Ngā Hau e Whā

Say it: NGAH how eh FAH

The wind children of Tāwhirimātea, each with a different temper — the fierce squall, the whirling gust, the steady quarter breeze. Together they are why the sky never stays still for long.

Te Kāwai (Line of descent)

Te Kore → Te Pō → Papatūānuku → Tāwhirimātea → Ngā Hau e Whā

Te Kōrero (the story)

When Tāwhirimātea raged against his brothers for separating Ranginui and Papatūānuku, he did not do it alone — he fathered a whole family of winds to carry his anger into every corner of the land. Apū-hau came as the fierce squall, Apū-mātangi as the whirling gust that turns washing inside out, and others took their place at each of the four quarters, mild or savage depending on where they blow from. Between them they cover the whole sky, so that no direction is ever truly calm. Farmers learn to read which one is speaking before they plan a day, and fishers before they launch a boat. Ngā Hau e Whā are not one mind but many siblings, each honest about their own temper.

Te Whakapapa (the genealogy)

Children of Tāwhirimātea, grandchildren of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, sent out to the four quarters of the sky to carry their father's changing moods.

Ngā Mana (domains and influence)

The four quarters of the windSqualls, gusts and whirlwindsWeather that overturns a planThe changeable temper of the sky

Kei Kōnei Rātou (they are present here)

A southerly arriving cold and sudden after a still morning.
Washing snatched clean off the line.
A door banging somewhere in the house for no clear reason.
The particular gust that makes you turn your collar up before you've noticed the sky change.

Ngā Huarahi Hono (ways to connect)

Planning a day outdoors

Check which quarter the wind is coming from before you commit, and name it out loud.

A sudden gust catches you off guard

Laugh rather than curse — it is one of many siblings having its say, not a personal insult.

Hanging washing or securing something loose outside

Do it properly the first time. Ngā Hau e Whā do not warn twice.

A Common Misunderstanding

This profile holds one telling of Ngā Hau e Whā. Pūrākau and whakapapa can differ between iwi and whānau, so it should not be read as the only account.

Ngā Uara (values)

Changeable

A quality carried in the kōrero of Ngā Hau e Whā.

Many-tempered

A quality carried in the kōrero of Ngā Hau e Whā.

Restless

A quality carried in the kōrero of Ngā Hau e Whā.

Honest about mood

A quality carried in the kōrero of Ngā Hau e Whā.

Ngā Pūrākau (the traditional stories)

Told in full, the way they would be shared out loud. Versions differ between iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe) and whānau (family).

Ngā tamariki a Tāwhirimātea — the children of the wind

After the separation, Tāwhirimātea sent his children out to every quarter of the sky.

About 2 min read