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But the old Maoris say that they still inhabit certain of the lofty forest-clad mountains of Aotearoa--a…

Date of account
Published 1907
Source
Te Tohunga: The ancient legends and traditions of the Maoris
Reference
Te Tohunga: The ancient legends and traditions of the Maoris · selected passage 16
Rights
public_domain
Language
English
Record updated
2026-08-25

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Record summary

But the old Maoris say that they still inhabit certain of the lofty forest-clad mountains of Aotearoa--a numerous people, some of them tiny gnomes and elves and pixies, some of them in the presentment of men and women of this world but smaller and exquisitely-shaped and with fair hair and fair skins just like Europeans

Published source text

Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.

Source passage

Source text · mention only

But the old Maoris say that they still inhabit certain of the lofty forest-clad mountains of Aotearoa--a numerous people, some of them tiny gnomes and elves and pixies, some of them in the presentment of men and women of this world but smaller and exquisitely-shaped and with fair hair and fair skins just like Europeans. They are known to the Maoris by several names: Turehu, Tahurangi, Maero, and Patu-paiarehe; but their common designation is Patu-paiarehe. They are a bright, cheerful race, and take great pleasure in music. They are skilled in charms and the art of enchantment, and many a strange adventure has happened to the Maori who has had the temerity to venture into their haunts.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

This material belongs to a folklore tradition. Story type, collector, community, transmission and literary editing matter when comparing it with other sources.

Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

Lattice compares motifs and reported features without assuming that a traditional being is a biological species or that similar stories document one external cause.

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