START Microfilmed By The LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA —. : 7064 4 ans MYTHS AND SONGS FROM AA A THE SOUTH PACIFIC. BY THE REV. WILLIAM WYATT GILL, B.A, OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. WITH A PREFACE BY F. MAX MULLER, MA, PROFESSOR OF COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY AT OXFORD ; FOREIGN MEMBER OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE. Henry S. Kine & Co., LoxNpon. 1876. PREFACE. Having expressed a strong desire that the collection of Myths and Songs from the South Pacific, which the Rev. W. Wyatt Gill brought home with him from Mangaia, should not be allowed to lie forgotten, or, like other valuable materials collected by hard- working missionaries, perish altogether, I could not well decline to state, in a few words, what I consider the real importance of this collection to be. I confess it seemed strange to me that its importance should be questioned. If new minerals, plants, or animals are discovered, if strange petrifactions are brought to light, if flints or other stone weapons are dredged up, or works of art disinterred, even if a hitherto unknown language is rendered accessible for the first time, no one, I think, who is acquainted with the scientific problems of (The rights of translation and reproduction are reserved.) our age, would ask what their importance consists in, or what they 156147 Preface. are good for. Whether they are products of nature or works of man, if only there is no doubt as to their genuineness, they claim and most readily receive the attention, not only of the learned, but also of the intelligent public at large. Now, what are these Myths and Songs which Mr. W. W. Gill has brought home from Mangaia, but antiquities, preserved for hundreds, it may be for thousands of years, showing us, far better than any stone weapons or stone idols, the growth of the human mind during a period which, as yet, is full of the most perplexing problems to the psychologist, the historian, and the theologian ? The only hope of our ever unravelling the perplexities of that mythological period, or that mythopceic phase of the human intellect, lies in our gaining access to every kind of collateral evidence. We know that mythopeeic period among the Aryan and Semitic races, but we know it from a distance only, and where are we to look now for living myths and legends, except among those who still think and speak mythologically, who are, in fact, at the present moment what the Hindus were before the collection of their sacred hymns, and the Greeks long before the days of Homer? (To find ourselves among a people who really believe in gods and heroes and ancestral spirits), who still offer human sacrifices, who in some cases devour their human victims, or, at all events, burn the flesh of animals on their altars, trusting that the scent will be sweet to the nostrils of their gods, is as if the zoologist could spend a few days among the megatheria, » Preface. vii or the botanist among the waving ferns of the forests, buried beneath our feet. So much is written just now, and has been written during the last fifty years, on human archeology, on the growth and progress of the intellect, on the origin of religion, on the first beginnings of social institutions ; so many theories have been started, so many generalizations put forward with perfect confidence, that one might almost imagine that all the evidence was before us, and no more new light could be expected from anywhere. But the very contrary is the case. There are many regions still to be explored, there are many facts, now put forward as certain, which require the most careful inspection, and as we read again and again the minute descriptions of the journey which man is supposed to have made from station to station, from his childhood to his manhood, or, it may be, his old age, it is difficult to resist a feeling of amazement, and to suppress at almost every page the exclamation, Wait ! wait ! There are the two antagonistic schools, each holding its tenets with a kind of religious fervour—the one believing in a descending, the other in an ascending, development of the human race ; the one asserting that the history of the human mind begins of necessity with a state of purity and simplicity which gradually gives way to corruption, perversity, and savagery ; the other main- taining with equal confidence, that the first human beings could not have been more than one step above the animals, and that their whole history is one of progress towards higher perfection. With viii Preface. regard to the beginnings of religion, the one school holds to a primitive suspicion of something that is beyond—call it super- natural, transcendent, or divine. It considers a silent walking across this jkula* of life, with eyes fixed on high, as a more perfect realisation of primitive religion than singing of Vedic hymns, offer- of Jewish sacrifices, or the most elaborate creeds and articles. The other begins with the purely animal and passive nature of man, * «So on the 12th of August, we made the steep ascent to the village of Namgea, and from there to a very unpleasant j%u/a, which crosses the foaming torrent of the Sutlej. In this part of the Himalaya, and, indeed, on to Kashmir, these bridges are constructed of twigs, caiefly from birch trees or bushes, twisted together. Two thick ropes of these twigs, about the size of a man’s thigh, or a little larger, are stretched across the river, at a distance of about six to four feet from each other, and a similar rope runs between them, three or four feet lower, being connected with the upper ropes by more slender ropes, also usually of birch twigs twisted together, but sometimes of grass, and occurring at an interval of about five feet from each other. The unpleasantness of a jkila is that the passenger has no proper hold of the upper ropes, which are too thick and rough to be grasped by the hand; and that, at the extremities, they are so far apart that it is difficult to have any hold of both at the same time ; while the danger is increased by the bead or hang of the j%#/a, which is much lower in the middle than at its ends. He has also to stcop painfully in order to move along it, and it is seldom safe for him to rest his feet on the lower rope, except where it is supported from the upper ropes by the transverse ones. To fall into the raging torrent underneath would be almost certain destruction. The high wind which usually prevails in the Himalaya during the day, makes the whole structure swing about frightfully. In the middle of the bridge there is a cross-bar of wood (to keep the two upper ropes separate) which has to be stepped over ; and it is not customary to repair a jZz/a until some one falls through it, and so gives practical demonstration that it is in rather a rotten condition.” —ANDREW WILSON, ‘‘The Abode of Snow,” p. 197. Preface. IX and tries to show how the repeated impressions of the world in which he lived, drove him to fetichism, whatever that may mean, to ancestor-worship, to a worship of nature, of trees and serpents, of mountains and rivers, of clouds and meteors, of sun and moon and stars, and the vault of heaven, and at last, by what is called a natural mistake, of One who dwells in heaven above. hors 3a © 3 . . There is some truth in every one of these views: but they become untrue by being generalized. The time has not come yet, 1t probably never will come, when we shall be able to assert any- thing about the real beginnings of religion in general. We know a little here, a little there, but whatever we know of early religion oS ’ we always see that it presupposes vast periods of an earlier development. Sorae people imagine that fetichism, at all events, presupposes nothing: they would probably not hesitate to ascribe to some of the higher animals the faculty of fetich-worship. But few words are so devoid of scientific precision as ftichism, a term first rendered popular by the writings of De Brosses. Let us suppose that it means a kind of temporary worship of any material object which the fancy may happen to select, as a tree, a stone, a ont an animal: —can that be called a primitive form of religion? First of all, religion is one thing, worship another, and the two are by no means necessarily connected. But, even if they were, what is the meaning of worship paid to a stone, but the outward sign of a b xX Pre ace. pre-existent belief that this stone is more than a stone, something supernatural, it may be something divine, so that the ides of he supernatural and the divine, instead of growing out of ferichiom, are generally, if not always, presupposed by it? The same #pplies to ancestor-worship, which not only presupposes the conceptions of immortality and of the ideal unity of a family, but implies in many cases a belief that the spirits of the departed are worthy to share the honours paid to divine beings. To maintain that all religion begins with fetichism, all myth- ology with ancestor-worship, is simply untrue, as far as our present knowledge goes. There is fetichism, there is hd there is nature-worship, whether of trees or serpents, of mountains or rivers, of clouds and meteors, of sun and moon and stars, and the vault of heaven ; there is all this, and there is much more than all this, wherever we can watch the early growth of religious ideas : but, what we have to learn is, first of all, to distinguish, to study each religion, each mythology, each form of worship by itself, to watch them during successive periods of their growth and decay, to follow them through different strata of society, and before all, to have each of them, as much as possible, studied in their own language. If language is the realization