© A short scan of Māori journeys to Antarctica / Journal of the Royal Society of New ZealandA Māori carving with the Ross Ice Shelf in the background.
A review of literary and oral history suggests Polynesians, and not Europeans, were the first to explore Antarctic waters and possibly even spot the frozen continent itself.European explorers are typically credited for discovering Antarctica 200 years ago, but new
research published in the
Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand reminds us of a neglected account in which Polynesians are described as sailing through Antarctic waters in the 7th century CE.This may be news to many people, but it's "a known narrative," as Priscilla Wehi, the lead researcher on the new study and a conservation biologist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research,
told the
New Zealand Herald. That Polynesians may have visited Antarctic waters so long ago will hardly be a revelation to the Indigenous Māori of New Zealand, as their legends make note of this account.
Indeed, connections between Indigenous peoples and Antarctica "remain poorly documented and acknowledged in the research literature," as the scientists write in their study, adding that the new "paper begins to fill this gap."
To that end, the team, which included researchers from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (a group representing the Māori people of the southern islands of New Zealand), analyzed literary accounts, oral history, and also representations made on carvings and weavings, to "construct a richer and more inclusive picture of Antarctica's relationship with humanity," as Wehi explained in an
press release. In so doing, the team sought to build a "platform on which much wider conversations about New Zealand relationships with Antarctica can be furthered," she added.
© Jim EaglesIce in Paradise Harbour, Antarctica.
A Russian expedition from 1820 is conventionally credited for being the first to spot Antarctica,
but Indigenous narratives describe another story, in which Polynesian chief Hui Te Rangiora and his crew, sailing on the vessel Te Ivi o Atea, journeyed through Antarctic waters some 1,320 years ago. The ship is described as venturing a long way south, and by doing so, its crew were "likely the first humans to set eyes on Antarctic waters and perhaps the continent," according to the paper.
Indigenous legends make note of a "frozen sea" and a "dark place not seen by the Sun." Hui Te Rangiora called this part of the southern ocean
Tai-uka-a-pia, which means "sea foaming like arrowroot," in which he was likely comparing powdered white arrowroot to icebergs. Incredibly,
Te Ivi o Atea may have ventured as far south as the Ross Ice Shelf.
Māori carvings and weavings likewise make note of this history and the cultural connection to Antarctica, including inscriptions of navigational and astronomical knowledge. One carved post represents Tamarereti, a legendary Māori warrior, as being the "protector of the southern oceans" as he "stands on the southernmost tip of the South Island of New Zealand at Bluff," as Wehi explained in the release. To which she added: "Ngāi Tahu, the largest tribal group in the South Island, and other tribal groups or iwi also cherish other oral repositories of knowledge in relation to these early explorers and voyagers."
As the new paper also points out, voyages by Indigenous peoples to Antarctic waters continue to this very day. Unfortunately, this is "rarely acknowledged or highlighted," said Wehi. For example, in 2016, an expedition including Ngahuia Mita of the Te Tai Rāwhiti people traveled there to study the effects of climate change on the ice sheets, and in 2014-2015, Ngahuia Mita of the Te Tai Rāwhiti people researched Adélie penguins in Antarctica.
That Polynesians were the first to travel so far south and possibly even spot Antarctica itself shouldn't be too surprising, given their extensive maritime history. The new paper, by presenting these cultural accounts, should encourage further research.
Unfortunately, a Euro-centric view of science and history has long meant that the achievements of other cultures get buried and discounted.
Reader Comments
I may have asked you this before. Have you read Michener's Hawaii? Interesting recreation of a fictional account of how the islands got discovered, etc. Thanks!
Wee wee says: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_(novel) last try: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_(novel)
The stuff about the leper colony in HA was tough.
RC
Having said that the Polynesians were great sailors, but if they did get there Antarctica would have been as uninhabitable then as it is now.
There's also a very interesting book called 1434 by Gavin Menzies [Link] in which he writes about a Chinese admiral who sailed to Antarctica and trekked around down there, with accompanying maps. Contentiously he also claims the Chinese were visitors to New Zealand (and were possibly in NZ for a long time prior to 1434 with mining operations in the South Island), and less contentiously (although it's still widely denied here) Australia. Admiral He (according to the book) also sailed to the Red Sea, through an ancient iteration of the Suez Canal and on to Rome bringing gifts of encyclopaedias - which to my way of thinking look like they included many inventions later attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci.
There's another theory is that an ancient Egyptian navigator also used to visit the Pacific (Thoth, he is also said to have visited Ireland, and no doubt many other places), and is the prototype for a Polynesian god. He may have settled in the Cook Islands, which like New Zealand is a Polynesian country.
And then there's the Peri Reis map, and the Waldseemüller map which depict Antarctica (so any Maori land claims will be disputable!)
When I first read The Odyssey, I was shocked about the description that sounded just like he had sailed into the Arctic Circle, where he talked about the length of days, plus there's some other stuff about Ursa Major that's positively Velikovskian.
RC
ORACLES OF THE DEAD, by Robert Temple. Insight into the deceipt those in power used.
Whilst I believe it is possible; it must have been a very harrowing voyage! The "roaring 40's" would've played hell with their ships. And I wonder how they dealt with the cold.
Some people might say this isn't possible to do for the Polynesians... but you must agree that myths and legends usually have some basis in fact. You also have to note that descriptions of the region are accurate per the legend.
The Polynesians have some pretty bloody amazing navigation skills.... like being able to "read" the wave patterns to determine if land is nearby, etc. Now that alone, blows my mind...
Whoever sails these cold regions are extremely brave, even in modern times. How much more so in ancient times.
Pravdaseeker
R.C.
They're just making shit up as the go along.
RC
This claim is pure undiluted bollocks.