Why the seven stars of Matariki are considered the eyes of a god
In short: Matariki marks the Māori New Year in New Zealand. This video explores the significance of this star cluster, its role in ancient navigation, and the mythological origins that link these celestial bodies to the god of wind.
Visible in the mid-winter morning sky, the Matariki cluster is located 440 light-years from Earth. While it contains over 500 stars, only nine are typically visible to the naked eye. The cluster is known globally by various names, such as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, while the Japanese term Subaru translates to gathered together.
In Māori tradition, the name Matariki translates to both little eyes and eyes of god. Mythology recounts that when the wind god Tāwhirimātea learned his parents, the sky father Ranginui and earth mother Papatūānuku, had been separated, he cast his own eyes into the sky in a fit of rage. Beyond its mythological roots, the cluster served as a vital navigational tool for Pacific voyagers and a seasonal indicator; the brightness of the stars was traditionally thought to predict the warmth of the coming growing season.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The History of New Zealand's Matariki: Māori New Year and Star Cluster
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