Noble Blood - How to Start a Monarchy from Scratch (Part 1)

Episode Date: June 30, 2026

Eventually, Te Wherowhero would become the first Māori king. But decades before that, he would face off against rival tribes, proving his leadership ability and bravery in the face of an enemy coming right at him. Support Noble Blood:—PRE-ORDER 'THE ARCANE ARTS'— Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon— Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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19-plus Ontario only, please play responsibly. Bet-Victor operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, visit connectsontera.com. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kot me. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats.

Listen to Joy 101 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby is presented by CVS. My first guest is Terrence Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin. Have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life. What on?

You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with, Lilipa Pons on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of IHeart Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised.

As Te Fuero Fero watched his foes retreat toward the muddy banks of the Waitara River, it all felt too easy. For nearly two years, the seasoned Maori warrior had led his vast army. to push their tribal rivals down the west coast of what is now known as New Zealand's North Island. By late 1821, early 1822, Tefuerro Fero and his Waikato tribe allies had battled against the Ngati Toa across forests, mountains, and swamps, with both sides suffering through hunger, pain, and frequent casualties. So why now was his enemy retreating? Why would Tefuerofuerro's savvy opposite number Te Rapparaha

simply back off once his party had reached the Taranaki region? Because that's where their reinforcements were surely waiting. Between Tefuerrofuerro's years of military experience and his lifetime of absorbing Maori lore and tribal connections, he knew there were plenty of hostile adversaries who would be more than happy to attack his allied forces as they progressed into the Taranaki territory. And so, despite the retreat,

Tefuerro Fero urged his army to halt. But many of his fellow leaders did not listen, instead ordering their men to charge. What followed was a brutal military disaster in which many of Tifuerofuerro's side were slaughtered. Those who survived made a hasty retreat, but Tifuerofuera refused to join them. As the stories go,

he instead stayed by the side of a killed Wicato chief. There, the allies of the airs of the allies of the air. enemy tribe found him. The fighters were tempted to shoot Tefuerre Fuero on the spot. After all, he was the enemy leader. He'd likely been responsible for the deaths of many of their relatives. But then the leader of the enemy group, Te Rapparaha, arrived on the scene. No one dared get in the way of the prominent chief and warlord, who had transformed his small tribe. into one of the most powerful on New Zealand, Te Raparaja himself had lost loved ones to his bloody,

years-long feud with Tefuerro-Fuerro, so it's hard to imagine him not being tempted by the chance to inflict fierce vengeance as he walked towards his nemesis. As for Tefuerro-Fuerro, he was not one to go down without a fight. he was purportedly just as skilled with words as he was with weapons, which was a fortunate backup skill to have, because according to several sources,

the only weapon available to him at that moment was a digging implement. Despite being ridiculously outnumbered and outgunned, Tefuerro Fero grabbed the tool, and with his life, his tribe's fortunes, the power dynamics of the region, and even the fate of long-term royal control of New Zealand, all hanging in the balance, he wielded his small weapon

with every last bit of gravitas he could gather as his enemy approached. I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is Noble Blood. Trying to rule over the entirety of New Zealand was no easy feat, especially in Tefueiore's era, because there was no existing monarchical structure or overarching sense of national identity. To paint an extremely broad-strokes picture of New Zealand's early history, its two largest islands, now, simply called the North Island and South Island, were the last large, habitable landmasses on Earth to be reached by humans. According to both modern archaeological studies and generational Maori wisdom, Polynesians first traveled to the North Island by canoe in approximately 1250.

Scientific analysis has shown that they used more sophisticated navigation methods than many historians initially acknowledged, and by about 1350, Polynesian settlers were migrated, in more substantial numbers. Over time, as villages grew, they began forming a distinct Maori culture. It wasn't until the 17th century that European sailors visited the grouping of over 600 islands. Then it took almost 200 more years for friction between colonists and Maori tribes to fuel a brutal period of political turmoil, land grabs, and forced assimilation, all of which I will circle back to later.