of thought and feeling, the 1m- is 2); age fa correct apprecia- portance of a knowledge of the language for a correct apy tion of what it was meant to convey in the expression of religious Preface. x1 thought and feeling, requires no proof. I have often insisted on this, and I have tried to show—whether successfully or not, let others judge—that much of what seems at first irrational and inexplicable in mythology, and in religion also, can be explained by the influence which language exercises on thought. I have never said that the whole of mytholog y can be explained in that way, that all that seems irrational is due to a misunderstanding, or that all mythology is a disease of language. Some parts of mythology I have proved to be soluble by means of linguistic tests, but mythology as a whole I have alw-s represented as a complete period of thought, inevitable, I b..ieve, in the develop- ment of human thought, and comprehending all and eve rything that at a given time can fall within the horizon of the human mind. The Nemesis of disproportion seems to haunt all new discoveries. Parts of mythology are religious, parts of mythology are historical, parts of mythology are metaphysical, parts of mythology are poetical ; but mythology as a whole is neither religion, nor history, nor philosophy, nor poetry. It compre- hends all these together under that peculiar form of expression which is natural and intelligible at a certain stage, or at certain recurring stages in the development of thought and speech, but which, after becoming traditional, becomes frequently unnatural and unintelligible. In the same manner nature-worship, tree- worship, serpent-worship, ancestor-worship, god-worship, hero- worship, fetichism, all are parts of religion, but none of these by itself can explain the origin or growth of religion, which compre- xii Preface. hends all these and many more elements in the various phases of its growth. If anything can help to impress upon students of religion and mythology the necessity of caution, the advantage of special research, and, above all, the necessity of a scholarlike treatment, it is a book like that of Mr. Gill,—an account of a religion and mythology which were still living in the island of Mangaia, when Mr. Gill went there as a missionary twenty-two years ago, and which, as they died away before his eyes, he carefully described to us from what he saw himself, from what the last depositaries of the old faith told him, and from what was recorded of it in sacred songs, which he gives us in the original, with literal translations. It is true that the religion and mythology of the Polynesian race have often been treated before, but one of their greatest charms consists in the very fact that we possess them in so many forms. Each island has, so to say, its own religious and mythological dialect, and though there is much that is common to all, and must therefore be old, there is at the same time much local and indi- vidual variety.| Again, the great advantage of Mr. Gill's collection is that Mangaia has kept itself freer from foreign influences than almost any other of the Polynesian islands. ‘¢ The isolation of the Hervey Islanders,” he says, “was in favour of the purity of their traditions, and the extreme jealousy with which they were guarded 1 » J ro fi > was rather an advantage than otherwise.” When we find strange Preface. X1ii coincidences between the legends of Mangaia and Jewish, Chris- tian, or classical stories, we need not suspect that former European travellers had dropped the germs of them, or that missionaries had given, unconsciously, their own colouring to them. Mr. Gill has been specially on the guard against this and other sources of error. * Whilst collecting my myths,” he says, “I put away from me all classical mythology, being afraid that unconsciously I might mould these Polynesian stories into similarity with those of Greece and Rome. On my making inquiries whether the Polynesian tradition about Eve (Ivi), which I had discussed in my “Science of Reli- gion” (p. 304), was to be found in Mangaia, Mr. Gill informed me that it was not, and that he strongly suspected its European origin. The elements of the story may have previously existed, and we see some traces of it in the account of the creation current in Mangaia, but Mr. Gill suspects that some of the mutineers of the Bounty may have told the natives the Bible story, and that it became incorporated with their own notions. The jawbone, too, with which we are told that Maui, the great solar hero of the Polynesians, destroyed his enemies, is absent in Mangaia. When I inquired about it, Mr. Gill informed me that he never heard of it in the Hervey Group in connection with Maul. Such things are extremely important for a proper treatment of X1v Preface. mythology. I hold no longer to the rule that when two myth- ologies agree in what is irrational or foolish, they must have had the same origin, or must have come into contact with each other at some period of their history. If there was a reason for the jawbone to be used as a weapon in one country, the same reason may have existed in another. But, even if there was no reason, a fact that happened or was imagined to have happened in one place may surely have happened or have been imagined to have happened in another. At first, no doubt, we feel startled by such coincidences ; and that they often offer a prima facie pre- sumption in favour of a common origin cannot be denied. But as we read on from one mythology to another, our sensitiveness with regard to these coincidences becomes blunted, and we feel hardened against appeals which are founded exclusively on such evidence. At first sight, what can be more startling than to see the interior of the world, the invisible or nether world, the Hades of the Mangaians, called Avazks, Avii being the name of one of the lower regions, both among Brahmans and Buddhists? But we have only to look around, and we find that in Tahitian the name for Hades is Hawaii, in New Zealand Hawaiki, and more originally, I suppose, Sawai; so that the similarity between the Sanskrit and Polynesian words vanishes very quickly. That the name of the Sun-god in Mangaia is Za has been pointed out as a strange coincidence with Egypt; but more really Preface. XV important is the story of Ra being made captive, as reminding us of similar solar legends in Greece, Germany, Peru, and elsewhere. * Who can read the Mangaian story of Ina (the moon) and her ~ mortal lover, who, as he grew old and infirm, had to be sent back to the earth to end his days there, without thinking of Selene and Endymion, of Eos and Tithonos ? Who again, if acquainted with the Vedic myth of the Maruts,+ the strikers, the Storm-gods, and their gradual change into the Roman god of war, Mars, can fail to see the same transition of thought in several of the gods of the storms, of war and destruc- tion among the Polynesians, though here again the similarity in the name of Maru is purely accidental. In some of the Polynesian islands the Deluge is said to have lasted exactly forty days. This, no doubt, is startling. It may be the result of missionary influence. But, even if it were not, the coincidence between the Polynesian and the Jewish accounts on that one point may be either purely accidental, or may be founded on rude meteorological calculations which we have not yet de- tected. I do not like to quote coincidences from American tra- ditions, because we know that we are never safe there against * Chips from a German Workshop. 2nd Edition, vol. ii. p. 110. + Rig-Veda-Sanhita, The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans. Translated by F. Max Miiller. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts, or the Storm-Gods. London, Triibner and Co. 1869. Xvi Preface. Spanish by-notes; otherwise the account of the Toltec deluge, and the statement that the mountains were covered to the depth of “fifteen cubics,” might be quoted as another undesigned coin- cidence.* According to the Chimalpopoca MS., the Creator produced His work in successive epochs, man being made on the seventh day from dust and ashes. Why, we may ask, on the seventh day? But others, without even insisting on the peculiar character of the seventh number, may simply ask, Why not ? There 1s much similarity between the Hindi account of the Deluge and the Jewish ; but no one who has read the numerous accounts of a deluge in other parts of the world, would feel much surprised at this. At all evens, if we admitted a common origin of the two, or an actual borrowing, then to explain the differences between them would be extremely difficult. The only startling coincidence is, that in India the flood is said to begin on the seventh day after it had been announced to Manu. Considering, however, that the seventh day is mentioned in the * Bhigavata- Purana” only, I feel inclined to look upon it as merely accidental. It might, no doubt, have been borrowed from Jewish or even Mohammedan sources; but how can we imagine any reason why so unmeaning a fact should have been taken over, while ¢» so many other points, where there was every temptation to borrow, nothing was done to assimilate the two accounts, or to remove features of which, at that time, the Hindus might well be supposed {o have been ashamed? I mention all this for the sole purpose of * Bancroft, Native Races, vol. v. p. 20. Preface. xvii preaching patience and caution ; and I preach it against myself quite as much as against others, as a warning against exclusive theories. On every page of these Mangaian legends there is evidence that many of them owe their origin to language, whether we adopt the theory that the Mangaians played on the words, or that their words