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By Nanny Kiri Dewes
Tikanga Whakaaro
Kia ora koutou katoa! - Well we use the terms below all the time, but do you really know what you are talking about? Hmmm - well let's have a look at some of these 'BIG' words. Break them down so we can have a better understanding. After reading this you might 'stop' using some "if you have been using it incorrectly" - or perhaps your might 'start' using the word, "now that you really know what it means". But after all is said and gone, this is our language. Let's learn it well and speak it correctly.
Arohanui Nanny Kiri Dewes
MANA: Power, Authority, Prestige.
Mana Atua, Mana Tupuna, Mana Whenua, Mana Tangata.
There are many nuances of meaning associated with the term MANA but the broad meanings outlined below distinguish the major usages.
MANA ATUA
Mana is the enduring indestructable power of the gods. It is the sacred fire that is without beginning and without end. Tane ascended the sacred vine in order that he might retrieve the sacred power or mana of the gods which was known to the ancestors as the “ahi komau” but he was unsuccessful, but he did bring back to earth the knowledge of how one could acquire this sacred power. The tohunga of old would light a fire at the altars of the marae during their rituals and these were known as “ahi komau” sacred fires. In modern times the term “mana” has taken on various meanings; Mana Atua, Mana Tupuna, Mana Whenua, Mana Tangata.
Mana Atua. This is the very sacred power of the gods known as the ‘ahi komau” which is given to those persons who conform to sacred rituals and principles.
Mana Tupuna. This is the power of authority handed down through chiefly lineage. The power is passed down from generation to generation. Those who inherit mana must carry out the various rituals and duties to maintain this power handed down from the “ancient ones”.
Mana Whenua. This is the power associated with the possession of lands, it is also the power associated with the land to produce the bounties of nature. When the world was created the gods implanted this procreative power within the womb of Mother Earth. By the power of “mana mauri” all things have the potential for growth and development towards maturity. There is another aspect to the power of land: a person who possesses land has the power to provide a livelihood for family and tribe, and every effort is made to protect these rights. There is also an association between mana and the afterbirth or placenta of a person and the land. When a child is born the afterbirth is expelled from the mother. This afterbirth was the source of nourishment when the child was growing in the womb and it is a living entity. For this reason it is not appropriate to throw it away carelessly or to burn it, instead, it should be buried in the earth as a sign that the child will continue to grow and develop. There are other important principles associated with the mana of land which are still applicable today such as inherited rights, establishment of marae, power to control land rights and confiscations, conservation, chiefly status and sacred burial grounds.
Mana Tangata. This is the power acquired by an individual according to his or her ability and effort to develop skills and to gain knowledge in particular areas. Women have personal power in their role in taking care of children and on the marae in welcoming and caring for visitors. Men have their important roles as bread winners for the family and their different roles on the marae.
Ihi: (Vitality, Quality of excellence.) Ihi refers to the vitality or total personality of a person, which increases through the devotion and development of one’s skills and talents. Ihi encompasses every part of one’s being and includes one’s physical, spiritual and psychological attributes. The ihi of one person is different from that of another although individual ihi can be manifested and combined with that of others in a group.
Everything including animals and plants has a special power or unique quality known as ihi: there is the ihi of birds, of trees and of fish. Food also has ihi. For example, a kumara of excellent quality would have a strong ihi. Ihi is the power of living things to develop and grow to their full maturity and state of
excellence.
Wehi (Fear, awe, respect.) Wehi is the effect one person’s power and influence has on another. One person recognises the superior power and influence in comparison with his or her own. When one person’s power is equal to or greater then that of another person, there is no fear or awe. Sometimes an individual can experience wehi within himself or herself. On such occasions one is surprised and startled by the power and thoughts generated within oneself.
The main point to remember is that a person experiences wehi when the power of another person is greater than his own, for example, the power of the gods. There is a parallel idea recorded in the Holy Bible in the following scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Mauri. ( Power of the Gods) Mauri is a special power possessed by God which makes it possible for everything to move in accordance with the conditions and limits of its existence. Everything has a mauri including people, fish, animals, birds, forests, land, seas and rivers; the mauri is that power which allows these living things to exist in their own realm and sphere. No one can control their own mauri or life-essence. When a person is born the gods bind the two parts of spirit and body of his being together. Only the power of God can join them together. The mauri makes it possible for a thing to exist within the bounds of its own creation.
When a person dies the mauri is no longer able to bind those parts together and thereby give life and the physical and spiritual part of a person’s being are separated. This is expressed in the following saying:
The heart provides the breath
But the mauri has the power to join
Those who die have been released from the bond
And the spirit ascends the pinnacle of death.
