Hakawai (Karanga manu - bird caller)

Ko te hakawai tētahi o ngā manu wairua a Rakamaomao, te atua o te hau i noho ai ki te rangi, ā, ka heke iho ki te ao i te pō. E ai ki te kōrero he pānga tōna ki te hōkioi, he manu tē kitea ināianei, ā, ko tāna tangi weriweri he kōtua e matakite ai i te pakanga. Kua whakihia e Rangi Kipa tāna karanga manu ki te hakawai, he taonga e ngaoa matarikihia mai i te rei tohorā me te tāpirihanga anga paua, ko tāna he karanga ki ngā wairua o rātou mā, ki ngā rangi hoki. Ka whakamaua hei heitiki.

A hakawai was one of the spirit birds of Rakamaomao, the god of wind, that dwelt in the heavens and only descended to earth at night. Thought to be linked to the hōkioi, an extinct prehistoric bird, the hakawai’s purportedly fearsome call was considered a bad omen foretelling war. Dedicated to this mythical creature, Rangi Kipa’s karanga manu (bird flute), intricately carved out of the traditional materials of whale tooth and pāuā shell inlay, summons spirits from the past and the heavens. As is customary, it can be worn as a pendant.

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