played on them. Mr. Gill himself fully admits this ; but to say that the whole of the Mangaian mythology and theology owed its origin to the oxydizing process to which language is exposed in every country, would be to mistake the rust for the iron. With all these uncertainties before us, with the ground shaking under our feet, who would venture to erect at present complete systematic theories of mythology or religion? Let any one who thinks that all religion begins with fetichism, all worship with ancestor-worship, or that the whole of mythology everywhere can be explained as a disease of language, try his hand on this short account of the beliefs and traditions of Mangaia ; and if he finds that he fails to bring even so small a segment of the world’s religion and mythology into the narrow circle of his own system, let him pause before he ventures to lay down rules as to how man, on ascending from a lower or descending from a higher state, must have spoken, must have believed, must have worshipped. If Mr. Gill's book were to produce no other effect but this, it would have proved one of the most useful works at the present moment. Ltr But it contains much that in itself will deeply interest all those who have learned to sympathize with the childhood of the world, and have not forgotten that the child is the father of the man; much that will startle those who think that metaphysical concep- tions are incompatible with downright savagery ; much iso that will comfort those who hold that God has not left Himself without 1 witness, even among the lowest outcasts of the human race. F. MAX MULLER. OXFORD, Fanuary 20, 1370. | ing profligacy. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. THE writer of the following pages has been for twenty-two | years a missionary in the Hervey Group, a small cluster of islands in the South Pacific, lying between the 19° and 22° parallels of S. latitude and 157° and 160° of W. longitude. He has sought to reproduce, as nearly as possible, the tradi- tionary beliefs of a small section of the widely scattered Poly- nesian family. On them the hopes and aspirations of many past generations were founded. W e correctly call the entire system a “mythology ;” to them it was a theology,”—the true doctrine of the visible and the invisible world. The actual w orking of these false ethics was unceasing and pitiless war, unbridled and unblush- Correct knowledge of these “mysteries” was possessed only by the priests and “wise men?” of the different tribes. By them the teachings of the past were embodied in songs, to be chanted at their national festivals. These songs possessed great fascination for the native intellect, and tended to the preservation of the ancient faith. The writers object is simply to aid the student of ethnology in his researches. While there is much that is puerile and absurd in this heathen . philosophy, there are evident glimmerings of primeval light. The XX Introductory Remarks. Polynesian name for God expresses a great truth. The continued existence of the human spirit after death is implied in their “laments” and in the beautiful allegory of Veétini. The cruel system of human sacrifice is but a perversion of ancient truth. The common origin of mankind is taught in the contrast between “the fair-haired and fairskinned children of Tan- garoa,” and ‘‘ the dark-haired and dark-skinned children of Rongo ; There 1s an undercurrent of yearning after the True God in some of their both the offspring of Great Vatea. songs ; eg. as when Koroa sings (p. 215) :— Oh, for some other Helper! Sore new divinity, to listen To the sad story of thy wasting disease! As the result of many years’ inquiry into the ancient faith of Poly- nesia. the writer most heartily endorses the remark of Professor Max Miiller : “ Wherever there are traces of human life, there are traces also of religion.” * A large portion of what is contained in this volume was derived from Tereavai, the last priest of the shark-god Tiaio. Some links in the system were irrecoverably lost by the slaughter of his father Tuka, at the battle of Araeva, not long before the landing of the first Christian teachers. Nothing but the cordial reception of the new faith could have » induced Tereavai to yield up to the stranger the esoteric teachings of the priestly clan. The writer throughout has been greatly indebted to the sagacity and unwearied patience of Sadaraka (grandson of the poet Koroa), who is allowed by his own countrymen to be the best living critic of his Each island in the group had a dialect, a history, The language of ancient Polynesian own language. and a worship of its own. * Science of Religion, p. 118. Introductory Remarks. xxi song is not that now spoken; bearing the same relation to the living tongue as the Greek of Homer does to that of Xenophon. The myths and prayers (karakia) are believed to be of great antiquity. The dirges and clan-songs are modern, but are doubt- less echoes of older compositions. Should the present volume meet with acceptance, a collection of ‘ Prehistoric Sketches,” with illustrative clan-songs, may hereafter appear. WwW. W. GILL LEWISHAM, Fanuary, 1870. CONTENTS. I.-MYTHS OF CREATION. The Beginning of all things. Dramatic song of creation II.—-DEIFIED MEN. Derivation of the Polynesian word for God. Tiaio, king and god. Tane-Ngakiau. Tekuraaki. Song of the shore-king, high priest of Rongo. Derivation of Polynesian word ‘‘atua,” or god. A human priesthood needed. Dedication of infants. Naming of children III.—ASTRONOMICAL MYTHS. A chase that never ends. Song of the twins. Matariki, or Pleiades. The sun and moon. The woman in the moon. Eclipses. A celestial fish-hook. A day-song for Maaki’s féte IV.—THE EXPLOITS OF MAUL The fire-god’s secret. The fire-god’s song. The sky-raised ; or, the origin of pumice stone. The sun made captive. The wisdom of Manihiki. Maui enslaving the sun. The sky raised. Maui's last and greatest achievement V.—TREE MYTHS. The myth of the cocoa-nut tree. Tahitian myth of the cocoa-nut tree. The iron-wood tree. Ono fells a famous tree. Wanderings of Ono VI.—INA, THE FAIRY VOYAGER. Ina’s voyage to the Sacred Isle. Song of Ina. Final stanza of the day-song for Tenio’s féte. The voyage of Ina. The taairangi, or porpoise. The finny subjects of Tinirau. Numeration and the art of fishing invented. The origin of dancing. A song for Tenio’s féte ... VIL-—MISCELLANEOUS MYTHS. A bachelor god in search of a wife. Echo; or, the cave fairy. The prince of reed-throwers. The origin of kite-flying. A kite song for Tenio’s féte. Uti’s torch; or, will-a-wisp. Mosquitoes. Contents. “The-long-lived.” Human arts and inventions. Perils of beauty. Origin of pigs at Rarotonga. Seeking for light. Rata’s canoe. Prayer or charm for a thief or a murderer ces . vs el 107 VIII.—HADES ; OR, THE DOCTRINE OF SPIRIT-WORLD. Aitutakian hell. Aitutakian heaven. Dramatic song of Miru. Sneezing. A farewell chanted at a reed-throwing match for women. A IX.—VEETINI; OR, THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. Vaipo's dirge for Veétini. The closing or day-song for Tenio’s féte. Veétini meeting his father. Dirge for Vera. The ghosts led by Vera preparing for their final departure. Puvai leading a band of ghosts to the shades. Koroa’s lament for his son Kourapapa. Another lament for Kourapapa. Death lament for Varenga. Lament for Mourua. A spirit-journey. Introduction to the féte of Riuvaka X.—ADVENTURES IN SPIRIT-WORLD. An escape from spirit-land. The adventures of Ngaru. The drama of Ngaru. The ball-thrower’s song. A journey to the invisible world XI.—FAIRY MEN AND WOMEN. Tapairu ; or, fairy women and men. A song in honour of Mauapa. Prologue to the dramatic féte of Potiki. The fairy of the fountain XII.—DEATH-TALKS AND DIRGES. Ghost-killing. Death-talks. Eva, or dirge-proper. Karaponga’s dirge- proper in honour of Ruru. Arokapiti’s dirge-proper in honour of Ruru. ** Blackened face ” dirge-proper for Atiroa. The first murder and the first battle ul : XIII.—HUMAN SACRIFICES. Why human sacrifices were offered. The drum of peace. Prayer over a human sacrifice to Rongo. Prayer for peace. Kirikovi’s sacrifice. A ‘‘crying” song for Maruata. The death of Ngutuku. Makitaka’s lament XI1V.—THE SEASONS, PHASES OF THE MOON, ETc., ETC. The seasons. Changes of the moon. The mariner’s compass of Poly- nesia. Polynesian plurals. Polynesian numeration ... ve MYTHS AND SONGS FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC. CHAPTER 1 MYTHS OF CREATION. THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. THE universe of these islanders 1s to be conceived of as the hollow of a vast cocoa-nut shell, as in the accompanying diagram. (See next page.) The interior of this imaginary shell is named Avaiki. At the top is a single aperture communicating with the upper world, where mortals (Ze. Mangaians) live. At various depths are different floor- ings, or lands, communicating with each other. But at the very bottom of this supposed cocoa-nut shell is a thick stem, gradually tapering to a point, which represents the very beginning of all things. This point is a spirit or demon, without human form, and 1s named Te-aka-1a-Roé&,* or Z7e-root-of-all-existence. The entire x ! Roé = thread-worm. The idea is of = quivering, slender, worm-like % point, at which existence begins, 7.e. the extremity of the thread-worm. B Myths and Songs. fabric of the universe being. bove this extreme that is to say, Breathing, point 1S or Life. is constantly sustained by this primary Te-tangaengae, or Te-vaerua; This demon 1s stouter and > Lil Alovsr.ocetor He -) ‘ \ ropree mrp br, r Yep ertrere \ \ Lon N ® 5 le roma wrege XR 5 or Tha- thinNand: home ef 1: Abe. of Diniraay” | Mote Togere-, or fm IForeerer Torre, orhe- Zoreg |) Lived ) 4 oP GRE, Te -vaermo™= To-tamye S Brenthing orlife Fook-of all Fara vidoe = Zhe alia OC) Torr creer en ~T0&, This diagram w ill suit the mythol instance, ‘¢ Tahiti” for ¢ Mangaia,’ Avaiki exist. » as the land where - N Jov.steeri \ Thor BR Avocvre * MOON | Soveredd Isle 728 [7 largo a - Lan oF A red parrot Roatbers: home oF frnteanacaslih : home of. Jez - [Ee Sor Deep -Lr ean’. home oF Bon re ov rocks Ss Zz, or The mate land: Fome of ro Creait-M [ther Vartrrnaie Zer- Jere = The Originator o and fer pet orld Tivretaae = Stich~¢ rp thre parent ogy of many other islands ; substituting, for 3 egress and ingress 10 Fadl thangs, SEG Rs Myths of Creation. But the thickest part of the or Zhe-long-lived, the third and last of the primary, ever-stationary, sentient spirits, who themselves con- stronger than the former one. stem 1s Te-manava-roa, stitute the foundation, and insure the permanence and well-being of all the rest of the universe We advance now to the inferior of the supposed cocoa-nut shell. In the lowest depth of Avaiki, where the sides of the lives a woman—a demon, of flesh 7 e- Such 1s the narrowness of her territory that her knees and chin imaginary shell nearly meet, and blood—named Vari-ma-te-takere,* or very-beginning. touch, no other position being possible. Vari-ma-te-takere was very anxious for progeny. One day she plucked off a bit of her right side, and it became a human being—the first man Avatea, or Vatea (the elision of the @ in Avatea is compensated by the v elongation of the second vowel). Now half Vatea, the father of gods and men, was half man and fish, the division being like the two halves of the human The species of fish to which this great divinity was allied (Cetacea), por- xX poises, whose sides are covered with pure fat, and whose home body. being the taairangi or great sea monsters, Ze. Thus one eve of Vatea was human, the the 1s the boundless ocean. other a fish-eye. His right side was f urnished with an arm: left with a fin. He had one proper foot, and half a fish-tail. But there is another, and probably far more ancient, account of Vatea. or Avatea, which means zoonz In all the dialects of Eastern Polynesia. Vatea 1s a man possessed of two magnifi- cent eyes, rarely visible at the same time. In general, whilst one, ! Literally, Zhe-beginning-and-the-bottom of the hollow cocoa-nut shell. ? Vatea is the IWakea of the history. T— Hawaiians, with a similar meaning and ge ad Songs. 4 called by mortals the sun, is seen here in this upper world, the other eve, called by men the moon, shines mn Avaiki. (A contra- dictory myth represents the sun and moon as living beings.) J E C IMAGINARY REPRESENTATION OF VATEA. Compare with this a remarkable picture of a fish-god, from Layard, Dictionary of the Bible, p. 381 (central picture). 1 a Tate aS e- The land assiened by the Great Mother to Vitea was T Another designation for his home papa-rairai, or Zhe-thin-land. : im- was Te enua marama o Vatea, or The-bright-land-of- Vatea, y a 1¢ ay Pe da , plying the perfect contrast between the brightness of noon day 7 o ) ot which is or Avatea, and the utter gloom of Po, or night W equivalent to Avaiki . On another occasion Vari-ma-te-takere tore off a second bit 1 side 1 came Tinirau, or J/z- from that same right side, and it became [nr numerable, who, like his brother, had a second and fishy form. 4 in Smith's Myths of Creation. 5 The sort of fish which composed his half fish body was of the % spratkind. The Great Mother gave him the land of Motu- Tapu, or Sacred Isle as his own domain.? brated ponds full of all kinds of fish. Tinirau was lord of the finny inhabitants of the sea, from the shark downwards. + Another day Vari-ma-te-takere took a bit off her Z/ side, and it became Tango, or Support, who went to live at Enua-Kura,? or Zheland-of-red-parrot-feathers. A fourth child was produced from a bit of the same left side, There were his cele- and was named Tumuteanaoa, or Zc%o, whose home was Te-parai- tea, or Zhe-hollow-grey-rocks. Echo is represented as a female. A fifth child originated from a bit of that same left side of the Great Mother, and was designated Raka, or Zrowdle, who pre- sides, like Aeolus, over the winds. Raka found a congenial home in Moana-Irakau, or Degp-ocean. Raka received from Vari-ma- te-takere a great basket in which the winds were hidden ; also the knowledge of many useful inventions. The children of Raka are the numerous winds and storms which distress mankind. To each child is allotted a hole at the edge of the horizon, through which he blows at pleasure. GINNING, Vari, or Z7e-very-be finding that her left side had been more injured than her right, resolved to make both sides alike by taking a third bit from the 7/g4# side, and named this, her last child, Tu-metua, Stick-by-the-parent. Now, this sixth and most beloved child, as the name implies, lives with the Great Mother in ! At Ngatangiia, Rarotonga, there is an islet, covered with cocoa-nut trees, so named. This is, of course, a modern identification. Z%e *¢ Sacred Isle ” is supposed to be in the shades. * Manuae, or Hervey’s Island: yet mystically the scene is laid in Avaiki, 6 Myths and Songs. that narrow strip of territory constituting the very bottom of Avaiki, and which is designated Te-enua-te-ki, or The-muteland. Do what you may to the attached mother and daughter, you cannot provoke an angry reply; for the only language known in The-mute-land is that of signs—such as nods, elevated eye- brows, grimaces, and smiles. : It is to The-mute-land that Potiki, temporal lord of Mangaia, circa 1790, referred in a féte song :— E enua parere i Avaiki In Avaiki is a land of strange Wiempen E enua mu matangi ¢! Like the sighs of the passing eee ; Kua ie Tautiti nel Where the dance is performed In silence, ite 1 a €! 1 the gift of speech is unknown. Aore e kite 1 te tara ¢ ! Anc g 1 Tu-metua is usually shortened into 7%, a principal god in most of the Polynesian mythologies, to whom the fourteenth might in everv “ moon ” was sacred. On Cook's second visit to Tahity, he found the king to be Otoo, ancestor of the present Pomare. Otoo should be written 7%, the O being a mere prefs to all proper names. This mythological name was adopted in order to secure for its owner the superstitious reverence due to the gods which are unseen by mortals. Tu was the tutelar goddess of On Mangaia Tu was invariably linked with her nephew : The second islet of Hervey’s Moorea. Tangaroa ; but was little regarded. Island is known as * the kingdom of Tu” (au-0-Th). At Raiatea Tu-papa = Zu-of-the-lowest-depths (the same as Tu-metua) becomes the wife of Ra, the Sun-god, whose too fre- quent visits to her home required to be checked by Maw, : It was deemed by Vari very unseemly that Vatea's land, which originally was immediately above her own, should be underneath, Oo J Myths of Creation. 7 and so to speak invaded by, his younger brothers’. The-very- beginning, therefore, altered the relative position of The-thin- land,” placing it directly under the opening from this upper world ; so that the law of primogeniture was established; the lands of all the younger brothers thus lying underneath the territory of Noon-day. Viatea in his dreams several times saw a beautiful woman. On one happy occasion he succeeded in clutching her in his sleep, and thus detained the fair sprite as his wife in his home in Te-papa-rairai. Another account asserts that on Vatea’s waking from sleep he could discover no trace of the fair one. He At length it occurred to him that her home might be in some dark cavern searched in all directions for her—but in vain. communicating with a land lower than his own, from which the fair one was in the habit of ascending to The-thinland to pay him nocturnal visits. To test the correctness of this: supposi- tion, Vatea scraped a quantity of cocoa-nuts and scattered handfuls down all the chasms in his territory. Some time after- wards he found that from the bottom of one cave, named Taeva- rangi, or Zhecelestial-aperture, the rich white food had entirely disappeared. A fresh lot of the same dainty food was now thrown down, whilst Vatea from behind a projecting crag cautiously peered down. It was not long before a slender hand, very unlike his own, was slowly extended towards the coveted morsels. Vitea at once concluded that this must belong to the woman he had !It was from The-thin-land that Potai sagely conjectured that Captain Cook had come. ‘Era, e te matakeinanga, no raro i Te-papa-rairai i Vitea ’ “Surely, friends, he has climbed up from The-thin-land, the home of Vatea.” How? By breaking through the solid sides of the vast cocoa-nut shell. ’ 8 Myths and Songs. a— — - - so—— ——————————— - seen in his dreams. With a favouring current of wind, he descended to the bottom, and caught the fair thief. His visions were realized; this lovely one confessed that she had again and again ascended to his house above in The-thinland in order to win him as her future husband. She correctly guessed that Vitea would never rest until he had discovered the where- abouts of the fair coquette, and made her his wife. She informed her lover that she was Papa, or Foundation, the daughter of Timaitekore, or Nothing-more, and his wife Tamaiti-ngava-ringavari, or Soft-bodied. wife of Vitea : both ascended by another eddy of wind through The famed Papa thus became the cherished the chasm to The-bright-land-of-Vatea ! DRAMATIC SONG OF CREATION. FOR THE FETE OF POTIKI, CIRCA 1790. Call for the dance to begin with music. The home of Vari is the narrowest of all, Knees and chin ever meeting— It was reserved for Rongo to ascend.! Noo mai Vari i te iti, I te tuturi i te memenge E Rongo é&, a kake ! Solo. 1 & ! Taipo € ! Go on! Chorus. "Twas in the