Manaia (mythological creature) Manaia (mythological creature) The Manaia is a mythological creature in Māori culture, and is a common motif in Māori carving and jewellery. The Manaia is usually depicted as having the head of a bird and the tail of a fish and the body of a man, though it is sometimes depicted as a bird, a serpent, or a human figure in profile. Other interpretations include a seahorse and a lizard. The word "manaia" is cognate with the founding Samoan term "fa'amanaia", and relevant to the Niuean "fakamanaia", both meaning to make a decoration or embellishment. The Manaia is traditionally believed
What a queer bird What a queer bird "What a queer bird" is a poem of unclear origin. It first can be found in print in 1922, rapidly disseminating across dozens of publications in the United States that year. "What a queer bird" is a poem, folk song, or essay that may be sung as a round. It first can be found in print in 1922, rapidly disseminating across dozens of publications in the United States that year, but its precise origin is unclear. The words are as follows: In 1922, multiple United States publications attributed the poem or essay to "a young Norwegian