3rd Matariki Month - Here-turi-koka (2)

Te Marama o Matariki He Maramataka Māori - Here-turi-kōkā

3rd Month of the Māori Year - August/September

Ka maranga mai a Whakaahu ki te tahatū o te Raki ki te Rāwhiti, kei te mau mai i te tupuranga hōu. Ka maranga mai hoki a Pareārau ki te paerangi o te Rāwhiti - Raki ki te Rāwhiti ki te ärahi mai, te kukume mai i Te Mangōroa ki te rangi tū-hāha. Ka kitea te Korimako e kai ana i ngā putiputi pūāwai o te Puahou me ngā Kohekohe. E makariri tonu ana Papatūānuku, 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.

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Te Tohu o Kaupeka - Te Mangōroa
Sign of the Season - The Milky Way The Galaxy 

‘E tūtaki ana ngā kapua o te rangi, 
kei runga te Mangōroa e kōpae pū ana.’

‘The clouds in the sky close in 
but above them extends the Milky Way.’

This pepeha (metaphor) reminds us to reach beyond that which may adversely effect our opinion of something to the place where a far greater potential lies waiting. 

Mangōroa can be seen sinking into the south-western horizon just before dawn during Here-turi-kōkā (3rd Matariki month). The earth is still cold and people stay warmed by their fires.  

Mangōroa is known also as Te-Ika-a-Maui or The Fish of Maui, Te-Ika-matua-a-Tangaroa, Te-Ika-o-te-rangi, Te-Ika-roa-o-te-rangi, Te-Tuahiwi-nui-o-rangi, Te-whenua-o-te-rangi, Te-Mangaroa, Te Mangoroiata, Te Mokoroa-i-ata, Te Paeroa o Whänui, Te-Ika-roa, Te-Ika-o-Raki, Te Tuahiwi o Rangi-nui, Whiti-kaupeka, Te Kupenga a Taramainuku, Te Awanui a Rangi, Long Fish and Long Shark.

It is a beautifully spiraled galaxy made up of dust, gas, and more than 400 billion stars some 43488.44 ly away, 0.156 MLY in diameter and 15590.6 ly in thickness. 

Mangōroa, the largest tribe of ra ririki or little suns (stars) in the sky is said to have been carried to the heavens in the form of a great luminous basket known as ‘Ko Te Mangōroa tonu taua kete’ in Uruao, the waka atua or supernatural canoe of Tamarereti, to adorn the body of Ranginui, the sky father. Others say it was Māui, the atua trickster who released the shark in the sky known as Mangōroa. Its task is to mark the passage of time during the night and lighten the morning hours.