shades Viatea first saw his wife, And fondly pressed her to his bosom. O Vitea kite i tena vaine ; I moe ana paa i reira e ! Solo. Aé! 1 Rongo often came up from the shades to this upper world ; Vari never. Myths of Creation. Chorus. When asked who was her (Papa’s) father, She said Timatekore! (Nothing more). Solo. Te ui a te metua 1 anau ai Ia Timatekoré ! Ia Timatekore ! Most truly, Timatekore. But WE have No! father whatever: Vari alone made Us. Aore o tatou metua, ua tu e, I Vari ua mai € ! Solo. Noo mai Vari €! I te aiti aé ! That home of Vari is The very narrowest of all ! Chorus. Noo mai Vari i te aiti ; Vari’s home is in the narrowest of spaces, E tuarangi kai taro mata / A goddess feeding? on raw “taro” 3 J I na turanga pure é ! At appointed periods of worship ! Thy mother, Vatea, is self-existent. Solo. O Viatea metua e pua ua ake. Pua ua o Vatea, Vatea sprung into existence. Papa is bright as the morn. Vari-the-originator-of-all-things Sheltered her (Papa) under her wing. O Papa i te itinga, O Vari-ma-te-takere I tapakau ana ¢€! FINALE. Call to begin. Let the storm be restrained In favour of Vatea, O thou god of winds! Ie taia ia Maukurautaroa Te rua i te matangi, e Vatea € ! ! Papa could boast of father and mother ; but the children of Vari were simply moulded out of bits of her own body. An allusion is intended to the belief that the three original tribes are descended from the three legitimate sons of Tevaki. ? As a matter of fact, however, Vari and Vatea had no altars and no separate worship ; but the grandchildren of Vari had. 3 Arum esculentum. Myths and Songs. Taipo ¢ ! Go on! Chorus. Taotao matangi na Ina Te kumutonga. Awake the gentle breeze of Ina That bare her to her lover. Solo Q0L0. O nai matangi riki ¢ O for a soft zephyr to bear me (Vatea) r ” : >. wh y ; y Ka arara’i oki toku tere Prosperously on my way Ki raro é! To the shades! Be lulled, ve winds. A taia e te matangi. JOT°US. Tai a > AT Or1 Ave ev are lulled. No stor T'aia e te matangi Aye, they are lulled. No storm O Tukaiaa te tai makoako. Now sweeps o'er the treacherous sea. Koakoa € o tei po Ye inconstant winds of nether-land Kai matangi rueke € ! Be.r me down to her gloomy abode. o > Tangaroa and Rongo were the twia children of Vatea and Papa. These boys were the first beings of perfect human form, having no second shape. : Tangaroa should have been born first, but gave precedence to A few days after the birth of Rongo, his She The core accordingly flew his brother Rongo. mother Papa suffered from a very large boil on her arm. resolved to get rid of it by pressing it. out: it was Tangaroa ! Another account, equally veracious, says that Tangaroa came right up through Papa's head. The precise spot is indicated by * ke crown,” with which all their descendants have since been born. Vatea’s third son was Tonga-iti, whose visible form was the white and black spotted lizards. Under the name of Mata-rau, Ror The-two-hundred-eyed, i.e. “object of worship in the Hervey Group. "in Avaiki. Myths of Creation. II The-sharp-sighted, Tonga-iti was an The fourth son of ® Vatea was Tangiia; the fifth and last son was Tane-papakai, Ror Zane-piler-up-of-food. gods of Mangaia. Both Tangiia and Tane were principal The home of Rongo was Auau (afterwards named Mangaia) As an individual consists of two parts, viz. body and * spirit, so this island has a sort of essence, or spirit, the secret fname of which is Akatautika, Ze. Zhe-well-poised, only used by ® the priests and kings of ancient days. When in after times the OO earthly form, or Jody, of Auau was dragged up to light, there * remained behind in the obscurity of nether-world the etherial form, ? or spirit, of The-well-poised. Now, Tangaroa was altogether the cleverest son of Vatea ; he instructed his brother Rongo in the arts of agriculture. Their 3 father wished to make Tangatoa lord of all they possessed ; but the ® mother Papa objected, because as parents they dared not taste * the food or touch the property of Tangaroa, the eldest dy right. * The mother had her own way. lence, when a human sacrifice 2 was offered to Rongo,” the refuse, ze the body when thoroughly decayed, was thrown to his mother, who dwelt with Rongo in the ( shades, in order to please her. Government, arrangement of feasts, the drum of peace, ze. all the fountains of honour and power, were secured to Rongo, through the selfish craft of Papa. Nearly all sorts of food, too, fell to the share of the younger ' On Rarotonga only the reeking /ead of the victim was offered to Tangaroa, their tutelar divinity : the body might be devoured by the captors. On Mangaia the w/ole body was laid upon the altar. l \ \ \ x 7 «meikas,”* only the plantain Ww Chorus. Tarauri, the waif brought up by Pinga, ” Avenged the disgrace of his brother. Solo. arauri i te puti angaiia e Pinga Ei uke i te mate € ! Taipo € ! Go on! x . Chorus. 3 Anau keu a Tang arc - £ z at he ir ir i oS roa, 1 he fair haired children of I angaroa (ua piri paa i te ao Doubtless sprung from dazzling light. Hence, when Cook di J ‘ook discove : : discovered Mangaia, the men of that day Were oreatly s 1se 1 1 ere greatly surprised at the fair hair and skin of their visitors and a p “lude a" t once concluded that these were some of the long-lost fai nldren of Tang: : i en of Tangaroa ! 1 y t was but natural that Tangaroa should be displeased at the Preference alway i erence always shown to his brother Rongo. He therefore 14 Myths and Songs. ~ collected a vast quantity of red food of all kinds, and set out on a voyage in search of some other land, where he could reign alone. He made a long journey, and touched at many islands, scattering everywhere the blessings of food piled up for the pur- pose in his canoe. Finally, he settled down on his beloved islands, Rarotonga and Aitutaki, leaving Auau, or, as it was afterwards designated, Mangaia, in the quiet possession of Rongo = 7 Resounder. In winter tree-fruits disappear; whereas taro, bananas, etc. are in season all the year round. The reason for this is, that the former belong to Tangaroa, who merely permits his gifts to be seen and tasted here in the land of Rongo on their way (in winter to realms where he reigns undisturbed. On this account these fruits were not regarded as private property, but as belonging to all the inhabitants of the district in which they grew. Ro(ng)o or O Ro was the chief object of worship at Tahiti and 8 most of the Leeward Islands. grove, at Opoa, on the island of Raiatea ; whence this worshi extended Paumotu Group. Human sacrifices were continually offered t enterprises.? | These maraes were planted with callophylla inophylla, etc., etc., whic untouched by the hand of man from generation to generation, threw a sacre 3 gloom over the mysteries of idol-worship. not for their own sake, but on account of the place where they grew. 2 At Atiu Te-rongo, = #2¢ Rongo, the Rongo of Mangaia, was represente At Raiata Oro was in like manner regarded as At Samoa Longo is represented as the son as a son of Tangaroa. son of the great Tangaroa. Tangaroa by Sina. 2 YC arded as the Incarnatio 1 of I n O 1 t 8 C C 1 1 i 4 ih ) . NO £0, I, in their dialec ’ 3 Ol Rono, and accordingly received divine honours |prophecy asserte 2 Bro] y asserted that Rongo, or Rono, who had esident in the shades. His seat was the marae, or sacred 8 to all the neighbouring islands, and throughout the § The trees were accounted sacred. 1 avake. In the course ime Tavak se of time Tavake grew up and Broto”’ = a Myths of Creation. 15 When Captain Cook visited the Sandwich Islands. he was - C Oy as Orono, An ancient gone f{o ; Fahiti, would return to Hawaii in a canoe of a remarkable shape ] ['his seemed realized in the visits of Captain Cook with his two i wonderful vessels from Tahiti ; The great navigator counted forty-nine skulls on the marae of Oro at Tahiti, and witnessed 3 . ~ . * >: 58 Sthe placing of the fiftieth. > When he himself received divine 4] hoy ~ (RX 3 ghonours at the Sandwich Islands, he was not aware that it fas as the blood-stained Rongo, whose home w : as supposed ) )e AQ H AY IQ S o be in these southern islands, and at whose shrine those fift eking \ « 3 Apo f 1 Ee > ecking heads had been offered during a single generation & Oo - ated, without hope n Mangaia 1t was 1 angaroa that was expatri J Oo >¢ > oO > Be though 1s marae is called O-Rong rst set up on the eastern si HA ¢ eastern side of the island, but was ultimately ‘Mo re > Og ry =) > 1 emoved to the west, where the great navigator held communica Mion wi ose 1S ors is si J with these islanders. It is singular that the « Voyages” d dag 0 ot ¢ 2 1S g 5 e 1 t allude to his great stone image, the secondary representati ge, ar sentation or a. : ‘es | Rongo, which must have been visible from the boat of tl : e 8 3 . ~ . . : 1 $0. the great Polynesian god of war, to obtain success in their crue solution. #hc guardian of the great national idol. Reference 7s made to the residence of the shore king ) The principal god of Rimatara was Rono or Rongo. to who ; ; "hon uman sacrifices were offered. Se The wife of Rongo w "aka ongo was Taka, w , who bare a daughter named gave birth 1 > 1g 1 The word is often used as equivalent to ““ deadly hate: > Ku ’ ‘ > . 