For the next 9 weeks most of Room 1 will be playing Ki o Rahi, a game based on the legend of Rahitutakahina and Tiarakurapakewai. The legend went like this;
Subsequent to the abduction of Ti Ara, Rahi constructed an immense kite which they called Manu Tangata and used it to fly to where Ti Ara had been taken. He had prepared several Ki (flax bags) filled with moa eggs to eat if he ever felt hungry. After Ti Ara’s abductors became aware of Rahi’s impending presence, their priest cast several spells to try and throw Rahi off. Just as this happened a giant eagle, Namu, perched atop of a nearby rock and trickled water down Rahi’s face. Abruptly a colossal, charging lizard lunged toward Rahi and Namu. It thrashed the surrounding area so excessively, a deep canyon was produced and was brimming with fresh spring water. The lizard mutated into an extensive taniwha (water lizard) called Utami.
As a result of the persistence of the taniwha, Rahi had found himself deserted on a minuscule island that had been formed from the uprooting of stones and sand. Namu was still seated on the rock, but was so frigid he was in danger of freezing to death. With the last of his strength, Rahi heaved Namu up onto his shoulders and gradually started trudging through the moist marshland in search for the shore and safety. With the taniwha still thrashing it’s head in rage, Rahi and Namu were on the verge of reaching the shore, however their escape was interrupted as razor sharp teeth went flying in Rahi’s direction.
Fortunately dodging the taniwha teeth, Rahi looked back to see the cataclysmic brute plummeting almost instantaneously with its head skewed to the side in a sharp snap. The remains of the lifeless taniwha submerged into the irrigated water. With the nonchalant sun eventually rising, Namus body heat and stamina had returned to normal. The behemoth eagle had regained enough strength to carry Rahi back to his tribe who were desperately searching for him. Collectively, Rahi, Namu and his tribe headed towards the mountains to save Ti Ara.
After reaching the entrance to the cave in which Ti Ara had been kept hostage, Rahi’s tribe continued to hurl antagonistic threats towards Ti Ara’s abductors for what felt like decades. Eventually the members of the tribe drove the abductors out of the cave by using several large boulders to intercept the thermal steam vents which induced the interior of the cave to exacerbate the heat inside the cave. Eventually it got too humid for anyone that was currently occupying the cave (including Ti Ara) to stay in. Once the conflicting tribe and Ti Ara withdrew from the cave, it was finally safe for Ti Ara and Rahi’s tribe to return home.
To play Ki o Rahi, two teams are required with 7 members in each. The layout of the field should look somewhat like two concentric outer circles and an inner with pous surrounding the exterior of the outermost circle. In the very centre of the interior circle sits a tupu (or a wheelie bin) with two guardians defending it from the opposition. The game runs for 4 quarters or 2 halves of a set time. Before starting the game the team captains need to play a single round of paper scissors rock to determine which team starts as taniwha or kioma.
Kioma score by touching the pous and hitting the Ki into Pawero (the very middle circle surrounding the tupu) whilst also defending the tupu from Taniwha who score by getting a direct hit into the tupu. Depending on the gender of the scorer, Kioma can score twice as much as a normal pou hit would count if the said member were female.
Thank you for reading :)
