65-562: Tākitimu was a waka (canoe) with whakapapa throughout the Pacific particularly with Samoa , the Cook Islands , and New Zealand in ancient times. In several Māori traditions , the Tākitimu was one of the great Māori migration ships that brought Polynesian migrants to New Zealand from Hawaiki . The canoe was said to have been captained by Tamatea . The Tākitumu (sic)
130-409: A waka taua with unusually high freeboard . A noticeable feature of a loaded waka taua was its very low freeboard of 400–500 mm, which made the vessel unseaworthy in all but good weather, despite the presence of one or two young men on board dedicated to bailing. The normal timber used, totara , is a lightweight native podocarp , which retains its natural oils even when cut down. This prevented
195-609: A canoe in New Zealand were found near the Anaweka estuary in a remote part of the Tasman District and radiocarbon-dated to about 1400. The canoe was constructed in New Zealand, but was a sophisticated canoe, compatible with the style of other Polynesian voyaging canoes at that time. Since the 1970s, about eight large double-hulled canoes of about 20 metres have been constructed for oceanic voyaging to other parts of
260-431: A combination, was set about one-third back from the bow. The raupō sail was much lighter. The mast and yard spars were small diameter, with the yard being thinner, about 5 metres (16 ft) high, long, and permanently attached to the sail so the rig was raised as a single unit. Loops were woven into both the luff and the leech of the sail for attachment to the spars. Tanekaha ( celery pine ) branches were favoured, as it
325-420: A crewmember is steering, the rower sits on a forward thwart, thereby distributing the weight around the boat evenly – but if the rower is alone, better balance may be achieved using a thwart that is further aft. Thwarts in a boat worked under oars may be described as either "single banked" or "double banked". With a single banked arrangement, there is one oarsman seated on each thwart, each of whom
390-457: A living bird and flew to the top of the mountain, causing it to make a rumbling sound. The mountain was named Maungaharuru ("rumbling mountain") as a result. When the canoe reached the Wairarapa region, Tupai left the canoe to settle. Here he established a whare wānanga , where he later educated Rongokako , the son of Tamatea Arikinui. None of the remaining crew had the power to maintain
455-429: A main hull formed from a single hollowed-out log, along with a carved upright head and tailboard. The gunwale is raised in some by a continuous plank, which gives increased freeboard and prevents distortion of the main hull components when used in a rough seas. Sometimes the hull is further strengthened, as in the case of Te Winika , a 200-year-old design, by a batten or stringer running lengthwise both inside and outside
520-516: A sail that Tasman referred to as a Tingang sail —a small triangular sail often temporarily hoisted. Later, early Europeans from the 1830s onwards gave detailed descriptions of the use, appearance and materials used in Māori sails. Although there were regional variations within New Zealand, most sails were temporary and could be hoisted or struck in a few minutes. The roughly triangular sail, usually made from either flax, tī leaves or raupō ( bulrushes ) or
585-429: A stream or river, using multiple ropes made from raupō . Some men pulled the waka forward while others restrained it on downhill slopes. Accidents at this stage were apparently common. Saplings were used as skids and rollers over uneven ground. The final shaping was done closer to the papakainga to be nearer to food. A waka could take a year to make if the construction went smoothly, but it could be abandoned if there
650-414: A thwart – this makes it easier to step and unstep the mast whilst afloat. In a boat propelled by oars, the thwart has to be positioned with the right geometry for the oar to be worked efficiently and comfortably. Firstly, with a rearward facing oarsman, the thwart has to be nearer the front of the boat than the pivot point for the oar (which acts as a fulcrum). The usual distance between
715-447: Is a car's gearbox. Waka can be used to refer transport in general, such as in "Te Manatū Waka" ( Ministry of Transport ) and "Waka Kotahi" ( NZ Transport Agency ). Waka may also refer to a kinship group descended from the crew of a canoe which migrated to New Zealand and occupying a set territory. A waka in this sense may comprise several iwi (tribes). Thwart A thwart is a part of an undecked boat that provides seats for
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#1732772275048780-426: Is a hollowed and carved vessel used for storing of taonga (treasures) such as the prized tail feathers of the now extinct huia ( Heteralocha acutirostris ) that are worn as ornaments in the hair. In current Māori language usage, waka is used to refer to cars, (along with the transliterated term motokā ), waka-rere-rangi for aircraft and a waka hari hinu is an oil tanker – a waka niho (gear container)
