My original fascination with gourds admittedly came from the Asterix stories, where Asterix in times of desperation and need would drink the magic elixir which the druid ‘Getafix’ had prepared and he would attain temporary super powers to thwart his enemies and overcome his epic challenges. Hue in Māori culture are brought to us by the female deity ‘Hine Pu te Hue’. Hine Pū Te Hue was the daughter of Tāne and Hine Rauamoa. In the great war of the brothers ,Hine took their anger and placed it into the gourd to be in turn replaced by peace. The gourds carried karakia for safety which were to be removed in times of need. The gourds are also the holders of the codes for many sounds, from the boom of the kākāpō, the coo of the kererū, to the tangi of the kuia. All gentle, calming and peaceful.
I’ve grown these hue, dried them outside in the weather over 3 lunar phases and now it’s time to clean them up for display.