The First Lunar Month (June - July) Pipiri All things contracted
by cold, including man. There are regional differences in the
names of the months. The quote above is from East Coast
traditions. In later years, some month names were
transliterations of English names. In some areas the name Pipiri
was given to a star of low rank, or rather two stars adhering to
each other. It has not been clearly identified. To some tribes,
Pipiri is one of the names for the constellation of Scorpius,
while to others Pipiri was a star that appeared a little before
Matariki. The first month is sometimes called the Tahi o Pipiri,
and the saying Te po tutanga nui o Pipiri refers to the long
nights of winter. In ancient times the year began with the
rising of Matariki, the Pleiades star group, in what we now call
the month of June. This marked Tahitahi o pipiri (according to
Matanahira Te Hurupa of Ngati Huarere and Waiohua) that is stay
close together, for men to stay inside the house out of the
cold. The following months are the