Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
“Mystic Fires of Tamaatea”: Attempts to creatively rewrite New Zealand’s
cultural and tectonic past
James Goff
GeoEnvironmental Consultants, 11 The Terrace, Governors Bay, Lyttelton,
RD1, New Zealand.
Email: geoenv@xtra.co.nz
Keri Hulme
P.O. Box 1, Whataroa, South Westland, New Zealand.
Bruce McFadgen
Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies,
Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
Abstract “Mystic Fires of Tamaatea” is the title given
to a section of a book entitled “Tsunami: The underrated hazard” written
by Edward Bryant and published by Cambridge University Press in 2001. In
it the author links New Zealand evidence for widespread forest destruction
and Maori place-names and legends with the 15th century timing of an apparent
Tunguska-type meteor impact in the South Island of New Zealand, Chinese,
and Japanese meteor sightings, comets, and “mega”-tsunamis in Australia.
This paper critically reviews the lines of evidence used, and finds no evidence,
either Maori or geological, for a 15th century meteor impact in New Zealand.
In the book, all Maori place-names have been incorrectly translated, the
radiocarbon chronology is incorrect, and there is no consideration of the
numerous potential tsunami sources that were active in New Zealand in the
15th century.
Keywords meteor impact; tsunami; Maori place-names;
Maori legends; deforestation; 15th century; Australia; radiocarbon; New Zealand
R02052 Received 16 December 2002; accepted 25 July 2003; online publication
date 19 November 2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number
4, December 2003, pp 795-809
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