3 ‘ Rongo (i.e. deadly hate) fills his heart ; ” in al thor of bloodshed and war. a noo Rongo lusion to his being the 16 Myths and Songs. successively to Rangi, to Mokoiro, and to Akatauira—all illegiti- Rongo wished his three grandsons, who were also his But Rangi was mate. sons,’ to live with him in Auau, in the shades. resolved to pull up this land Auau, afterwards called Mangaia, a most arduous task; but, with the from Avaiki. This was assistance of his brothers, the brave Rangi succeeded in dragging up the little island to the light of day. Rangi, Mokoiro, and Akatauira took up their permanent abode in this upper world Thus the three brothers were the first inhabitants of Mangaia, and in the course of years gave rise to the original tribes which peopled this island. Three small rocks, united at the base, close to the marae of Rongo and the altar for human sacrifice, are 48 pointed out as symbolizing the threefold lords of the soil. Rongo continued to live in Avaiki, in the invisible or nether Auau, of which this island was asserted to be but the outward expression !2 He directed Rangi to offer bleeding sacrifices on 1 That these children of Tavake were Rongo's is attested by the well: - known couplet :— The three royal bastards, Offspring of the god Rongo! Ngariw's féte, circa 1790. Tai anau kakaoa Na Rongo paa ia tama e ! 2 The Hervey Group consists of seven inhabited islets. Each is supposed to 8 be the dody, or outward form, to which a spirit, bearing a distinct name, located in Avaiki, belongs. BODY. Western memory of or Tonga SPIRIT. 1. Rarotonga =— Zonga, 1. Tumutevarovaro = ecko. i.e. in loving Western Tonga, tapu. 2. Auau = terraced (The later name, Mangaia, means peace. Mangaia-Nui-Neneva = Man- gaia-monstrously-big). 2. Akatautika = wel/-poised. BA 1770.5 7cimo ey W sun-rising. Tahiti simply means “‘ east,” or sun-rising, 8 by the name Iti or ““east:” it is RB ame Iti or ““east:” 1t is only of late years the full name = become familiar. 3 representation, nor was any worship ever paid to him Myths of Creation. 17 in the upper world, from time to time—the decayed corpse to be invariably thrown in the bush to his mother Papa. his marae Mangaia now for the first time emerged to the light of day, and became the centre of the universe. Its central hill was accordingly designated Rangimotia = Ze centre of the als The 0“ : heavens. The inhabitants of Mangaia were veritable mez and women, as contrasted with the natives of other outlying islands a who were only tuarangi, or evil-spirits in the guise of humanity. sug Vatea, or Avatea (= noon-day), was thus “the father of the gods and men,”* the ¢ 1g1 & C men, the three original tribes being regarded as the direct offspring of Rongo; all subsequent settlers and visitors were regarded as interlopers, to be, if possible, slain and offered in sacrifice. . Aitutaki = God-led. . Araura = fragrant wreaths Jor ; ; dancing. . Atiu = eldest-born (name of first 4. Enua-manu = land of birds settler). . Mauki = land of Uki (the first 3. Akatoka = stony. inhabitant). 1 He Some say, Te-rae o-te-pau = #2 lip of the drum. 6. Nukuroa = vast host. 7. Enua-Kura = land-of-red-parrot- Jeathers. . Mitiaro = face of the ocean. 7. Manuae = /kome of birds. - : $6 ait ete MY sys we It is said that the spirit” name of Tahiti is “Iti,” 7.¢. “77 nea? — SC to vy » fr a es in ia : ; rom %:t7 (our #7) to rise:” fa being causative. T is as k i g That island was known in the Hervey Group Tahiti has 1 Vea re Ta 3SOSS Yet the great Vatea possessed no marae, had no wooden or stone Myths and Songs. In song, the gods are called “te anau atea,” ze ‘te anau a Vitea” = “children of Vitea.” The same shortened phrase is in use at Rarotonga: at Aitutaki and Atiu the full form “ Avatea ” is used, e.g. “kia kaka te mata o Avatea Nui” = “when the eye of Great Avatea (= noon) is open;” in other words, “when the sun is in its full glory ;” still in contrast with the darkness and gloom of Avaiki, or Nether-world. The ocean was known as Rauaika Nui, or Z/e-vastout-spread- X plantain-leaf ; *—that leaf being the largest in the world. The ocean was sometimes designated “the sea of Vatea;” at other times “the sea of Tane.” Above was the blue vault of solid stone, sustained originally by the frail props of Ria on the central hill of Mangaia, but afterwards permanently raised to its present height by the tremen- dous exertions of Maui. heavens. Tising one above the other into immensity. These con-§ stituted the Elysium of the brave. Tangaroa, the scarcely worshipped god of day. Upon the brow of a hill, facing the setting sun, and nea p o PR Th o sre once & the great marae of the war-god, 1t 1s asserted that there once existed a deep, gloomy chasm (long since closed up), known as Tiki’s hole (Te rua ia Tiki). road to Avaiki, Zike the single aperture at the top of a cocoa-nul. Through it the three brothers descended to Avaiki, or ascended to 8 the light of day, at pleasure. The three brothers are always described as joint “kings,” or§ “Nga ariki.” The entire body of their descendants were there- i and more widely-diffused system of idolatry than prevailed : i ofore me is eleven fee y 2 ree broad. 1 A plantain leaf lying before me is eleven feet long and three i by Rangi as his priest. In all, there were said to be Zen separaic 3 Here. too, was the home of 8 This constituted the regular § Myths of Creation. 19 fore called by the shorter form ¢ Ngariki.”> To Rangi Rongo gave “the drum of peace ;” to Mokoiro, the direction over food of all kinds ; to the pet—the youngest— Akatauira was given the “karakia,” or “ prayers,” and the sway over his brethren. Rangi, Mokoiro, and Akatauira were probably veritable per- sons, chiefs of the first settlers on Mangaia. Their wives were respectively named Tepotatango,” Angarua, and Ruange. Then came Papaaunuku, son of Tane-papa-kai, or Tane-giver-of-food. When Tane died he was worshipped by his son, who was sent for But Rangi was not pleased with Tane, as he spake only as a man, without frenzy, through his son Papaau- nuku. His grandfather Rongo lived only in the shades; Rangi wished for a god who would live with him in this upper world." He therefore sent to Rarotonga to ask Tangiia, a renowned warrior-king of that island, to send him over one of his sons “who had grown up under the sacred shade of the tamanu leaves ” Rangi’s wish was gratified, and Motoro vas fixed upon by his father for the purpose. to be his god. Tangaroa had oe marae, and that almost neglected, the only offering ever presented being the first-fruits of all newly-planted cocoa-nut groves—the tiny buds, which eventually become nuts. This was simply a recognition of his primogeniture. But the island was supposed to belong to Rongo and Motoro : the one god ruling the dead ; the other the living. Doubtless the worship of Tangaroa, Rongo, Tane, and possibly the Lizard god of Tongaiti, represented a much earlier ! Bottom of Hades. 20 Myths and Songs. here in historical times, when the children of Tangua were deified. The heathen intellect has no conception of a Supreme Being creating a universe out of nothing. At Mangaia the idea of divinity was pared down to a mere nothing. Whenever the gods make anything, the existence of the raw material, at least in part, is presupposed. : to The primary conception of these islanders 28 to Spintunl existence is a point. Then of something pulsating. Next of something greater, everlasting. : Now comes the Great Mother and Originator of all things. For the first time we meet with the ideas of volition and vention. Vari is represented as a female, on account of fecundity, She being the original of all the gods, and, remotely, of mankind, The arrangement of various lands in Avaiki, and the apportionment of the different functions of air, earth, and sea, are hers. The ninth night of every moon was sacred to her. Yet Vari is incapable of speech, and lives in darkness, her solace being the constant society of an affectionate daughter. In the description of her first-made (not born) son, Bright . » Noon (Avatea, or Vitea), one of whose eyes is the sun, we gain the first idea of majesty as associated with divinity. The ocean 1s 1 1 ike selve 2 reat gods who his; his children, born like ourselves, are the great god direct the affairs of the universe, and are worshipped by mortals. With the sense of the Mangaian reduplicate “ varivari ” = To them belong the maraes and idols ; they receive offerings of 5 food and listen to the prayers of mankind. And yet, strangely enough, associated with these original gods = are the deified heroes of antiquity, in no wise inferior to their volved the present order of things. fellow divinities. Birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and specially inspired priests, were ; Mquarrels were reflected in the wars of men, Myths of Creation. 