Māori, like other Polynesians, measure time by the Moon and a day is counted from sunset to sunset. The Māori lunar calendar is called Maramataka.
There are more than 40 versions of Maramataka across Aotearoa.
The Moon travels around Earth in 29.53 days – this is the period of the lunar phases, also known as the synodic month. The lunar phase or Moon phase is the shape of the directly sunlit portion of the Moon, as viewed from Earth.
The synodic month is the average period of the Moon’s orbit concerning the line joining the Sun and Earth.
The Moon’s appearance depends on the position of the Moon for the Sun as seen from the Earth.
The lunar phases gradually change over a synodic month, as the orbital positions of the Moon around Earth, and Earth around the Sun, shift. Check them out in the video below.
This 4K visualization shows the Moon’s phase and libration at hourly intervals throughout 2020, as viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. Each frame represents one hour. In addition, this visualization shows the moon’s orbit position, sub-Earth and subsolar points, and distance from the Earth at true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled, as are Apollo landing sites, maria, and other albedo features in sunlight.
The time it takes for the Moon to return to the same phase in the sky is 29.53 days. Māori have between 28 and 32 names for the phases of the Moon.
How the Māori applied Marama’s thirty nights to fit in with the proper age of the moon has not been made clear. Some Māori authorities contend that the moon disappears underground and reappears after travelling for two days underground.
Te Takitimu, by A.H. and A.W. Reed
“They say that the whiro (first night), only the reflection of the moon can be seen, and the moon does not appear until the tirea (second night). Similarly, by the thirtieth night (mutu-whenua), for the moon has then already disappeared underground.
Other authorities say that two of these nights do not count in the moon’s age; these are the huna and the omutu; for the first being denoted by a special star (the name of which, huna, means hidden). The second, omutu, is an alternative of the name mutu-whenua or vice versa, which was denoted by the respective stars.
The names omutu and mutu-whenua mean the same thing, that is, the ending of the moon’s night. Others again give different explanations, but none are satisfactory, therefore we are obliged to leave it in obscurity. The Māori, however, was very accurate in his knowledge of the state of the moon, the appearance of the stars and their situation, which acted as his guide in many voyages across the ocean.” (Te Takitimu, Reed)
European cultures can have up to 8 phases for the Moon – Full, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent, New Moon, Waxing Crescent,
First Quarter and Waxing Gibbous.
Polynesians have as many as 32, with an average of 30 – these are presented below. We added the European names for the four main phases for reference.
Maramataka is very important to Polynesians, as the Moon influences the ebbs and flows of the tides.
Ocean-faring civilisation lived their lives by the cycle of the Moon and activities, such as fishing and planting, had to be scheduled around these visible changes in the ocean. Therefore, when certain activities could best be undertaken following the cycle of the Moon.
European cultures can have up to 8 phases for the Moon – Full, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent, New Moon, Waxing Crescent,
First Quarter and Waxing Gibbous.
Polynesians have as many as 32, with an average of 30 – these are presented below. We added the European names for the four main phases for reference.
Maramataka is very important to Polynesians, as the Moon influences the ebbs and flows of the tides.
Ocean-faring civilisation lived their lives by the cycle of the Moon and activities, such as fishing and planting, had to be scheduled around these visible changes in the ocean. Therefore, when certain activities could best be undertaken following the cycle of the Moon.
1. Whiro – Bad day, the Moon is out of sight.
2. Tirea – Bad day. The New Moon determines the start of the lunar month.
3. Hoata – Good day for planting & fishing.
4. Uenuku – Good day for planting. Good night for eeling.
5. Okoro – Good day for planting. Good night for eeling.
6. Tamatea-a hotu – Bad day for planting & fishing.
7. Tamatea-a ngana – Bad day for planting & fishing.
8. Tamatea-aio – Good day for planting & fishing.
9. Tamatea-kai-ariki – Bad day for planting & fishing.
10. Huna – Bad day, everything is hidden.
11. Ari – Fairly good for planting & fishing; good night for spearing eels.
12. Maure – Fairly good for planting & fishing; good night for spearing eels..
13. Mawharu – Good day, especially for cray fishing.
14. Ohua – Good day for planting; good returns for all seeds and seedlings.
15. Turu – Fairly good for planting, the Sun sets and the Moon rises simultaneously.
16. Rakaunui – Good day for planting, but not for fishing.
17. Rakaumatohi – Fairly good day, whitebait moving.
18. Takirau – Best day of all to plant kūmara .
19. Oike – Fairly good day for planting & fishing.
20. Korekore-hahani – Bad day as everything is unattainable.
21. Korekore-whiwhia – Bad day as everything is unattainable.
22. Korekore- rawea – Bad day as everything is unattainable.
23. Korekore-piri-ki-Tangaroa – Bad day as everything is unattainable.
24. Tangaroa-a-mua – Good day for deep-sea fishing; white-bait is running.
25. Tangaroa-a-roto – Good day for deep-sea fishing; white-bait is running.
26. Otane – Good day for deep-sea fishing and night eeling.
27. Orongonui – Good day, whitebait descending when Moon is well on the wane.
28. Mauri – Good from dawn until midday.
29. Omutu – Bad day for everything.
30. Mutuwhenua – The worst day of all (Moon is dead).
Generally, Whiro was the first night of the New Moon and Mutuwhenua was the last.
The phases of the Moon above are taken from one of the many Maramataka in use across Aotearoa. Each one is similar with only slight variations on names and corresponding days of the Moon’s cycle.
From ‘Takitimu’ by A.H and A W Reed. You can find more about Maramataka here.
