This landmark publication comprises two manuscripts written in the 1870s by one of the greatest tohunga of Ng膩ti Porou. Mohi Ruatapu, of Tokomaru Bay, was one of the teachers at the last Whare W膩nanga (School of Learning) on the East Coast, north of T奴ranga (Gisborne district). Much later, as an old man, he recorded the myths, legends and songs of his people.
Mohi Ruatapu鈥檚 writings are regarded as the most important single body of writing on myth produced by any nineteenth-century M膩ori writer. Prior to the publication of this book in 1993 only a few short extracts had been published. The work includes the M膩ori text in full with an introduction, English translation and annotations by Anaru Reedy.
Anaru Totorewa Reedy聽(Ng膩ti Porou) is also the translator, editor and annotator of聽Ng膩 K艒rero a Pita K膩piti: The teachings of Pita K膩piti聽(CUP, 1997).
Anaru Reedy became a specialist in the transcribing, translating and annotating of ancient Ng膩ti Porou texts that had been written down in te Reo M膩ori by Mohi T奴rei and H膿nare P艒tae, starting in 1871. The manuscripts were written at the dictation of renowned Ng膩ti Porou tohunga: Toki Puanga, Mohi Ruatapu, and Te Rangiuia, all teachers from the Whare W膩nanga called Te R膩wheoro, situated at Uawa near Tolaga Bay on the East Coast; and Pita K膩piti, the tohunga who taught at the Whare W膩nanga called Te Tapere-nui-o-Wh膩tonga near Tikitiki.聽Anaru Totorewa Reedy thanks the tupuna who have left us this great legacy.
A Teaching Fellowship allowed Anaru Reedy to spend a year in the Department of M膩ori at UC, 1990鈥1991, where he worked closely with Dr Margaret Orbell, and he received support for his studies from Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. At one time Lecturer in M膩ori at the College of Education, Dunedin, he went on to become Tumuaki M膩ori with Creative New Zealand.
