Set in pre European times, this story follows Kura, who is trained in the Traditional Whare Wananga, or house of esoteric knowledge. Her story takes us into other realms where the patupaiarehe, ponaturi, hapuoneone and many more other beings live. A fantasy story based on the Maori equivalent to elves, etc.
Chapter 15 - The Maero
Te Mano was awake with a start, when a shadow fell
across him. Looking up, he saw a huge figure standing
in the entrance of the cave. Te Mano realized, by the
size of this figure, that this being was a Maero.
Instinctively he felt fear, but remembering the tohu of the kuri, made Te Mano turn and wake Pirihonga first. The kuri yawned and stretched, and looking around him, rose and wandered over to the Maero. He then wagged his tail and returned back to his corner and went to sleep. Kura hadn't even stirred.
Te Mano felt the tension and fear ease from his body. "Tena koe," said Te Mano.
"Tena koutou," replied the Maero. "I see that you are a wise man indeed, for you have learnt to trust in the instincts of a superior race. Anyway," continued the Maero, "you have no need to fear anything in this world, for you are under the protection of the great Aweko himself. It is only curiosity that has brought me here, for I have never met or seen anyone from your two races."
"And I," returned Te Mano, "have never met or seen anyone from your race. Hopefully, we can learn from each other."
The Maero smiled at this. "Truly you are a wise man, for anyone else would have said that we could teach each other. Come, let us walk around this valley."
The Maero turned and Te Mano followed. Te Mano had never considered himself a small man, for he stood at about seven feet tall, but next to the Maero, Te Mano felt very small indeed, for he only came up to the chest of the Maero.
As they approached the edge of the ledge, much to the horror of Te Mano, the Maero did not stop, but stepped off and continued walking as if there was solid ground.
"Come, come," said the Maero, "what are you waiting for?"
"There is nothing there for me to walk on!" exclaimed Te Mano.
The Maero came walking back. "So we have had our first lesson. For I see the path stretching before me, solid and stable just like this ledge on which we now stand on. And yet you see nothing. Perhaps you perceive this world through the eyes of your world. I wonder, if I came to your world, if I would see the paths of the air that you evidently do not see in my world."
"Not even in my world do I see the paths of the air," replied Te Mano, "but that does not mean that they are not there, that just simply means that I do not see them."
The Maero smiled. "Aweko once said to me that our perception of seeing other worlds is often inhibited by our own perception of the world around us. When we get the chance to perceive other worlds we are often encumbered by our own limitations. For example, when we see the marama rising above the horizon or the hills, we sometimes perceive it to be yellow and huge, yet when the marama is high in the sky, we perceive it as a different size and colour. Yet the marama itself does not change size or colour, our perception of it changes in relation to what we see around it. How amazing it would be," sighed the Maero, "to see everything as it is meant to be."
"That would take a life time of study as well as the advantage of travelling to other worlds," replied Te Mano.
"But what is a life time," returned the Maero, "for I have heard to some a life time is a mere ten to fifteen years and to some it is hundreds of years." "That is true," replied Te Mano, thinking of the comment that Pari had once made about years. "I had best be going now," said the Maero, "for there are things that I need to do. I have enjoyed your company and your thoughts."
"What about our walk around the valley?" queried Te Mano.
The Maero waved his mighty arm. "Look where we are positioned. There are many paths for me, but none for you. This cave is halfway up a sheer cliff-face without foot or hand-holds suitable for your race. The only way for you out of here is the way you arrived, or, if I carried you. However, that would not be dignified."
And with that, the Maero turned and walked off the ledge again. Te Mano watched him as he walked unhesitantly along the air paths. He wondered to himself if Pirihonga would have the faith to step out and follow the Maero. For even though Te Mano was trying to have the faith of the kuri, he knew he would not have enough faith to step out unless Pirihonga went first.
Te Mano returned the cave and pondered the conversation about perceptions. He now realized that whenever he had looked at the marama on the horizon, large and yellow, his two physical eyes had played tricks on him, and adjusted the true size of the marama to fit in with the surroundings. He wondered if he could make his eyes re-adjust when he next saw the marama, so that the true size could be seen. Sighing he ate some kao then stretched out beside Pirihonga and was soon asleep.
