201 - Maori Giants

There are lots of legends around the world of giants and many stories of finds in the last two hundred years and many recent ones. But let's go back to the Maori... those here since 1280. What legends did they have?

Maori have traditions of uncommonly tall warriors of Old New Zealand. The legends do not mention the dimensions of the Maori as they did not have such a system of measurement. Certain Maori traditions of uncommonly tall warriors do mention their great reach with a weapon, which made the big chieftains of old such formidable foes in battle. The numerous stories, though obviously exaggerated in some particulars, all go to show that a marvellous physical development was attained by some of the ancestors of the present Maori.

There is the story of Kiharoa, a giant of the Ngati-Raukawa and Ngati-Whakatere tribes, who met his death about 1835. His stronghold was Tokanui Pa in the King Country a short distance south of the Puniu River. The story has it that he was twice the height of an ordinary man, and he wielded a hard-wood taiaha of unusual length and weight. He was killed at last when he slipped on some karaka leaves as he fought in a battle just outside his pa. His enormous head presently decorated the palisades of Totorewa, a pa of the Ngati-Maniapoto. An excavation for an oven to cook the huge body was made where he fell, and in one’s youth in those parts the “Giant’s Grave,” as it was called, in the fern, was pointed out by the Maori; the spot is close to where the Tokanui Hall now stands at the cross-roads. Hios height may have been exaggerated; but let us be generous and allow that he was at least eight feet.

There was another giant of these parts long ago, one Matau; like Kiharoa, he was a man of the Ngati-Raukawa tribe, and, too, his favourite weapon was the taiaha. He lived on a hill above the Wairaka River, a few miles beyond Orakau. Maori accounts aver that he was eleven feet high... again, an impossible height.

In the Rotorua country, too, there are stories, no doubt based on fact, of huge warriors of the past. There was the chief Tuhourangi, for one; he lived three centuries ago. He was nine feet high, according to tradition, and was about six feet up to his armpits. His bones were buried on the east side of Pukurahi Pa, on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua, above the present little settlement on the flat. In 1896, Tamati Hapimana said that Tuhourangi’s bones were still there, deep in the ground, enclosed in stone slabs (interesting as that is not a Maori custom but it is a Melanesian one).

Maori seemed to delight in such stories back then for Tuhourangi was supposed to be able to shout from the mainland to Mokoia Island, three or four miles away, bidding his slaves prepare food for him. Nowadays Maori deny the existence of giants, yet they are in their own legends and stories.

In the early 1800's some of these tall-ones ancestors are said to still be tall - such families as Kaihau of Waikato, Wahanui of the King Country, Haupapa of Rotorua, Tareha of the Bay of Islands.

Then there was Te Pute, a hero of the Ngapuhi folk. When he sneezed the thundering sound thereof was heard from Punakitere as far away as Kaikohe, and that is several miles distant. Of course that is much a myth as the way the islands of Aotearoa were formed.

In the South Island there are somewhat similar legends. Tikao, a chief of the Ngati-Irakehu, a section of the Ngai-Tahu tribe, whose homes were at Opukutahi, on Akaroa Harbour was a warrior of six feet four or five inches in height, or more, and so powerful that he could swing two men, supporting their entire weight, on his outstretched right arm. A feature of the big man’s appearance was his half-finished moko for he had blue spirals and wrinkle-following lines on one cheek only. No one could touch him with the taiaha, and when in 1830 Te Rauparaha captured the Akaroa people and slaughtered many, he spared Tikao because of his warrior bearing, and his skill with the weapon.

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So there we have it. We already have proof someone of 8' lived in the Waikato. Yet even Maori legends seem to confirm there were some of extraordinary stature here up to the early 1800's at least. Stories have truth in them. You see, before the skeleton of the Haast Eagle was found no European believed the stories of the giant eagle that once lived here. Yet when the skeleton was found, the old stories proved it to be true.

Ah, but now we have reports of giants from Europeans times... and being told by white people these stories must therefore be fake while the Maori stories are true - right? Otherwise we could not trust any story told by Maori that wasn't corroborated by Europeans as well.

1875

The newspaper named Timaru Herald, in the issue dated 24th February 1875, page 3, writes as follows: New Zealand

“Discovery of Human Remains. A very large skeleton was found yesterday, about 7 feet below the surface of the sand on the Saltwater Creek spit. Mr Bullock, the carter, in removing some sand for building purposes, dropped across this relic of a past age and brought the fragments to town. We have had an opportunity of inspecting them, and were struck by their symmetry no less than their great size. They appear to have belonged to a man of gigantic statue; but are so far incomplete as to render it difficult to ascertain the dimensions of his frame. The bones are much decayed, a fact which taken in connection with the dryness of the situation where they were found, probably indicates for them a great antiquity.