845-460: Is generally found in larger boats. A third arrangement is where two oars, one each side of the boat, are worked by one person. (Technically, in salt water, this is the only use of an oar that is termed "rowing". In inland waters, it is termed "sculling" and "rowing" means working a single oar. This strict and contradictory terminology is not always adhered to.) Most commonly, a thwart is a single timber plank. It usually needs to be firmly attached to
910-570: Is identical to that used in the Marquesan Islands. Although there are references to the use of the Society Island–type crescent-shaped sail in New Zealand, these appear to have been rare and no examples exist. From the arrival of James Cook in 1769 and especially Marion Du Fresne's longer stay in New Zealand in 1772, Māori were able to obtain iron and steel, which did not exist in pre-contact Māori culture. Māori quickly learned
975-401: Is needed for comfort. This usually translates into the top of the thwart needing to be 10–12 inches (250–300 mm) below the point on the gunwale where the oar is pivoted. With these two parameters fixed, the oarsman then needs the support for their feet to be in the right place. As the power of the stroke is delivered, the force applied by the oarsman is reversed in direction by the fulcrum of
1040-402: Is working only one oar. The oars alternate on each side along the length of the boat. This allows a boat to be reasonably narrow and yet still have ample length of oar inboard of the gunwale (the oarsman can sit off the centre line of the boat to maximise this length). A double banked boat has two oarsmen seated on each thwart, each of whom operates their own oar on their own side of the boat. This
1105-589: The Aupōuri Peninsula in Northland . Some members of the crew settled in this location, but Tamatea led most of the crew continued around North Cape , and along the east coast of the North Island until they reached Tauranga . Here Tamatea left the Tākitimu , entrusting the command to Tahu, whom he instructed to find a source of pounamu or greenstone (nephrite jade). As Tākitimu travelled along
1170-989: The Land Wars : When the Waikato campaign started in 1863, the government forces made a point of sinking all the waka they could find on the Waikato River and its tributaries to slow rebel communication. Later, some fine examples of these were placed in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Ocean-going waka, whatever their size, could be paddled, but achieved their best speeds when propelled by sail. The Polynesian settlers of New Zealand migrated to New Zealand in large waka; according to legend, some of these were possibly waka hourua , double-hulled vessels. The names and stories associated with those waka were passed on in oral history ( kōrero o mua ), but dates, names, times, and routes were frequently muddled as
1235-488: The Pacific . They are made of a blend of modern and traditional materials, incorporating features from ancient Melanesia , as well as Polynesia . Waka taua (in Māori , waka means "canoe" and taua means "army" or "war party") are large canoes manned by up to 80 paddlers and are up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length. Large waka, such as Ngā Toki Matawhaorua which are usually elaborately carved and decorated, consist of
1300-585: The Tākitimu by singing a karakia which J. H. Mitchell records and pouring a calabash of water over the bow. Then four rollers, called Te Tahuri, Mounukuhia, Mouhapainga, and Manutawhiorangi were used to launch the canoe into the Pikopiki-i-whiti lagoon . After this, it was taken in the night to Te-whetu-Matarau and the tohunga Ruawharo cast various protective spells for the boat, one of which J. H. Mitchell records. J. H. Mitchell forcefully denies stories that Ruawharo alone or with his brother Tupai stole
1365-726: The Tākitimu from the tribes of Te Tini-o-Pekerangi, Te Tini-o-Whakarauatupa, Te Tini-o-Makehukuhu, and Te Tini-o-Tutakahinahina. The Takitimu was a large, single-rigger canoe. It consisted of rauawa (boards attached above the hull), haumi (extensions to the front and back of the boat), taumanu ( thwarts ), a kāraho or rahoraho (deck), a tauihu ( figurehead ), rapa ( sternpost ), whitikotuku (frame for an awning), tira (masts), puhi (plumes of feathers), kārewa (buoys) and hoe (paddles). The canoe had six ceremonial paddles: Rapanga-i-te-atinuku, Rapanga-i-te-ati-rangi, Maninikura, Maniniaro, Tangiwiwini, and Tangi-wawana. There were two bailers : Tipuahoronuku and Tipuahororangi. At
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#17327722750481430-532: The Tākitimu is given by J. H. Mitchell, according to whom the explorer Hoaki and his brother Taukata had travelled to New Zealand from Hawaiki in the Tutara-kauika , searching for their sister Kanioro, who had been abducted and taken there by Pou-rangahau. They returned in the Te Ara-Tawhao seeking kumara seeds and bearing the news that the islands were sparsely populated. This inspired Tamatea,
