Were there seven or eight canoes (wakas)?

**Conquiztador** · 17th July 2007, 23:05

Home work. No, not mine, but my boys ones. One of them needed to write down three of the names of the wakas that Maoris came to Aotearoa with (well, if you believe the myths anyhow). The homework asked him to write down three of the eight wakas. "Eight"? I said? "As far as I know there was only seven". I was even able to find a list of the seven: Tanui, Te Arawa, Mataatua, Horouta, Aotea, Takitimu and Tokomaru. But he was adamant that there was eight. And after some rummaging in his bag he came up with a eight one: Kurahaupo. I had never heard of that one.

I have been searching the web, but not really been able to find anything that clearly tells me what the original myth was stating. Even managed to find one that said there was at least eight to ten wakas.

So what is it? Is it seven (as I was made to believe) or eight or just as many as you can make up names for?

Anyone have a deeper insight then I have?

**Steam** · 17th July 2007, 23:11

I think the eighth may have been the Maorioris, who they brought along for food on the voyage.

**SARGE** · 17th July 2007, 23:51

sleepy, dopey, sneezy, doc....

they shoulda just done like the Samoans and waited for the 747's

**Conquiztador** · 18th July 2007, 00:19

Anyone????

**Oakie** · 18th July 2007, 13:13

For what it's worth, I thought there were only seven.

**janno** · 18th July 2007, 13:37

The four houses at New Plymouth Girls are named after some of the canoes.

Tanui, Aotea, Tokomaru, Kurahaupo. So I guess Kurahaupo was one of them.

**Paul in NZ** · 18th July 2007, 13:47

The internet is your friend....

http://www.takoa.co.nz/canoe_refpg1.htm

edit

This explains it a bit better

http://www.takoa.co.nz/canoe_refpg2.htm

**Filterer** · 18th July 2007, 15:24

Originally Posted by Conquiztador

I have been searching the web, but not really been able to find anything .......

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

The internet is your friend....

Clearly they are not close friends!

**Conquiztador** · 18th July 2007, 15:43

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

The internet is your friend....

http://www.takoa.co.nz/canoe_refpg1.htm

edit

This explains it a bit better

http://www.takoa.co.nz/canoe_refpg2.htm

When counting all those I end up with about 20 of them...

There is the story/legend about how the Maori left Hawaiki and travelled here in their seven (I thought it was?) canoes and settled here. Then later others arrived.

That is what I am trying to establish, was it seven or eight or more wakas in that original legend how the ancestors of the Maori arrived?

**Maha** · 18th July 2007, 16:12

Thinking back to school days i recall several
Wakazuki/Wakasaki/Wakamaha (which is still used today) Wakaprilia to name but a few. Interesting fact is that, in later years, motorcycle manufacturers (mostly Asian) put alot of Waka names to good use but i wouldn't let the Waitangi Tribunal in on that....

**ManDownUnder** · 18th July 2007, 16:24

How many per Waka?

I mean all you need to do is count the FOBs and divide by that number and you're sweet!

**peasea** · 18th July 2007, 16:51

Originally Posted by Oakie

For what it's worth, I thought there were only seven.

Quite wrong; there were eight. Four pairs cruising in formation. The first four were Bayliners the second batch were Genesis II's. They were actually heading for Venice for an art exhibition but the GPS went out and here we are.......

**peasea** · 18th July 2007, 16:51

Originally Posted by ManDownUnder

How many per Waka?

I mean all you need to do is count the FOBs and divide by that number and you're sweet!

Shouldn't that be SOB's?

**riffer** · 18th July 2007, 19:26

Originally Posted by Conquiztador

When counting all those I end up with about 20 of them...

There is the story/legend about how the Maori left Hawaiki and travelled here in their seven (I thought it was?) canoes and settled here. Then later others arrived.

That is what I am trying to establish, was it seven or eight or more wakas in that original legend how the ancestors of the Maori arrived?

Read it again carefully and it'll make sense. There were eight canoes in the first sailing, and about a dozen followed after.

I guess the big trouble is that all Maori history was until fairly recently, oral only. Kinda like years and years of chinese whispers.

**peasea** · 18th July 2007, 20:16

Originally Posted by riffer

Read it again carefully and it'll make sense. There were eight canoes in the first sailing, and about a dozen followed after.

I guess the big trouble is that all Maori history was until fairly recently, oral only. Kinda like years and years of chinese whispers.

Which goes to show how accurate it is.

If this land belongs to anyone it's the Moriori's.

Face the front!