The mauri enters and leaves at the veil
which separates the human world from the spirit realm.
While a person cannot control their own mauri it is possible to create a mauri for certain things like a house when it is built a mauri is established as the sacred heart of the building. This mauri is the power obtained through a covenant with the gods to take care of the building, and hopes that the people will use it for noble purposes. Likewise with the rivers, oceans and forests. When the food supplies become depleted it is possible to return the mauri through conservation (rahui) and appropriate ritual ceremony.
Wheiao ( Transitional State) We often hear the expression “tihei mauri ora ki te wheiao ki te ao marama”. The wheiao is that state between the world of darkness and the world of light, but it is much closer to the unfolding of the world of light. The first wheiao occurred during the time that Ranginui (the Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) lived together with their children locked in their embrace. After a considerable time their children became restless and were intent upon escaping from the confines of their parents into the world of light beyond. They convened a plan for making their escape and after much discussion decided to merely separate their parents and thereby escape. Now from the time they decided to implement the plan put forth by Tane, until the time that they actually escaped into the light is the period known as the first wheiao. Tahutapairu, the wife of Tumatauenga became the goddess of night and the wheiao. In nearly every facet of life there exists various conditions of wheiao, both on this earth and throughout the extent of the universe. One example is when a woman is about to give birth to a child. The baby enters the birth canal following the breaking of the waters and emerges into the world of light. The cord is cut and the baby’s breathing is stimulated, hence the saying, “tihei mauri ora ki te wheiao, ki te ao marama”. In this instance, the wheiao refers to the actual birth process from the time the labour pains are felt until the time the baby begins breathing. Similarly, at death a person’s spirit returns to the gods. The spirit enters a place of darkness and awaits the arrival of the guardian spirits who will lead them through the wheiao into the world of light beyond, that is into the spirit world. When a carved house is completed, the dedication takes place in the early morning before sunrise. This is the time between night and day that is referred to as the wheiao. Most of the Maori rituals are conducted at this time of day in the belief that the ritual is performed in the presence of the gods and the ancestors that have passed on. At this particular time there is no disturbance from the outside world. There are many other examples of the wheiao throughout nature: the phases of the moon, or the development of embryo’s as they pass through a phase of transition. Even with human learning, we pass from a state of ignorance to one of understanding. Finally, in all these situations it must be remembered that the wheiao is a phrase that can recur many times in advancing from one particular state to another.
Kia ora koutou katoa! - Well we use the terms below all the time, but do you really know what you are talking about? Hmmm - well let's have a look at some of these 'BIG' words. Break them down so we can have a better understanding. After reading this you might 'stop' using some "if you have been using it incorrectly" - or perhaps your might 'start' using the word, "now that you really know what it means". But after all is said and gone, this is our language. Let's learn it well and speak it correctly.
Arohanui Nanny Kiri Dewes
MANA: Power, Authority, Prestige.
Mana Atua, Mana Tupuna, Mana Whenua, Mana Tangata.
There are many nuances of meaning associated with the term MANA but the broad meanings outlined below distinguish the major usages.
MANA ATUA
Mana is the enduring indestructable power of the gods. It is the sacred fire that is without beginning and without end. Tane ascended the sacred vine in order that he might retrieve the sacred power or mana of the gods which was known to the ancestors as the “ahi komau” but he was unsuccessful, but he did bring back to earth the knowledge of how one could acquire this sacred power. The tohunga of old would light a fire at the altars of the marae during their rituals and these were known as “ahi komau” sacred fires. In modern times the term “mana” has taken on various meanings; Mana Atua, Mana Tupuna, Mana Whenua, Mana Tangata.
Mana Atua. This is the very sacred power of the gods known as the ‘ahi komau” which is given to those persons who conform to sacred rituals and principles.
Mana Tupuna. This is the power of authority handed down through chiefly lineage. The power is passed down from generation to generation. Those who inherit mana must carry out the various rituals and duties to maintain this power handed down from the “ancient ones”.
Mana Whenua. This is the power associated with the possession of lands, it is also the power associated with the land to produce the bounties of nature. When the world was created the gods implanted this procreative power within the womb of Mother Earth. By the power of “mana mauri” all things have the potential for growth and development towards maturity. There is another aspect to the power of land: a person who possesses land has the power to provide a livelihood for family and tribe, and every effort is made to protect these rights. There is also an association between mana and the afterbirth or placenta of a person and the land. When a child is born the afterbirth is expelled from the mother. This afterbirth was the source of nourishment when the child was growing in the womb and it is a living entity. For this reason it is not appropriate to throw it away carelessly or to burn it, instead, it should be buried in the earth as a sign that the child will continue to grow and develop. There are other important principles associated with the mana of land which are still applicable today such as inherited rights, establishment of marae, power to control land rights and confiscations, conservation, chiefly status and sacred burial grounds.
