Oriori

Specific waiata sung to pēpi while in the whare tangata of their hākui (mother's womb) are known as oriori. These chants were performed by our tīpuna for labouring wāhine and can also be recited during a child’s upbringing, or to observe the death of a child, according to scholar Amster Reedy. Oriori would begin at conception, and sometimes to help the woman to conceive. They can be used to soothe the labouring mother as a form of pain relief, and they can also be sung to lull the pēpi to sleep.

On this website you can hear examples of various kinds of oriori, the main section is for pēpi and their whānau, and another section is for whānau of pēpi who didn’t make it into this realm or were with their whānau for a short time, eg. by miscarriage or stillbirth.

Select an oriori from the listings below to hear the oriori, interviews by the performer and/or composer and to download lyrics..