Rahiri
Encyclopedia
Rahiri is a semi-mythical ancestor
of the Māori people in New Zealand
.
Rahiri lived somewhere within the period 1475-1585, based on whakapapa
(genealogical) calculations. He traced descent from Kupe
of the Matawhaorua canoe and Nukutawhiti of the enlarged and renamed Ngātokimatawhaorua
canoe.
Rahiri is the eponymous tupuna (ancestor) of Ngapuhi, today the largest iwi
(tribal nation confederation) in New Zealand
. His significance for Ngapuhi is that all the chiefly lines of descent in Ngapuhi trace descent through him. As the saying goes:
"Mehemea he uri koe no Ngapuhi, kihai e koe i heke ia Rahiri, he hoiho ke koe!"
("If you are Ngapuhi and do not descend from Rahiri, then you are a horse!")
His first wife was Ahuaiti. From this union came the first-born son, Uenuku. Uenuku was also known as Uenukukuare (Uenuku the Ignorant): while still a young boy, together with his mother Ahuaiti, he was cast out by Rahiri and it was only when he was a young man that he was reconciled with his father Rahiri. Ahuaiti had allegedly given her visiting brothers some of Rahiri's best fern root, contrary to his instructions to her. This was the reason for her exile. Rahiri's second wife was Whakaruru and from this union came Kaharau who, together with Uenuku founded the military might of Ngapuhi.
Upon reconciliation, the then territories of Ngapuhi were divided up by Rahiri on the basis of the flight and landing place of the kite, Tuhoronuku. Uenuku and Kaharau further consolidated connection through marriage of children.
Rahiri had other wives, two being Moetonga and Paru, descendents of these wives respectively settling the west and east coasts within Ngapuhi-controlled territories, creating hapū
in those places.
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
of the Māori people in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Rahiri lived somewhere within the period 1475-1585, based on whakapapa
Whakapapa
Whakapapa , or genealogy, is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Māori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'...
(genealogical) calculations. He traced descent from Kupe
Kupe
In the Māori mythology of some tribes, Kupe was involved in the Polynesian discovery of New Zealand.-Contention:There is contention concerning the status of Kupe. The contention turns on the authenticity of later versions of the legends, the so-called 'orthodox' versions closely associated with S....
of the Matawhaorua canoe and Nukutawhiti of the enlarged and renamed Ngātokimatawhaorua
Ngatokimatawhaorua
In Māori tradition, Ngātokimatawhaorua was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand....
canoe.
Rahiri is the eponymous tupuna (ancestor) of Ngapuhi, today the largest iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
(tribal nation confederation) in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. His significance for Ngapuhi is that all the chiefly lines of descent in Ngapuhi trace descent through him. As the saying goes:
"Mehemea he uri koe no Ngapuhi, kihai e koe i heke ia Rahiri, he hoiho ke koe!"
("If you are Ngapuhi and do not descend from Rahiri, then you are a horse!")
His first wife was Ahuaiti. From this union came the first-born son, Uenuku. Uenuku was also known as Uenukukuare (Uenuku the Ignorant): while still a young boy, together with his mother Ahuaiti, he was cast out by Rahiri and it was only when he was a young man that he was reconciled with his father Rahiri. Ahuaiti had allegedly given her visiting brothers some of Rahiri's best fern root, contrary to his instructions to her. This was the reason for her exile. Rahiri's second wife was Whakaruru and from this union came Kaharau who, together with Uenuku founded the military might of Ngapuhi.
Upon reconciliation, the then territories of Ngapuhi were divided up by Rahiri on the basis of the flight and landing place of the kite, Tuhoronuku. Uenuku and Kaharau further consolidated connection through marriage of children.
Rahiri had other wives, two being Moetonga and Paru, descendents of these wives respectively settling the west and east coasts within Ngapuhi-controlled territories, creating hapū
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
in those places.