IJ and MD
- Nov 14, 2017

Sidestep: The Kura-nui

It has been a matter of discussion among scientists and others, as to whether the Maori ever knew the Moa (Dinornis) as a living bird. It has been affirmed by some and denied by others, whilst many have held that the bird was seen by and finally exterminated by the so-called Tangata-whenua, or original inhabitants of these isles, who were in occupation when the Maoris first arrived in the times of Toi-te-huatahi, who flourished about the middle of the twelfth century.

The period of Toi is probably as well fixed as any date in Polynesian history, and therefore is important in this connection. On his arrival from Tahiti he found the West Coast of the North Island occupied from the North Cape to Wai-ngongoro (in South Taranaki Bight), and the East Coast from the North Cape to the eastern parts of The Bay of Plenty. The people Toi found here arrived in six canoes, that made the land at Nga-Motu (the Sugar-loaf Islands), near New Plymouth, and from there spread outwards. These people differed somewhat from the Eastern, or purer Polynesians known as the Maoris, in that they were more mixed with a Melanesian strain—somewhat like the Fiji Islanders so far as the description of them that has been handed down can be trusted.

These people were the true Tangata-whenua, or original inhabitants, who arrived here after the discovery of the islands by Kupe, and by many are believed to be the people who exterminated the Moa. The following account goes to show that the Moa was alive in the North Island on the arrival of Toi-te-huatahi, circa 1150.

As no doubt the publication of the following account of the Moa will give rise to some discussion, it will be as well to state the authority for it. It is no doubt strange that the facts stated in this account have not come to light before. But they formed part of a series of valuable papers that were dictated by some of the old priests of the Whare-wānanga, or house of learning, and until quite lately have been considered of so sacred, or semi-sacred a character, that they have not been communicated to Europeans.

The particular part of these documents relating to the Moa, were dictated to Mr. J. M. Jury at Poverty Bay, in 1839-40, by the old men Te Apaapa-o-te-rangi, Kahutia, and Te Akitu, and in February, 1840, were copied out for H. T. Whatahoro (Mr. Jury's son), and have been in his possession ever since. It is by the latter's courtesy I am enabled to use his father's notes. After explaining about the parts of the country occupied by the Tangata-whenua (which differs somewhat from the much fuller account we have) the narrative states (I translate)—

“Now, the great reason why those other parts were unoccupied by man, right over to the South Island, was a bird the Kura-nui, that is, a Moa—now so called. The proper name of this bird is a Kura-nui. The first man to discover this bird was Rua-kapanga, who came over in Toi's canoe; Te Manu-waero-rua (Toi's father) was the elder brother, and Rua-kapanga was the younger. 1

“Rua-kapanga went on one occasion with some men of Ngati-Whiti-kau, one of the sub-divisions of Ngati-Te-Pananehu (aboriginal people), away inland of Maketu (in the Bay of Plenty) to the forests, to snare birds. After they had been there for a long time, Rua-kapanga ascended a ridge to see what the nature of the country was like. As he sat there, he beheld a bird passing along the open plain by the course of a stream. He said to himself, What manner of bird is this? He thought it might be a ngarara (reptile) that had taken on the form of a bird. He said to his companions, ‘Perhaps it is Upoko-hao-kai or Ngarara-huarau. Those ngarara have at all times the power of changing their form—sometimes into a whale, a seal, a man, or a long-haired dog.’ He commanded his companions to remain concealed lest it (the bird) should think they were after it. When the bird came close under where they were, they then distinctly saw that it was not a ngarara but a monstrous bird indeed! Nevertheless, they had some doubts about it because of its extraordinary size. It was not long before others appeared, seventeen of them, coming along by the same way as the first. Rua-kapanga had now no doubt they were not ngararas, and was sure they were birds. They stretched forth their necks to gather the fruits, how long indeed were their necks! When they came to the banks of the stream, they stood on the edge and stretched down their necks into the water and brought up some kakahi (fresh water mussels), cray-fish, fish, mud, and eels. Tawa, matai, hinau, and pokaka trees furnished the fruit they ate, and from the banks of the stream they got the koka (or wild turnip) of which they ate the whole from the leaves to the root—not a fragment was left.

