Tamamutu was a 17th-century MÃÂori ariki (chieftain) of the NgÃÂti Te Rangiita hapà « and the paramount chief of the NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa iwi of the region around Lake Taupà Â, New Zealand. He was based at Motutere, but was an active warrior, leading campaigns against the Whanganui MÃÂori of the Manganuioteao River valley to the southwest, against Te Arawa on the shores of Lake Rotorua to the north, and against Ngati Kahungunu in HawkeâÂÂs Bay. He was also a talented orator, who is the source of several whakatauki (MÃÂori proverbs) and forged a lasting peace between NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa and Te Arawa. On his death, he was succeeded as paramount chief of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa by his son Kapawa.
Tamamutu was the oldest son of Te Rangi-ita and Waitapu. Through his father, Te Rangi-ita, he was a descendant of Tà «wharetoa i te Aupà Âuri. His mother was the daughter of Te Ata-inutai of NgÃÂti Raukawa, through whom he was a descendant of Hoturoa, captain of the Tainui canoe. His parents had been married as part of a peace agreement which ended an attack by Te Ata-inutai on NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa. He had four older sisters, Pare-kÃÂwa, Te Uru-kaihina, Te Piunga-tai, and Tore-iti and three younger brothers, Manu-nui, Meremere, Tà «-te-tawhÃÂ. They all grew up at Marae-kà Âwhai, north of Lake Taupà Â, near Mà Âkai.
Te Rangi-ita had been the ariki (paramount chief) of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa and he chose Tamamutu as his heir, despite his cousin Te Rangitautahanga supporting Manu-nui. After receiving the position, Tamamutu travelled north and settled at Motutere.
Tamamutu was a talented orator and inventor of whakatauki (proverbs). He is responsible for the MÃÂori term for cumulus clouds, te kapua whakapipi (the guardian cloud), which he invented because of the way in which the cumulus clouds gather over the Kaimanawa Range. He claimed that the clouds were guarding the region from hostile tribes and that NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa would remain secure so long as all its hapà « continued to clumb together like the clouds.
Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà Â, a young relative of Tamamutu became his takahoa (personal intimate). He proposed that he and Tamamutu make a journey to visit his father, Po-te-heuea, at Te Pirau on Lake Roto-ngaio. They took a net for catching inanga, which Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  carried, until they reached the Maniheke cliffs, north of the Hinemaiaia Stream, where he proposed that they both try to throw a rock up to the top of the cliff, with the loser carrying the net from then on. Tamamutu lost, so he had to carry the net. In return he proposed that they race the last leg of the journey to Te Pirau and he won by far. Po-te-heuea had him hang the net up at the entrance to the village, wishing to shame Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  because it was inappropriate for him to let his senior carry the net.
Whanaurangi, mother of Tamamutu's maternal cousins, Tà «kino, TaipÃÂhau, and Hokokai, was killed by men from Whanganui. The three children sent a messenger to Tamamutu to ask him to help avenge the murder and he gathered a war party at Tokaanu, performed a haka, and then led the forces to the Manganuioteao River, where they captured a number of villages and killed the local leaders, Tà «-te-houi and Tà «-te-wheriko.
When they heard about Tamamutu's attack, three Whanganui rangatira, Tà «-rÃÂhui, Tohiora, and Tamakana led a war party out against him. They stationed themselves at Ngakorako, an area on Tamamutu's path back to Taupo where there were steep cliffs, which could only be climbed one-by-one, using steps cut in the cliff face and a strong vine. Tamamutu's troops reached Ngakorako at dawn and as they climbed up, the Whanganui men killed them; ten men died before Tamamutu realised what was happening and that they were trapped. Tamamutu shouted up "Who is the man of the world of light?" (the 'world of light', Te Ao Marama, is the world of the living, so this meant, "who will let us escape?") or âÂÂWho is the morning star?â (intended as flattery). Tohiora let TamamutuâÂÂs party climb up. Then, Tà «-rÃÂhui said that the ten people just killed were not satisfactory compensation for the deaths of Tà «-te-houi and Tà «-te-wheriko, but he allowed Tamamutu to leave, swearing that he would attack NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa at a later date. Tamamutu responded that Taupà  was a deep lake with many taniwha. Although Manu-nui encouraged him to attack, Tamamutu refused and led his troops back to Taupà Â.
