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How Matariki got its name?
Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleaides star cluster. It rises during mid-winter and marks the beginning of the Māori new year. The word is an abbreviation of Ngā Mata o te Ariki (Eyes of God) in reference to Tāwhirimātea, god of the wind and weather.
What does Matariki mean to Māori?
Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year. Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.
What is the Tongan name for Matariki?
Matariki is sometimes referred to as ‘Hoko kumara’. some iwi look to Puanga (Rigel in the constellation Orion) as the signal to start the new year. Kumara is a taonga (treasure) and a highly prestigious crop for Maori, whose Polynesian ancestors brought the vegetable with them when they arrived in New Zealand c.
What is the legend behind the full name of Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Greek mythology the Pleiades were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione. Zeus immortalised the sisters by turning them into doves and then into stars to form the Pleiades in the Taurus constellation.
How Matariki was created?
According to Māori tradition, the god of the wind, Tāwhirimātea, was so angry when his siblings separated their parents, Ranginui the sky father and Papatūānuku the earth mother, that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.
Why is Matariki so important?
Matariki is all about celebration, and spending time with family. Matariki was also important for agriculture. The coming of Matariki symbolized the harvest festival where the Maori feasted on the crops they had prepared. Matariki is important because it also is the time to restart the Maori calendar.
Are there 7 or 9 stars in Matariki?
It is another common misconception that Matariki is seven sisters. There are nine stars in the Greek tradition of the constellation: seven children and their parents. In the Māori tradition, there are also nine stars: Matariki (Alcyone) – the mother of the other stars in the constellation.
Is Matariki a god?
Matariki is a shortened version of Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea, or “the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea”. According to Māori mythology, Tāwhirimātea, god of wind and weather, was enraged by the separation of heaven and earth – his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku.
Is Matariki a legend?
The legend of Matariki and the six sisters Te ono o Matariki. There are many legends about the star cluster Matariki. One of the most popular is that the star Matariki is the whaea (mother), surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī and Waitā, and Ururangi.