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.

3rd Matariki Month - Here-turi-kōkā

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 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.