3rd Month of the Māori Year - August/September
Ka maranga mai a Whakaahu ki te tahatü o te Raki ki te Räwhiti, kei te mau mai i te tupuranga höu. Ka maranga mai hoki a Pareärau ki te paerangi o te Räwhiti - Raki ki te Räwhiti ki te ärahi mai, te kukume mai i Te Mangöroa ki te rangi tü-häha. Ka kitea te Korimako e kai ana i ngä putiputi püäwai o te Puahou me ngä Kohekohe. E makariri tonu ana Papatüänuku, engari kei te mahana te tangata mai i te inaina i te ahi.
Castor rises in the northeast bringing new growth. Saturn rises on the east-northeastern horizon to lead The Milky Way through the heavens. Bellbirds are seen feeding on the flowers of Five-finger and Kohekohe. Earth is still cold, people are warmed by their fires.
Te Tohu o Kaupeka - Korimako
Sign of the Season - Bellbird, Anthornis melanura
‘He rite ki te kōpara e kō nei i te ata.’
‘It is said like the bellbird singing at dawn.’
This whakatauākī (proverb) reveals dawn as being the best time for spotting Korimako and is used when referring to someone who is skilled as an orator or who sings beautifully.
When the Korimako is seen feeding on the flowers of Puahou and Kohekohe, the earth is still cold and people are warmed by their fires.
Korimako, a native of New Zealand can be found in the forests and scrublands of off shore islands in the South and North Island and in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Growing to 20cm, the male is olive green with navy blue wings and tail feathers. Its head feathers carry a purplish tinge and its eyes are red. The female is browner and marked with a white stripe under her eye. Its beautiful song of ringing bells differing strangely in dialect from one region to another can be heard in transient times before nightfall and dawn, when it is known as te māra ō Tāne, the voice that calls people to begin working their gardens.
Korimako originated from Rehua or from the union of Tane and Kahuparauri as were the Tūi and Kōkako. It is a bird of great tapu known to carry messages to and from the Heavens. Punaweko and Tūwhaia are its guardians. The wisdom of Korimako and Tūi was heard in karakia prior to the battle of the birds and embraced by the birds of the forest as a strategy for being triumphant over the power of the sea birds. The presence of Korimako or Tūi signals a coming visitor. If rain is approaching Korimako includes a certain chime in its song - i te ō kōparapara.
