page_title: Taniwha
section_title: Characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Taniwha / Characteristics
caption_attribution_description: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2016 (Māori Language Week) takes place between Monday 4 July and Friday 8 July. This special week provides an opportunity to celebrate and learn te reo Māori, helping to secure its future as a living, dynamic, and rich language. The kaupapa for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2016 is ‘ākina to reo’ – behind you all the way, which is about using te reo Māori to support people, to inspire and to cheer on. To celebrate te wiki we are featuring Te Reo Māori learning resources held within in our archives. A staple of children's literacy in New Zealand since 1963 are children’s books published by the Ministry of Education. A large number have been produced in te reo Māori for students (and their parents), and feature iconic New Zealand writers and artists. Archives New Zealand holds a number of these books, as well as their original artwork. The image above is material either commissioned or created in the production of Te taniwha me te poraka, an issue from the Junior Journals series He Purapura, aimed at fluent readers. The story was written by Karin Mahuika, and the artwork attributed to Murray Grimsdale . Title: He Purapura - Te Taniwha Me Te Poraka - Murray Grimsdale Archives reference: ADCT 699 W5428 Box 25 21/16 www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=18810047 For further enquiries please email Research.Archives@dia.govt.nz For updates on our On This Day series and news from Archives New Zealand, follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/ArchivesNZ Caption information from National Library of New Zealand: nlnzcat.natlib.govt.nz/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=387290 Material from Archives New Zealand
context_page_description: In Māori mythology, taniwha are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers. They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives.
context_section_description: At sea, a taniwha often appears as a whale or as quite a large shark; compare the Māori name for the Great white shark: mangō-taniwha. In inland waters, they may still be of whale-like dimensions, but look more like a gecko or a tuatara, having a row of spines along the back. Other taniwha appear as a floating log, which behaves in a disconcerting way (Orbell 1998:149-150, Reed 1963:297). Some can tunnel through the earth, uprooting trees in the process. Legends credit certain taniwha with creating harbours by carving out a channel to the ocean. Wellington's harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, was reputedly carved out by two taniwha. The petrified remains of one of them turned into a hill overlooking the city. Other taniwha allegedly caused landslides beside lakes or rivers.
  Taniwha can either be male or female.  The taniwha Araiteuru is said to have arrived in New Zealand with the early voyaging canoes and her eleven sons are credited with creating the various branches of the Hokianga Harbour (Orbell 1995:184-185).
caption: A drawing by an artist
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