For now, the key hierarchies to know about that existed on the North and South Islands, when Tifuerafwara was born around 1770, were the complex Maori systems of iwi, or tribes, hapoo sub-tribes, and Rangatiri, or chiefs. A Rangatira's power was often, but not always, hereditary. In Tifuerofuero's case, it certainly was, since his father was a chief and his mother, the daughter of another chief within the large Wicato tribe. This afforded him ample clout and opportunity from birth. Tefuerro Fero also initially benefited from growing up in a period of relative peace.

since that allowed him plenty of time to gain valuable knowledge and experience. Under the supervision of his renowned warrior father, Tifuerafuer reportedly honed his fighting skills, studied military strategy, and absorbed traditional Maori lore. Then he continued to learn genealogy, sacred rituals, and arcane wisdom at an exclusive Maori institution of higher learning, where elders instructed a select few pupils, mostly sons of chiefs.

This all helped enhance Tefuerra Fuerra's mana, a crucial element for a Maori leader. The concept of mana is extremely complex and profound within Maori culture, and therefore difficult for me to sustain. succinctly encapsulate. That said, it's often translated and understood as an intangible force that gives a person or entity prestige, authority, or power. As we'll explore more soon, mana was key to Tefuerra's life and unprecedented assent as a leader. The peaceful period could

only last so long for his Waikato tribe, and Te Fuero Fuerro soon needed all the mana he could get to survive the coming musket wars. The musket wars were actually a series of thousands of battles among Maori tribes spanning 1807 to 1845. These violent conflicts were later grouped together by scholars due to how they were markedly influenced by the introduction of, you guessed it, the musket. As European settlers brought and traded guns, it essentially sparked a Maori arms race among tribes and sub-tribes. Although the Europeans, the majority of them British,

supplied the firepower, they were initially vastly outnumbered and supposedly mostly focused on trading, wailing and proselytizing as Protestant Christian missionaries. This meant that in his warrior prime, Tifuerofuerro's biggest foes were other tribes. He went on numerous military campaigns, the most dramatic being his war against the Ngati Toa Iwi. Because in this rival tribe, Tifuero Fuerro met an equally formidable adversary. a mighty chief by the name of Terraparaha.

According to many sources, tensions particularly ratched it up when members of the Ngate Toa killed a relative of Tefuerafweras. This prompted him to spearhead a series of revenge missions, which included allegedly overseeing the murder of one of Tehraparraha's wives when she visited Waikato Territory in 1820. This sparked a bitter feud over territory resources and purported hostile transgressions. While Tifuerofuero's father continued to lead

the larger Waikato tribe, Tifuerifuerro led a coalition army of warriors from Waikato and another Iwi against the Ngato Toa and their chief, Tera Paraha. Tefuerofuerro's side won decisive victories, attacking by land and sea and eventually surrounding the Ngate Toa near Kaffia Harbor on the North Island's west coast. Tefuerrefero and his legion of warriors seemingly had a perfect chance to annihilate their opposition, and yet they didn't.

The reasoning behind this apparently perplexed some scholars, especially, those predominantly accustomed to studying European monarchies. One likely explanation proposed by experts on Maori culture is that Tefuerro Fero showed restraint due to deeper dimensions within his tribe's structure. Namely, while his larger Waikato iwi was at war with Teiroparaha's Gatetoa iwi, there were still numerous critical links between many of the involved fighters sub-tripes. The specific names of these connected sub-tribs were seemingly not well-documented or commemorated, but multiple accounts claim that the majority of the senior members in Tifuerafwero's

army were against executing Te Roperaha. Ultimately, Tefuerrofuerro listened to his people and negotiated for his tribe to take control of Ngatitoa Territory. and he banished his foes to the Taranaki region to the south of his enlarged Wakato domain. Subsequently, Tefuerrefero led his army into Taranaki, possibly to keep pushing Teiroparaja south, although it appears probable that his most pressing goal was to rescue an Allied war party that was under siege nearby.

This is where things took a... drastic turn. Tefuerre Fuerre supposedly had the foresight to realize Teh Roparaha was planning the fake retreat, but when his fellow Waikato warriors and chiefs disregarded his warnings and attacked anyway, he had little choice but to support them. The legends and history books are murky about the exact identity of the slain Waikato chief with whom Tefuerofuerro stayed while his enemies closed. in. But according to the many probably embellished accounts of that fateful day, his loyalty to his allies and love for his fellow leader could not have been clearer. The real question was how far any related benevolence stretched among his enemies, namely what mercy was within the heart of Te Roparaha.