Rua-kapanga now sent forward his two dogs named ‘Te Ata-kura’ and ‘Kau-moana,’ the first of which was a female. When the two dogs reached the birds they all gathered together, and stood, not moving, whilst the feathers on their backs and necks stood up, and their wings expanded like a common fowl. Each stretched out its neck in front. Now it was that Rua-kapanga descended from the top of the ridge to just above the birds, and urged on his dogs, at which the male dog flew at them, when one of the birds struck him a downward blow on its head, with its beak, and killed the dog. The birds then ran up and picked at the body with their beaks, first taking out the eyes, afterwards piercing the body. Rua-kapanga called off his other dog, and then the people cast stones at the birds which went off leisurely without apparent fear, occasionally stopping and turning round and looking at the men on the ridge; then they departed making a noise with their mouths. They did not run at all, but went off slowly, sometimes turning to look behind at the men, then going on feeding on the leaves of young grass and wild cabbage.”

The narrative then side-tracks off to fully describe Rua-kapanga's companions, but this will appear in full later on.

Rua-kapanga as accompanied by Autā, Komako, Waihao, Kawa-a-kura and Mohio, which are all the names that were handed down in the Whare-wānanga. All these people were companions of Toi-te-hua-tahi; Te Kawa-a-kura was the brother of Te Huiarei, Toi's wife, whilst Waihao was another brother-in-law. … Rua-kapanga and his friends went to follow the tracks of the birds, which they ascertained followed the banks of the stream, or in the water, sometimes on the edge of the swamps. They did not ascend the hills, but kept close to the water; and it was here they slept, or else near the edges of the swamps, or undulating or level land. In such places they rested or slept. They also inhabited caves during the winter time. When they found the tracks used by the birds they proceeded to build a snare in the track with a rope fastened to a post near the snare, so that if the bird got caught it would be held by the post, and thus be snared. They then awaited the coming of the birds. In the morning the birds came along.

The name for the birds was not known at that time; but they called them ‘Te Manu-whakatau,’ because the height was the same as a man, such was the length of the neck and the legs. [It is not clear whether this means that the whole height was equal to a man's, or whether it was twice the height.] Three birds came up to the snare; one in front, the others following. Such was their way, but when they came to a plain or open place they separated. When (the first) came to the snare, its neck was caught; the rope became taught, and the bird called out. Its cry was like that of the bittern, a kind of grunt. Another one was caught in the same manner, making two, and then their cries were so increased that they could be heard a long way off—it was like the noise of a pukaea (a trumpet). The third bird came up, when they all cried out together, whilst the third bird bit the rope so it parted; it did the same with the other, so that both ropes were severed, and away went the birds.

The men then constructed another snare, with a spring, so that it should be low, in order that the body and one of its legs should be caught. In this way one was snared, but before the spring flew up, the rope was cut (bitten through) by the other birds, and the one caught escaped. On another occasion another snare was made, and a causeway built of wood, so the birds should climb up the snare being above. In this way a bird was caught with the legs upwards, so that the others could not cut the rope. The other birds did not move away from where their friend was caught. They would remain there three or four nights, and then go, leaving their friend in the snare.

