Maori famous people. New Zealand's Secret Past - The Secret of the Waipua Forest

04.04.202127.05.2017

New Zealand... The green islands, on whose hills not so long ago they filmed key episodes of The Lord of the Rings.

General information

This green country is located in the southeastern part of the Pacific region. On two large and a whole placer, consisting of several hundred small islands, New Zealand is spread. The area of the country can be compared with the territories of the Japanese islands or the whole of Great Britain. is about 4.5 million people. The entire administration is located in the capital - Wellington. The government system of the state is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. The uniqueness is that it is one of all developed countries that was able to develop its economy exclusively on agriculture. Since November 2008, the country has been ruled by the National Party, headed by John Key, who is the prime minister.

The kingdom includes independent islands that have the same currency - the New Zealand dollar. These are Niue, the territory of Tokelau, which is not self-governing, and the territory of Ross, which lies in the Antarctic zone.

Climate

The people of New Zealand can be quite happy with the climate of their country. The northern part of the North Island is subject to a subtropical climate, while in the mountainous regions, Antarctic winds can bring up to -20 degrees. A chain of high mountains divides the country in two, thereby dividing it into two climatic zones. The wettest part is the western coast of the South Island. Just a hundred kilometers from it, in the east, is the driest part of the state.

In most of the country, precipitation reaches 600-1600 mm annually. This amount is evenly distributed, except during dry summers.

The average annual temperature in the south is +10 degrees, in the north - +16. The coldest month in this country, located on the other side of the equator from us, is July. The average daily temperature is +4-8 degrees, at night it can drop to -7. The warmest months are January and February. The northern part of the country does not have a big difference in temperature according to the time of year, while the southern regions have a difference of up to 14 degrees.

In Auckland - the largest city in the country - the average annual temperature is +15.1 degrees. Thus, in the hottest time, the temperature can rise to +31.1 degrees, while in the coldest it can drop to -2.5. The average annual temperature of Wellington is +12.8 (from -1.9 to +31.1 during the year).

In wind-sheltered areas of the country, the number of hours of sunshine is high. On average, this number is 2000 hours per year. Most of the New Zealand population receives a large number of solar radiation.

Languages

Three languages can be officially spoken by the population. New Zealand recognizes English, Maori and sign New Zealand. The leading language spoken by 96% of the population remains English. Magazines and newspapers use this language. They are also used by television and radio. The Maori language is the second most important official language. Signs for the deaf became an official language in 2006.

The New Zealand dialect is very close to the Australian one, but retains a strong influence from the south of England. Parallel to this, the influence of Irish and Scottish accents is felt in it. The significant influence of the language also had an effect - some words were forever used by the citizens of the country.

The Maori language received official status in 1987. Its use today is mandatory in all institutions. This language is taught in schools. Although most of the educational institutions make it possible to study two at the same time - English and Maori. Many names in the country have roots in the Maori language.

In addition, representatives of more than 170 language groups permanently reside in the country. Samoan, French, Chinese and Hindi are most commonly used. Slavic languages are hardly used on the islands, because the population of New Zealand, for whom they are native, is too small in number.

Religion in New Zealand

The current population of New Zealand is just over 4.5 million people. Among them, 56% are Christians. The next largest religions are Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Catholicism and Methodism. Then Sikhs, Hindus and followers of Islam take their place. Approximately 35% of the New Zealand population is made up of undecided members of society who are not inclined to identify themselves with any of the existing religions.

Indigenous people

The indigenous people are the Maori. Previously, before the colonization of the islands by Europeans, representatives of this people were their main inhabitants. Today, about 680 thousand people belonging to this people live all over the world.

In addition to their native places, this tribe inhabits the Australian, Canadian territories, and also lives in the USA, Great Britain and in very small numbers in other countries.

Literally translated from the native language, the word "Maori" means "normal". In ancient times, the people used this concept in order to distinguish a person from a divine creation.

