The Lore of the Whare-Wānanga
Also known as: The Lore of the Whare Wananga, Whare-wānanga Traditions
A Māori compendium of sacred teachings from the whare wānanga, containing cosmogony, genealogies, and mythic traditions as transmitted by tohunga.
Description
The Lore of the Whare-Wānanga is a two-volume record of Māori sacred knowledge, preserved orally for centuries within elite whare wānanga (houses of learning). Compiled by H. T. Whatahoro Jury from the teachings of Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohuhu in the 19th century, it was later translated and published by S. Percy Smith. The work presents a vast cosmogony, genealogical recitations, accounts of the gods, the creation of the world, and traditional histories of tribes. It blends mythic, ritual, and philosophical dimensions, providing one of the most detailed Māori records of pre-contact cosmology and theology.
Historiography
The text is rooted in oral recitations of Māori tohunga, notably Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohuhu. Whatahoro Jury recorded these teachings between the 1860s–1870s. S. Percy Smith published an English translation in 1913–1915, though later scholarship has debated Smith’s editorial interventions and the accuracy of his renderings. Despite concerns, it remains a major source for Māori cosmological traditions and has been revisited by Māori scholars in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Date Notes
Teachings preserved orally in whare wānanga; recorded in writing by H. T. Whatahoro Jury under the guidance of Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohuhu, later translated and edited by S. Percy Smith.
Major Characters
- Io
- Rangi
- Papatūānuku
- Tāne
- Tāwhirimātea
- Tangaroa
- Tūmatauenga
Myths
- Io and the Pre-Existence
- The Separation of Rangi and Papa
- The Deeds of Māui
- Genealogies from the Gods to Humanity
- Migrations from Hawaiki
Facts
- Recorded from oral recitations by Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohuhu.
- H. T. Whatahoro Jury acted as scribe for the teachings.
- Translated and published by S. Percy Smith between 1913–1915.
- Consists of two volumes covering cosmogony and genealogies.
- Details the role of Io, a supreme being in some Māori traditions.
- Provides extensive genealogies linking gods, humans, and natural phenomena.
- Preserves accounts of the separation of Sky Father and Earth Mother.
- Includes mythic narratives about Tāne, Māui, and Hine-nui-te-pō.
- Contains ritual and philosophical discourse alongside myths.
- Its translation has been debated for accuracy and interpretation.