Origin of the Waikato River____________________ As
told to John St
Clair by Wini Kerei Te Whetuiti. It was nearly midnight late in the autumn of 1891 that we finished the work of compiling a list of names to be put into a block of land to which Wini Kerei te Whetuiti was entitled, and the aged chief of Ngati Poa, sitting in his whare at Hoe-o-Tainui, was much pleased at the completion of the list. He had read it over and over again, and decided that nobody could have been left out. His daughter, however, reminded him that a young couple was out on the hills digging gum, and she had heard that a child was born to them the previous day, but did not know whether it was a boy or a girl. “What does it matter,” said the aged chief, “we will give it a name and put it into the block so that it shall have some land.” When asked the name a difficulty arose, some wanted one name, others a different one, until tired out with the argument, Wini Kerei decided to call it Pena-Tikena-Kauri-Kama (been digging Kauri gum), so the name was duly added to the list. As I wrote its residence in the proper column as “Te Hoe-o-Tainui”, it occurred to me to ask my old friend the origin of the name. I could see that it meant the “Paddle of the canoe Tainui”, but was anxious to hear the story, especially as I knew he was a great authority on ancient Maori lore and wisdom. “You are right,” replied he, “it does mean the Paddle of the Tainui, but it is more, it is the steer car of the canoe. It has two meanings - one for the wise and one for the people, but it has a history also. Near to where this whare and pa stand is the “Tahuna Tapu” which divides the waters of Waikato from those of Piako (you can see it tomorrow), but the waters were not always thus divided. When my ancestors first came to this land it was a huge lake, whose waters spread far and wide, from the Au-o-Waikato to Pirongia and on to Taupiri. It is said that the canoe Tainui came to the foot of Pirongia Mountain. It is correct that she was a double canoe, that is, two canoes fastened together for safety. She came as such up the Waitemata, as far as the Wau. Some of the crew, finding the courses blocked, climbed up Pukewhau (Mt Eden) and discovered a narrow place at the Tamaki where Ann’s Bridge now is. They took the canoe there and, taking her apart, dragged the larger of the canoes across to Manukau, and went on to Aotea, near Kawhia, where she now lies, turned to stone. Prior to this, the canoe had come up the Hauraki Gulf to this place, where she stuck on the Tahuna Tapu (sacred bank). In getting her off, the steer car was lost and lies buried in the mud close by, hence the sandbank became sacred. Only those who are wise know how to use the paddle, and fools only injure themselves with it, therefore, it is best that it should be “tapu”, or sacred. When the canoe came here she was on her way to Patea, in accordance with the direction of the Ture, who had told her crew to go to the river on the West Coast of Ao-te-a-roa, which ran parallel with the coast. On the banks of the river was a very sacred site of an ancient temple known to Kupe. In previous lives, before the greater Hawaiki sank beneath the waves, Kupe had re-visited this temple prior to Ture’s sending out the canoes, and had desired Ture to send out some people to re-populate the land and restore the fire on that ancient shrine at Patea. The canoe went on from where she lost her steer car to the foot of Pirongia, which was at that period a very high mountain of similar shape to Taranaki (Mt Egmont), but much larger and loftier. The crew found the passage to the coast blocked by a range of hills, so returned and made their way around to the Waitemata and through by Manukau, as I have said. Some years after this, when the children of the migrations had increased and spread over the land, a great eruption of Pirongia took place. The land shook, the thunder roared, all was confusion, then the whole of the mountain blew up into the clouds and fell in the form of rain and mud and sand. The shallow lake was almost filled up and the waters of it were displaced. The waters flowed, or rather were displaced and fell away, for “kato” in olden days meant also “to flow down or fall rapidly”. The waters burst through at Taupiri and went on down to the west coast and left behind them all the mud and dirt that Pirongia had vomited towards heaven, and that heaven had refused to accept but had cast down to where the waters were gathered. Then the waters from above, rushing down from the Au-o-Waikato (near Morrinsville) joined the waters that were left after the large lake had broken away. They cut, through the soft sand and mud, the channel that is now the Horotiu River, on past Ngaruawahia where they met the Waipa River, and the two became the Waikato Taniwha Rau, Waikato Horo Pounamu, Waikato Maumau Tangata.” The above are proverbial expressions applied to the Waikato River and signify 1) “Waikato Taniwha Rau” - Waikato of a hundred Taniwhas, each bend was supposed to be the abode of a Taniwha (monster said by some to be the shape of a saurian or crocodile, but really a monster of the unseen world). 2) “Waikato Horo Pounamu” – literally, Waikato devourer or swallower of green stone or bottles, but really Waikato – swallower of reputations, the Pounamu being a symbol of honour and reputation. 3) “Waikato Maumau Tangata” – Waikato, waster of men, referring to the fact of the rapid river not only being the watery grave of many victims, but that the Waikato lands were the source of much contention and bloodshed even before the advent of the Maori War. The expression ‘Waikato Maumau Tangata” was used before the battle of Hauwhenua and the arrival of the pakeha.
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