The Maori were the first to inhabit the islands. It is still not clear exactly where these people came from, but they founded their culture, forming a state that they called Aotearoa. These people were excellent seafarers who could travel in small boats in the Pacific Ocean. In the sea, their only guides were the sun and the starry sky. This knowledge helped them to be in New Zealand much earlier than the Europeans. White people were able to discover the islands only after 800 years, seeing warriors there - fearless and independent.

Population occupations

Traditionally, the Maori were engaged in. Food was obtained by hunting and mainly slash-and-burn agriculture. An important occupation for the ancient Maori was war. Today, the people occupy a significant place in forestry and agriculture. Crafts originated in ancient times, remaining to this day an important part of culture. The main occupations are wood carving, weaving, weaving, jewelry making, boat building. Maori products are distinguished from any other cultures by the absence of any mention of animals in drawings and sculpture. The main ornament of this people is a spiral, executed in various types. The main image is famous people or deity.

Accommodation

New Zealand's population density was initially very low. Maori lived in villages. The buildings were close to each other, surrounded by a wooden fence or a moat. Houses were built from logs or boards. The roof was thatched. The floor was somewhat deepened into the ground, so that the room was a little cooler in summer and warmer in winter. In addition to residential buildings in the villages, there were community houses, buildings for various entertainments and for gaining knowledge.

The people of New Zealand were forced to invent warm clothes, since the climate did not allow walking in summer all year round. The people traditionally wore warm cloaks and capes. Women's clothing complemented by long warm skirts. To insulate the fabric (most often it was linen), animal skins or bird feathers were woven into the fibers during weaving.

The main population of New Zealand, according to tradition, was engaged in the manufacture of weapons: darts, spears, poles. The Maori used both a club and an original bayonet weapon called tayaha. A digging stick was mainly used for cultivating the land. Hunters mainly used snares to catch various animals. In woodcarving, the main tools were chisels made of jade or jadeite.

Traditions

The main population of New Zealand is Maori today. In ancient times, it was one of the most enduring and cruel peoples. Today, their ideas about life seem wild, but for them, for example, cannibalism was commonplace. Maori ate their captives, believing that the forces of the enemy would pass to them.

Another Maori tradition is tattoos. It was a painful way to show your status. Women decorated their lips and chins, men decorated their entire faces. At the same time, the drawing was not applied in the usual way with a needle - tattoos were literally cut into the skin with incisors, it looked like the work of a sculptor. No less brutal were the procedures of initiation - a very painful test of endurance. In addition, the Maori cut off the heads of enemies in order to mummify them later.

Maori today

Finding out what the population is in New Zealand is very easy. Today, the fighting dance of this people, which is called "haka", is very popular in the world. The Maori have the exclusive right to this dance. Initially, the haka was a ritual dance, which is accompanied by support from the choir or words shouted out at regular intervals. This dance was performed in order to invoke the spirits of nature, or before a fight. The government of the state granted the members of the tribe the ownership of the battle cry.

Civilization has greatly influenced the traditions and views of the Maori - today they are no longer bloodthirsty warriors. However, their culture is still very rich and distinctive today. A very important component of Maori culture in our time are works traditional art. Tourists visiting New Zealand are sure to visit exhibitions of folk crafts or dance performances. It is considered obligatory to take pictures of representatives of local tribes and learn at least a little more about the philosophy and history of this amazing people.

August 27, 2017 10:59 am Rotorua - New Zealand January 2009

Yesterday, having finished our trip around the South Island, we took a ferry across the Cook Strait and in the remaining few evening hours we quickly got acquainted with the New Zealand capital, walking along its old streets to Down Town, the embankment and the Botanical Garden.

Early in the morning we get on the bus and leave Wellington, which seemed to us patriarchal and calm. We have a new driver and guide named Colin. The next overnight stay is in the city of Rotorua, which is considered the unspoken capital of the indigenous population of New Zealand - the Maori, and the path to it is not close - almost 450 kilometers.

The road from Wellington runs north along a fine highway. We pass numerous villages, vineyards and sheep farms. It's raining. In a few hours we drive up to the largest lake of the North Island - Taupo. Behind the rain screen and fog, behind - in the Tongarero National Park - the famous volcanoes Ruapehu (2797 m) and Ngauruhoe (2291 m) remained unseen.

