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gennsoup · 3 months

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He loved them deeply, but sometimes love becomes a power game between the ambitions that parents have for their children and the ambitions that children have for themselves.

Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider

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richkidcityfriends · 2 years

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mothers and daughters, part two

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Maybe She’s Not Such a Heinous Bitch After All, Crazy Ex Girlfriend / Bethany Webster / @honeytuesday / Eldest Daughter, Isabel Pless / Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Angry Mother / Writer in the Dark, Lorde / The Sick Child, Gabriel Metsu / Alone in a Dark Room, Gilanares / Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider / Statuette of a woman combing the hair of a little girl - limestone - Middle Kingdom - 1981-1500 BC / Least Favourite Only Child, Leanna Firestone / Lady Bird (2017) / Seventeen, Alessia Cara / Class of 2013, Mitski / A Mother Delousing her Child's Hair, Pieter de Hooch / Death With Dignity, Sufjan Stevens / House MD, Autopsy / Seventeen, Alessia Cara / Your Best American Girl, Mitski

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smokefalls · 1 year

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Man might carve his identification mark on the earth but, once he ceases to be vigilant, Nature will take back what man had once achieved to please his vanity.

Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider

#Witi Ihimaera #The Whale Rider #quote #fiction #fantasy #middle grade #2022 reads

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fiction-quotes · 1 year

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In the old days, in the years that have gone before us, the land and sea felt a great emptiness, a yearning. The mountains were like a stairway to heaven, and the lush green rainforest was a rippling cloak of many colors. The sky was iridescent, swirling with the patterns of wind and clouds; sometimes it reflected the prisms of rainbow or southern aurora. The sea was ever-changing, shimmering and seamless to the sky. This was the well at the bottom of the world, and when you looked into it you felt you could see to the end of forever.

This is not to say that the land and sea were without life, without vivacity. The tuatara, the ancient lizard with its third eye, was sentinel here, unblinking in the hot sun, watching and waiting to the east. The moa browsed in giant wingless herds across the southern island. Within the warm stomach of the rainforests, kiwi, weka, and the other birds foraged for huhu and similar succulent insects. The forests were loud with the clatter of tree bark, chatter of cicada, and murmur of fish-laden streams. Sometimes the forest grew suddenly quiet, and in wet bush could be heard the filigree of fairy laughter like a sparkling glissando.

The sea, too, teemed with fish, but they also seemed to be waiting. They swam in brilliant shoals, like rains of glittering dust, throughout the greenstone depths – hapuku, manga, kahawai, tamure, moki, and warehou – herded by shark or mango ururoa. Sometimes from far off a white shape would been seen flying through the sea, but it would only be the serene flight of the tarawhai, the stingray with the spike on its tail.

Waiting. Waiting for the seeding. Waiting for the gifting. Waiting for the blessing to come.

— The Whale Rider (Witi Ihimaera )

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first--lines · 10 months

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In the old days, in the years that have gone before us, the land and sea felt a great emptiness, a yearning. The mountains were like the poutama, the stairway to heaven, and the lush green rainforests were a rippling kakahu of many colours. The sky was iridescent paua, swirling with the kowhaiwhai patterns of wind and clouds; sometimes it reflected the prisms of rainbow or southern aurora. The sea was ever-changing pounamu, shimmering and seamless to the sky. This was the well at the bottom of the world and when you looked into it you felt you could see to the end of forever.

— The Whale Rider (Witi Ihimaera)

#book quotes #witi ihimaera #the whale rider

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ineedahugesticktobeatyou · 1 year

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2022 Reading Challenge | A book by a Pacific Islander author.

40/40. Kahu e la balena - Witi Ihimaera

Hui e, haumi e, taiki e. Che il futuro si compia, uniti.

Hui e, haumi e, taiki e. Let it be done. [The Whale rider - W. Ihimaera]

★★★✩✩

#2022 reading challenge #popsugarreadingchallenge #dani reads books #dani reads in italian #kuhu e la balena #the whale rider #witi ihimaera #personal

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deathsmallcaps · 2 years

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My 40th Win A Commission (was The Whale Rider! If you’re curious about the story and would like to see the rest of drawings, please

There once lived in Hawaiki a chief called Uenuku, who had seventy-one sons. Seventy of these sons were possible chiefs one day, for their mothers were of noble birth. But Uenuku had one wife who was a slave, and because of this, her son Ruatapu was of no importance.