1495-513: The Tākitimu was a sacred canoe. Many also give the name of the captain as "Tamatea", although in different forms. (He is not to be confused with Tama-te-kapua , who sailed the Arawa to New Zealand.) The Takitimu waka landed at Whangaōkena (East Cape), Ūawa (Tolaga Bay), Tūranganui (Gisborne), Nukutaurua (on Māhia Peninsula) and other points further south along the East Coast. Accounts from
1560-403: The toki was tied to the crossmember of the upper framework so that it could pivot back and forth, like a swing. Heavy rocks were tied to each side of the long axis at its lowest point to give momentum. The toki was pulled back and released so that the cutting edge bit into the wood that was weakened by fire. It could take two to three weeks to cut down a large tree in this manner. Once felled,
1625-463: The 1980s and 1990s, using high-tech canoes of Hawaiian or Tahitian design and with the ingenious support of work schemes , has become an increasingly popular sport among Māori, often performed as part of cultural festivals held in summer. Some waka, particularly in the Chatham Islands , were not conventional canoes, but were constructed from raupō ( bulrushes ) or flax stalks. In 2009,
1690-459: The Arikinui ("great chieftain"), who led the tribes of Ngāti Hukumoana, Ngāti Hakuturi, and Ngāti Tutakahinahina, which lived in the villages of Whangara, Pakarae, and Rehuroa, to build a canoe and lead a migration to New Zealand. Tamatea ordered the construction of Tākitimu . It was made by three craftsmen, called Ruawharo, Tupai, and Te Rongo Putahi. The initial work was done on Titirangi hill,
1755-536: The German scientist Johann Reinhold Forster , who sailed with Cook in 1773, described waka fitted with outriggers (ama, amatiatia or korewa)". Already rare in Cook's time, waka ama had largely faded from memory by the early 19th century. However, the term waka ama occurs in old stories, such as the story of Māui published by Grey in 1854 and in a few old waiata ; Tregear also mentions the waka ama as "a possession of
1820-546: The Māori", adding that "It was beneath the outrigger of such a canoe that the famous Maui crushed his wife's brother Irawaru before turning him into a dog. Both the double canoe and the outrigger have entirely disappeared from among the Māoris, and it is doubtful if any native now alive has seen either of them in New Zealand". Two outrigger floats were found in swamps along the Horowhenua coast of Cook Strait , and another float
1885-686: The Okeanos Foundation for the Sea and Salthouse Boatbuilders built a fleet of vaka moana / waka hourua with fibreglass hulls. One of these, the Haunui , was gifted to the Te Toki Voyaging Trust in New Zealand. In April 2011 Te Puni Kokiri, The Māori Development Agency, announced a joint venture with an Auckland tribe to build a PVC plastic pavilion in the shape of a waka as a promotion for local Māori. The "Tupper waka", as it
1950-445: The after edge of the thwart and the oar's pivot is 10–12 inches (250–300 mm). The next consideration is height. The oarsman has to be positioned so that during the recovery part of the stroke, the oar is above the surface of the water, allowing for the height of waves which the boat might encounter. Since the oarsman is seated, the inner end of the oar cannot go any lower than the top of their thighs – and some clearance
2015-478: The attack on the ship's boat of Abel Tasman in Golden Bay in 1642 when a Māori catamaran rammed a cock boat and four Dutch sailors were killed. During the classic period (about 1500 to 1770) a hapū would select a tōtara tree and prepare it years ahead for felling. Tōtara is a lightweight wood with a high natural oil content that helps prevent rot. This would include the removal of bark from one side of
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2080-451: The carving was completed in an extremely sacred enclosure which was off limits to women and commoners. The craftsmen and their tools had to be specially purified in water when their work was over; J. H. Mitchell records the karakia sung by the tohunga (high priest) during this work. All the chips and sawdust from the canoe had to be ritually burnt, because it was too sacred to be used for any other purpose. Tamatea and Ruawharo consecrated
2145-447: The centre of the thwart is supported with a pillar that goes down to the keel. In a sailing dinghy, all or some of the thwarts may be built in with the structure of the centre-board case. In lightly-built whaleboats , the thwarts deliberately had a slight upwards bend in the middle. This meant that if the hull received a blow on the side, it could momentarilty flex slightly as the thwarts bent slightly more – without this,
