Table of Contents
What is Matariki also known as?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars. It is also known as the Pleiades.
What is the Māori name for star?
The two meanings of Matariki both refer to stars: mata ariki (eyes of god) and mata riki (little eyes).
What is Matariki called in India?
Krittika nakshatra
In India, this cluster is called the Krittika nakshatra, believed to be the six wives of the star Rishis of the Great Bear. The Matariki star cluster is mentioned in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and three times in the Bible, including Amos 5:8 (“Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion…”).
What is the story of Matariki?
In Maori, Matariki means ‘tiny eyes’ or ‘eyes of God’. The children of the earth mother Papatuanuku and sky father, Ranginui, were divided over whether to separate them and bring light and life to the earth. Eventually, Tane Mahuta, the god of the forest, laid on his back and used his feet to force them apart.
Is Matariki the Southern Cross?
Matariki becomes visible in the morning sky — for Wellington, it’s around the winter solstice. Early in the morning in the south/east in late June, the brightest stars in the sky will be the Southern Cross and Canopus. The other stars, including Matariki, will start rising around 6-7AM.
What does Matariki stand for in Maori mythology?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother,…
Why are the names of the Matariki stars important?
The different names of the whetu (stars) in the Matariki group are significant to Māori, as each individual has a defined purpose and is intrinsically connected with the Māori world. Source: Matariki The Star of the Year by Dr Rangi Matamua. 1. Matariki – the mother of the eight whetu in the constellation.
How are Matariki and Waiti related to each other?
Waitī –is connected to fresh water and all of the creatures that live within rivers, streams and lakes. The association Waitī and Matariki have with the creatures of fresh water is reflected in the proverb ‘Ka kitea a Matariki ka rere te korokoro’.
Who is the mother of the eight Whetu in Matariki?
Source: Matariki The Star of the Year by Dr Rangi Matamua. 1. Matariki – the mother of the eight whetu in the constellation. The whetu Matariki was taken as a wife by Rehua (not considered part of the Matariki constellation – he is the great lord of the stars, the whetu Antares, which Māori believe is paramount chief of the heavens).