Almost all the names of rivers and mountains here are in the Maori language. Ruapehu means "thundering abyss" in Maori. And the Ngauruhoe volcano is notable for the fact that it was used as Mount Orodruin on the set of the film "The Lord of the Rings" based on the novel by R. Tolkien. It's a pity. Maybe it will be possible to see some other time, and even ride on skiing from the snow-covered slopes of Ruapehu in winter - from June to September.

It seems amazing to go skiing in the tropics, but it's true. Ruapehu has several first-class ski resorts. And the largest of them is Fakapapa, located on the western slope of the volcano. With a height difference of 675 m, more than 20 lifts operate here, serving about 40 slopes of varying degrees of difficulty. And there are also the resorts of Turoa and Tukino, which are located respectively on the southern and eastern sides of this volcano.

Lake Taupo and the first acquaintance with the Maori

And finally, the water surface of Lake Taupo (eng. Taupo) appeared. This is the largest lake not only in New Zealand, but in the entire South Pacific region, including Australia. Its greatest depth is about 200 meters.

The rain has stopped and Colin pulls into a well-equipped lakeside parking lot with a toilet, shower and a kitchen with barbecue facilities. Everything is in perfect condition.

Here, in the parking lot, we met face to face with the first representative of the Maori - father big family who came here with his family for business purposes. Our women were a little stunned to see the big laundry in the ladies' room and shower that his wife had organized there.

The head of the family himself was busy with the children on the sandy shore of the lake. Older children, similar to our gypsies, ran to the side. And he helped the younger son to sculpt some figures from wet gray volcanic sand.

Coming closer, they asked permission to take a picture of him - allowed. We met. His name was Moana - which in translation from Maori meant "wide expanse of water, sea." A conversation ensued imperceptibly. All of his arms were tattooed. And some of them were not simple - some of them had a completely tattooed surface as a background, and unaffected places formed an ornament!

It is believed that New Zealand was settled by immigrants from eastern Polynesia about 1000 years ago and they retained their ancient way of life until the 20th century. The Maori were excellent warriors, fought for their independence for a long time and, in the end, defended it.

The Maori tattoo is an ancient tradition - because it shows the social status of a person. At the same time, it is also an initiation (initiation) - a test of endurance, since this procedure is quite painful. A Maori tattoo is not only a decoration. Spirals and lines of tattoos also tell the life story of their owner, his genealogy and character traits.

Maori may have preserved these designs by embalming the tattooed heads and skins of the dead, or by carving them into wood. So in many houses on the walls you can even find the heads of deceased ancestors, according to which the entire genealogical tree of the family is tracked. Thus, they kept their history. Noble men tattooed the entire face, and the body from the waist to the knees. We have seen tattoos on the arms and legs of many Maori women as well. However, even our ladies are not far behind them now in this regard ...

At parting, Moana introduced us to his wife, who by this time had finished washing. Her name was Ataahua - "beautiful". And in fact - she was, as we say with approval - "wow"! And something like a gypsy.

And then he showed us the Maori ritual of greeting and farewell - nose to nose. And the longer the noses stay together, the more respect you show your counterpart. Everyone said goodbye to our new friend in Maori and we moved further north.

We drive along Lake Taupo. It is of volcanic origin and was formed as a result of the strongest eruption of the Taupo volcano about 27,000 years ago. The whole island was then covered with a multi-meter layer of ash, and then almost all living things died around. Here - in the center of the island - there are now several active volcanoes.

Waikato River and Huka Falls

The only river that flows out of Lake Taupo is the Waikato, and we turn to look at its rapid flow and piercing blue water. After a few kilometers, it enters a narrow rocky mouth and roars along it, ending with the crystal clear Huka waterfall (38°38′55″ S, 176°05′25″ E). All tourists come to look at this turbulent stream.

They stand for a long time and watch in fascination as the soft blue water breaks down from the cliff with a furious pressure. For those who have never seen any waterfalls and mountain rivers, the Huka waterfall seems grandiose.

