Case file · Fairy lore
Patupaiarehe
Fair-skinned, red- or blond-haired 'fairy people' of Māori tradition who live on misty hilltops, play the flute and lure people away.
1800 CE · -37.90, 175.50 · status: legend
The account
Patupaiarehe are said to avoid sunlight and cooked food and to be driven off by fire or red ochre. Hills such as Pirongia and Moehau are associated with them, and some tribal histories tell of marriages between people and patupaiarehe.
The sceptical view
Traditional belief stories; no physical evidence.