So Rua-kapanga and his friends went to have a look at the snare with ‘the Manu-whakatau’ in it. They fastened pieces of wood to each leg, which were about a fathom in length, and as thick as the calf of a man's leg. These pieces of wood were fastened with ropes and then attached to the body, and the base of the neck was fastened by four ropes. Thus they led it, one man in front, two behind, another by the side with the ropes. After cutting the rope off the snare (the spring) the bird came to the ground. Whilst it was suspended above on the snare, the kura, or red-feathers, were pulled out from its sides to be used as plumes, together with the tail feathers; there were twenty-four feathers in the tail, and two hundred from the sides of the two wings. The bird was thus led to the village, where everyone gathered to look at it. Then one man approached its side; he was a very tall man of the Rua-tamore hapu. (Here the reciter Apaapa-o-te-rangi said, ‘If I were to stand up and elevate my arm, that man would have been taller than the height of my body and arm. It was thus explained by the old men of the Whare-wānanga.’) The man's name was Rokuroku. When he got close to the side of the bird, it struck him with its left wing, and Te Rokuroku was killed. Then the bird was killed.

The bird was called a ‘Kura-nui’ because of the kura, or red feathers, taken from its sides, the two hundred feathers mentioned, hence ‘Kura-nui.’ And because it was Rua-kapanga who first discovered this bird it was called “Te manu-o-Rua-kapanga’ (Rua-kapanga's bird). It was a very long time afterwards that the name Moa was heard of; it was not its original name; the only name it was known by at first was that given by its discoverer, ‘Te Manu-whakatau’ and ‘Kura-nui.’

The reason that the Moa disappeared was this: when Tamatea and the others arrived, he gave orders that the plains of the country should be burnt so that the land should be cleared. He said to the tribes, when they were travelling and came across clumps of bushes, etc., they should burn them lest they remained as refuges for reptiles (i.e., ngarara and moko-peke—lizards; taniwhas—monsters), etc. All men consented to do this when they travelled; and hence died the numerous reptiles of this island through fire; and also the bird, the ‘Kura-nui,’ which is called the Moa. It died in the lakes and swamps; they fled to the swamps to take refuge for fear of being burnt; they fled before the fierceness of the fires; they fled to the deep parts; they fell over cliffs and died. This is the cause of the death of the ‘Kura-nui,’ through the fires. Hence the tribes say: it was the fires of Tamatea-ariki that killed the ‘Kura-nui.’ It was not thought (in those times) that the so-called Moa would be exterminated by the fire; it was thought they would have fled to the forests and have dwelt there. When they were killed it was then understood that they were not forest-dwelling birds, but rather birds of the open and scrubby places. It was only when the Tawa, the Karaka, the Mataī, and the Pokaka, were in fruit, that they entered the forests to eat of those fruits. In the evenings they came forth from the forests to the open, and stayed by the sides of the streams, lakes, and swamps. They were not swimming birds; if they came to a deep part, they floated there and then died—such was the way of that bird.

*****

What this tradition states is that the moa had red feathers on it’s side, not the all brown most pictures would indicate. Kura-nui here means ‘large red’ whereas the modern Maori means ‘school’ ‘great’ or high-school, as well as red etc. The original words in meaning were (chief, glowing, red, red feathers) and (abundant, large or many). On the basis of the words old meanings, my assumption is that the above story is correct in essence in that it more accurately something regarded as chiefly in its stature and attitude, and also large and with abundant red feathers.

Note the red hue, and the red tinge in the 3rd photo below...

The description of their manner, (although odd that a verbal description could be handed down so accurately years after their extermination), also seems correct in that the bird had no natural enemies and no reason to fear man or dogs. The manner of the description at once struck a sharp chord with me that said ‘that is exactly how you would imagine them reacting to their first meeting with man or dog.’ If this story is true, it also means the moa was wiped out largely by the Maori’s predominant Tamatea’s fear of ‘monsters’. In this regard superstition itself can be regarded as the cause…if indeed this story is true.

*****

KURA-NUI AS A NAME FOR THE MOA- by Hare Hongi.