The water temperature in the river, depending on the summer-winter season, ranges from 22 to 10 degrees, the volume of water is from 32 to 270 cubic meters per second. Depending on the volume of water, the height of the waterfall varies from 7 to 9.5 meters. There was even a small hydroelectric power station on this waterfall for 20 years, but in 1950, in connection with the development of geothermal energy, it was dismantled.

Depending on the sun exposure, the color of the water changes from white to deep turquoise. The coniferous forest, densely growing along the banks of the river, adds to the picturesqueness of this place.

Due to ongoing erosion, the waterfall is slowly but surely moving upstream and there may come a time when it will pour straight out of the lake...

geothermal power plants

We go further - towards the city of Rotorua. The smell of hydrogen sulfide appeared in the air - the zone of geothermal activity of the island began. There are many geysers and boiling ponds around. In many places, smoke comes from cracks in the ground, so it is better not to walk in unfamiliar places.

About 20 kilometers before Rotorua, Colin turns off the road and we find ourselves in the Wairakei Geothermal Power geothermal industrial zone. The first experiments on the use of free energy were started in 1950 and now a well-functioning industrial plant has been established here.

About 200 wells were drilled to a depth of 2 km, of which only 60 are working now. Hot steam at a temperature of 230-260 degrees rises to the surface and is separated. Dry air is separated in one direction, and hot water to another. The capacity of the plant is 1400 tons of steam per hour. Further, this source material is transferred through pipes with a diameter of 300 to 1200 mm to thermal power plants.

Everything is very simple, and most importantly - the heat is obtained "on the ball"! Some are lucky!

We arrived in Rotorua, the open and unspoken capital of the indigenous people of New Zealand - Maori, before dark, so we had time before dinner, at which our guide and driver Colin promised both a folklore concert and national dishes, to slightly bypass the surroundings of our hotel Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua.

Culture, art and customs of Maori

Everywhere there was a persistent smell of hydrogen sulfide, emanating from the numerous hot springs gurgling everywhere. One such small fountain was even at the door of the pool of our hotel Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua. There was no way to get rid of hydrogen sulfide, because it was escaping in huge quantities out of the ground in many places in the city.

Having walked a little before dinner around the city, we practically did not see the indigenous Maori. There were few people and mostly tourists. The decoration of the city is the building of the hydropathic, built at the end of the 19th century. It is surrounded by a large park, where strange birds roam freely among the flowers. In many places of the park, plots of land are fenced off and wisps of smoke curl from there and something “sparkles” in the depths.

In the evening, right at our hotel, a traditional dinner was held with the national dish of Hanga - pieces of meat baked in an earthen oven and a Maori amateur concert. Dinner was normal, but we did not see the cooking process, nor the earth oven itself. Looking ahead, I will say that this process was shown to us in full by the islanders in Fiji.

The concert was preceded by an introduction to some of the basic customs of the Maori, which were shown to us before dinner by two colorful representatives of this tribe. Well, with these customs - how to say hello and say goodbye, we met in the afternoon when we met our Maori Moana on Lake Taupo.

Then all the newly arrived tourists were invited to a restaurant and local amateur performances took place on the stage - songs and dances. Maori songs were very melodic and perky. And they really testified to their Polynesian roots.

The Maori were militant and independent and fought the British for a long time. Their dances, and especially the combat dance "haka", express the desire to defeat the enemy. Our dancers diligently rolled the whites of their eyes and stuck out their tongues, apparently trying to intimidate the "enemy" to death with such gestures. What's interesting is now and some modern sports teams New Zealand before meeting with the enemy, they perform this dance on the football or rugby field!

Digging into the history of the Maori, I was horrified to find that they have pronounced cannibal addictions, however, like most other islanders of the Pacific region. Why, even Jules Verne wrote about this more than a hundred years ago.

New Zealand is thought to have been inhabited about 1,000 years ago by East Polynesians with a weakness for human flesh, and the Maori maintained this ancient way of life well into the 20th century. There is even Cannibal Bay on the South Island of NZ. Thousands of human remains are found here, left after the bloody feasts. They usually ate prisoners ...

