Am Loolah

Just an idea - save people trawling the internet. Do you know the Maori tale behind your chosen place's name?

I'll start with Mount Maunganui. I actually live up the road in Papamoa but they don't have a tale involving Fairies for here so I bags this one ...

Mount Maunganui:-

"The mountain

According to legend the mountain once lay inland. Spurned by the beautiful mountain Pūwhenua, it begged the fairy-like creatures of the forest to drag it into the ocean. As they neared the water’s edge dawn broke, and the fairies fled, leaving the mountain caught forever in the light of day. Thereafter it was known as Mauao (Mau –‘caught’, ao – ‘light of day’). Later it was renamed Maunganui in memory of a similar mountain in Hawaiki, the Polynesian homeland of the Māori."

Extract taken from www.teara.govt.nz

I can't actually find a translation for Papamoa itself, maybe there isn't one?

Bo-Jangles

I have the dictionary of place names if anyone is curious about a name.

Papa = flat land Moa = raised beds

So level land with raised plots for cultivation.

Bo-Jangles

Whilst I like the flowery fairy stories attached to lots of the names, really they are quite simple statements usually descriptions of something on the landscape to do with size or stature. Long, wide, short, big or small.

Maunga = Mountain Nui = Big

Am Loolah

Nope - is all born of Fairies ...

mickey_d

Story of Te Mata Peak, Near Havelock North, Hawkes Bay.

http://www.maori.org.nz/korero/defau...sp65&parent=63

Am Loolah

Ahhhhhh, it's like Romeo and Juliet all over again.

nero

Auckland
Tēnā koe, e Tāmaki!
Tēnā koe, Tēnā koe:
Tāmaki – makau – rau – e!

Greetings, oh Tāmaki!
Greetings, greetings to thee,
Oh! Tāmaki of numerous lovers.

The Māori name for Auckland is Tāmaki. Among the many versions is Tāmaki-makau-rau (Tāmaki of a hundred lovers), referring to the desirable, fertile site at the hub of a network of waterways, taking travellers north and south, east and west. For centuries different groups flourished, cohabited and displaced each other in turn.

Here are some great links for Orakei where my local Marae is and also some great info on Auckland

http://www.teara.govt.nz/Places/Auckland/Auckland/6/en

http://www.teara.govt.nz/Places/Auck...ndPlaces/13/en

Bo-Jangles

I like this one because a Maori guy told me the 'real' story of Poneke (Wellington).

Some say its a transliteration of Port Nicholson - Port Nick - becomes Po Neke.

The maori guy told me it means people who move in the night: Po = Night and Neke - Move

Why? Because at a lot of Maraes they have the Powhiri before daylight or at dawn, so if people from Wellington were attending a hui or tangi up North they had to travel a long way to get there before daybreak, hence they had to get up in the middle of the night to travel.

j19fmm

I have a book 'Maori Legends' retold by Alistair Campbell, interesting but rather grizzly in places!!
Just thought I'd share...getting my coat now....

Wooly_Cow

I have a long and true story not about a place name but about how an ancestor of mine, John Jury, rescued a Maori Princess or ‘Chieftaness’ from the stronghold on Kapiti Island after she was captured by Te Rauparaha, he of the Haka fame.

It’s a LONG story but basically it shows that over 400 acres and an island, of the Wairarapa belong to the Jury family……

Kiwiprincess

Anyone from Taranaki here? I love the story of Mt Taranaki so will leave it up to you lot to find it.

Am Loolah

Spoilsport, tell us, tell us!

mickey_d

http://www.maori.org.nz/korero/defau...sp64&parent=63

teambwr47

That would be the completely ludicrous story of the mountain basically arguing with another and running away to taranaki or something along those lines...

quaint story for children that Maori seem to believe.....

nelsonpom

I heard some ludicrous story about some old guy managing to completely build the whole earth in a few days (in the dark) and apparently lots of Pakeha believe it ......