Gods, Myths and Heroes - Part 55

 Arataki Visitor Centre, New Zealand

The Maori are the Polynesians who originally settled New Zealand.  Above is a carved pou (post) representing the ancestry of the Te Kawerau a Maki, the tribe that lived in the Waitakere Ranges, a lush stretch of mountains between Auckland and New Zealand's west coast.  The post is at the Arataki Visitor Centre near Auckland at the gateway to the Waitakere Ranges.

The original post stood from 1994 to 2009.  Made of wood, it decayed and it was replaced with a new post in 2011.

At the top of the post (above) is the oldest ancestor, Tiriwa.  It was his name that was given to the whole of west Auckland called Te Waonui a Tiriwa or the great forest of Tiriwa.

Below him is Hape.  In Maori oral tradition, there are many stories of the canoes of the first Maori who discovered and settled New Zealand.  One of them was the Tainui canoe, which first landed in the Bay of Plenty. Hape was the senior priest aboard the Tainui canoe.

Note that he has an erection.  Unlike Greek and Roman statues, where only the fertility god Priapus was represented with an erection, erections are common in Maori art as a sign of virility and strength.

The third figure is Hoturoa, the captain of the Tainui canoe, with an erection.

The fourth figure is Maki.  He is a major Maori ancestor in Auckland.  His erection consists of a tiny figure curving upward, perhaps representing the fruit of his loins.

The fifth figure is Te Kawerau a Maki, who was a son of Maki, with an erection.  The tribe takes its name from him.

The sixth and bottommost figure is Te Au o Te Whenua, who held the mana (power) from Whatipu in the south to Muriwai in the north.  It is from this ancestor that the Te Kawerau a Maki tribe gets the Mana Whenua status (the right to rule) over this region.  And, you guessed it, he has an erection.

Inside the visitor center there are more statues.  Himiona Heketarere is a historical figure.  In 1825, a rival tribe, armed with muskets, launched a devastating attack known as "the slaughter" on the Te Kawerau a Maki tribe, which was armed only with stone and wooden weapons.  Himiona escaped down a cliff by climbing down a rope, shown on the statue.  He was one of the first to convert to Christianity, and he took the name Himiona (Simon).

Another statue inside the visitor center is Te Ure, a famous carver of the Te Kawerau a Maki tribe, shown carved in his own style, which became popular along the West Coast.  Te Ure means "the penis".  Apparently he was famously well-hung.

Interestingly, "the penis" statue is near the kids section of the visitor center.  Hey, it's part of Maori culture!