One day Uenuku decided to build a great canoe. A tall tree was felled, and for a long time his men worked at hollowing and smoothing and carving it. When it was finished it was painted red and hung with strings of feathers.

Then Uenuku brought together all his sons, so that their hair might be combed and oiled and tied into top-knots. This was so that they would look well when they sailed for the first time in the great canoe. Uenuku himself combed and oiled and tied their hair, for this was tapu, a sacred thing.

When all but Ruatapu were ready, Ruatapu said to his father, “Are you not going to comb my hair as well?”

But his father said, “Why would I bother to find a comb for your hair? These combs are sacred. They cannot be used on the hair of people of no importance.”

Then Ruatapu said, “But indeed, I thought I was your son.”

His father said to him, “Yes, you are my son. But your mother is only a slave woman, so you are not a chief like your brothers. I cannot comb your hair.”

Then Ruatapu was very ashamed, and ran away and planned to revenge himself. He ate no food that night, but went down to the canoe and cut a hole in its bottom. Then he filled the hole in again with chips of wood, and hid the bailer.

In the morning all the noble sons of Uenuku launched the canoe for the first time, and Ruatapu went with them. The canoe was a beautiful sight, with its feathers and tall carvings, and it went very fast over the waves. They paddled a long way out to sea, and Ruatapu kept his heel over the hole so it would not be seen. When they were out of sight of land, Ruatapu pushed away the chips from the hole and water rushed into the canoe.

“Where is the bailer?” his brothers shouted.

“Quickly, bail out the water, or we are lost!”

But Ruatapu had hidden the bailer, and the canoe filled with water and sank. Then Ruatapu had his revenge, for all his noble brothers were drowned, excepting one. Ruatapu swam after his last brother, whose name was Paikea, but he could not catch him, for he was a strong swimmer and could tread water for hours. Then Ruatapu said to Paikea, “Which of us will carry back this news to land?”, pretending to be innocent as he clung to a piece of driftwood.

“It is I who will do so,” Paikea said. “I will not drown. I am descended from Tangaroa, the god of the sea, and he will help me.”

Tangaroa heard Paikea, and sent a whale to take him to land. So Paikea escaped from Ruatapu on the back of the whale.

Then Ruatapu recited a magic incantation, and sent five great waves rolling across the ocean after Paikea. But Paikea was too far away, and he came to land just before the waves reached him. The waves hit the shore and bounced off again, and went back across the ocean. They rushed over Ruatapu, who was still in the sea, and Ruatapu was drowned by his magic.

But Paikea was safe. It was the East Coast of the North Island to which the whale had brought him, and his children's children live there still. The whale became an island, and you can see it there today.

The Whale Rider Explanation

I’ve loved this story since I was a little girl, although I didn’t know it. When I was one, a movie called ‘Whale Rider’ came out. Though they share names, they weren’t carbon copies. Rather, a real life modern Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa, aka New Zealand) girl, descendant of Paikea, struggles to become the heir to the chief, who is her grandfather. While it isn’t a perfect movie (misogyny isn’t as ingrained in traditional Māori society as the film made it seem) it's still an interesting look into the culture and mythos, and inspired by interest in the legend of Paikea. It also has a phenomenal soundtrack - I didn’t gain an interest in listening to instrumental music until I was an adult, but that doesn’t mean you don’t!

Regarding the ideas behind this story, it really makes you think; at what point does your righteous anger* become terrible revenge? Ruatapu killed his brothers, and for what? Even if Paikea had died, and Ruatapu made it to land, the system that allowed his mistreatment would still be in place. We cannot know his intentions once made leader; he is not said to hate the hierarchy but instead hated how it worked to his personal detriment. So was Paikea right to leave his brother to die? Could he have changed? We won’t know.

*It WAS reasonable for Ruatapu to resent how he and his mother were treated.