2210-475: The chief source of mauri for the whole East Coast. At Wairoa , the Tākitimu went up the Wairoa River to Makeakea, now the site of Tākitimu marae . One of the canoe's rollers fell into the river and transformed into a taniwha. Later, part of this roller was recovered and used by a rangatira named Kopu Parapara to build a house at Te Hatepe, which inherited the tapu of the Tākitimu . This house
2275-400: The crew and structural rigidity for the hull. A thwart goes from one side of the hull to the other. There may be just one thwart in a small boat, or many in a larger boat, especially if several oarsmen need to be accommodated. A thwart is a part of a boat that usually has two functions: as a seat, and as a structural member that provides some rigidity to the hull. A thwart goes from one side of
2340-887: The descendants of the settlers multiplied and separated into iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes). Consequently, the word waka is used to denote a confederation of iwi descended from the people of one migratory canoe. In 1992, Hekenukumai Busby built Te Aurere , a waka hourua , using traditional methods and materials. It has since voyaged across the Pacific, to Hawaii , Tahiti , the Marquesas , New Caledonia and Norfolk Island , as well as repeatedly circumnavigating Te Ika-a-Māui using Polynesian navigation methods. Early European explorers saw Māori using waka ama ( outrigger canoes ). " Sydney Parkinson , an artist on Captain James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand in 1769, and
2405-465: The east coast, the crew stopped at various locations and gave them names. These included Hikurangi , named after a mountain on Hawaiki, Whāngārā , and the Pakarae River . Titirangi hill in modern Gisborne was named after the hill on which the Tākitimu had been built. The tohunga on the Tākitimu conducted fire rituals that placed the mauri (life force) of their traditional knowledge in
2470-886: The existence of more than one "Tamatea" from the Takitimu . South Island traditions indicate that Tamatea explored the western and southern coastlines of the South Island. The Tākitimu is said to have been turned to stone at Murihiku . From there, Tamatea is said to have built another canoe, the Kāraerae , to return to the North Island. Waka (canoe) Waka ( Māori: [ˈwaka] ) are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes ( waka tīwai ) used for fishing and river travel to large, decorated war canoes ( waka taua ) up to 40 metres (130 ft) long. The earliest remains of
2535-604: The front of the canoe there was a space for the sacred objects in which the atua (gods) of the people resided. These objects represented Ranginui (the sky) and Paptuanuku (the Earth). The objects also represented a number of spirits that protected the Takitimu on its voyage: The Takitimu was too sacred for women, commoners, children, or cooked food to be allowed onto it, so the crew consisted entirely of prestigious men: Tākitimu travelled from Hawaiki to Rarotonga in three days. J. H. Mitchell follows Percy Smith in making
2600-467: The general public, according to the media briefing. The waka taua Te Tuhono in the National Museum of Scotland was restored and partially reconstructed by the Māori craftsman George Nuku, using carved poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to recreate missing sections. The word "waka" is also used in broader senses that can be translated as "vessel", "container", or "vehicle". A waka huia
2665-412: The head of the tree and branches were removed, then the hull was roughly shaped in situ , using fire and hand adzes, under the guidance of the chief designer. A stone adze was used by relatively gentle, but regular and repeated blows. The head was soaked in water to make the binding swell and hold the stone blade more firmly. Once the shaping was complete, the log of 3–4 tonnes was pulled by teams of men to
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2730-523: The hull just above the loaded waterline. The resurgence of Māori culture has seen an increase in the numbers of waka taua built, generally on behalf of a tribal group, for use on ceremonial occasions. Traditionally the war canoe was highly tapu (sacred). No cooked food was allowed in the craft and the waka had to be entered over the gunwales, not the bow or stern, which were highly decorated with powerful symbols. Canoes were often painted with black or white with black representing death. The main colour
2795-417: The hull to the other in an open (undecked) boat, and therefore resists forces pushing in or pulling out the sides of the hull. More obviously it provides a seat for an occupant of a boat. In many sailing boats, a thwart may help support the mast. This can be done either by inserting the mast through a hole in the thwart (with the end resting in a mast step on the keel), or the mast may be clamped to one side of
2860-401: The hull. In a traditional wooden construction it usually sits upon, and is fastened to, a longitudinal stringer which is sometimes called a shelf. The joint between hull and thwart is often reinforced with pairs of knees. Traditionally, knees are grown to the required shape, so that the grain follows the shape. In modern construction, glued laminated timber knees may be used. In larger boats,
