why are we "The Story telling apes?"

[KichigaiNeko]

That is a point.... all these 'stories' could they be mnemonics? There is some NZ tale of one of the deities wanting Sea urchins for dinner and because of some mini drama the Pohutakawa always blooms at the time when this food is available

Pohutukawa and its cousin rata also hold a prominent place in Maori tradition. Legends tell of Tawhaki, a young Maori warrior, who attempted to find heaven to seek help in avenging the death of his father. He fell to earth and the crimson flowers are said to represent his blood.

A gnarled, twisted pohutukawa on the windswept cliff top at Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand, has become of great significance to many New Zealanders. For Maori this small, venerated pohutukawa is known as ‘the place of leaping’. It is from here that the spirits of the dead begin their journey to their traditional homeland of Hawaiiki. From this point the spirits leap off the headland and climb down the roots of the 800-year-old tree, descending into the underworld on their return journey.

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/...wa-flowers