A White Heron Whose Flight Is Seen Only Once (He Kotuku Rerenga Tahi)
One day I was driving with the children near the swamps of Meeanee. To my joy and amazement I saw a white heron settle in a nearby field. I stopped the car for the benefit of the children and said “He kotuku, titiro!” This was because I remembered the proverb handed down by our ancestors; “He kotuku rerenga tahi” – “A white heron whose flight is seen only once”. I had known my kaumatua to honor a distinguished visitor by comparing his visit to that of a white heron as someone with dignity came only rarely as the heron was seen to fly.
The heron’s plumes were treasured by people of mana. When a man dreamt he saw the heads of his ancestors adorned with plumes, it was a sign his woman was to have a baby. If the feathers were those of the huia then a baby girl was to be born but if the feathers were of the kotuku, the child would be a boy of noble birth. When Christ was born he was a direct descendant of King David. The same David who composed the waiata (psalms) recorded in the Old Testament.
Because herons stand motionless in the water as they wait for their prey a proverb spoke of “He kotuku kai whakaata” “a white heron that feeds upon its reflection”. The bird has a beautiful reflection to gaze upon and so it was felt this beautiful sight was a compensation for the heron’s long, patient wait. The birds are also regarded as the children of Tane (God of forest and birds) as they are playful and inquisitive. Like other indigenous peoples, Maori associate birds in many contexts with the world of the spirits. With their power of flight, birds have a freedom and surprise of movement similar to that possessed by supernatural beings such as guardians or messengers.
In their homes above, close to the sky (Te Rangi) which is tapu and sacred, being high and unreachable, their songs are sweet, spontaneous and beautiful just as we could expect someone to sing a waiata intuitively from the depths of their heart. When we see birds in town they tend to be as cautious of humans as they are of cats and dogs. But in bird sanctuaries such as Kapiti Island, they are friendly, unafraid and will come right up to your feet or settle on your shoulder. Many of our ancestors had birds as pets and they could be trained to be messengers of joy long before there were cars, trains or planes.
Old story about birds
An old story by Mohi Ruatapu of Ngati Porou tells of a woman expecting a child and who kept as pets a kotuku and huia. In due course she had a son but by then her husband had returned to his own land. Some years later the boy sets out to find his father. He succeeds in this but since it wouldn’t be ethical to simply announce his identity he employs the language of symbolism.
In the forest he captures a kotuku and a huia, puts them in a supplejack cage and teaches them to talk. That night in the house with the fire gone out, the huia speaks of darkness but the kotuku proclaims the presence of light. The father wakes sees the birds and realizes at once the boy is his son. Because the kotuku is a tapu bird associated with light and with males of noble birth it can appropriately be said to belong to the heavens.
My kaumatua believed the hau (breath of the divine spirit) present in birds is the same hau present in people. Te wana (radiant splendour) revealed to what extent people’s faces reflected qualities of humility, integrity and character. We celebrate the noble birth of baby Jesus only once a year. So let’s remember this coming Christmas, like the heron’s rare flight, Jesus conveys to us the spirit of joy to be cherished by us just as whanau hold a new born baby with heart-felt love and devotion.
Te Rangi Marie!
– Roger McNeill
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