The dwelling places of these people were on the sharp peaks of the high mountains – those in the district of Hauraki (Thames) are Moehau mountain (Cape Colville), Motutere (Castle Hill, Coromandel), Maumaupaki, Whakairi, Kaitarakihi, Te Koronga, Horehore, Whakaperu, Te Aroha-a-uta, Te Aroha-a-tai, and lastly Pirongia, at Waikato. The chiefs of this people were named Tahurangi, Whanawhana, Nukupori, Tuku, Ripiroaitu, Tapu -te-uru and Te Rangipouri. When the migration arrived here they found people living in the land – Ngati Kura, Ngati Korakorako and Ngati Turehu, all hapu or sub-tribes of the people called Patupaiarehe. In 1894 an elder of the Ngati Maru, Hoani Nahe spoke of the Patupaiarehe and his words were recorded. String and stick games are also said to have come from these supernatural beings. Traditions tell how Maori gained knowledge of net making from the Patupaiarehe as well as makatu (magic arts) and atahu (love charms). However, not all was bad between the Patupaiarehe and the Maori. Secondly, the uses of the cooking ovens or a fire as Patupaiarehe are very much afraid of fire and the smell of cooked food was enough to scare them away. Firstly, you could smear your house with kokowai, this was a mixture of iron oxide with shark oil – the smell was repugnant to them. Of course, if you did not want to be abducted by the Patupaiarehe there were several options available. Unfortunately, Maori men suffered much more, often being mistreated and in some cases killed. It was believed the cases of red heads and albinos (the urukehu) among Maori were a result of the union between Patupaiarehe and Maori. No harm would befall the young women and they would eventually be returned home. The Patupaiarehe men were known to lure people away from their homes, particularly attractive young women, they used the magical sounds of the koauau or putorino (types of flutes).
In some stories albino birds and eels, red flax and red eels were considered to be the sole property of the Patupaiarehe and woe betide any Maori caught taking these. They were hunter/gatherers who ate only raw food – cooked food is an abomination to them. Sunlight was a curse to the Patupaiarehe, they only venture out in the night or when the mist was heavy enough to shield them from the sun. There is some debate regarding their size, some say small, others say they are the same size as humans but then there are the traditions where they are giants. They have light skin, red or fair hair and unlike the Maori are never tattooed. They are supernatural beings who are rarely seen, fairy creatures of the deep forests and mountains, t heir houses built from the swirling mists. In Maori tradition the Patupaiarehe (also sometimes referred to as turehu or pakepakeha) were the first people of New Zealand – the first Tangata Whenua.
The story referred to the Patupaiarehe but who or what were the Patupaiarehe? Obviously a bit of research was required…
During the research for a post on Auckland’s volcanoes I found an interesting Maori story about how the volcanoes came to be.
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