“TĀHUHU KŌRERO…”

Throughout the history of the World there are numerous references to the Taniwha.

​In sacred Hebrew texts they were the ‘nephilim’ or the ‘Watchers,‘ in Mexican legend they were referred to as ‘feathered serpents,’ in Greek and Egyptian history they were ‘descendants of Atlantis.’

They were once dedicated to unlocking the secrets of the new world, using magic and portals to the spirit world. They were one of the first creations of Tāne-mahuta, the great Māori god of birds and trees, who separated his parents, Rangi-nui and Papa-tū-ā-nuku, at the birth of creation. These Watchers were not immortal, but were gifted long-life and the ability to procreate. Using their knowledge of the stars, the ‘children of Tāne-mahuta’ traveled the world by waka (a sea-faring canoe) and were not afraid to share their knowledge of magic, medicine and civilisation.

​It was around this time the gods breathed life into the first mortal beings they called ‘humankind,’ and to help guide them the gods entrusted their care to another caste of beings known as Aho (later called ‘the children of Maui’ – because of their cunning). The relationship was symbiotic, and through the gods the Aho became lawmakers to maintain balance through impartial judgement (the first utu).

​Like the Watchers, the Aho were long-lived, but unlike them, they could not reproduce.

​The children of Tāne-mahuta were also fascinated in the steady rise of humankind, and being envious of the Aho’s special relationship to them, also tried to influence their growth.

They met fierce resistance from the gods, who deemed that any imparted knowledge was dangerous in the hands of mortals. This was the first rift between the Watchers and the gods.

​The Watchers ignored the laws of the gods, and continued to interfere in the affairs of Man. Eventually, humankind resisted the gods and began worshiping the Watchers, and the gods decided to reinstate order through a global deluge. This did not work, and only created further resentment from the Watchers, who spurned the gods attempts to purify the world. The Watchers began to delve deeper into their magic in order to obtain true power with which they could topple the gods and inherit the world. The gods were furious, but knowing they could not destroy the Watchers without causing harm to the rest of the world, they used the Aho to eliminate their fallen comrades.

​This led to the Taniwha Wars – a terrible and fierce conflict that lasted hundreds of years, and resulted in many lives lost, and forever changing the very landscape when magic was crudely drawn from the very heart of Papa-tū-ā-nuku – where mountains were toppled, mighty trees felled and rivers diverted, as divine being battled divine being.

​The Watchers sacrificed their mortal frame and embraced forbidden dark arts and the blackest magic to create a more resilient body. Such power began to change them both spiritually and physically, and the Taniwha were born from the corruption.

When they discovered the type of power they could ultimately wield, the Taniwha even lost themselves to their cause, and their affairs with humankind disappeared amidst their struggle for supremacy over the gods.

​The Aho did their utmost best, but having refused to delve into more powerful magic like their fellow caste, their attempts to restrain the Taniwha proved futile. The gods, knowing of their impossible struggle, bestowed upon the Aho powerful weapons of mana (spiritiual magic). The weapons improved their chances, but not enough to end to tide of fear that swept the world. The Aho eventually turned to mortals for help, as their numbers had increased significantly over time, and they had spread their seed far.

​This was the turning point in the dramatic battle.

​The Taniwha knew they were outnumbered. Their journey eventually led them throughout the Pacific, the last great uncharted waters, to lands deep in the South Pacific, later known to the world as New Zealand (Te Ika-A-Maui, Te Wai Pounamu and Rakiura, collectively known as Aotearoa). Here they continued their dangerous practice of earthly magic, but became unsettled with the arrival of the Māori. These renowned Polynesian seafarers soon dominated the land in numbers alone, and the Taniwha vowed to destroy the newcomers.

​The last and final war they waged became legend, and legend has its heroes.