Pania of the Reef

I bought this lovely resin (?) statue a few weeks ago at Goodwill. The plaque on the base reads "Pania of the Reef". A search yielded this Wikipedia entry:

In Maori Polynesian mythology, Pania of the Reef was a beautiful maiden who lived in the sea on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

During daylight she swam about with creatures of her reef world but after sunset would go to a stream that ran into the bay where the city of Napier now exists. She would travel up the stream to an area where she could rest among the flax bushes.

Karitoki, the very handsome son of a Maori chief, quenched his thirst every evening at the stream where Pania rested because it had the sweetest water. He was unaware she was observing him for many weeks until one night she whispered a faint spell. It carried on the wind to Karitoki who turned around to see Pania emerge from her hiding place.

Karitoki had never see someone so beautiful and instantly fell in love. Pania fell in love also, and they pledged their lives to each other and were secretly married. Pania and Karitoki went to his whare (house), but because it was dark no-one saw them enter. At sunrise, Pania prepared to leave but Karitoki tried to stop her. She explained that as a creature of the ocean, when the sirens of the sea called her each morning, she could not survive if she did not go to them. She promised to return every evening and their marriage continued on that basis.

Karitoki boasted to his friends about his beautiful wife, but no one believed him because they had never seen her. Frustrated by this, Karitoki consulted a kaumatua (wise elder) in the village who believed Karitoki as he knew ocean maidens did exist. The kaumatua told Karitoki that being a sea creature, Pania would not be allowed to return to the sea if she swallowed cooked food.

That night, as Pania slept, Karitoki took a morsel of cooked food and put it in Pania's mouth. As he did so, Ruru the morepork (owl) called a loud warning and Pania was startled from her sleep. Horrified that Karitoki had put her life in jeopardy, Pania fled from the whare and ran to the sea. Her people came to the surface and drew her down into the depths as Karitoki swam frantically about the ocean looking for her. He never saw her again.

When people now look deep into the water over the reef, some say they can see Pania with arms outstretched, appealing to her former lover. It is unknown whether she is imploring him to explain his treachery, or expressing her continuing love.

The sea off Napier is now protected by Moremore, the son of Pania and Karitoki. He is the kaitiaki (guardian) of the area, a taniwha (spirit) who often disguises himself as a shark, a stingray or an octopus.

The statuette, by Allan Davey & Co. of Christchurch, New Zealand, is based on the lifesized bronze statue of Pania that was erected on Napier's Marine Parade in 1954. The statue was modeled after photographs of Mei Irihapiti Robin, at that time a 14 year old student of Hukarere Girls College (only the face - apparently the body was based on an Italian model). She wears a traditional Moari Piupiu (flax skirt) and a hei tiki around her neck.

In October of last year, the statue was stolen off its rock plinth, but recovered 9 days later from a residential address with only minor damage.

I've got an old album called "The Maori" and it has a beautiful little song called Pania of the Reef by The Motuiti Youth Club. I ripped it a few months ago for a South Seas mix CD and here it is for anyone that wants it...

http://rapidshare.de/files/14395516/Pania_of_the_Reef.mp3.html

I love this song. Thanks for the background. Its all new to me. Mahalo!

Not only a beautiful statue but you've got a great story to tell every time someone looks at her. Very cool!