THERE is very little doubt that Moa-kura-nui is the name applied to one kind of Moa bird, as the following references clearly show. The list also shows that many different kinds were discussed by the early Maoris, in particular by the Ngati-Kuri branch (Whangape to Ahipara, West Coast, North Auckland). I give the meanings which the names convey:—

Te Moa: The Moa (generally).
Te Moa-nui: The Great (largest sized) Moa.
Te Moa-kura-nui: The Large-feathered, or large-quilled Moa.
Te Moa-rau-nui: The Large-feather-clustered Moa. (“Rau,” cluster or crest of feathers, other than tail-feathers which are named “Remu.”)
Te Moa-kura: The Handsome (most-prized, rare) Moa.
Te Moa-kura-rua: The Double-feathered, or double-quilled Moa.
Te Moa-huru-nui: The Hair-covered, or hairy Moa.
Te Moa-riki: The Little Moa.

Ngakuku, lived at a small but important kainga named Waitaha-Kuranui, between Here-kino and Whangape. In all that related to the Maori world Ngakuku was certainly the best informed surviving old chief of that and the surrounding districts. He also had the most măna, for his word was law from Whangape to Ahipara. This, for the fact that he conducted and directed the survey which Mr. James Simpson, C.E. (of the Awanui) made on behalf of the Government, along the whole of that part of the Coast, in the face of the strongest opposition, “whakatete.” So strong did this become that the survey was held-up, as some of the Whangape and Herekino natives arming themselves with guns, took possession of the survey lines. Despite all this, Ngakuku stood to the survey and it was completed in so far as the full measurement of the Coast was concerned and the cutting out of several blocks of land. So much for the status of Ngakuku amongst such high chiefs as Papahia, Te Huhu, Te Paraihe, Ngawaka and Te Puhipi, and others of that generation. At the time Ngakuku lived the life of a recluse, and as I had become his favorite mokopuna he induced me to stay with him as sole companion for the better part of two years, his daughter, Unaiki, ministering to our wants. He spoke freely of the Moa bird, and of the pounamu (greenstone) of the South Island. He said that ever so many generations ago (“I era whakatupuranga tangata noa atu”), a party of his people set off in a canoe or canoes from Waitaha to the South Island with the object of procuring green-stone and Moa birds, and that that party settled in the south and never returned. He said that subsequently his people made many trips across, and that these had safely returned laden with greenstone and Moa, huahua (preserved), and feathers, hairy ones. He said that it was finally reported that the Moa had disappeared, and as they already had large quantities of greenstone their voyages across ceased: as far back as the time of my grandfathers; “I te wa ano ki tooku heinga.” He said that owing to its great speed the bird could not be caught, excepting by a lucky spear-thrust from ambush; and that it was noosed with an arrangement of torotoro vines and specially prepared flax which was adjusted over well defined tracks along which the Moa sped when disturbed by man. One winter's day when he and I were out gunning he pointed to an immense Rata tree, the lower part of which was quite open and hollow, and said: “He whare-Moa tena!” (that is a Moa's house). I asked him what he meant by that, and he explained that the Moa bird used those kind of trees as a house or for shelter. Thence, he said, is the saying: “Whare-moa te rakau, ka mahue” (a tree which is suitable only for a Moa house, is abandoned). Meaning that when a Kauri or Totara tree was selected to be hewn into a canoe, and when that proved hollow when cut into, it was of course abandoned as being suitable only for a Moa's house. From his recitals I gathered that the North Island Moa disappeared before that of the South Island Moa.

“Puke-Moa,” is the name of a hill at Mangamingi. Te Manukarioi, who was well versed in the lore of his people, and who was an owner in this and the adjoining blocks of Pukengahu and Te Ngaere, what the name signified. He promptly replied: “Ko te puke tena i tau ai te manu nei, Te Moa”; or, that is the hill which was frequented, ‘settled upon,’ by the Moa bird. He said that the Moa bird lived all about the district in olden days, and spoke of its disappearance without regret; as being in the natural order of things, or, what is, is. But his eyes lit up when he added: “Ko Ngati-Ruanui te iwi poupou i nga iwi kuwha nei, hei pou rohe-whenua; a te roroa!” or, my Ngati-Ruanui people stuck up the thigh-bones for land-boundary posts; O, the length of them!