Mana Tangata. This is the power acquired by an individual according to his or her ability and effort to develop skills and to gain knowledge in particular areas. Women have personal power in their role in taking care of children and on the marae in welcoming and caring for visitors. Men have their important roles as bread winners for the family and their different roles on the marae.
Ihi: (Vitality, Quality of excellence.) Ihi refers to the vitality or total personality of a person, which increases through the devotion and development of one’s skills and talents. Ihi encompasses every part of one’s being and includes one’s physical, spiritual and psychological attributes. The ihi of one person is different from that of another although individual ihi can be manifested and combined with that of others in a group.
Everything including animals and plants has a special power or unique quality known as ihi: there is the ihi of birds, of trees and of fish. Food also has ihi. For example, a kumara of excellent quality would have a strong ihi. Ihi is the power of living things to develop and grow to their full maturity and state of
excellence.
Wehi (Fear, awe, respect.) Wehi is the effect one person’s power and influence has on another. One person recognises the superior power and influence in comparison with his or her own. When one person’s power is equal to or greater then that of another person, there is no fear or awe. Sometimes an individual can experience wehi within himself or herself. On such occasions one is surprised and startled by the power and thoughts generated within oneself.
The main point to remember is that a person experiences wehi when the power of another person is greater than his own, for example, the power of the gods. There is a parallel idea recorded in the Holy Bible in the following scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Mauri. ( Power of the Gods) Mauri is a special power possessed by God which makes it possible for everything to move in accordance with the conditions and limits of its existence. Everything has a mauri including people, fish, animals, birds, forests, land, seas and rivers; the mauri is that power which allows these living things to exist in their own realm and sphere. No one can control their own mauri or life-essence. When a person is born the gods bind the two parts of spirit and body of his being together. Only the power of God can join them together. The mauri makes it possible for a thing to exist within the bounds of its own creation.
When a person dies the mauri is no longer able to bind those parts together and thereby give life and the physical and spiritual part of a person’s being are separated. This is expressed in the following saying:
The heart provides the breath
But the mauri has the power to join
Those who die have been released from the bond
And the spirit ascends the pinnacle of death.
The mauri enters and leaves at the veil
which separates the human world from the spirit realm.
While a person cannot control their own mauri it is possible to create a mauri for certain things like a house when it is built a mauri is established as the sacred heart of the building. This mauri is the power obtained through a covenant with the gods to take care of the building, and hopes that the people will use it for noble purposes. Likewise with the rivers, oceans and forests. When the food supplies become depleted it is possible to return the mauri through conservation (rahui) and appropriate ritual ceremony.
Wheiao ( Transitional State) We often hear the expression “tihei mauri ora ki te wheiao ki te ao marama”. The wheiao is that state between the world of darkness and the world of light, but it is much closer to the unfolding of the world of light. The first wheiao occurred during the time that Ranginui (the Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) lived together with their children locked in their embrace. After a considerable time their children became restless and were intent upon escaping from the confines of their parents into the world of light beyond. They convened a plan for making their escape and after much discussion decided to merely separate their parents and thereby escape. Now from the time they decided to implement the plan put forth by Tane, until the time that they actually escaped into the light is the period known as the first wheiao. Tahutapairu, the wife of Tumatauenga became the goddess of night and the wheiao. In nearly every facet of life there exists various conditions of wheiao, both on this earth and throughout the extent of the universe. One example is when a woman is about to give birth to a child. The baby enters the birth canal following the breaking of the waters and emerges into the world of light. The cord is cut and the baby’s breathing is stimulated, hence the saying, “tihei mauri ora ki te wheiao, ki te ao marama”. In this instance, the wheiao refers to the actual birth process from the time the labour pains are felt until the time the baby begins breathing. Similarly, at death a person’s spirit returns to the gods. The spirit enters a place of darkness and awaits the arrival of the guardian spirits who will lead them through the wheiao into the world of light beyond, that is into the spirit world. When a carved house is completed, the dedication takes place in the early morning before sunrise. This is the time between night and day that is referred to as the wheiao. Most of the Maori rituals are conducted at this time of day in the belief that the ritual is performed in the presence of the gods and the ancestors that have passed on. At this particular time there is no disturbance from the outside world. There are many other examples of the wheiao throughout nature: the phases of the moon, or the development of embryo’s as they pass through a phase of transition. Even with human learning, we pass from a state of ignorance to one of understanding. Finally, in all these situations it must be remembered that the wheiao is a phrase that can recur many times in advancing from one particular state to another.
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