Many traditions associated with cannibalism were deeply rooted and based on the prevailing belief that a dish of the flesh of enemies contained their strengths: the brain - wisdom, the heart - courage, etc. Therefore, the white man in this respect had a clear preference over the natives - for the most part they were wise and courageous. True, some savages believed that the use of salt by white people spoils the taste of their meat ...

Cannibalism was also widespread in western Polynesia, close to Melanesia, in Fiji, and the islands of Tonga. It was common as far east as the Marquesas, Easter Island and the Cook Islands group. The Maori of New Zealand regarded the meat of their enemies as the most desirable target of warfare. Throughout Polynesia, the practice of cannibalism was motivated by revenge, since eating the body of an enemy was an expression of the highest degree of contempt for the downtrodden.

Knowing all this, these young men performing martial dances were already seen differently. At the end of the performance, they invited us to the stage to complete this holiday together.

At the same time, we needed to rotate as much as possible in different sides eyes, roll up the whites of the eyes “to the sky” and stick out the tongue from the mouth as much as possible, and even emit piercing victorious cries at the same time! With such gestures, we had to intimidate the "enemy" to the extreme.

By the way, we met one of these warrior dancers the next day in the thermal reserve, where he worked as a wood carver. Without saying a word, they already greeted like old acquaintances - in Maori - nose to nose!
— a geothermal area with its geysers and mud volcanoes, a show with rams and sheep at the Agrodome, and an introduction to Maori folk arts and crafts.

Maori- Polynesian people, the indigenous people of New Zealand.
The self-name "Maori" means "ordinary" / "natural". So in Maori myths, mortal people are designated, in contrast to deities and spirits. The Maori have a legend about how they arrived in New Zealand in 7 canoes from their ancestral home of Gawaiki. Modern research indicates that then uninhabited New Zealand was settled by Polynesians around 1280 AD. By that time, all the current habitats of mankind were already inhabited. The ancestral home of the Maori and all Polynesians is the island of Taiwan near mainland China. People came directly to New Zealand from the islands of East Polynesia.

map of Polynesian migration to New Zealand:

Maori and the giant moa bird. The photo collage was made in 1936. Moas were slaughtered by the Maori long before Europeans arrived in New Zealand. According to unconfirmed evidence, individual representatives of these birds were still encountered at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century.

Less than 4 centuries after the settlement of New Zealand, the first Europeans appeared here. It was the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman. The meeting of the Maori and Europeans, which took place in 1642, ended tragically: the Maori attacked the landing Dutch, killed several sailors, ate them (the Maori practiced cannibalism) and disappeared. Frustrated by the incident, Tasman named the place Killer Cove.

Modern Maori. Photo by Jimmy Nelson

Again, the foot of a European set foot on New Zealand only 127 years later: in 1769, the expedition of James Cook arrived here, which marked the beginning of the colonization of New Zealand by the British. James Cook himself escaped Maori teeth, but was killed and eaten by another Polynesian people - the Hawaiians.

By 1830, the number of Europeans in New Zealand reached 2 thousand with 100 thousand Maori. Maori traditionally did not have commodity-money relations and trade, but practiced barter. The British bartered land from the Maori in exchange, for example, for firearms.

artist Arnold Frederick Goodwin - First plow in New Zealand

Between 1807 and 1845, the so-called Musket Wars broke out between the tribes of the North Island of New Zealand. The impetus for the conflict was the spread of firearms among the Maori - muskets. The northern tribes, in particular the longtime rivals Ngapuhi and Ngati Fatua, were the first to receive firearms from the Europeans and inflicted significant damage on each other and neighboring tribes. In total, 18 and a half thousand Maori died in these wars, i.e. about a fifth of all native New Zealanders. By 1857 there were only 56,000 Maori in New Zealand. In addition to wars, diseases brought by Europeans caused great damage to the local population.

