Maori Mythology

Kurangaituku

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Tradition / Region: Māori, New Zealand Mythology
Alternative names: Kurungaituku; Hine-ingoingo
Category: Bird

The Myth

Kurangaituku is a supernatural woman with the wings of a bird, claws instead of fingers, and a beak in place of a human mouth. She is the guardian of birds and other creatures, keeping them in her forest home. In some traditions she is feared as an ogress or witch, while in others she is remembered as a compassionate being who shelters injured animals and nurses the wounded back to health.

One day the young hunter Hatupatu entered her domain. In some versions she captured him after he hunted her birds, while in others she found him injured and cared for him until he recovered. Hatupatu lived with her for a time, but eventually betrayed her by destroying or imprisoning her beloved birds and reptiles and stealing her treasured feather cloaks before fleeing.

A single small bird escaped and warned Kurangaituku of the betrayal. She pursued Hatupatu through the forests with incredible speed. During the chase, Hatupatu called upon a great rock to open and hide him, escaping her grasp. When he reached the geothermal lands of Whakarewarewa, he dodged between the boiling mud pools, but Kurangaituku rushed after him and was consumed by the scalding mud, bringing the pursuit to its tragic end.

In some Māori traditions, however, Kurangaituku is remembered not as a monster but as the wronged guardian of the forest, whose kindness was repaid with betrayal. Her story remains one of the best-known legends of New Zealand, preserving both versions of her character in Māori oral tradition.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Kurangaituku. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurangaituku

Irawaru

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Tradition / Region: Māori Mythology, New Zealand 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.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Irawaru. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irawaru

Atua

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Tradition / Region: New Zealand Mythology, Hawaiian Mythology, Maori Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Demon

The Myth

Atua are supernatural beings known in the traditional beliefs of the Polynesian world. Among Hawaiians, Māori, and other Polynesian peoples, atua are regarded as powerful entities that exist beyond the human realm.

They are described as deities or demons, feared and revered alike, whose presence influences the natural world and human life. Atua may dwell in specific places, manifest through natural forces, or act invisibly, shaping events according to their will.

Through tradition, atua are remembered as ever-present supernatural beings, forming a vital part of Polynesian cosmology and belief.