Contested myths of origin surround one of New Zealand’s best-loved cultural icons, or ‘kiwiana’: a pull-along children’s toy called the Buzzy Bee. This paper clarifies those domains by presenting new information gleaned from Betty Schlesinger, widow of the bee’s inventor. Clarification is important because the Buzzy Bee is, as kiwiana, a material item strongly associated with Kiwi identity. As a Māori word, ‘Kiwi’ is a common, often self-ascribed, term identifying people from Aotearoa New Zealand. In clarifying the Buzzy Bee’s history, this paper adds new information to the knowledge base of what it means to be Kiwi. That knowledge base is enhanced, because this paper notes that the Buzzy Bee was invented and first manufactured here in New Zealand by Betty Schlesinger’s husband Maurice Schlesinger. Betty Schlesinger’s account contrasts more popular and well-known origin myths that have served to cloud the Bee’s definitive history. In clarifying the Buzzy Bee’s genesis using Betty Schlesinger’s narrative, this paper also emphasises the important link between identity, materiality and national identity.

中文翻译：

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猕猴桃身份的象征

有争议的起源神话围绕着新西兰最受欢迎的文化偶像之一，即“ kiwiana”：一种名为Buzzy Bee的拉动儿童玩具。本文通过介绍蜜蜂发明家的遗ow贝蒂·施莱辛格（Betty Schlesinger）收集的新信息来阐明这些领域。澄清很重要，因为像猕猴桃一样，嗡嗡蜂是与猕猴桃身份密切相关的物质。作为一个毛利人的单词，“奇异果”是一个常见的，通常是自称的，用来识别来自新西兰奥特罗阿人的术语。在阐明Buzzy Bee的历史时，本文将新信息添加到知识库中，这说明了猕猴桃的含义。该知识库得到了增强，因为本文指出Buzzy Bee是由Betty Schlesinger的丈夫Maurice Schlesinger在新西兰发明并首次制造的。贝蒂·施莱辛格（Betty Schlesinger）的叙述与更流行，更广为人知的起源神话形成了鲜明对比，这些神话掩盖了蜜蜂的权威历史。在使用贝蒂·史莱辛格的叙述澄清嗡嗡蜂的起源时，本文还强调了身份，重要性和民族身份之间的重要联系。