Fortunately for Te Fuero Fero, his chief adversary, arrived and ultimately decided to stay his execution. Once again, the question of why has intrigued historians and writers. The simplest explanation is that Teiroparaha felt compelled to repay his debt since Tifuerre Fuerro had previously spared his life. As we've touched upon, the more complex answer involves several other notable factors, including territory negotiations and underlying relationships between sub-tribes. Importantly, underpinning all of this was the fascinating and foundational concept of Mana.

As previously mentioned, Mana denoted the authority and prestige of a person. It bestowed respect. It was the essence of someone's aura. But Mana went beyond that. Maori society had no specific word or concept of religion in the same sense that many European cultures at the time did. As certain researchers and anthropologists have pointed out, supernatural and natural were inextricably linked and intertwined throughout the fabric of Maori daily tribal life, all through mana.

Mana was inherited at birth, but also constantly fluctuated. fluctuated over one's lifetime. Maori could increase their mana through courageous acts, such as fighting heroically in battle, while their mana might decrease if they suffered distinct embarrassments, such as allowing themselves to be shamefully tricked. On occasion, mana could be sneakily stolen, or even stem from brash humor.

In a 1990 issue of New Zealand, Geographic, a journalist and student of Maori culture and customs named Chris Winnitana recounted this amusing story about his ancestor from roughly 300 years ago, who was famously skilled with a type of long staff weapon. Quote, one day he was caught alone near the Star Lake by a battalion of soldiers out to settle a score. Outnumbered 400 to 1, he had to a choice to make. Die, run, or simply see who had the most mana. Deciding on the ladder, he calmly lifted his war apron, exposed himself, and urinated in front of the enemy. Satisfied that he had made the right impact, he yelled out to them, you have now seen my long staff.

Do not come forth for its mana will kill you. Nonsolantly, he turned around, broke wind, and walked away. Fearing the double-edged threat of his mana, not one of the 400 was game to have a go. End quote. Power, prestige, pissing contests, all were laced with mana. And above all, mana was deeply rooted in family. A Maori person's mana went all the way back to their ancestors and to the Atua, their ancestral deities, and to the Atau, their ancestral deities, and and potent keepers of knowledge who helped to link people to the natural world. Crucially, Tefuerofueros and Teiroparraha's respective mana were believed to flow all the way from the revered captains of the two legendary Polynesian canoes that first landed on the shores of the North Island.

So these leaders crossing paths as influential chiefs in their own rights was something of a full-circle moment in terms of New Zealand, Maori, and hereditary history. Tefuerrefero would have undoubtedly known this, thanks to his schooling and genealogical wisdom. Accordingly, he was reportedly an eloquent orator, and so he surely made his case well. when faced with his rival chieftain and the threat of execution. And what he couldn't get across in words, he backed up with his actions, because Te Roperaha did not let Tifuerofuero off easy. As the stories go,

Tefuerroferro first had to face numerous well-armed chiefs in single combat with only the simple digging tool he had to defend himself. Unlike the hem, long staff master who boldly peed and farted to intimidate his foes, Tefuerrefero had to actually fight for his life, since his opponents apparently were all game to have a go. But he conducted himself valiantly, and in the end, the combination of Tefuerofuerro's heritage, past deeds, charisma, and raw power, all ostensibly persuaded Tehropara'as to negotiate for his release when a number of Waikato allies returned.

Put simply, Tefuerro Fero had too much mana to deny. It's worth noting that scholarship today largely relies on both European historical texts and Maori oral traditions. Understandably, these sources often offer decidedly different. perspectives. For a long period, Maori oral traditions were disregarded by many colonial scholars. These dismissals purportedly went hand in hand with the sort of Eurocentric vision for New Zealand that was used to directly and indirectly justify attempts throughout the 19th century to separate Maori from their lands and force them to culturally assimilate. However, later analysis by a range of both Maori, historians and non-native researchers frequently showed that, while sometimes embellished,

these oral histories were just as accurate, if not more so, than many European settlers' written documentations. And if anything, the passed-down legends give us the best context and insight regarding many significant and densely interconnected Maori tribal events, such as Tefuerro Fero and Teh Rappuraha's epic rivalry. Tefuerro Fuerro's legacy kept growing through the Musket Wars. In terms of hierarchy, Tefuerro Fero took command of the overall Wicato Iwi when his father died in about 1830. He then continued to increase Waikato territory throughout the central part of the North Island, ultimately helping to make them one of the most powerful and powerful and

