The Ponaturi
Māori tradition tells of goblin-like beings who live under the sea by day and come ashore at night. The rising sun destroys them.
What was reported
The ponaturi are beings of Māori tradition who live beneath the sea, in a land under the water, coming up onto the shore after dark to sleep in a great house. They're said to have red skin, long claws and fingers, and to glow faintly.
In the story of the hero Tāwhaki, the ponaturi had killed his father. Tāwhaki and his brother hid in their house, blocked up the windows so the ponaturi didn't know dawn had come, then threw open the door. The sunlight destroyed them.
Explanations offered
The ponaturi belong to Māori oral tradition, and their story is part of the cycle of Tāwhaki's adventures. Like other night beings in folklore, they show the danger of the dark and the safety of daylight.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- As told across New Zealand
- Witnesses
- Māori tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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