2925-575: The land at locations which later became the sites of whare wānanga (centres of traditional learning). When the Tākitimu reached Te Papa, near Oraka on Nukutaurua (the Māhia Peninsula ), the tohunga Ruawharo left the canoe to settle. At the island of Waikawa at the south end of the Māhia Peninsula, the crew established an important shrine , which was later the site of a whare wānanga called Ngaheru-mai-tawhiti, which J. H. Mitchell says became
2990-535: The later work at Tamatea's house in Whangara. Four stones, Kohurau, Ka-ra, Anewa, and Pounamu were used to make five adzes, named Te Awhiorangi, Tewhironui, Rakuraku o Tawhaki, Matangirei, and Hui-te-rangiora. Te Awhiorangi, the most sacred of these adzes, was used by Tamatea to ceremonially cut through the waves, clearing the way for the canoe to travel over the sea. The canoe was first roughly shaped at Titirangi hill and then taken to Tamatea's house at Whangara, where
3055-663: The making of a Maori canoe - records the 18 month long construction of a waka taua - the Taahere Tikitiki. The waka was commissioned by the Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu , and constructed at Tūrangawaewae Marae by master carver Piri Poutapu . The film, directed by David Sims , is a visual insight into the building of this cultural taonga. Tasman noted that two of the waka which attacked his ships in Golden Bay in today's Tasman District in December 1642, had
3120-410: The northern East Coast indicate that the Tākitimu left Hawaiki after two brothers, Ruawharo and Tūpai, took the canoe from their enemies and escaped to New Zealand. The vessel landed on the Māhia Peninsula (Te Māhia) and the crew dispersed: Ruawharo stayed at Te Māhia, a man named Puhiariki went to Muriwhenua in present-day Northland , while others moved to Tauranga . A Ngāti Kahungunu account of
3185-441: The oar pivot. The oarsman's feet have to be high enough to take the horizontal component of that force. Especially in larger boats, a footrest or "stretcher" is provided for this. It is usually adjustable for the height of the oarsman. Another consideration for the position of a thwart is the fore and aft distribution of weight in a boat. In a utility sailing dinghy that is being rowed there may be two alternative rowing positions. If
3250-432: The sail angle led from the top of the yard directly to the sheet handler, although early British sailors were critical of the sheet being tied off. The sail was only used downwind, as the waka lacked a keel or centre-board to prevent leeway, therefore preventing windward sailing. Rarely, two sails of the same size, were used in larger waka. Due to its slim hull the waka could sail at considerable speed down wind. When struck,
3315-488: The sail was wrapped around the two spars and laid along the centre of the waka thwarts, between the paddlers. Sometimes a pattern was woven into the sail, using a different material. The only known example of a traditional waka sail is in the British Museum. Capsizes were not unknown, with the hull being tipped to get rid of water, then bailed out. This type of triangular sail, with straight mast and high angled sprit,
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#17327722750483380-463: The ship part of the Great Fleet , but says that because it was a single-rigger canoe, it proved faster than the rest of the canoes and left them behind. Tākitimu made the journey from Rarotonga to New Zealand in only eleven days. A shortage of food forced the crew to pray to Tangaroa and Tāne , who provided them with raw fish and birds to eat. The Tākitimu arrived at Awanui at the base of
3445-616: The site of the Tākitimu in the early twentieth century, but was thwarted by a supernatural fog. The tribes of the Tauranga region refer to the canoe as Takitimu . Some traditions say that the Takitimu was captained by Tamatea, father of Ranginui, and Kahungunu the founding ancestor of Ngāti Ranginui . Ngāti Kahungunu recognise this "Tamatea" as the grandson of Tamatea Arikinui, and refer to him as "Tamatea-pokaiwhenua-pokaimoana". However, accounts in Northland and Tauranga do not indicate
3510-545: The special tapu of the Tākitimu , so it became a paraheahea (ordinary, non-sacred canoe). Despite this, Tahu Pōkai led the Tākitimu onward to the Arahura River on the west coast of the South Island , where he found the source of pounamu which he had sought. The Tākitimu was deposited on a flat ledge in the river, where it turned to stone. J. H. Mitchell reports a story that T. W. Ratana attempted to visit
3575-603: The superiority of this material, especially for carving. Māori learnt to ask sailors to sharpen 8-inch-long (20 cm) ships' nails to a chisel point on a ship's wheel in exchange for fish. This period between 1779 and 1820 has been called the golden age of Māori wood carving. Much of the carving was confined to waka taua . During the middle 19th century, from 1835, the arrival of large numbers of European settlers and ships meant that ship's boats were far more commonly available and were increasingly used by Māori in preference to waka. In 1839 100 ships visited The Bay of Islands. This