A year later, Tà «-rÃÂhui and Tamakana later led an expedition to Taupà  and killed two elderly NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa ariki, Te Rangi-ka-heke-i-waho and Tawiri-o-te-rangi, at Waitahanui, east of Pihanga. When Tamamutu heard about this, he headed out in his waka, Te Reporepo, with 140 men, including his three brothers, Tà «kino, and TaipÃÂhau. They rowed towards the Whanganui forces at Motu-o-apa. The Whanganui heard the waka and turned around, retreating to Tokaanu, while Tamamutu rowed to Waitaha-nui, the village of Te Rangi-ka-heke-i-waho and Tawiri-o-te-rangi, where he held a war council at which Tamamutu delivered a speech which became proverbial:
Then they headed out in pursuit of the Whanganui war party, which was now at Pourongo. The local rangatira, Tumiromiro, asked the Whanganui chief, "Tà «-rÃÂhui, who is your fish?" and Tà «-rÃÂhui named Te Rangi-ka-heke-i-waho and Tawiri-o-te-rangi, saying that he had killed them in revenge for TamamutuâÂÂs killing of Tà «-te-houi and Tà «-te-wheriko. Tumiromiro was pulling the new shoots out of a harakeke flax plant, a traditional form of divination, and he allowed the Whanganui to pass, predicting that they would soon meet disaster. His words, "I dreamt last night the omen of the flax leaf was bad. Let the morning tide be yours, but the evening tide is for me," have become proverbial.
Whanganui carried on to Poutu, then Mapouriki, and Heretoa. Tà «-rÃÂhui distributed koaro to the war party to eat, but the supplies ran out before they got to the other chief, Tamakana, who said "There is nothing but the net, there is no food here." At that moment, Tamamutu attacked. Tamakana fled with his men, saying, "you who ate the fish can stay; us net eaters are going." Tà «-rÃÂhui's men stood their ground. Tà «-rÃÂhui defeated Tà «-te-tawhÃÂ, Meremere, Mana-nui, and Tamamutu in single combat, knocking them unconscious, but he was killed by the left-handed warrior, Tà «kino. When Mana-nui stepped up to challenge him, Tà «-rÃÂhui had said, "who is this man with the red-feathered cloak" (kahu kura), as a result of which, the site of the battle was named Okahukura.
Tamamutu's people made a kÃÂkahu kura (a cloak made of red feathers) for Te Roro-o-te-rangi of Rotorua, but he gave them nothing in return. When Tamamutu sent a messenger to find out why (or, according to D. M. Stafford, when Tamamutu showed up in person to demand the gift), Te Roro-o-te-rangi cursed Tamamutu for his presumption. Therefore Tamamutu and Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  gathered a war party of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa and set out.
The party travelled down the Waikato River to Hipa-pÃÂtua (near Tapapakuao) where they got out of their canoes and advanced overland. They forged an alliance with NgÃÂti Kea NgÃÂti TuarÃÂ, who had been marginalised by Te Arawa, and met to plan at their pà(fortress), Opukaka, near Patere. The party encountered two young men called Tiki and Kaui and killed them. Tà «wharetoa sources say that Tamamutu was absent when this occurred. Arawa sources say that Tamamutu ambushed the pair as they came to lay fishing nets at the mouth of the Waikuta Stream near Kawaha Point. The site of the attack was renamed Te Karamuramu a Tikitika. Tiki and Kaui were nephews of To Roro-o-te-rangi, but they were also Tamamutu's relatives and he had been warned by Werewere, son of Tà «wharetoa a Turiroa, when the expedition set out, that he should not kill them. When Werewere found out about the killings, he went to Hipa-pÃÂtua and cut the expedition's canoes free, sending them over the Huka Falls to destruction. When Tamamutu and Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  returned to Hipa-patua, they discovered what Werewere had done and swore to get revenge.
Te Roro-o-te-rangi's brother Tunohopu had allied with NgÃÂti Rangiwewehi and attacked NgÃÂti Kea NgÃÂti TuarÃÂ, so Tamamutu returned with another war party. As Tamamutu was getting the party ready for battle he uttered the whakatauki (proverb), "Strip away the sapwood (taitea), strip away the sapwood, so that the heartwood (taikÃÂkÃÂ) stands firm." Ostensibly this refers to the timber of the tà Âtara tree, whose sapwood decays quickly while its heartwood remains solid, but Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  realised that he was saying that Tamamutu, as principal chief should stay still, while he should advance, so he headed off to the northwest coast of Lake Rotorua and attacked the villages of Te Awahou, Weriweri, and Puhirua, quickly seizing them.
According to Arawa sources, Te Roro-o-te-rangi gathered his forces on Mokoia and landed at Motutara, but the tohunga with the war party had premonitions of defeat and Te Roro-o-te-rangi's troops began to desert. When Tamamutu attacked, the entire army fled, leaving Te Roro-o-te-rangi and his brother Te Kata alone, to be captured by Tamamutu. According to Tà «wharetoa sources, Tamamutu attacked Pukeroa (modern Rotorua city), but he was unable to take it until Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  returned to help him. When they captured Pukeroa, Tamamutu captured Te Roro-o-te-rangi and seized the pounamu tiki called Te Ngako, as compensation for the cloak. As of 1959, this tiki was still in the possession of TamamutuâÂÂs descendant, Ngarimu Haare.