Maori men. Photos of the early 20th century:

In 1840, Great Britain and part of the chiefs of the Maori tribes signed a written agreement, called the Treaty of Waitangi, in accordance with the provisions of which the Maori transferred New Zealand under the guardianship of Great Britain, but retained their property rights, and Great Britain received the exclusive right to purchase land from them. However, even after the signing of the treaty between the Maori and the British, military skirmishes arose.

Maori chiefs:

Maori cuts the flagpole with the British flag. 1845

The British attack the Maori village. 1845

artist Joseph Merrett. Maori (1846)

artist Joseph Merrett. Four Maori girls and a young man (1846)

maori girl

Maori girl (1793)

Maori man and girl:

maori girls:

In 1891, the Maori made up only 10% of the population of New Zealand and owned 17% of the land, mostly of low quality.
In the 30s of the 20th century, the number of Maori began to increase, largely due to the introduction of a family allowance for Maori, issued at the birth of a child.

Maori couple, early 20th century

Maori girls in European clothes

maori girls

maori grandfather

maori grandmother

Now, according to the 2013 census, 598.6 thousand Maori live in New Zealand, which is 14.9% of the country's population. About 126,000 Maori live in Australia and 8,000 in the UK.
Despite the fact that the Maori language, along with English, is the official language of New Zealand, the majority of Maori in Everyday life prefer English. About 50,000 people are fluent in the Maori language and about 100,000 understand the language but do not speak it.
Christianity supplanted traditional Maori beliefs and today the majority of Maori are Christians. different branches, including syncretic cults created among the Mori themselves. About 1 thousand Maori profess Islam.

children in the New Zealand Museum at the exposition of Maori culture

Meri Te Tai Mangakahia (1868-1920) - Maori feminist who fought for the rights of Maori women

Despite all attempts to equalize whites and Maori, the indigenous population of New Zealand remains the most backward social group in the country, yielding not only to whites, but also to migrants from Asia. The Maori have the lowest level of education, they make up half of all prisoners in New Zealand (despite the fact that they make up only 14.9% of the state's population). Finally, Maori have a lower life expectancy than other New Zealanders. This is due to the fact that Maori have a much higher percentage of alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking and obesity.

modern Maori woman:

modern Maori man:

modern maori girls:

New Zealand actor Manu Bennett. The blood of the Maori warriors flowing in his veins helped the actor convincingly play the stern gladiator Crixus in the American TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010) and its sequels.

Maureen Kingi is the first Maori to win the Miss New Zealand title. It happened in 1962

Artist Edward Cole. Maori girl with apples (30s of the 20th century)

"New Zealand for your next vacation" poster (1925)

"See you in New Zealand" poster (1960)

Maori - the indigenous people, the main population of New Zealand - before the arrival of Europeans. The number in New Zealand is more than 526 thousand people, approximately 10 thousand people each. live in Australia and the USA. In the Maori language, the word maori means "normal", "natural" or "ordinary". In legends, oral traditions, the Maori word distinguished people from a deity and a spirit.

The Maori themselves believe that they arrived in New Zealand on 7 canoes from their ancestral home of Gawaiki. Modern research indicates that then uninhabited New Zealand was settled by Polynesians around 1280 AD. By that time, all the current habitats of mankind were already inhabited. The ancestral home of the tribe and all Polynesians is the island of Taiwan near mainland China. People came directly to New Zealand from the islands of East Polynesia.

Society was arranged in the same way as in the rest of Polynesia. The same classes stood out here: nobility (rangatira), ordinary community members (tutua), captive slaves (taurekareka). Among the nobility, the leaders (ariki) stood out in particular. Priests (tokhunga) were held in high esteem. The word "tokhunga" was also used to refer to artists (carvers). The community (hapu) consisted of one village and was divided into groups (vanau), that is, 1-2 houses.

In general, Maori culture is different from that of other Polynesians. The reason for this is other natural conditions. In the field of spiritual culture, they preserved a lot of Polynesian, but they also created their own, original heritage.

