Ko tēnei momo whiri-whā, ko te whiri i ngā whenu e whā engari ka piko haere i te korenga o te katinga o te piko i te wā e whiri whā ana. Ko te hua o te whiri, ko te whakamahi hei tōrino, ko te whakamahi rānei hei mea pōkai ki te āhua o te koru. He rawe hei raurau, hei whakapīwari harakeke rānei. He pai ake te harakeke ngohe mō tēnei whiri whā, he mea pai i te wā e whiri ana ngā whiri paku. Me whāiti ngā whenu mō ngā whiri paku.
Tīhorengia te rau harakeke kia whā ngā whenu rite, ki raro rawa ki ngā hononga. Ko te hononga te tātā o te koru. Inengia ki runga rawa o te harakeke nō te mea ki te pēnei, ka rite te whānui o ngā whenu i tōna roanga. Kutingia te hononga kia 20cm ki te 50cm pea, ki tāu e hiahia ana te roanga o te tātā
Whakamahia te taha pūhoi o te naīhi kia hāpine i te taha raro (te taha waitau) o ia whenu he āhua nui ngā wā. Ka ngohengohe, ā, ka paku kōrino. Ka hāpine kia tango te takawai mai i ngā whenu kia kore e kaha pīngongo i te maroketanga.
Puritia te whenu kia aro te taha pīata ki a koe, ā, ko te wahanga o te hononga o te rau e iri ana ki te papa. Tikina te whenu kei te taha mauī o ngā whenu e whā, ā, whakawhitingia ki te whenu kei tōna taha katau engari ko te taha pīata kei runga.
Kātahi ka tikina te whenu kei waho, kei te taha katau, ā, whakawhitingia ki raro ki te whenu kei tōna taha, ki runga i te whenu o waenga me te mea nei, ko te taha pīata tonu kei runga. Tiakina ngā whenu kia noho tika me te mea nei, kaua e tuku kia whakawhitingia i tētahi atu whenu.
Puritia ngā whenu e rua o ia taha ki ia ringa, ā, kumea ki ia taha kia whā tekau mā rima te koki kia kikī ngā whenu ki raro.
Me pērā anō engari me whakarite kia whakaatu mai te taha pīata i ngā wā katoa. I te wā e pēnei ana, me whakaoti mā te kukume i ngā whenu huirua ki ia taha ki te koki whā tekau mā rima.
Ki te kukume i ngā whenu ki ia taha, panaia te harakeke mai i roto mā te mati kia pana te whiri ki waho atu kia koropikongia. Ka koropiko mai i te tīmatanga o te whiri tuatahi.
I a koe e whiri ana ka kōrino te whiri.
Ki te whāiti haere ngā whenu herea ngā pito mā te whakakoromiko o tētahi whenu ki ērā atu whenu, ka tuia ki roto anō o te koromiko me te kukume kia kikī.
Ka pērā anō kia whita ngā whenu.
Kia whakamahi i te koru, pōkaingia te whiri ki a ia anō mai i te moka oti ki runga rawa. Pōkaingia te harakeke koromiko ki roto i a ia anō kia noho te moka tīpona ki waenganui. Takawiringia ki roto i te koru kia kikī rawa pēnā e hiahiatia ana.
Ka pōkai tonu kia tika rawa te whiri. Kia whita te koru kia kore e wete i te wā e maroke ana, tuia tētahi o ngā pito ki roto i te tātā o te koru, a, ka hoki ki waenganui.
Kupu Taka – Glossary
huirua – pair
katau – right (side)
kiki – tight
korino – curl
maui – left
pingongo – shrink
puhoi – blunt
pokai – wind (around)
raurau – foliage
takawai – moisture
takawiri – twist
tipona – knot
torino – spiral
waitau – dull
wete – unwind, unravel
whita – secure
whakapiwari harakeke – flax jewellery
There’s also an English version of these instructions.
My thanks go to the translator of this page, Wi Pohatu, Ngai Tamanuhiri / Ngati Kahungunu ki Te Wairarapa, Weaver, Member of Raranga Whatu ki Kahungunu (Napier) and Te Muriwai Weavers (Muriwai, Gisborne), presently Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Ara Hou (Napier).
Any mistakes are ones I’ve made in transcribing the translation into HTML.
© Ali Brown 2020