The Ancestral Canoe of Mata-Atua

Te Waka Tipua o Mata-Atua

1

Recite from below, recite from above, call out, chant the essence of Mata-Atua. The Mata-Atua waka canoe was created in Ma’uke, Me’eti’a, Te Aka Toka Manava, Ngaru Kai Whatiwhati, Parinuiterā.

Tūtapa mai nuku, tūtapa mai rangi, ōi, ka tākina te mauri o Mata-Atua. I waihangatia mai te waka Mata-Atua i Ma’uke, i Meetia,  i Te Aka Toka Manava, i Ngaru Kai Whatiwhati, i Parinuiterā.

2

In the beginning, there was Irakewa the senior male ancestor for all descendants of the Mata-Atua canoe.

Irakewa lived in Aotearoa, however he was bothered and unsettled so he set out yonder in search of land.

He had arrived at Ma’uke and then met Wekanui. They had a family together.

I te tīmatatanga, ka puta mai ko Irakewa. Ko ia te ure tārewa o ngā uri o te waka tipua nei.

I Hawaikitautauoterangi ā Irakewa e noho wairua mai ana. Ka haramai ia ki te whenua i tohungia ai hei kainga mō wāna uri.

I ahu mai ia i te whenua o Ma’uke.

3

The family members of Irakewa and Wekanui were the chiefs Toroa, Puhi, the high priest Tāneatua, Tamakihikurangi, Muriwai the oracle and Wairaka the daughter of Toroa.

Ko te whānau o Irakewa rātau ko Kiwa,  ko Wekanui, ko Toroa te rangatira, ko Puhi te rangatira, ko Tāneatua te tohunga ihorae, ko Tamakihikurangi te tohunga tātai arorangi, ko Muriwai te ruanuku, ko Wairaka te tamāhine ā Toroa.

4

This is the ancestor, the chieftain Taratoa who came on the canoe.

Ko tēnei tangata ko Taratoa. Ko ia te Ariki nui  i haramai mā runga i te waka tipua nei.

5

One day, Irakewa went with a troupe in search of wood for cross-bars to build a waka.

I tētahi rā, I haere a Irakewa me tōna  tira ki te tiki i te rākau tāmanu hei hanga waka mō rātau.

6

Te Tua, half woman, half creature, guardian of the Te Rangimānuka forest, cut down the two trees for this canoe, a double-hulled canoe.

Pomare, Te Tua Matua o Irakewa and Te Tua were the first names of this ancestral canoe.

Nā Te Tua i hoatu ai i ngā rakau nei. He wahine, he taniwha, ko ia te kaitiaki o te ngāhere, a Te Rangimanuka.  I tapahia i ngā rākau e rua mō te waka nei, he waka hourua.

Ko Pomare, Ko Te Tua Matua o Irakewa, ko Te Tua ngā ingoa tuatahi o te waka tipua nei.

7

The high priests chanted the ritual to the Gods of the Universe to travel across the Pacific Ocean, to ensure safe passage and calm waves upon the Foamy Domain of Tangaroa.

Ka tākina te kawa e ngā tohunga ihorae ki ngā Atua o te Ao Ātea kia whakawhiti mai i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.   

Kia haumaru ai, kia marino ai ngā ngaru i Te Whare Hukahuka o Tangaroa. 

8

Before they departed Irakewa said to Toroa, “Look for these designated landmarks, Te Wairere Falls, The Cave for Muriwai, and The Sacred Rock of Irakewa. This will be your new home.”

I mua i tō rātau haerenga mai, ka mea mai a Irakewa ki a Toroa, “Kimihia ngā wāhi i tohutia nei, Ko Te Wairere, Ko Te Ana ō Muriwai, Ko Te Toka Tapu ā Irakewa. Kei konei te kāinga hou mō kōutau.”

9

The guardians Rongomai (comet), Tarakura (lizard), Honuiterangi (turtle) and Tūtarakauika (whale) guided the canoe. 

Ko ngā kaitiaki i ārataki te waka, Ko Rongomai, Ko Tarakura, Ko Honuiterangi me Tūtarakauika.

10

They carried some sacred rocks on the canoe.

I kawea mai mā runga i te waka nei ngā toka mauri.

11

The canoe Te Tua Matua o Irakewa left Ma’uke, journeyed to Rarotonga, and eventually landed at Te Motutapu o Tinirau.

Ka wehe atu ai te waka o Te Tua Matua o Irakewa mai i Ma’uke, ka rere atu ki Rarotonga, tau rawa atu ki Te Motutapu ā Tinirau.

12

Te Tua Matua o Irakewa sailed away from the Motutapu island, departed Ngā Tangihia and then sailed on to the Kermadecs.

Mai i te moutere ā Te Motutapu ā Tinirau, ka rere atu te waka o Te Tua Matua o Irakewa, ka wehe atu mai i Ngā Tangihia, kātahi ka rere atu ki Rangitāhuahua.

13

Ngātoroirangi made the sea turbulent which caused the canoes to plummet into the whirlpool of Te Korokoro o Te Parata.

The bow of the canoes were trapped there. Toroa felt empathy for them, then he proceeded to chant the incantation Te Tau o Mata-Atua, which hauled the canoes out to safety.

Ka kinongia ai te moana e Ngātoroirangi ka tōtohutia ai ngā waka ki roto i Te Korokoro o Te Parata.

Ka mau ngā tauihu o ngā waka ki reira. Ka arohanuitia ki te iwi, kātahi ka tākina e Toroa te Tau o Mata-Atua, he karakia i kūmea mai ai ngā waka ki waho, ka puta ki te whai ao ki te ao mārama.

14

These were the Tainui, Te Arawa, Aotea, Takitumu, Kurahaupō, Ngā-toki-mata-whao-rua and Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi canoes.

Ko Tainui tēnā, ko Te Arawa tēnā, ko Aotea tēnā, ko Takitimu tēnā, ko Kurahaupō tēnā, ko Ngātokimatawhaorua tēnā, ko Māhūhūkiterangi wēnei waka i haramai i te taha o Mata-Atua.

15

It was through Toroa reciting the incantation that the bow of Mata-Atua managed to escape. Toroa saw the Sacred Face of God, here he named the canoe Mata-Atua.

Nā te takutakuhanga o te karakia a Toroa, i puta ai te tauihu o Mata-Atua. Ka kitea e Toroa te Mata Tapu o Te Atua, koinei i Mata-Atua ai te ingoa. Ara, ko Mata- Atua.

16

As they travelled through to the Kermadecs a rainbow appeared in the forms of āniwaniwa, uenuku and kōpere.

Nō te whakawhitinga mai ki Rangitāhuahua,ka tau mai he āniwaniwa, he uenuku, he kōpere.

17

The waka Mata-Atua then continued to Curvier Island.

Kātahi ka rere atu a Mata-Atua ki Repanga.

18

Mata-Atua landed there by the bird guardians Tākeretou and Mumuhou. These birds gifted by the barren mountain of Taranaki guided Mata-Atua.

Ka tau atu ki reira, ko ngā manu kaitiaki a Tākeretou, a Mumuhou. He manu tipua, he manu tapu wēnei manu. He manu i kohaina mai e te maunga tītōhea o Taranaki, i aratakina a Mata-Atua.

19

They then arrived to Hawaikitautauoterangi also known as Aotearoa, the new home.

Kua tae mai rātau ki Hawaikitautauoterangi, ā, Aotearoa rānei, te kāinga hou i timata mai tō rātau haerenga mai i a Ma’uke ki konei.

20

The journey now begins!!

Ko Mata -Atua e kokiri!