As for the art: First, of course, is the title. The Māori language (aka ‘te reo’, the language, or ‘te reo Māori’, the language of the Māori) has developed a very interesting writing system as of late. While they still use the Latin writing system quite a bit, I am excited to see these symbols flourish! Basically, each syllable starts out as a stick, and then depending on the order and types of letters/sounds, ‘curls’ are added to each stick.

Second, Ruatapu in the boat with the other brothers. I tried to keep clothing, boat and paddle carvings as accurate as possible. The belt on the brother falling out was not based on anything, but the other belts in the other drawings have meanings behind the patterns. Besides that, there are two things to note: hair and a lack of tattoos.

In Māori culture, hair is sacred, and only those with high status can do their hair. Often, leaders didn’t have fancy hairdos because they had to do their hair themselves; I made Paikea an exception because he’s sort of supposed to be perfect. Thus, he’s good at hair, and also has several feathers (status symbols) stuck into his hair buns. Ruatapu doesn’t have a fancy hairdo because I figured the only one who’d want to touch his hair is his mom, but since she was of lower status, it was more likely he’d do it himself.

Tattoos, or Tā Moko, are sacred and highly personal. Just like Maui’s tattoos from Moana, they tell a story, but less so of an individual and more of someone’s lineage. As such, each design is individual, and different body parts with tattoos can be affected by both tribe and gender. While the individuals in this story are old enough to start the Tā Moko process, I didn’t draw their tattoos. Frankly, it would be rude, as my creations would be a simplistic copy of a beautifully detailed art form. So, I left them out. Feel free to add your own tattoos though! I’d be interested in seeing what your version of cool tattoos would look like.

Third, Ruatapu and Paikea facing off. Ruatapu is shown to be clinging to that driftwood, as he doesn't have a strong connection to the ocean, and as such isn’t a strong swimmer. *Paikea, meanwhile, clearly can swim well, and even holds a ‘mere pounamu’ (club of jade) aloft! Paikea knows something is fishy. In any case, the Kowhaiwhai patterns on their belts also reveal a little about the men. Ruatapu has the Ngaru pattern, which represents the waves that a waka (canoe) cuts through. Paikea has the Mangōpare pattern, which represents the hammerhead shark, an animal known for strength, courage and power.

* I also gave him a beard to show that he was older.

For the last picture, I just tried to draw a cool scenery shot. I wish I could’ve featured the whale more, but frankly such a big, round animal is hard to hold onto, and I doubt even Paikea could’ve held onto one who was jumping out of the water. But at least you can see the North Island in the distance!

Let me know if you’re interested in checking out the movie, I’d be happy to show you.

Also below is a portrait i drew while trying to figure out how I wanted Paikea to look

#win a commission #wac #Paikea #Māori tradition #southern right whale #the whale rider #whale rider

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newriverartist · 2 months

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Another Great One!

Evening Flight Original 16″ x 12″ oil $414 Wall Art Prints and prints on other items available with link https://www.etsy.com/listing/26694280/evening-flight-12×16-impressionist?click_key=4bbd8587f4de778720f397eed27e5ca1c1689698%3A26694280u0026amp;click_sum=11b8e6cau0026amp;ref=shop_home_active_6u0026amp;frs=1 I love movies and have a large collection. I still have VHS and a TV I can watch…

View On WordPress

#abstract paintings #birds in flight paintings #Fall river paintings #gazebo paintings #Kendall Kessler Art #mountain paintings #New River paintings #pawleys island paintings #The Whale Rider #Towhee Hill Studio Art

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myrtaceaae · 2 years

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If you didn't read The Whale Rider as assigned reading in primary school then I really don't know what to do with you

#about me #the whale rider

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tokumon · 3 months

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Whale Mutant from Kamen Rider Black ep. 46

#whale mutant #kamen rider #kamen rider black #tokusatsu #whale

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nerdreamer · 1 year

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#black kamen rider #kamen rider black #tokusatsu #japan #whale

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twinsunstars · 25 days

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i watched whale rider for the first time since i found out keisha castle-hughes (who plays emerie) is in it and now i can’t stop imagining a tiny emerie just wandering about curious about life, and it’s what hemlock hears every day since he took her in

#star wars #the bad batch #emerie karr #royce hemlock #tbb #sw tbb #tbb s3 #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch series #whale rider #keisha castle hughes

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lavendersartistry · 25 days

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The Peacock and the Panther

Space Riders AU - @onyxonline KoiRite - @lavendersartistry

This fic is another promised fan episode for onyxonline's Space Riders AU! This is mainly centered as a moment between CraftyCorn and my OC KoiRite! Please check Onyx out, their work is super cool!

