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Marker of the New Year

Te Whetū
o te Tau

Puanga is important for Te Taiuru iwi for two primary reasons:
 

  • Weather indicator – Puanga is a star that helps to indicate bad weather, namely rain and wind.  Over centuries our tūpuna developed a system where Puanga has been connected to the prevailing westerly and rain events.

  • Prominence – Puanga has a prominent role in the skyscape in the evening from the end of autumn and in the morning sky from the start of winter to the beginning of spring and is therefore featured in many of our stories. 

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There is a widespread misconception that some iwi acknowledge Puanga only because Matariki is not visible in the night sky above their rohe. However, our tūpuna manuscripts and oral traditions tell us that there are many reasons to follow the tohu of Puanga, not just visibility. In some inland areas of our rohe, our iwi read both Puanga and Matariki.

Weather

Indicator

The prevailing westerly wind on Te Taiuru means that Puanga’s tohu can help us to understand and predict the weather during the winter months. These tohu are monitored throughout the year, allowing us to adapt our behaviour in accordance with our observations.

There are a number of whakakao (writings from a number of tūpuna manuscripts) that we are sharing as part of the disseminatipon of knowledge. This tau or taki (chant) is from the whakakao and provides a guide for weather prediction:

Tākina mai te ara o Puanganui-o-te-rangi

Tū kau Māhutonga i te mātongatonga

Kau ana Rehua i te tonga-mā-uru

Pūtongamarangai ko Atutahi te whetū tarake mai i te atapō.


Whaia, whaia i te muri. He tau aha te tau?

Whaia, whaia i te tonga. He tau aha te tau?

Whaia, whaia i te matara mai o te rā. He tau aha te tau?

Whaia, whaia i te ara o te rā. He tau aha te tau?

Ka hua, ka pua, tohia rā ngā hua o te tau. Ue hā!

As we recite the path of Puanganui-o-te-rangi, Māhutonga stands at due south. Rehua is setting sou’west. Atutahi stands out in the sou’east in the predawn sky.


If Puanga’s rays flicker north, what type of year will it be?
If Puanga’s rays flicker south of due east, what type of year will it be?
If Puanga’s rays flicker further south, what type of year will it be?
If Puanga’s rays flicker on the sun’s path, what type of year will it be?
For these are the signs to help predict the year.

This tau reminds us what to look for when Puanga is rising in Ngā Atua moon phases (from Tangaroa to Orongo) in Te Tahi, the first month of the year, most commonly known as Pipiri.

As the fifth brightest star in the sky, Puanga plays an important role in our tribal narratives for the simple fact that it is very visible. It is especially prominent in the evening sky after sunset for the last month of autumn.  In the first month of winter during the Māori new year period, Puanga then rises predawn in the morning sky.  This marks the new year for Te Taiuru.

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It is common practice to observe setting stars in autumn on Te Tai Hauāuru (West Coast). These stars signal how much time remains to gather resources and make final preparations for Ngā Pō Roa o Takurua – the long nights of winter.

Prominence

There are a number of phenomena visible in the evening skyscape at the end of autumn:
 

  • Te Whata nā Maru (he whata) – This constellation depicts the platform of the dead, where those who have passed during the year are placed before being sent on to Te Tatau o te Pō, and then to the safe keeping of Taramainuku until they are cast to become stars in the new year.
     

  • Maruaonui (he whare) – A constellation in the shape of a whare that is erected beyond the horizon at a place called Rarotōnga. This house was established by Puanga and indicates the arrival of winter.
     

  • Maruaonui (he tuhi) – A pink-purple sky phenomenon that indicates how much rain should be expected throughout winter or even for the whole year.

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