21 Sreverenced as incarnations, mouth-pieces, or messengers of the : gods. The gods were supposed to have distinct functions ; their But none create, in he proper sense of that term. The Great Mother approximates Wncarest to the dignity of creator ; but when she makes a child, it is ut of a bit of her own body. Sie herself is dependent on three “prior existences destitute of human form. The earth is not made, but is a thing dragged up from the Shades ; and is but the gross outward form of an invisible essence Wtill there. At least ten heavens are built of azure stone, one Sabove another (to correspond with the different lands in Nether- orld), with apertures for inter-communication ; but the stones ‘ere pre-existent., 8 The principal words used by the ancient sages in speaking Son this subject are— 1. Vari = Beginning. This important word is used when Mescribing the commencement of any new order of things. The reat Mother herself is 7ar/ma-te-takere. Strangely enough, at the sister island of Rarotonga this word 0 longer means “beginning,” but “mud ;” agreeing, however, = muddy. Evidently, then, apart from their mythological views, these eople imagined that once the world was a “chaos of mud,” out f which some mighty unseen Agent, whom they called Vari, 2. Pua ua mai = Bud forth, or blossom, as of a tree. vidently here is no fit conception of creative power. Myths and Songs. — ing fi vale : > first missionaries In seeking for an equivalent for wma, the first w Undoubtedly this is the best ced by ther constant chose the word “anga” = made. word ; its original narrow sense being enlar : perusal of the Bible, etc. The magnificent conception of rea : . =Y Q yo Q a Q 1 > CON- creation is as unattainable to a heathen sage as the sublime co ception of a Supreme Deity. CHAPTER 11. DEIFIED MEN. DERIVATION OF THE POLYNESIAN WORD FOR GOD. ih SoME five hundred years ago there lived on Tahiti two powerful chiefs : the younger named Tangiia, the elder Tutapu. Now the lands of the younger adjoined those of their only sister, and it chanced that one or two branches of a bread-fruit tree of hers, growing close to the boundary line, extended themselves over the © soil of the irritable Tangiia. As is frequently the case with this | tree, one half of this bread-fruit was almost barren, whilst the i branches extending over the land of her brother were heavily © laden with fruit. Tangiia claimed the fruit as his, as it grew on 8 his side of the boundary line: naturally enough the sister felt - herself to be harshly dealt with. : The elder brother Tutapu hearing of the quarrel interfered on BE behalf of their sister. Thenceforth the brothers became deadly b foes; and after many angry words, Tutapu resolved to collect his 8 dependants, and upon a certain night to make a final end of his 24 Myths and Songs. brother and his family. Tangiia, obtaining timely notice of his intention, fled with wife, children, and friends to the neigh- bouring island of Huahine ; but was pursued by the irate Tutapu. Tangiia was chased by his brother throughout the Leeward Islands, until finally finding that there was no rest for him in that group, he committed himself to the trackless ocean. Fortunately for him. he reached Atiu, where he stayed awhile. But the insatiate Tutapu followed him even to Atiu, many hundreds of miles from Tahiti. Tangiia again took flight—this time to Rarotonga, which was destined to become the home of this renowned chief. Tutapu remained a considerable time on Atiu. Children were born to him ; some of his descendants afterwards reached Man- gaia in a drift canoe, founding a tribe devoted to furnish human sacrifices. Hearing that Tangiia was prospering on Rarotonga, Tutapu again manned his large double canoe, which is said to have had three masts, and to have carried 200 warriors, and started off once more in quest of his brother. Upon entering the harbour at Rarotonga, which bears the name of Nga-Tangiia,* the brothers prepared for a final encounter. In the conflict which ensued, assisted by Karika’s party, defeated the invaders, and Tutapu-the-relentless-pursuer, whose body Tangiia, slew Tutapu-aru-roa = was eaten by the victors. Tangiia himself never landed on Mangaia, the island which is so intimately associated with the history of several of his children. It is needful to distinguish this Tangiia, who is unquestionably an historical character, from the mythical Tangiia descended from Vitea. and one of the gods of Mangaia, whose iron-wood form 1s deposited in the museum of the London Missionary Society. 1 — Ngati-Tangiia, 7.c. the tribe of Tangiia. IY 3 led with horrors. Jncestor came from Manu’a, the Aroup. Detfied Men. 25 The sages of arotonga erroneously assert that Mangaia was irst discovered and inhabited by the famous brother of Tutapu. This is foreign and new. Unquestionably, Rangi and his friends vere the first settlers on Mangaia from Savai'i. Other canoes ame. In the presence of the new comers, the children of the riginal settlers, wishing to establish their pre-eminence, boldly Thsserted that Rangi, etc., came “up,” 7of, as in truth, from the Ssun-setting, but owt of the earth, from (S)avai(k)i, the original home “of men and gods, a land in some places much like this, in others It was, in their opinion, self-evident that Rll drift canoes were mere waifs predestined to destruction in the Presence of a race who grew, as it were, out of the soil. The Karika family at Rarotonga expressly state that their easternmost island of the Samoan I'he family marae of the Makea tribe is therefore named 3 > os 3 y . . Rangi-Manuka, or “ Manu’a (= Manuka) in the skies ; 7 as we say W\ew Britain, New Caledonia, New England, etc, etc. They even State that Karika’s great canoe, in which he performed his wondei- ful voyage, had * two masts,” and carried 170 people ( okoitu ). It has been already stated that Rangi® requested the in- ¥incible warrior Tangiia to send him one of his sons as a god. Accordingly Motoro was sent, with two of his brothers, Ruanuku 1 Thea $6 R vy 1 3 > 3 8 The ¢* Ruanuku ”’ of Mangaian mythology is the ¢¢ Uanuku ”’ of Rarotonga. Lanuku is represented by their ¢‘ wise men” as the é/dest son of Tangiia. that it is He was so called by his father F'angiia, in allusion to his own passionate love for his wife Moetuma. “Motoro” signifies ‘‘to approach to (a woman);” so equivalent to “Epws, in the sense of ibid. Tangiia i his wanderings married two Mauke girls, Moetuma, and her younger sister Puatara. / 26 Myths and Songs. Utakea, Mangaia some time after his brothers. and Kereteki. the third son of Tangiia, Motoro was the fourth and best beloved son of the great Rarotongan chief. , When the three brothers—Ruanuku, Kereteki, and Motoro—were halfway on their voyage to Mangaia, a violent quarrel sprang up, the two elder brothers united in throwing Motoro into the sea, where he miserably perished. The fratricides safely landed opposite to the marae of Rongo, and were pleased to see a deep hole in the reef, through which the fresh water from the interior is poured It 1s surprising to find a large body of pur Here they |B a bath after their adventurous into the ocean. Pay water gurgling up in the midst of the sea. esolved to refresh themselves with voyage. two large men bathing together, the point was hotly contested, who should get in first. It was finally settled that the first-bom should enjoy the first bath. The instant Ruanuku’s head wa under water, his long hair was firmly grasped by Kereteki, to prevent him from raising it again. After a time Kereteki dragged ashore the dead body of the murdered Ruanuku, and buried it. At a well-known spot on the south of the island afterward landed Utakea, who lived peaceably with his brother Keretek Both lived and died on Mangaia. Very strangely indeed, t cruel Kereteki, twice a fratricide, and his brother Utakea, were worshipped as gods in the next generation. As if in penitence, Kereteki set up the marae sacred to his slain brother Motor Here the spirit of Motoro was supposed to reside; and dow to the destruction of idolatry, in 1824, this spot was regarded a being the most sacred 77 the interior; as the marae of Rongo was on the plantains now occupies the place of the idol grove. the most sacred sea-shore. —— Eh | | started for f ] shades, so Motoro should live But as the aperture in the sharp coral will not admit of hvorshipped Rongo and Motoro ; A flourishing plantation ¢ Deifred Men. 27 ut then it was asserted that his spir4# floated on a piece of hibiscus * over the crest of the ocean billows until it reached Mangaia, where it was pleased to “inhabit” or possess ” ‘apaaunuku, and driving him into a frenzy, compelled him to utter his oracles from a foaming mouth. This was just the sort bof divinity that Rangi, the first king of Mangaia, wanted. Motoro vas at once recognized as the great chiefs own god, and fPapaaunuku and his descendants as the priests of the new Bdivinity. As Rongo lived and reigned in the © night,” or the and reign in the “day,” or this fupper world. The three original tribes—and the kings, invariably but many are said to have disapproved of the new worship, correctly regarding Rongo as Until 1824 both were conjointly worshipped as the supreme deities of this island, Rongo taking the first place. the great original heathen divinity of Mangai The family of the first priest of Motoro was named the Amama, or the open-mouthed, to intimate that they were the ouths -pieces of . that divinity. To this day this appellation is kept up, although but few know the reason for it. Makitaka, the last priest of Motoro, embraced Christianity, and died in 1830. The idol itself has long reposed in the museum of the London Missionary Society. The worshippers of Utikea and Kereteki were, in later times, fiered in sacrifice to Rongo and Motoro. Motoro was proudly called Te 10 ora, or Zhe-living-god, 1 The sacred men assert that this is the reason w hy az (hibiscus) comes also to mean * reign,” or “rule.” It was well-known that Motoro’s body was devoured by sharks; ~~ % 28 M vths and Songs. Derfred Men. because he alone of “the gods of day” would not permit his worshippers to be offered in sacrifice. The other divinities were 3 TIAIO, KING AND GOD. styled ““ io mate,” or “ dead-gods,” as their worshippers were ever oe : «te 2 ot . > : : ] Fhe history of this sovereign of Mangaia is well known. A eligible for the altar of dread Rongo, who lived in the shades. - cs » Sbody of mvaders from Atiu was utterly routed by the warlike chief I'he word “io,” commonly used for “god,” properly means 8 ©’ © : : a or Sola 33 of 4 : STialo. To this day the natives of Atiu make pilgrimages to the A “pith,” or “core” of a tree. What the core is to the tree, the god 3 : Bspot where their countrymen fell in the olden time. was believed to be to the man. In other words, the gods were ©. . : ‘ ‘ Dr. P ; ’ : wi Maio became deservedly famous for this exploit. But some the life of mankind. Even when a worshipper of Motoro was st a : asi Bvears afterwards his pride led him “to defile the sacred district of slain in fair fight, it was supposed that the enraged divinity would, 8 . cin . 