Tradition / Region: Māori Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog
The Myth
In the ancient stories of the Māori, Irawaru is remembered as the origin of the dog.
He was the husband of Hinauri, who was the sister of the trickster hero Māui. One day Māui and Irawaru went out together, and during their time together Māui became angered with his brother-in-law. Some say Māui envied Irawaru’s success in fishing. Others say he was offended by Irawaru’s greed, or angered when Irawaru refused him a cloak. Whatever the cause, Māui resolved to punish him.
When they returned home, Māui seized Irawaru and stretched out his body. He pulled his limbs until they changed shape, lengthening and bending them. In this way he transformed the man into the first dog.
Afterward, Hinauri searched for her husband and asked Māui where he had gone. Māui told her to stand and call out, “Moi! Moi!”
When she called, a dog came running toward her. Only then did she realize the truth — that the animal was her husband, changed by Māui’s hand.
Overcome with grief, Hinauri left the world of people. She cast herself into the sea, into the domain of Tangaroa, and was not seen again.
Other traditions tell that long after these events, when the voyager Kupe reached Aotearoa, three sacred dogs came with him from Hawaiki. These were not ordinary animals but spirit guardians. They were sent to the far northern headland to watch over the path of souls, guiding the dead as they departed for the afterlife. The people who settled there later became known as Ngāti Kurī, the people of the dogs.
From these stories it is remembered that dogs were not merely animals but sacred companions. They guarded homes, warned of danger, and stood watch against unseen spirits, bound to humankind since the first transformation of Irawaru.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Irawaru. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irawaru
Interpretive Lenses
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