The Seven Stars Of Matariki

When he sees his brothers bewitched by seven beautiful women, the adventurous young Mītai must step in. The Seven Stars of Matariki is a contemporary myth of love, magic and adventure that celebrates Matariki and tells how the star cluster came into being.

It is a special time of year. A time when the whispering wind blows warm from the east, and a crescent moon rises in the wintry night sky. Seven little sisters make kites with eyes of seashells to celebrate the New Year. But that playfulwind whips those kites away... Matariki is here!

Behind dusty orange hills, where the sky stretches down to the sea, theres a magical, wild, windy place called Te Mata Hapuku. Sam and Te Rerehua love to visit their Grandma and Poua at Te Mata Hapuku (aka Birdlings Flat). They like to collect agate from the stories, with a backdrop of whipping wind, flashing torchlight, and the splash of Pouas gaff in the water. But one night, Grandma notices something mysterious. Someone has stolen some stars from the sky. And then the patupaiarehe come out to play on the beach... Can Sam and Te Rerehua rescue the Matariki stars?

In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing interest in Māori astronomy. Still, there remain some unanswered questions about how Matariki was traditionally observed. These include: What is Matariki? Why did Māori observe Matariki? How did Māori traditionally celebrate Matariki? When and how should Matariki be celebrated? Based on research and interviews with Māori experts, this book seeks answers to these questions and explores what Matariki was in a traditional sense so it can be understood and celebrated in our modern society.

The seven sisters of the Pleiades are known throughout the world and appear again and again in stories from many cultures. Beginning with her grandmother's tale, Munya Andrews takes the reader to the stars, around and across the planet through Indigenous North America, Australia, Japan and the Pacific, and back through time to Ancient Egypt, India, Greece and South America. She explores the commonalities of legends to discover our common human origins. The Subaru from Japan share much with the young women depicted as birds in the stories from Greece and Indigenous Australia. The Pleiades have been the source of much mythology, wisdom and science over many millennia. The book is also an examination of culture and how culture is expressed through symbols and stories related to stars and other astronomical phenomena. Her work is distinguished from other studies in the field because she brings to it an Indigenous perspective which enriches its interpretative power. No other writer has captured the richness of this mysterious constellation.

There is a bright new star in the winter sky-Puanga, cousin to the Matariki sisters. Each year, she appears to the people of Aotearoa, a special sign for those unable to see Matariki, that winter and the Maori new year are coming. A new addition to Scholastic's popular Matariki range, this time introducing readers to the Puanga star, which is celebrated for Maori New Year and the coming of winter in place of Matariki along parts of the West Coast of New Zealand.

Scoop and Scribe are two young reporters who search for the secret of Matariki. This search takes them around the country as a mystical kaumatua takes them to find the seven stars of Matariki. They travel to Northland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier, Wanganui, Ohakea and down through the Southern Alps to Queenstown. In doing so they save the seven stars of Matariki and put them back where they belong. A lively, modern take on an ancient legend. Excellent Maori vocabulary is woven throughout the story.

What star is that? Where is the Southern Cross? Who was Orion? A Walk Through the Southern Sky is a beautiful guide to pathways in the night sky which answers these questions and many more. Its unique simplified maps make it easy to find by eye the constellations and stars within them. Clear instructions guide the user on how to gauge sizes and distances, and how to move easily between constellations. Ancient myths and legends of the sky, thousands of years old, are retold to add to the mystery of the stars. Written with the complete beginner in mind, this book introduces the patterns of the starry skies in a memorable way. No equipment is needed to use this practical guide: apart from normal sight and clear skies. Magically illustrated by Wil Tirion, this is an ideal introduction to launch the young astronomer on a journey across the starlit skies.