This last word would seem to imply some relationship to the Ponaturi (Tregear 1891:43).

References
M. Orbell, The Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend (Canterbury University Press:
Christchurch), 1998.
E. R. Tregear, Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay),
1891.
J. White, The Ancient History of the Maori, 7 Volumes (Government Printer: Wellington), 1887–
1891.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hākuturi&oldid=963930894"

This page was last edited on 22 June 2020, at 16:27 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.