prosperous tribes in all of New Zealand. Tifuerifuerro eventually even saw value in negotiating for peace with the Ngata Toa. According to some chroniclers, it was quite mutually beneficial for these prominent tribes to work together as their interests further aligned due to the encroachment of common enemies and their increasing need to deal with foreign governments and monarchs. Some scholars have additionally posited that Tefuerrefouro's peacemaking was a result of his increased interest in British missionaries' Christian teaching and values. All that said, Tefuerrefero by no means became a universally beloved individual or an entirely magnanimous figurehead. After all, he'd still committed and instigated plenty of war and murder. But as a warrior, rank Tira and

spiritual leader, Tifuerre Fuerre was seemingly always able to garner some level of respect, even from his opponents. And in many ways, the image of Tifuerafuero Fero loyally standing guard besides a fallen ally, brandishing a digging implement while attackers encircled him, was symbolic of both his persona and of dramatic events to come, because as colonists increasingly ventured from Europe to New Zealand, the dark storm clouds of a Maori versus British war began gathering on the horizon. Tefuerre Fuero would soon find himself caught in the middle as he was ultimately presented with the staggering opportunity to become the first ever monarch in Maori history. That's part one of the story of Tefuerre Fuero's unique rise to royalty.

But stick around after a brief sponsor break to learn a fascinating piece of his rival-turned-comrade's spiritual legacy. Get the tables or join the action live with Bet Victor tons of casino games await, plus the excitement of the live casino, all-in-one convenient app for when you choose to play. For timeless classics, the newest releases, and instant withdrawals, download the Bet-Victor app. Bet-Victor since 1946. 19 plus Ontario only please play responsibly. Bet Victor operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, visit connectsontera.com.

Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer. And that was more difficult.

There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to. me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My first guest is Harris Houghton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie. I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305.

where the group chat comes to life. What a . It's like a way of saying like, oh, my, my friend, oh, my her mother. What up? Look, I never have to have to have nobody.

Except with my kids, my kids, my kids, yes. See my amante. Uff! Yeah. That's the novel.

You're the only person I know that loves a Yellow Starburst. It's a woman. There's no, there's a like you say, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lelepons as part of my Cultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For anyone who has watched New Zealand's vaunted international rugby team, the All Blacks, prepare for a match in recent decades, the sight and sound of their forceful Haka or ceremonial challenge is incredibly iconic. Interestingly, the Haka most commonly performed by the All Blacks and many other New Zealand sports teams is Kha-Mate, which was composed by none other than Tifuerofwero's one-time bitter rival, Te Rapuraha. Maori oral histories credit the famed Ngatutoa chief with creating the Haka in 1820 after evading some of his Wakato enemies in the Musket Wars. The chief reportedly had to hide in a sweet potato storage pit with the help of a female farmer. When he safely emerged into the sunlight, he was so elated and thankful that he composed the chant as a celebration of life over death and as an ode to the spiritual power of the woman who stood guard and helped save his life. Not only did New Zealand's sporting traditions benefit from the chief survival, surviving, Tefuerrefero eventually would as well, because the rival chief's lineage would

greatly impact De Fuero Fuerre's eventual candidacy to become the first king of New Zealand. But listen to next week's episode to find out about that. Noble Blood is a production of IHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manke. Noble Blood is hosted by me, Dana Schwartz. Writers for Noble Blood are Hannah Jom. Hannah Zwick, Paul Jaffe, Natasha Lasky, and me, Dana Schwartz. The show is edited and produced by Jesse Funk and Nome's Gripen, with supervising producer Rima Il Kali,

and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from Iheart Radio, visit the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotbi.

If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Listen to Joy 101 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotbe is presented by CVS. My first guest is Terrence Hilton, Shakira, Luke, and Yerrin. Have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life.

What on? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the I-HartRour. radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone sees me as a football player, but before anything else, I'm human.

Every single day, I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions ever since I was born. This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real, and genuine, just honest conversations about what it means to be alive. I'm Javier Tchariot Hernandez, and listen to Learning to Be Human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. This is an I-heart podcast, guaranteed human.