Meteors in the Maori Astronomical Traditions of New Zealand

Abstract

We review the literature for perceptions of meteors in the Maori cultures of New Zealand. We examine representations of meteors in religion, story, and ceremony. We find that meteors are sometimes personified as gods or children, or are seen as omens of death and destruction. The stories we found highlight the broad perception of meteors found throughout the Maori culture and demonstrate that some early scholars conflated the terms comet and meteor.