Pūrerehua was a simple "whai" or string-figure-making game for beginners. This waiata was sung while making it.

Whakaraka, Auckland Museum

Use a piece of fishing cord about 1.8 metres long and tie it in a loop. 1. Pick up one short section of the string loop on both thumbs without twisting it. Extend hands apart.
2. Now, using your little fingers, pick up the far thumb string on the fingernail side of the little fingers. Then just spread your hands and figers apart to tighten the string (Position 1)
3. Use your right forefinger to move left and pick up the left palm string on the back of the forefinger. Tighten the strings.
4. The left forefinger then moves right, goes through the right forefinger noose, and picks up the right palm string.
5. Tighten the strings again.
6. Release the thumb strings. Tighten the other strings once more. Here is your butterfly. Move your index fingers in and out to make it flutter.

Maori string games, whai, date back to pre-European times. They are similar to string games played around the world.

Whai was played by both male and female of all ages, although traditionally women were the more proficient.

Whai gave excellent training for the skills needed in activities like weaving, net-making, and thatching.

Waiata (or karakia) were sung (or chanted) to make it easier to remember the pattern-making sequences.

It is said that whai was passed down by Maui. Whai patterns often represented figures from mythology, and so they acted as aids for remembering and illustrating mythological stories.

More Maori string games are described, very clearly and well, in Chapter 8 of Alan Armstrong, "Maori Games and Hakas," AH & AW Reed, (1964). This old book is a real taonga. I found it in the Whanganui District library stackroom. Try your local library, or the National Library in Wellington could photocopy a few pages for you, or you could get it on interloan.

More international string games for kids are at Busy Bee

Pūrerehua is one example of taonga puoru, the mystical sounding wind instruments of the old Maori people. The emotions of love, passion and grief are woven together in taonga puoru: the sound of the breath of wind is also the sound of the breath of life.

Traditionally pūrerehua were made of hard wood like matai, or whale bone, or of pounamu stone. The plaited cord was made of muka. It whirring roar warned hearers -

Kia hiwara kia mataara kia tupato

Be alert be prepared be careful