Room One
Room One has been looking at narrative texts. As part of this study we have been reading and retelling traditional Maori myths and legends. We have also created artworks in the style of some contempary Maori artists to illustrate our stories.
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This is our class retelling of the legend of Ngatoroirangi and how he bought fire to the central North Island:
A long time ago there lived a great explorer named Ngatoroirangi. He came to New Zealand in search of new land. While he was exploring Taupo he soon realised that he could not see enough land from the ground, so he started to ascend the nearest snowy mountain for a better view. The mountain he chose was named Mount Tongariro.
Ngatoroirangi the great explorer climbed the mountain, Mount Tongariro, on a sunny day. Half way up the mountain a huge snow blizzard came rushing down the mountain. The higher he climbed the frostier he became. By the time he got to the top he was beginning to freeze to death.
Ngatoroirangi was freezing in the blizzard so he prayed to his sisters. Ngatoroirangi chanted “Oh Kuiwai oh Haungaroa I am seized by the cold south wind. Send me fire!” He shivered in the snow.
His two sisters, Kuiwai and Haungaroa, were sleeping when suddenly woosh their fire burnt blue and they could hear the distant karakia of their brother. They used their magical fire powers to summon the fire spirits, Te Hoata and Te Pupu. The spirits appearedlike gigantic bats bursting with red hot flames. They had massive claws and horns to help them dig through the earth. The sisters commanded the spirits to help Ngatoroirangi, so they flew up and dived into the earth with a humungous explosion that caused a shockwave.
The spirits sped to the snowy mountain where Ngatoroirangi and his warriors were. As the spirits made their way to the mountain their fire melted the inside of the earth and turned it into magma which is hot liquid rocks. As they travelled they needed to see where to go so they shot up into the air making a huge volcanic blast and leaving craters as they tunnelled.
Suddenly things started to heat up big mud pools bubbled and the sun came out. Then the fire spirits gave Ngatoroirangi the gift of fire. Ngatoroirangi was so pleased to be alive that he sacrificed his servant by commanding him into the fire.