Tradition: Māori Mythology, New Zealand Mythology
Alternative Names: Turehu, Patupaiarehe, Pakepakeha, Kiri-puwhero, Te Whanau O Rangi
Category: Forest Dweller
The Myth
The Turehu are supernatural beings who inhabit the forests, mountain peaks, and mist-covered hills of New Zealand. They are described as light-skinned people with fair or waist-length blond hair, thin noses, straight backs, and eyes ranging from pale blue to black. They are often portrayed wearing short skirts woven from dried seaweed, with clothing dyed red. Unlike the Māori, they do not wear tattoos. Some accounts describe them as small, delicate beings, while others portray them as towering giants. They are especially fond of playing the flute, and their homes are hidden among dense forests, fog-covered hills, and remote mountain strongholds.
The Turehu are masters of trees and grasses and are closely associated with the natural world. They can appear in human form, but they are also capable of taking the shapes of birds and insects. They usually emerge at dusk or during the night, when the fog is thick enough to conceal them from the sunlight. They are wary of strangers and protective of their territory, sometimes punishing those who take food or resources that belong to them. They are said to claim certain birds, white eels, and red flax as their own, and anyone who takes these without permission risks offending them. Although they can be dangerous, the Turehu also possess valuable knowledge and skills, including wood carving, tattooing, weaving, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
One tale tells of a warrior who cut down a tree to make a canoe. After spending the night in the forest, he returned to find the tree standing upright again. The Turehu had restored it through their supernatural powers. The warrior eventually repented, and the spirits spared him, later helping him obtain a better canoe so that he could return home swiftly. Another story describes a Turehu appearing at a house, where a man and his wife attempted to drive it away by rubbing red ochre on their bodies. The spirit forced its way inside, but the couple’s resistance eventually caused it to flee. The Turehu then leaped onto the roof and sang a farewell song before disappearing into the night.
The Turehu also appear in stories involving fishermen. In one tale, a fisherman encountered the spirits while they were collecting fish from a net. One of the Turehu helped him finish the work, but when sunlight appeared, the spirits vanished, and the boats shattered into pieces. Only a few reeds and flax stalks remained, revealing the supernatural nature of the encounter. Such stories portray the Turehu as mysterious beings who can be helpful or dangerous depending on how humans treat them. They are guardians of the forests and mountains, possessing powers that allow them to restore trees, vanish into mist, and move between the human world and their hidden supernatural realm.
Sources
“Turehu.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/turehu