Matariki: The teenage stars that signal the start of Maori New Year

Are you always fascinated with the night sky? Is it because of the pole star, the shooting star or the sheer hope of noticing a passing meteor? Well, whatever it may be, the celestial world is often full of wonders. And one among them is Matariki, the cluster of stars, often nicknamed as the “teenage” stars perhaps because they are younger than most other star clusters in our galaxy. This cluster of stars are so bright that they do not need a telescope, and can be viewed with naked human eyes. In fact, it is pretty close to the earth, and is often considered as one of the nearest star clusters. Here’s one interesting fact for you: The Matariki constellation tells the Maori tribe of New Zealand that their New Year has begun! Read on to know more. 

Matariki Stars and the Maori legends 
Supposing you have no clue whatsoever, the Maori is the native tribe of Aotearoa that we now know as New Zealand, more specifically the south western coast. Interestingly, the Matariki stars are visible to the Maori people all round the year except for a brief duration in late spring when the star cluster is hidden behind the Sun. Now, when the Matariki stars reappear in late May or early June, it signals the start of the Maori New Year. And this is exactly from where the legends surrounding the Matariki stars emerge. 

Turns out, Maoris recognise the star clusters as “Matariki and the six sisters.” Here, Matariki is a ‘whaea’ or the mother and the others are her daughters. Together, they move across the sky annually to visit their ‘tupuna wahine’ or grandmother who is named Papatuanuku (Mother Earth), almost like Goddess Durga visits her natal home with her four children.  

Now, as per Maori beliefs, when the six sisters visit their grandmother who is Mother Earth herself, they help her get ready for a brand-new year. The first star named Tupu-a-nuku helps to grow the plants, while Tupu-a-rangi sings to bring joy. Waipunarangi, in turn, goes to the sea to ensure that everyone has enough fish to eat and water to drink for the rest of the year. Then there are the twins, Waiti and Waita who teach the art of team-building to one and all. The youngest sister Ururangi is responsible for bringing positivity and hope, in order to help their grandmother, embrace the new year. Can you guess what Matariki does? She looks over her daughters and lends them an extra pair of hands as and when they need. That’s how the Maoris connect the Matariki Stars with the onset of a brand-new year. 

However, according to a less popular myth, the Maoris believe that this star cluster is their goddess of creation who protects them from the evil god of wind Tawhirimatea and his seven eyes. Turns out, Tawhirimatea discovered that his parents Ranginui and Papatuanuku got separated and out of anger tore out his eyes and threw them into the sky, that turned into Matariki or the seven stars.  

Furthermore, it is also believed that the Matariki stars help them predict the weather as well as the harvest. You will be surprised to know that since ages, the Maori people have also used the star cluster to navigate across the Pacific.  

Matariki Stars at a glance 
Matariki is actually a constellation with 500 stars, however, only 7 or 9 can be seen without a telescope. They are blue in colour and are some of the warmest stars in the universe, both hotter and larger than the Sun. They appear in the north-eastern part of the sky and are best viewed right after sunset or before sunrise. Although it is one of the closest star clusters to the Earth, Matariki is still 440 light years away.  

The nine prominent Matariki stars include: Matariki (symbolises togetherness and well-being of people), Tupu-a-nuku (symbolises good harvest), Tupu-a-rangi (symbolises abundance), Ururangi (associated with wind), Waiti and Waita (symbolises food sources), Waipunarangi (symbolises rain), Pohutukawa (symbolises afterlife), and Hiwa-t-te-rangi (symbolises fulfilment of dreams, wishes and aspirations).  

You may not be aware, but the Matariki stars have more than one nicknames. For instance, in Greece it is known by the name Pleiades meaning “seven sisters”, while in Japan people call it Subaru that translates to “gathered together.” The Chinese in turn identify it as Mao while those in Hawaii know it as Makali’i meaning “eyes of royalty.”  But its most popular name, aka, Matariki is derived from the Maori culture.