Dragons of Fame

Peke-Haua

Type/Species: Taniwha
Origin: New Zealand or Australia

History: Te Waro-uri, meaning "the dark pit," is a large, deep spring; its English name is Taniwha Springs. This spring fed a few rivers and stream, the one specifically concerning this Taniwha is Te Awahou Stream, flowing down to Lake Rotorua's north-western shore.²

Te Waro-uri once housed a taniwha, Pekehaua, who devoured human beings. Parties and travellers became lost because of Pekehaua, and so the people decided they had to stop him.² The people called on the hero Pitaka, for he had killed the dragon Hotu-puku and had became very popular for it.¹

Pitaka ordered a very large basket plaited with ropes to be created. After it had been made, Pitaka, the people, and some warriors of Ngati (Ngāti) Tama travelled upstream, reciting ritual chants to combat the taniwha's mana power over them.

Pitaka and a few of the warriors entered the basket and weighed it with stones. They lowered into the depths of the spring, while the others who had come with them continued to recite the chants to destroy the taniwha's powers.² As the basket went lower and lower, the people continued their chants. The spines across the taniwha's back had been angrily erect, and Peke-Haua readied to attack. But the chants began to take effect, and his spines grew soft and his eyes heavy.²

By the time the basket with the warriors within had reached the bottom, Peke-Haua lay motionless and asleep along the bottom of the spring.² Pitaka quietly placed a noose around the taniwha, then tugged at the rope to signal those on the shore.²

As the people hauled up the men and the basket, so too did the sedated Peke-Haua. When all were ashore, the taniwha was no more dangerous than a fish on the deck of a boat. The people clubbed him to death and split him open. There they found the bones of all the people he had eaten as well as garments and weapons of every variety.²

Physical Description: Like other taniwha, Peke-Haua was a huge lizard-serpent with a large, whale-like body.

1. The Dragon Stone: Oceanian Dragons: Pitaka, Taniwha Slayer
2. Orbell 104

For more information about footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.