3640-467: The timber opening up and splitting. Angela Ballara noted that they only put to sea when it was fine. One voyage across the stormy Cook Strait was delayed for a week while the travellers waited for fine weather. The missionary William Williams, son of Henry Williams, noted that the voyage of a waka taua was a leisurely affair due to the requirements of foraging for food and waiting for fine weather. The 1974 National Film Unit documentary - Taahere Tikitiki -
3705-429: The trunk and the clearing of the ground and the planting of food crops for workers. After chants and prayers, the tree would be felled by a combination of fires around the base and chopping with hand adzes . On an especially large tree with aerial roots a stage about 3 m high was built of wood. On this was built a framework on which was suspended a giant upside-down toki (axe), about 2.5 m long. The long axis of
3770-452: Was a trend that the missionaries such as Marsden and Williams had noted had begun in the 1830s. The beamier, lighter, ship's boat was a better load carrier with more stability and was sometimes equipped with sails for windward sailing. Use of ship's boats became common, as many Māori worked on a wide variety of sealing, whaling and trading sailing vessels, both in New Zealand and in the Pacific. Few waka were used for movement of warriors during
3835-514: Was an accident or a death of an important person. Such abandoned, uncompleted waka have been found in post-contact times. Most large waka were built in several main interlocking sections and stitched together with flax rope. Small pegs were put into the holes, which swelled and sealed when wet. Tree gum could also seal the holes. A large finished waka weighed about three tonnes and could remain in use for many decades. All large waka had names and were objects of pride and admiration. The image above shows
3900-533: Was an important waka in the Cook Islands with one of the districts on the main island of Rarotonga consequently named after it. Sir Tom Davis , a former prime minister of the Cook Islands, wrote, in the form of a novel, an account of 300 years of voyaging of the Tākitumu (sic) by his own forebears as told in their traditions. The Tākitimu appears in many traditions around New Zealand. Most accounts agree that
3965-478: Was called in the media, was a small conference facility for well-off visitors during the world rugby competition held in New Zealand in September 2011. Most of the $ 2 million funding came from the government, but the tribe was contributing $ 100,000 and would retain ownership after the event. The graphic on television showed that it is largely a promotional device with seating, tables and a bar. It will not be open to
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#17327722750484030-437: Was common, as far south as Nelson. It was a straight, strong and flexible wood. An added advantage may have been that the wood bled red tannin, a colour strongly favoured by Māori. The head of the triangle sail was the shortest—about 2 metres (6.6 ft)—and often decorated with tufts of feathers that may have served as wind indicators. The mast was held in place by a forestay, a backstay and two side stays. The sheet to control
4095-539: Was found in Moncks Cave near Christchurch. All three floats were short, suggesting that Māori outriggers were small and used only in sheltered waters. The Māori words for the parts of the outrigger, such as ama and kiato , recorded in the early years of European settlement, suggest that Māori outrigger canoes were similar in form to those known from central Polynesia . Since the 1990s, waka ama racing, introduced from Pacific nations into New Zealand during
4160-618: Was red which stood for tapu. Sometimes a waka would be placed upright as a marker for a dead chief with the curved bottom of the hull carved. Māori told missionaries during the Musket Wars that battles between waka took place at sea with the aim being to ram an enemy's waka amidships at high speed. The ramming vessel would ride up over the gunwale and either force it under water or cause it to roll over. The enemies were either killed, left to drown or captured to be used in cannibal feasts or as slaves if they were female. This description matches
4225-466: Was relocated to Waihirere , but it had become derelict by 1898 and was burnt down. In 1926 it was decided to build the Tākitimu marae on this site as a successor to this aspect of the Tākitimu canoe. As the Tākitimu passed the mouth of the Waikari River , the tohunga Tupai saw a mountain inland. He lifted up a pāpāuma (a magical wooden carving representing birds), which transformed into
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