Te whiri-whā kōpiko
27 May 2020Click here to visit an upgraded version of this blog post on my new website at alibrown.nz.
Following on from the first page translated into te reo Māori on my website, Ko te raranga i te putiputi, I’m pleased to say that there is now a second page of online instructions in te reo Māori. These instructions are for weaving a curved plait, which is suitable to make a koru, spiral and jewellery. The instructions for te whiri-whā kōpiko in te reo Maori are here.
After writing about my hope to have my website translated into te reo Māori in the magazine of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, I was contacted by Wi Pohatu who offered to assist with the task. Wi (Ngai Tāmanuhiri / Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairarapa) is a weaver, a member of Raranga Whatu ki Kahungunu (Napier) and Te Muriwai Weavers (Muriwai, Gisborne) and is presently Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou (Napier). I was delighted to receive his very generous offer and this page is the first of the ones he has translated.
Wi also suggested adding a glossary to the translated pages, which is a great idea and I’ve added the glossary he provided at the bottom of the page. I find it very helpful and even if I’m not at the stage with my own te reo Māori to be able to fully read the translated page, I enjoy learning more weaving words in te reo Māori. For those of you who are also learning te reo Māori, I do hope you find these on-line flax weaving instructions in te reo Māori a useful resource and I’d appreciate any suggestions or feedback.
© Alison Marion Brown 2020.
January 10th, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Compliments of the season Ali.
My name is Emma Witika and I would like to purchase 2 sets x 4 in set of your books @ $169.00 I will send $338.00 and to 1 address as it would be easier for both myself and my friend to have our set. I will follow Paypal as per instructions. Thank you. Can you tell me more about how I can get a supply of dye please. Can you please cc: emma.witika@gmail.com
January 12th, 2021 at 5:49 pm
Kia ora Emma, thanks for the order for 2 sets of my books. They were sent to you today as per my email to you. I do hope you and your friend enjoy them. As for dyes, check out my web page on Dyeing flax which gives you suppliers contact details.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:53 pm
Hi Ali, What is the name of a horizontal harakeke weave that goes over 2 and under 1. I have made a wooden sculpture some years ago and was told by our matua that particular weave was used on waka sails because it would not let the wind pass through it.
I have forgotten the name he told me.
Any help would be much appreciated. I’m happy to email picture if needed.
Peter
July 17th, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Kia ora Peter, can you send a picture please? That would help identification.
July 23rd, 2021 at 6:35 pm
Kia ora Peter, I asked about the weave on a Facebook weaving group page and heard back from Mandy Sunlight who is part of a group of weavers, Te Rā Ringa Raupā, who have done extensive work on the weaving of a sail and are weaving a replica sail based on the one in the British Museum, which is the only known Māori sail in existence. She says that the one in the British Museum is woven over one and under one, with holes zigzagging the length for wind diffusion.
I haven’t discovered any information about the two over, one over weave being connected to a sail and it appears from the research from the Te Rā Ringa Raupā group that sails do require some amount of wind diffusion.
I have looked briefly through the book Raranga Whakairo by Mick Pendergrast for a name for the two over, one over weave and have found the name Mahitihiti for a weave which is referred to as “one-two, two-one” in the book but this name is used as a descriptive term when a pattern is changing from a vertical twill to a horizontal twill and vice versa so I don’t think it’s applicable to the name for a sail weave. That information can be found on page pattern 23 in that book.
Hope this is of some use, even though I haven’t found a name for you.