Mānawatia a Matariki! Happy Matariki to all! Stories are a significant part of life. Myths are a kind of story, one that tells the story of the origins and beginnings of a world, of the first people, and the beliefs that shape who we are. Witi Ihimaera’s Navigating the Stars is a collection of Māori myths that plot our histories and provide lessons across a wide range of subjects, such as histories and battles, the universe and creation, knowledge and skills, religion, philosophy, bravery, and so on. Venture forth in this tome and immerse yourself in the sacred tales of Māori ancestors and the pioneers who travelled the Pacific Ocean to find home in Aotearoa.

From master storyteller Witi Ihimaera, a spellbinding and provocative retelling of traditional Māori myths for the twenty-first century. In this milestone volume, Ihimaera traces the history of the Māori people through their creation myths. He follows Tawhaki up the vines into the firmament, Hine-titama down into the land of the dead, Maui to the ends of the earth, and the giants and turehu who sailed across the ocean to our shores. From Hawaiki to Aotearoa, the ancient navigators brought their myths, while looking to the stars — bright with gods, ancestors and stories — to guide the way. ‘Step through the gateway now to stories that are as relevant today as they ever were.’

In the introduction, The Children of Men, there are many statements about myths: “myths commemorate our ancestors and origins…myths celebrate our heroes and inspire and unite us…myths are told and retold, passed on through generations…myths enforce out connections, and identify where we belong…myths both enlighten and educate…myths give us shape and tell us who we are.” I have grabbed a handful of them to show you, but the sentiment carried across transcends culutres. Myths and stories are some of the most integral parts of a culture, for they knit everything and everyone together. They are the driving force of a community, for they unite generations through kōrero, and instill a practice of the old teaching the young. As Witi says, “Ko ngā kōrero kei a au” – I have the stories. Let him share them with you.

Another thing I want to point out is that through the culture and practice of oral histories and storytelling, these myths would generally be told slightly differently. Māori did not have a written language until the Pākehā (British) arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, and even then the first Māori myths recorded were by Pākehā men like Elsdon Best and Sir George Grey. These men, in the pursuit of collecting this information, would make changes to appeal to the European form of storytelling, with the writer’s background and beliefs (religious, romantic, philosophical, etc.) ingrained in the work. Those myth retellings therefore changed not just stylistically, but intrinsically, to fit into the European world rather than sit in the Māori world in which the connections and relevance lived. Another itiration of the term “Ko ngā kōrero kei a au” which Witi emphasises is that he does not know everything, but these are the stories he knows. Witi makes the point of addressing the fact that the word ‘myth’ more of a gateway word than a direct translation of the Māori word ‘pūrākau’ which encompasses a deeper understanding of the word. So, as is to be expected, these myths are a version of the tales and not the first itiration of such stories.

If you are interested in learning more about Māori pūrākau and the epic sagas that make up the history of Māori, then I highly encourage you to pick up Navigating the Stars and taking the time to read through the myths included. They are beautiful, engrossing, entertaining, and informative, for there are also notes on a non-fiction context as to the variations between retellings available. From fantasy readers to non-fiction historians and academics, there is something for everyone in Witi Ihimaera’s Navigating the Stars.