Rua and Te Manu
A traditional story of Ngāti Porou
Retold and illustrated by Isobel Te Aho-White
This story, presented in a graphic text format, tells how Rua journeys under the sea to rescue his son Te Manu, who has been taken by Tangaroa. In the undersea world, Rua discovers beautiful whakairo (carvings) on the whare of Tangaroa and, after defeating the sea god, brings the art of whakairo to the world above the sea. Ideas about whakairo are explored further in the article “Kākahu Pekepeke” in this journal.
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