Meanwhile, Tà «wharetoa forces advanced on Ohinemutu village on Tunohopu's base at Kawaha Point, which was left practically undefended. Tunohopu fled to a nearby cave, Te Ana o Tunohopu, but in the rush his youngest son, Taioperua, was left behind and captured by Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà Â. This victory was called the Battle of Tahorakurupeti.
Tamamutu and Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  went by land to Werewere's village, Papohatu, on Lake Rotongaio to get revenge for his destruction of the canoes, but were unable to capture it. They cooked Te Roro-o-te-rangi in the oven, Umukuri, buried him on the western shore of the lake, at Motu-hinahina, and departed. When they returned to attack Papohatu once more they found that Werewere had abandoned the village for Motu-o-ruru near Te Pohue.
Around a year later, Werewere gathered a war party from Heretaunga (western Hawke's Bay Region), along with his son Te Teko and Te Turuki. They advanced to Runanga and split. One party, led by Te Teko went to northern Taupà  and captured Wharewaka in the Battle of Manuka-ka-ruia and then Te Karaka in the Battle of Kari-tuwhenua. Werewere and Te Turuki's party headed south and captured Te Koropupu. They did not encounter Tamamutu, who was on Motutaiko Island. According to Hoeta Te Hata, this meant that he was unaware of WerewereâÂÂs attack. According to John Te Herekiekie Grace, he was hiding from WerewereâÂÂs forces.
Sometime after the expedition of Tamamutu and Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà  to Lake Rotorua, the chief Tunohopu, who was based at Ohinemutu on Kawaha Point on the shore of the lake, learnt that his son Taioperua had not been killed by Te Rangi-pÃÂtà Âtà Â, as he had thought, but had been taken prisoner and was still alive. Instead of trying to lead a war party to try to reclaim him, he dressed in shabby clothes and went to TamamutuâÂÂs village at Motutere all on his own. When he arrived, Tunohopu made it all the way into TamamutuâÂÂs house without being recognised. There he announced why he had come, to TamamutuâÂÂs great surprise.
Tamamutu agreed to return Taioperua, but needed the assent of the village to do this. He gifted Tunohopu the clothing of a chief and gave him a huia feather to put in his hair â the traditional symbol of chieftainship. Then Tamamutu went out into the village and shouted that a war party had snuck into the village. The people gathered in alarm, but then they realised that Tunohopu was within TamamutuâÂÂs house and therefore under his protection. They agreed to return his son, showered him with presents, and made a peace with the Te Arawa of Rotorua, which proved permanent.
Tamamutu's cousin, Nga-pare-taua, married a man from the NgÃÂti Kurumokihi hapà « of NgÃÂti Kahungunu and moved to Tangoio in Hawke's Bay, where she was killed in a raid by Te Kahu-o-te-Rangi, a chief of NgÃÂti PÃÂhauwera who was based at Mohaka. When the news of her death reached Taupà Â, Nga-pare-tauaâÂÂs brother Te Hiko-o-te-rangi was distraught, so he and Tamamutu formed a war party and went to Tangoio, where they were joined by some survivors of the raid and set off to get revenge on Te Kahu-o-te-rangi. They proceeded to the mouth of the Waikare River, where Te Kahu had a fortress called Whare-kiri, but since Te Kahu-o-te-rangi was not there they decided to continue on to Mohaka, Te Kahu-o-te-rangi's main base.
Tamamutu sent two men from Tangoio down to the cliffs by the sea in order to investigate whether it would be possible for the war party to pass along the beach to Mohaka. At low tide, this is possible, but the two men did not want Tamamutu to continue and utterly destroy Te Kahu-o-te-rangi, who was related to them, so they lied, saying that the sea made the route impassable. To make the lie believable, they dunked their clothes in salt water, so that it would seem that the sea had blocked their passage. Therefore, Tamamutu sacked Whare-kiri and returned home.
Tamamutu brought some karaka berries back with him from Whare-kiri and planted them at PÃÂkÃÂ Bay. The glade that grew from these berries was named Whare-kiri and they were still there as of 1842.
On the way back to Taupà Â, Tamamutu came to the fortress of Werewere at Motu-o-rà «rà « and found that he had already died. He attacked the fortress anyway, captured Werewere's son Te Teko, and brought him back to Taupà Â. He also searched for Werewere's corpse, but could not find it. Therefore, when he returned to Taupà Â, he carved a head out of pumice, called it 'the Head of Werewere' and made it the marker of his rubbish heap.
Tamamutu married Hiko, a descendant of Tia, with whom he had a son, Kapawa, who succeeded him as paramount chief of Tà «wharetoa. Kapawa led a peaceful life and was succeeded by his own son, Meremere, who was succeeded in turn by his son, Te Rangituamatotoru.
He also married Raukato and Urututu.
A further son, Te MÃÂri, was the ancestor of Te Uamairangi.