Global InformationKurangaituku information
| Folklore | Māori mythology |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) |
|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Bay of Plenty |
| Details | Part-human, part-woman supernatural being |
Kurangaituku is a part-woman part-bird supernatural being in Māori mythology as told by the iwi (tribes) of Te Arawa and Raukawa. Her name is sometimes spelled Kurungaituku.[1][2][3] She is sometimes described as an ogress or a witch, although some versions of the legend are sympathetic to her and present her as a nurturing caretaker of birds. She is said to have been betrayed and defeated by the young Te Arawa man Hatupatu.
A number of New Zealand places are associated with Kurangaituku and Hatupatu, including Te Kōhatu o Hatapatu, a rock that Hatupatu is said to have hid in while escaping from her. She is also the subject of whakairo (traditional carving) and other artworks, and the Kurangaituku Netball Tournament has been held annually in Rotorua since 1933. Whiti Hereaka's novel Kurangaituku (2021) retells the legend from Kurangaituku's perspective, and won the top fiction prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
- ^ "The tournament takes its name from the impressive 1m high wooden trophy". The Daily Post. 31 August 2006. p. A13. ProQuest 432087918.
There has been debate over the years about the spelling of Kurangaituku, with some Maori believing it should be Kurungaituku. But the organisers have been unable to verify it one way or another, so they are sticking to the spelling on the trophy.
- ^ Te Hiko, Huirama; Te Hiko, Nigel (June 2017). "Kurungaituku, Guardian of the Forest" (PDF). Raukawa Settlement Trust. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Hatupatu me Kurungaituku - Hatupatu and the Birdwoman". Rotorua Daily Post. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2023.