Who are the Matariki stars?
The legend of Matariki and the six sisters Te ono o Matariki. There are many legends about the star cluster Matariki. One of the most popular is that the star Matariki is the whaea (mother), surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī and Waitā, and Ururangi.
Who is the father of the Matariki stars?
Rehua
The nine stars of Matariki In the Māori tradition, there are also nine stars: Matariki (Alcyone) – the mother of the other stars in the constellation. Rehua (Antares) is the father but is not considered part of the Matariki constellation.
What do the Matariki stars represent?
Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people.
What are the 7 Matariki stars?
Many iwi speak of the Matariki stars as a mother and her daughters. The mother is Matariki, and her daughters are Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī, Waitā, and Ururangi.
How many stories are there about Matariki?
nine tales
Common to all is the impact this vibrant star cluster has on Māori astronomy and tangata whenua connection to land and sea. Now, thanks to prominent Māori orators, nine tales of Matariki are available to all Kiwis through the use of technology by Spark New Zealand.
How do you get the Matariki stars in 2021?
To find Matariki, look to the left of Tautoru (the pot), find the bright orange star, Taumata-kuku (Alderbaran). Follow an imaginary line from Tautoru, across to Taumata-kuku and keep going until you hit a cluster of stars. That cluster is Matariki. If you have good eyes you should be able to pick out individual stars.
How long has Matariki been celebrated?
After the celebration of Matariki declined during the 20th century, it underwent a revival in the early 1990s. Matariki has been designated an official public holiday in New Zealand, to be celebrated for the first time on 24 June 2022….
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What is the legend behind the full name of Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Greek mythology the Pleiades were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione. Zeus immortalised the sisters by turning them into doves and then into stars to form the Pleiades in the Taurus constellation.
Where can I see the Matariki star cluster?
To find Matariki, look to the left of Tautoru (the pot), find the bright orange star, Taumata-kuku (Alderbaran). Follow an imaginary line from Tautoru, across to Taumata-kuku and keep going until you hit a cluster of stars. That cluster is Matariki.