Not Just a House
I am writing this piece of writing to explain what a marae is and how it works.
A Marae is a very special building because it holds all the members and relatives of the Māori tribe. It also holds all the memories of the relatives who passed away. The marae is so special in many ways it also has so many secrets that a visitor might not be able to identify for example the carvings. The carvings on a marae aren't just a decoration they are part of what keep the Maori culture running and most carvings hold a special legend or story: carvings are much more than meets the eye. The carvings are carved by highly talented carvers. One small Māori carving could potentially take months to carve and a wharenui could take years to build.
There are a handful of different Māori names for each part of the house. The marae even has
special names for the roof and the rafters. Depending on its age a marae can be modern and
fancy or just casual and normal. Either way a marae can be a stunning site to visit. If you're
lucky you might even visit a marae which has a waka- ( a maori canoe) and you might even
get a ride on a waka. Even a waka could take one year or more to get it to perfection. To build a
waka you must be very talented to carve out a waka. Another rule at our local marae is when
you are in the marae you are not allowed to take any photos at all in the marae.
special names for the roof and the rafters. Depending on its age a marae can be modern and
fancy or just casual and normal. Either way a marae can be a stunning site to visit. If you're
lucky you might even visit a marae which has a waka- ( a maori canoe) and you might even
get a ride on a waka. Even a waka could take one year or more to get it to perfection. To build a
waka you must be very talented to carve out a waka. Another rule at our local marae is when
you are in the marae you are not allowed to take any photos at all in the marae.
A marae is very important because not only is it a sacred place but it is just like a book: it holds
the photos of the past relatives. The rafters and framing are just like a body of an ancestor.
There is even a head on the top of the arms on the front of the building. Another word for the
head is Koruru. It is meant to be the head of the tribe or whanau who would have passed away.
It is also a special place because when a natural disaster occurs the civilians whose houses
could have been taken down with the storm are more than welcome to go to the marae and
stay there as long as they like. So the caretakers or owners of the marae are very generous.
These are some of the reasons why a marae is a very important place.
the photos of the past relatives. The rafters and framing are just like a body of an ancestor.
There is even a head on the top of the arms on the front of the building. Another word for the
head is Koruru. It is meant to be the head of the tribe or whanau who would have passed away.
It is also a special place because when a natural disaster occurs the civilians whose houses
could have been taken down with the storm are more than welcome to go to the marae and
stay there as long as they like. So the caretakers or owners of the marae are very generous.
These are some of the reasons why a marae is a very important place.
By Charlie
Mahi nui - Great work Charlie. A descriptive, informative piece of writing about your knowledge of what a Marae represents. I love how I can continue on my learning journey with you as well, especially in preparing for our trip to the Arahura Marae. What a privilege it is to be able to share this special Taonga with you. Arohanui Robyn
ReplyDeleteTēnā koe Charlie. Well done for using your writing skills to share your learning about wharenui. I really enjoyed reading your work because it had so much good information in it for me as a reader. The diagram you created with Hamish and Luken is also really interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn your writing you need to work on reading your work carefully before you check it with me to check your sentences make sense and have correct punctuation.
Great to see you using paragraphs and correct spelling. Ka pai tō tuhituhi.