Matariki has only 10 months. In April and May, above Taramainuku is a star who gathers in the dead, taking them into the underworld to Hine-nui-te-pō and, on the rise of Matariki in the following month, releases them back into Rangi-nui to become stars.
The pūrākau or story goes that in the beginning of time when sky and earth were stuck together, the gods Rangi-nui and Papatūānuku were so in love and tightly embraced that no light shone between them.
Their children were caught in this tight embrace - trapped in darkness. Almost all the children took turns in trying to separate their parents, but only one of them succeeded.
Tāne-mahuta, planting his roots firmly in Papatūānuku pushed upwards against Rangi-nui, separating them and the tears of their parents' separation became the stars.
However, one child did not agree with this - Tāwhiri-mātea, the god of weather, wind and storm, who attacked his siblings, beating them all except Tūmatauenga, the god of humans and war.
In his rage, Tāwhiri-mātea tore his own eyes out and threw them up to Rangi-nui as a sign of sorrow and love for his father, where they exploded into stars. Thus becoming the 'Eyes of the God Tāwhiri-mātea', or 'Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhiri-mātea', otherwise known as Matariki.
In the midst of winter, this cluster of stars is the maramataka (lunar calendar) for the Māori year.
Pōhutukawa (Sterope), the eldest star, as with the pōhutukawa tree at Rerenga Wairua, connects us with the dead and the tikanga of takahi and poroporoaki. Pōhutukawa has the duty of holding those called by Hine-nui-te-pō to the long endless night.
Tupuānuku (Pleione) relates to everything grown below in Papatūānuku and will shine bright when all things from crops to flowers will be plentiful in the year ahead.
Tupuārangi (Atlas) is everything grown above in Rangi, and will shine bright when food resources above your head, such as fruits, berries and birds, will be plentiful.
Waitī (Maia) signals that anything from freshwater (lakes, rivers and streams) will be abundant such as fish, eels, whitebait, crayfish and mussels.
Waitā (Taygeta) will shine bright to signal our ocean harvests will be abundant.
Waipunarangi (Electra) will shine bright to signal healthy rain from Rangi above.
Ururangi (Meropa) will shine bright to herald gentle winds in the coming maramataka.
Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Caleano), the youngest in the cluster, is the wishing star and holds those most sacred thoughts from the chambers of the heart.
Matariki (Alcycone) is mother.
Should these stars not shine brightly, or indeed not show at all, then their meaning is to the contrary. Suffice to say they should all be read together - as they are all connected.
This is a very brief summary, however each of these ancestral stars hold significant lore regarding the wellbeing of our environment for people to live by.
All over the world, indigenous peoples have used Matariki for this purpose, with many seeing more than the nine stars we see.
Maya, Aztec, all through South America, Indians, Metis, Inuit, Chinese, Persians, Muri, Nyoonah, Koori, Palawa, Mer, many others, and of course Māori, with all other island groups making up Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Then there are the Greeks with Atlas and Pleione, the parents of Pleiades, but that's another story.
Happy New year everyone, Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhiri-mātea.
Te Hira Henderson is curator Taonga Maori, MTG Hawke's Bay.
