Māori legendary creatures

The (also spelled ) is a monstrous bird in Māori mythology.

Waitoreke, also commonly referred to as the South Island otter, is an otter/beaver-like creature in New Zealand folklore. In its rare inferred sightings it is usually described as a small otter-like animal that lives in the South Island of New Zealand. There are many theories on the waitoreke's true identity, such as it being an otter, beaver or pinniped. New Zealand's only recognised endemic land mammals are bats—New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat and New Zealand long-tailed bat. Land mammals introduced to New Zealand by the seafaring Polynesian ancestors of Maori, apparent to the early Euro

thumb|right|Ureia, guardian taniwha of the Hauraki Gulf|Hauraki people. Carving from the meeting house Hotunui, 1878 In Māori mythology, taniwha () are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives.

In Polynesian languages the word aitu refers to ghosts or spirits, often malevolent. The word is common to many languages of Western and Eastern Polynesia. In the mythology of Tonga, for example, aitu or eitu are lesser gods, many being patrons of specific villages and families. They often take the form of plants or animals, and are often more cruel than other gods. These trouble-making gods are regarded as having come from Samoa. The Tongan word tangi lauaitu means to cry from grief, to lament.