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Instinctively he felt fear, but remembering the tohu of the kuri, made Te Mano turn and wake Pirihonga first. The kuri yawned and stretched, and looking around him, rose and wandered over to the Maero. He then wagged his tail and returned back to his corner and went to sleep. Kura hadn't even stirred.
Te Mano felt the tension and fear ease from his body. "Tena koe," said Te Mano.
"Tena koutou," replied the Maero. "I see that you are a wise man indeed, for you have learnt to trust in the instincts of a superior race. Anyway," continued the Maero, "you have no need to fear anything in this world, for you are under the protection of the great Aweko himself. It is only curiosity that has brought me here, for I have never met or seen anyone from your two races."
"And I," returned Te Mano, "have never met or seen anyone from your race. Hopefully, we can learn from each other."
The Maero smiled at this. "Truly you are a wise man, for anyone else would have said that we could teach each other. Come, let us walk around this valley."
The Maero turned and Te Mano followed. Te Mano had never considered himself a small man, for he stood at about seven feet tall, but next to the Maero, Te Mano felt very small indeed, for he only came up to the chest of the Maero.
As they approached the edge of the ledge, much to the horror of Te Mano, the Maero did not stop, but stepped off and continued walking as if there was solid ground.
"Come, come," said the Maero, "what are you waiting for?"
"There is nothing there for me to walk on!" exclaimed Te Mano.
The Maero came walking back. "So we have had our first lesson. For I see the path stretching before me, solid and stable just like this ledge on which we now stand on. And yet you see nothing. Perhaps you perceive this world through the eyes of your world. I wonder, if I came to your world, if I would see the paths of the air that you evidently do not see in my world."
"Not even in my world do I see the paths of the air," replied Te Mano, "but that does not mean that they are not there, that just simply means that I do not see them."
The Maero smiled. "Aweko once said to me that our perception of seeing other worlds is often inhibited by our own perception of the world around us. When we get the chance to perceive other worlds we are often encumbered by our own limitations. For example, when we see the marama rising above the horizon or the hills, we sometimes perceive it to be yellow and huge, yet when the marama is high in the sky, we perceive it as a different size and colour. Yet the marama itself does not change size or colour, our perception of it changes in relation to what we see around it. How amazing it would be," sighed the Maero, "to see everything as it is meant to be."
"That would take a life time of study as well as the advantage of travelling to other worlds," replied Te Mano.
"But what is a life time," returned the Maero, "for I have heard to some a life time is a mere ten to fifteen years and to some it is hundreds of years." "That is true," replied Te Mano, thinking of the comment that Pari had once made about years. "I had best be going now," said the Maero, "for there are things that I need to do. I have enjoyed your company and your thoughts."
"What about our walk around the valley?" queried Te Mano.
The Maero waved his mighty arm. "Look where we are positioned. There are many paths for me, but none for you. This cave is halfway up a sheer cliff-face without foot or hand-holds suitable for your race. The only way for you out of here is the way you arrived, or, if I carried you. However, that would not be dignified."
And with that, the Maero turned and walked off the ledge again. Te Mano watched him as he walked unhesitantly along the air paths. He wondered to himself if Pirihonga would have the faith to step out and follow the Maero. For even though Te Mano was trying to have the faith of the kuri, he knew he would not have enough faith to step out unless Pirihonga went first.
Te Mano returned the cave and pondered the conversation about perceptions. He now realized that whenever he had looked at the marama on the horizon, large and yellow, his two physical eyes had played tricks on him, and adjusted the true size of the marama to fit in with the surroundings. He wondered if he could make his eyes re-adjust when he next saw the marama, so that the true size could be seen. Sighing he ate some kao then stretched out beside Pirihonga and was soon asleep.
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 Maori Myths and Legendary Tales by AW Reed |
 The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Maori Myth and Legend by Margaret Orbell |
 |
 Weaving Earth and Sky: Myths & Legends of Aotearoa by Robert Sullivan |
 Taming the Sun: Four Maori Myths by Gavin Bishop |