Taniwha of the rivers

In Maori tradition taniwha are powerful beings that dwell in rivers, lakes, caves and the sea, sometimes guardians of a tribe and a place, sometimes a danger to be appeased. They mark real hazards, rapids, currents, unstable ground, and taniwha claims are taken seriously in New Zealand planning law to this day, which makes this one of the very few living folk traditions with statutory weight. Told with respect as Maori tradition, on real and beautiful water.