Kupe and the Giant Wheke – School Journal Level 2 May 2020

This traditional tale features in the oral traditions of many iwi. It tells of how Kupe discovered Aotearoa while pursuing a giant wheke (octopus) across the Pacific. As he chased the creature around Aotearoa, Kupe explored the new land and named many places.

Keywords: Aotearoa, courage, creature, culture, discovery, exploration, Hawaiki, Hine-Te-Aparangi, history, journey, Kupe, legend, Māori, MASAM, monster, Muturangi, navigation, octopus, place name, story, storytelling, tale, traditional story, Te Wheke, waka, wheke, myths and legends, myth