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Te Kahureremoa, a MythSource painting
Polynesian

Te Kahureremoa

01Identity

Te Kahureremoa in Polynesian tradition

Te Kahureremoa is Paka's daughter in the distinct journey account collected and translated by George Grey. When her father arranges a marriage to a chief's son from Aotea, she refuses to leave with the visitors. After a later rebuke, she leaves home with her enslaved attendant and travels toward Takakopiri, whom she has chosen. She refuses another chief's proposal along the way and reaches Takakopiri's territory. In the forest, he does not know which woman is Paka's daughter until the attendant identifies her; he then welcomes Te Kahureremoa. They marry within a month, and Grey's continuation names their daughter Tuparshaki. This is a bounded retelling of one collected Māori witness, not a general account of Māori history or present-day custom.

SourcePolynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 22)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 23)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 25)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 26)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 30)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 32)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 34)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The Story of Maru-Tuahu, the Son of Hotunui, and of Kahurere-Moa, the Daughter of Paka (EPUB text block 37)

Top questions

The quick answers

02Family

Te Kahureremoa’s family, at a glance

Paka
Te Kahureremoa

with Takakopiri

Tuparshaki
03The names

The names Te Kahureremoa answers to

Kahureremoa

Kahurere-Moa

04The myths

The myths of Te Kahureremoa

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Te Kahureremoa's Journey to Takakopiri

In Grey's account, Te Kahureremoa is Paka's daughter. Her father arranges for her to marry the son of a chief from Aotea, but when the visitors return to take her with them, she refuses to board their canoe. Some time later, Paka rebukes her for taking fish from the visitors' gift. She is ashamed and leaves the house in tears. That night, she sets out with her attendant, whom Grey's account describes as enslaved, having decided to travel to Takakopiri, a chief whose territory and prosperity she knows of.

They travel through several settlements and across a river, with people recognizing Paka's daughter and raising cries as she passes. When she reaches the lower river, she boards a canoe with people travelling toward Takakopiri's territory. At Katikati, she says she has been sent to invite Takakopiri to visit Paka, using that explanation to continue without being stopped. She is welcomed and given food, then makes her way onward. The chief of the village later proposes marriage to her; she refuses and leaves with the woman accompanying her, crossing the river at night to continue toward Tauranga and Otawa.

Near Otawa, Takakopiri is in the forest hunting birds when Te Kahureremoa and her attendant arrive. They greet each other, and he presses his nose to each woman's nose, but he does not know which is Paka's daughter. When the attendant identifies her, Takakopiri hurries ahead to tell his people that Te Kahureremoa has arrived. The village gathers to welcome her, and he leads her through the crowd to his house, where a feast is held. They marry before a month has passed. The continuation of Grey's account names their daughter Tuparshaki and records the genealogy that follows.

Te Kahureremoa's Journey to Takakopiri, a MythSource painting of the scene