According to a local verbal tradition, the skeleton was estimated to belong to a person of around 8 meters tall. It had so huge scull, that a normal human skull supposedly could entirely fit into its mouth. It belonged to a mysterious tribe of local giants, by Maoris called Te Kahui Tipua which used to roam vicinity of Timaru until around 18th century. Numerous skeletons of these Timaru giants were found, but then mysteriously vanished soon after their discoveries. The most recent discovery of two gigantic human skeletons took place in 1960s in the area of Timaru called “Maori Park”. Local newspaper Timaru Herald, also wrote about it extensively, and many local people still remember these articles. However, I could not afford the large input of labour required for finding editorial details of the original article. Soon after being found, these gigantic remains from Maori Park also disappeared mysteriously. Presently no-one is able to tell what actually happened with them. I attempted to trace the further fate of the giant described in the above article of 1875. But when I was almost to locate a person who kept a huge lower jaw of this giant for a souvenir, I was made redundant from my job in Timaru and I needed to shift into a different location to earn my bread. It almost looks like the secretive dark force that empowers our planet does not wish we learn anything about human giants from Timaru.

1965

Very similar was the fate of huge Maori skeletons which were found in the burial cave from the Port Waikato, around 70 miles South from Auckland. They also mysteriously vanished. These skeletons from the Port Waikato were described in an article “Caves could reveal secret of tall Maoris”, published in the newspaper N.Z. Truth, issue of Wednesday, 29 September 1965, page 13.

1934

A 7' skeleton along with many others found in a large cavern in 1934 at Whangaroa with red 'fuzzy' hair (that is the key here) with wooden fish hooks with shell tipped barbs and other unusual items. It was not a burial cave but one they apparently lived in, but hid in, and died or were killed there. It is almost hidden by tree roots near the entrance of the harbour on the seaward side.

1931

The skeleton of a Maori who must have stood eight feet in height is reported by the Marlborough Express to have been found by Mr H. Redwood at Okaha, Pelorus Sound. Particulars of the discovery are not available but it is believed that the local natives claimed to know the identity of the remains, which were accordingly reinterred. Discussing the matter with a press man Mr W. J. Elvy, of the Lands and Survey Department, who is making a study of the Maori history of Marlborough, said it recalled the additional existence of a race of giants known as the Rapuwai, in the district where the skeleton was found. Some little time ago, said Mr Elvy, he was informed by Mr Peter McDonald (Makitanara) that the tradition was quite clear amongst his people. The Rapuwai were reputed to be to of abnormal height and so much so that in combat they were able to handle two ordinary men, taking one in each hand and clashing their heads together. Mr Elvy thought that the discovery of the skeleton might possibly lead to the confirmation of the native, traction, but it was a question requiring careful investigation. It was dangerous to jump instantly to a conclusion, for the skeleton might have been that of an abnormally tall individual m a tribe of quite ordinary stature.

1925

Human bones were found high up on a cliff face during excavations at Arapuni, the find being buried 100 ft deep in a cave found during building of the dam and resealed afterward. The remains are 'those of a remarkably tall and muscular skeleton'.... No skull bones were discovered. It is believed that they are those of a prehistoric people.

1973

During road widening on Matira Road, a cave was opened up below the machinery and workers found a number of tall skeletons up to 8' in length. It wasn't long before the hole was completely filled with heavy basalt columns from an area 400m away down the road. The road direction was then changed slightly to the left and continued on down the hill instead of its intended trajectory up to flat table ridges that lead to the heights of Pukerewa Rd where one could see the ocean.

2008

During the preparation of a housing development in Omokoroa in Tauranga, a lone worker uncovered a large skeleton reported to be about 7' at least. Following procedure he called his boss who called authorities and that day an archeologist and an iwi monitor turned up. We know the names of both these individuals. After examining the remains the iwi monitor declared the remains were 'not one of us', a steel container was dropped off and the remains loaded into it unceremoniously. NO archaeological investigation, study in situ, or report was ever seen to be made that day. It was simply 'whisked away'. The remain were taken to Motuhoa Island to be buried buyt the locals demanded it be buried elsewhere and it was done so at the other end of the island from where their Urupa was. Pity everyone didn't have phones with cameras back then as is standard for us now. However, I know the person who saw that skeleton, witnessed the discussion and the quick removal of the evidence. Finding out about us, he told us that story. It is 100% true.

2019

Our long bone - https://tangatawhenua16.wixsite.com/the-first-ones-blog/single-post/2020/03/07/149-is-99-good-enough

2022