The afternoon calmed Crafty's nerves as she was on the way to meet Koi in her palace. She wasn't expecting an invitation from her of all things, especially after that one party a few weeks back. Still, she kept her head high and did her best to stay calm.

A laugh rang out as Crafty entered the courtyard, Koi watching her from afar.

"Are you trying to greet the ancestors? I hate to disappoint but, that's not how we do it."

Crafty became embarrassed and looked down, a blush coming along her cheeks.

"S-Sorry! I'm just.. well, nervous being here."

The warrior princess tilted her head as her tail flicked behind her body. With careful steps, she went closer to the unicorn.

"Is this about the party?"

Crafty sighed and lowly nodded, making Koi groan in annoyance, facepalming.

"Hey, listen. You did the right thing to stop that guy. I wasn't expecting you to start a fight like that."

Koi looked back at the unicorn and then scoffed. She should have fought him outside the vicinity of the others.

"If I knew you would be frightened of me, then I would have handled everything differently."

Crafty quietly placed a hand on Koi's shoulder, as if to try to assure her. She knew Koi's intentions were pure and knew how annoyed she could be when it came to people either not doing their job to protect others or people causing others to feel uncomfortable.

"Koi, it's alright. I wasn't frightened. You're a good person with a good heart, don't let what happened that night make you think like that."

Koi softly smiled and placed her hand over Crafty's, pulling it away from her shoulder and close to her face.

"Alright then, Peacock. I trust you."

The unicorn immediately blushed and looked away with a soft huff.

"A peacock? What are you talking about?"

The panther smirked and grabbed Crafty's chin to have her look at him.

"Peacocks are symbols of many. But for you, it's your beauty and confidence. I won't call you a diamond in a dozen but more of a rare jewel. Everything about you is interesting to me."

She suddenly leaned closer.

"Unless calling you princess is more your style?"

#pineapple drink | writing #space riders au #Space Riders AU - onyxonline au #smiling critters au #smiling critters #craftycorn #smiling critters oc #KoiRite #KoiRite - space riders au #GET RIZZED CRAFTY #KOI GOT RIZZ #look at them omg #this is adorable #crafty having another gay panic oh whale

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smokefalls · 1 year

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In the old days, in the years that have gone before us, the land and sea felt a great emptiness, a yearning. The mountains were like a stairway to heaven, and the lush green rainforest was a rippling cloak of many colours. The sky was iridescent, swirling with the patterns of wind and clouds; sometimes it reflected the prisms of rainbow or southern aurora. The sea was ever-changing, shimmering and seamless to the sky. This was the well all the bottom of the world and when you looked into it you felt you could see to the end of forever.

Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider

#Witi Ihimaera #The Whale Rider #quote #fiction #fantasy #middle grade #2022 reads

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fiction-quotes · 1 year

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Man might carve his moko on the earth but, once he ceases to be vigilant, Nature will take back what man had once achieved to please his vanity.

— The Whale Rider (Witi Ihimaera)

#book quotes #witi ihimaera #the whale rider #agriculture #nature #laziness #vanity

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earthseed · 2 months

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on losing elders

Whale Rider (2002), dir. Niki Caro // Crying In H Mart (2021), Michelle Zauner // Daughters of the Dust (1991), dir. Julie Dash // Muttererde (2018), dir. Jessica Lauren Elizabeth Taylor // The Burial of Kojo (2018), dir. Blitz Bazawule // Crying In H Mart (2021), Michelle Zauner // The Farewell (2019), dir. Lulu Wang // Black Indian (2019), Shonda Buchanan // Bandits (1997), dir. Katja von Garnier

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