Meeting with Europeans

Less than 4 centuries after the settlement of New Zealand, the first Europeans appeared here. The name of the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman remained famous. The meeting of the Maori and Europeans, which took place in 1642, ended tragically: the locals attacked the landing Dutch, killed several sailors, ate them with pleasure (the Maori practiced cannibalism) and disappeared. Frustrated by the incident, Tasman named the place Killer Cove.

Maori is one of the peoples of Oceania. Its population is currently about 750 thousand people (half of all Polynesians). Maori live in New Zealand (about 600 thousand), the Cook Islands and Australia. They settled in New Zealand relatively recently - in the 13-14 centuries AD. Their language belongs to the Polynesian group of the Austronesian family.

Maori character

New Zealand was the last of the large territories fit for life. According to a number of theories, this implies that the Maori were losers, outcasts who could not find a place on same place and they were forced to seek new house. At the same time, however, mAori are considered a warlike tribe. They gained such a reputation among Europeans from the first meeting that took place on November 24, 1642, when the Tasman expedition set foot on the shores of New Zealand. The meeting ended in a skirmish, killing and eating several members of the expedition. Since Tasman, virtually every European navigator has had skirmishes with the Maori. Although Cook was still not eaten by them (which is a common misconception), but by Hawaiians related to them.

Maori ritual dance

Maori culture

According to some reports, the Maori did not always profess the cult of war. They acquired militancy as a result of climate change and a series of tectonic catastrophes that led New Zealand to a sharp reduction in bioresources. However, perhaps the main reason was the Maori themselves, who exterminated or reduced local populations, that they did not know such large and predatory mammals before the arrival of man, and therefore did not develop protection.

Resource constraints led to wars that quickly became ingrained in the culture and social structure. Maori began to build fortified settlements, develop tactics, improve weapons. Contact with Europeans, especially with whalers who did not particularly care about ethical issues, opened up new horizons for the Maori. The culture of potato cultivation allowed the creation of strategic food supplies, and firearms led to revolutionary changes in military affairs. The so-called "musket wars" began - an endless series of internecine skirmishes that lasted from 1807 to 1847. In 1835, several groups of Maori raided Chatham Island, exterminating or enslaving the related Moriori tribe living there.

Musket wars ended only with the advent of a new enemy - the British crown. The stubborn resistance to colonization, although doomed to defeat in the military sense, in the political sense led to the result. The tribes retained land holdings, and the Maori themselves received equality with the colonists, which was rare for the 19th century. Property stratification for a long time left the indigenous inhabitants outside political life, but in 1867 four electoral districts were created on the lands of the Maori (later their number increased to 7), and the people received representation in parliament.

Maori mythologists

The Maori did not worship animals. Their gods were mostly human in appearance and coexisted with the heroes - the ancestors, the ancestors of the tribes. Maori remember the names of the founders, who, according to legend, arrived in New Zealand (Ao Thea Roa) on seven boats.

Some researchers believe that the supreme deity Io, the creator of all things, was invented by the Maori before the arrival of Europeans. However, most likely, this is a late Christian layering caused by missionary activity, and the name itself comes from Jehovah. Too obvious parallels can be traced in the descriptions (for example, the knowledge of good and evil is associated with Io).

Tanya is much more suitable for the role of the supreme deity. He is the god of fertility, the god of forests and birds, but he, according to the cosmogonic myth, created women by separating the feminine (Earth) from the masculine (Heaven), which became an act of creation. In the modern interpretation, however, Tanya occupies a modest place. He is the son of Papa (Earth) and Rangu (Sky), although he separated his parents at the beginning.

A special place in the Maori pantheon is occupied by the god of war, Tumatauenga. In the cosmogonic myth, he opposed Tanya, intending to kill his parents instead of separating them. Interestingly, it was from the god of war Tumatauenga that the Maori originated, according to their ideas.

The concept of mana, a magical substance, also reflects the militant Maori paradigm. Magical power that can be accumulated or spent, it can be lost as a result of directed actions of the enemy. It also gives you the opportunity to harm another person. Tapu (taboo) is a system of protection against the harmful effects of mana, and moko tattoos are designed, among other things, to control magic.