He ahakoa i roto i ngā tau kua kīa ētehi he wahine wetiweti a Kurungaituku.
Ki roto o Te Arawaka ara ake te tuarua o ōna ingoa ko Hineingoingo. Kai tēnei kōrero, he tūrehu, he tahurangi tēnei wahine e rua e rua. Ko te mea nei ehara i tēnei ao a Hineingoingo nā te mea nō tātou te kōrero ka toa ahau ki te kōrero atu. Nāna te mātauranga ki te whatu me te raranga e heke iho ai ki a Ngai Te Arawa, nā tēnei āhuatanga ka tapangia ko Kurungaituku.
Kai ngā whenua o Atiamuri te ana o tēnei wahine, ko Uruwhenua te ingoa.
Kai kōnei ka kitea te huhua o ngā kahu rangatira me ōna hoa o te ngāhere, ko ngā manu, ko ngā ngarara e hoa ko ngā kararehe katoa o te taiao.
He wahine hūmarie ngākau whakaiti, i aroha nuitia e ōna tangata. Ko Hatupatu he toa whawhai, he tangata pakiki, nāna i ngaki te weranga o Te Arawa waka i a Raumati, ko Hatupatu te whakapakanga a ōna matua a Tamateahirau me Hinekarika. Kāti - e mahi manu ana i tatū ai a Hatupatu ki ēnei whenua ki Horohoro, ki Atiamuri, nōna e whara ana i te urunga o te nehenehe ka tūpono kau a Kurungaituku ki a ia.
Ka ātawhaitia, ka manaakitia kia ora anō te tangata. Nā wai rā ka mate tāne atu a Kurungaituku ki a Hatupatu.
Nō te wā a Kurungaituku e kohi kai ana i te nehenehe, ka tae mai te hiakai o te puku ki a Hatupatu. Ka tahuri ia ki te hahau i ngā mōkai a Kurungaituku, ka tāona, ka kainga, ā, ka ngaro noa atu ngā tupapaku ki tōna kiripuku.
E warea ana ki te manea o te kai kātahi ia ka māhara ki te hara ōna.
The track to Hatupatu's rock in Atiamuri. Photo / Supplied
Mātika ka tu ka whēnakohia ētehi o ngā kakahu, ka pūrere ia. Ko te Riroriro tētehi o ngā manu i motu i te koromāhanga - rokohanga atu a Kurungaituku e apo hua nehenehe ana. Kāti – ka kawe kōrero a Te Riroriro ki a Kurungaituku, ka whāia ngā takahanga waewae o Hatupatu ka tae mai ki te kōwhatu nei, takitakina ai e Hatupatu he karakia kia pūare ai te kōwhatu hai wāhi huna mōna. Ka hāmama te waha, "Te kōwhatu nei e Mātatī, Mātatā".
Nā te kaha o te karakia ka wāhia mai tētehi pūare rikiriki kia kuhu ai ia ka ora i te haumarutanga o te kōwhatu.
Ka iti pea, ka roa rānei e huna ana ka puta tō tātou tangata i te kōwhatu, pārahutihuti kau ōna waewae. Ka whāia haeretia ki ngā waiariki o te takere waka he tauhou a Kurungaituku ki ngā whenua i hē ai tana takahanga waewae, ka whara, ka wera i te ngāwhā paruparu ka hemo i Whangapipiro.
Ka tapangia tēnei haerenga ko te hautututanga o Hatupatu. Kai te kitea tonutia a Kurungaituku me Hatupatu i ngā whakairo huhua o Te Arawa, he poupou wētehi, he tatau tētehi, ā, he waharoa hoki tētehi kai Te Hemo-o-Kuiwai e tū ana.
Ko te mea kē kai te ora tonu te wairua o tēnei wahine mōhio ki te raranga. Ka rua, tirohia ngā maikuku o āna uri e mōhio ai koe ko ngā uri a Kurungaituku ēnei wahine.
Hai tā te paepae, me i kāua te tinihangatanga a Hatupatu kua kūare tonu a Te Arawa ki te raranga me te whatu.
One story that is still widely circulated amongst the Arawa people and those of Ngāti Whāita is that of Hatupatu and Kurungaituku.
For a very long time it has been said that Kurungaituku was an unattractive, almost goblin like being.
Little do many people know that Kurungaituku was also known as Hineingoingo. Hineingoingo the pale skinned being, Hineingoingo the mythical being of human form.
The rock where Hatupatu hid. Photo / Supplied
Not of this world and possessed with great skill and knowledge.
It is through this talented woman that the art of finger weaving and weaving become a part of the Arawa culture in acknowledgement of this extraordinary talent she was named Kurungaituku. Upon the lands of Atiamuri sits here private cave named Uruwhenua.
Here were seen the many types of cloaks and garments of the old Māori, here also flittered the many birds and insects of the forest. Kurungaituku was a humble woman who was greatly loved by her people.
Hatupatu was a great warrior, an inquisitive person who avenged the burning of Te Arawa waka destroyed by chief Raumati. Hatupatu, the youngest son of Tamateahirau and Hinekarika.
Whilst out on a hunting expedition upon the Atiamuri lands, Hatupatu was injured and eventually discovered by Kurungaituku.
She cared for Hatupatu and restored him to health and eventually feel in love with him.
Whilst Kurungaituku was out one day searching for food , Hatupatu could not control his deep hunger – immediately he turned on the birds that were in the cave, killing them and then feasting upon them.
Though his hunger was now satisfied, he became aware of his crime, immediately
Hatupatu gathered as many cloaks as he could carry before the return of Kurungaituku.
The tiny Riroriro bird was one fortunate survivor who after a journey found Kurungaituku and promptly told her what had happened. Kurungaituku was fast on the trail of Hatupatu who near exhausted sought sanctuary within this very rock – here he chanted, " E te kōwhatu e mātatī, mātatā" – Oh proud rock open up and let me in!
Due to the strength of his karakia the rock opened and Hatupatu was able to climb in side his sanctuary. Finding safety within the belly of the rock it was now only a matter time where he would need to gauge when to break out of his hiding place and continue with his escape.
Eventually he left the rock and bolted for the geothermal fields of Rotorua, turning only to find Kurungaituku had again taken up the hunt. It was not long before Hatupatu found himself safely amongst the fields of hotsprings and boiling mudpool.
The rock where Hatupatu hid. Photo / Supplied
Thanks to his knowledge of the area he managed to evade capture but also lured Kurungaituku to an area that would end with her death. Not knowing the territory made her clumsy and into the belly of Whangapipiro she fell.
Today Kurungaituku and Hatupatu can still be seen throughout the many carvings that stand within the region a tribute to the origin of weaving for it is said by the elders of the tribe, had it not been for the actions of Hatupatu the art of weaving may have evaded the Arawa tribe.
