Wanderlust: New Zealand

Which country does each of these pictures represent? What do you know about them? It's time for you to know more about the Anglophone World, but let's do it while having fun. Are you ready? Click on the image and start discovering new cultures.

The English language is spoken in a vast number of territories, not only in the UK and the US.

However, very little is normally taught about the other English speaking countries. Luckily you will be able to explore this fascinating blog which brings you closer to traditions, monuments and history from other parts of the English speaking world.

Of course, this is a resource from which you can benefit, but we are sure we can learn many things from you too. So feel free to comment on the posts, as well as to share any related material.

Let's get it started!

Firstly, what is Aotearoa? This is the land of the Maori, that is, New Zealand. The Maori are indigenous Polynesian people who have their own language, a rich mythology and a prominent warrior culture. The haka, which has become famous due to the All Blacks performances, is one of the traditions that show the Maori fighting spirit. It was originally performed by warriors before a battle so as to intimidate the adversary, would you be scared?

The rituals, beliefs, and the world view of Maori society were ultimately based on an elaborate mythology that had been inherited from a Polynesian homeland and adapted in Aotearoa. The origin of the Gods and the first human beings is explained in their legends, as in many other cultures. Natural phenomena also play an important role in these stories.

Here you can read one of the Maori myths:
"Te Orokotīmatanga o te Ao", which means The Beginning of the Universe.

Doesn't it sound appealing to you? Then scroll down and you'll be surprised by the format of this story.

Introduction

Io, the acme, lived in universal space. The universe was in darkness. Day was not, nor moon, nor light. Darkness alone was. All was water. This was Wainuiatea-The Great Expanse of Ocean. All things passed through this embryonic form from the realm of the Infinite Void, to the Void where nothing is attained, then to the Void where nothing is possessed. All things passed through Aeons of Darkness, via the Great Nights at first, then via the Long Nights. Everything began with the Nothingness which lead to The Profound Darkness then to the Search. That lead to the Pursuit, to the Discovery, to the Conception, to the Maturation. There was the time of the Rudimentary Energy. That was before arriving at The Subconscious, to the Intelligence, then the time of The Yearning, of the Knowledge. There was the age of the Form, the Readiness, the Acquisition, the Contentment. There was Life. Then at long last, the era of Space came. From that space, earth and sky were formed, Earth Mother (Papatuanuku) and Sky Father (Ranging). This is the male/female line of ancestry as descended from the Star. It was during a long period of light, that the characteristics of fury, anger and aggravation were imbued into the male form. It was during a long period of darkness, that the characteristics of love, tears and peace were imbued into the female form.