3 : ®Kecia,” the favourite haunt of the gods, by wearing some beautiful QA bY some special misfortune or disease, put an end to the offender. ws ahd . : y : = . : Bscarlet hibiscus flowers (kaute) in his ears. Now, anything red was Most appropriately and beautifully do the natives transfer the B84 . : : . : os <2 yy ’ . : Sorbidden in that part of the island, as being offensive to the name Io ora, or Zhe-living-god to Jehovah, as His worshippers 8 : aa Jie 7 : Bods ; the redness of the flower being emblematical of the shed- NEVER de . Nn . ; : . itd . ge . y oo : Bding of blood. Even the beating of native cloth was forbidden, | Motoro, Kereteki, and Utakea were represented by iron-wood B& . ; : dic . ‘ : lest the repose of the gods should be disturbed by the noise. 1dols in the god-house of the king. On entering that rude reed [8 . . . : . vit Ata iis . : -. B@ A hot dispute took place about this mark of disrespect to the hut, the dwelling-place of the chief divinities of Mangaia, the first 8 . : . " 3 ) . ; . figods, in which Mouna, priest of Tane-the-man-eater, slew the 1dol was Rongo, in the form of a trumpet-shell ; next came the BF : : xs ‘ : : 3 ay ve Pr ; Bing with a blow on his head. The blood of Tiaio mingled with honoured Motoro, the guide of daily life ; then came Tane and 8 ‘ - . e . . 5 [the waters of the brook running past the marae of Motoro. and ten other objects of worship, amongst which were Kereteki and [0 : : Pn Utakea eventually mixed with the ocean. Thenceforth that stream was akea. i ) prio .z Bs held to be sacred, and it was fabled that a great fresh-water eel— A Fhe iron-wood idol called Tane merely, was asserted to | : Ye Liood of. it tered Li . ~ rs : 32 a luna—drank up the blood of the murdered king, whose spirit represent the fifth son of Vatea; and yet was only third in order | < I dhe Gok. T 0) I SE yyw Hh . r FF XTR . t > same time entered the fish. una made its way to the of dignity. Tangiia, the fourth son of Vitea, was the last in the e q hdl 2 Y J - Co - 1 Ae > N 2 oval - . : ‘Hlark deep fissure running underneath the rocks into the sea. regard to dignity and order. Of the innumerable objects of fear I¥ dee] : enn having d dedi ‘ : that . - 8lhe i itable spirit of Tiaio, having thus succeeded in reaching and worship, only thirteen were admitted to the honour of a place B&F indomitable sp © : 5 : ; : "he oce: sook the form of the eel and took possession of the In this rude Pantheon as national gods. §r~ ocean, forsoo : Dx ood farge white shark, the terror of these islanders. The new divinity fad a little marae set apart for his worship, close by the more Sacred grove of Motoro, and but a few yards from where he fell A by the hand of the jealous priest. " 30 Myths and Songs. The Mautara, or priestly tribe, gave up their ancient divinity Tane, in favour of this T'iai marks the political supremacy of that warlike clan, which is new god. The greatness of recent origin. Tialo was a “food-eating ” god, generally associated with Motoro. a feasting. who died a valuable deacon of the church in 1865. nut trees now mark the site of Mara, the deserted marae of th shark-god. carve the rough iron-wood representation of Tiaio, which, with th rest, now quietly reposes in the Society’s museum. Koroa refers to this in his “crying ” song for his friend At recited at the “death-talk ” of Arokapiti, circa 1817. Kua tae paa i te tiangamama Cruel misfortune has again o’ertaken This royal tribe. Ata and his father Tukua have falle Ia Teakatauira e kotia ;— Kotia O Ata O Tukua raua O Turou O Mouna O Tane-kai-aro, E’en as once Turou and Mouna. in spired Kai-aro ra ia Marua. By Tane-the-man-eater, struck down E tainga taito ia ne'e, ia kora atu, I tai pail o Tiaio i te toru, ua tutua € ! Tiaio the king in the olden time. Long, long ago was that great m: slain. TANE-NGAKIAU. That is, Tane-strivingfor-power. This pretended god was brave warrior, who gave important assistance to Rangi in the fir battle ever fought on Mangaia, in which the invaders from Ton As his reward he received tl chieftainship of Ivirua. After his death his family deified him, an were defeated with great loss. His oracles invariably ended with demands fo This jolly-tempered divinity’s last priest was Tereavai A few cocoa J Defied Men. 31 i erected In his honour the famous marae Maputi, which stands 0 lasting memorial of cruelty. The entire centre was filled with eeking human heads cut off in cold blood to mark his canoniza- on. It was asserted that whenever this detested divinity took up his abode in any individual, it was made evident by his skin suming a blood-red colour, and the dying man would, with ¥ upernatural strength, fight imaginary foes, or rather unseen lemons. This uncomfortable god had a carved iron-wood form, and ius one of the thirteen principal gods of Mangaia now in the nuseum. TEKURAAKI. This god was introduced by Tui from Rarotonga. So long as ‘the royal Tama-tapu,” the chief of “the-red-marked-tribe,” main- aned their supremacy, this divinity was popular. For some enerations prior to the introduction of Christianity, this tr ibe was most extinct, and the separate worship of Tekuraaki almost known. Yet the carved iron-wood idol remained in the antheon until 1824, when it was surrendered to Messrs. Williams nd Platt. SONG OF THE SHORE KING, HIGH PRIEST OF RONGO. COMPOSED BY VAIPO FOR RAOA’S FETE, CIRCA 1815. = ariu te tapu o Motoro, ¢taka ra i Vairorongo te koukou anga vai é! turuki 0 Rongo i kake ei. I lay aside the sanctity of Motoro Ere bathing in this sacred stream. "T'was here his spirit landed, On this pebbly beach devoted to Rongo. oS) ro Myths and Songs. Kua kake atu au ra i te pa, It landed on this narrow shore,— E atua noo ata i te kea, A god whose shade ever rests E tau ariki nei. On the sandstone sacred to kings. Ariki Tamatapu i noo i Marua Tamatapu once spent a night at Maru, Taea 'i Aupi i te vai When the entire valley was flooded. O nga ariki e puipui aere, Such was the might of that king! Mariua Rongo te tapu i tai e! I lay aside the sanctity of the shore- dwelling Rongo. Thus it is evident that many of their gods were originally mer whose spirits were supposed to enter into various birds, fis! reptiles, and insects; and into inanimate objects, such as the tritor shell, particular trees, cinet, sandstone, bits of basalt, etc., et The greater gods alone had carved images for the convenienc of worshippers ; the lesser were countless, each individual pos sessing several. The gods were divided into two orders, “dweller in day,” and “ dwellers in the shades, or night.” All the thirteer principal gods, save Rongo, were dwellers in day,” ze wer continually busy in the affairs of mortals; moving, though unseen in their midst, yet often descending to “night,” or to Avaiki the true home of the major divinities. In like manner those wl «dwelt in night” were supposed frequently to ascend to day t take part in the affairs of mankind, but generally preferred dwell in spiritland. A few were supposed to remain permanent in the obscurity of Avaiki, or * night.” The “dwellers in day” were believed to hover about in th air, hide themselves in unfrequented caves, besides taking frenzie possession of men and women. These were the divinities of recen human origin. ; The lowest depth of heathen degradation is unconscious’ pf which these degrading rites were performed. Derfred Men. 33 J eached in the worship of phallic stones, such as still exist in inian, one of the Ladrone Islands. The scene was one of creat oO Interest—a natural grotto converted into a heathen temple, outside 1 “ » f 9) The original ignificance of this embruting form of idolatry is lost, although its gh its ymbols are still preserved. WERIVATION OF THE POLYNESIAN WORD “ATUA.” OR GOD. The great word for God throughout Eastern Polynesia 1s ‘Atua” (Akua). Archdeacon Maunsell derives this from “ata” shadow, whi °S Wl iri 1 adow, Bch agrees with the idea of spirits being stadows, but apprehend is absolutely unsupported by the analogy of dialects Mr. Ellis * regards the first @ as euphonic, considering “tua” : oO back, as the essential part of the word, misled by a desire to ssimilate it with the “tev” of the Aztec and the “deva” of the anscrit. asi I, W c 1 i ai i Occasionally, when expressing their belief that the winity 1s “the essential support,” they express it by the word wi-mokotua” = #ie back-bone, or vertebral column ; never by the ere “tua” = back. That the @ is an essential part of the word is indicated by closely allied expressions “atu” (“fatu” in Tahitian and moan) and “aitu ;” in the latter the @ is lengthened into av. A key to the true sense of “atua” exists in its constant juvalent “10,” which (as already stated) means the “cre” or pith” of a tree. Analogically, God is the pith, core, or Zife of man. A Cc : a ui Polynesian Researches, vol. ii. p. 201. My ths and Songs. Again, “atu” stands for “lord, master ;” but strictly an “kernel.” The core of a boil and th called the (The larger kernels are primarily means ‘ core ” or N- kernel of essential part. “atu,” ze the hard an called “katu.”) A applied to a *“ master ” or sts that h essential to the life and prosperity a fruit are both “lord,” the term sugges favour and protection are the serf. obvious analogy, the welfare of mankind derived from the divine “Atu” Core a Kernel of humanity. In the nearly related word “Atua” = G the final a is passive’ in form but intensive By an or “Lord,” who 1s tke in signification, : if to indicate that He is “the VEry Core or Life” of man. person who at a critical moment has lost courage is said to | forsaken by his god,—that divine somethi At Rarotonga i “topa i te io,” Ze. which imparts courage to fight or to endure. 13th phase of each moon is called * Maitu ;” at Mangaia, “Atu (see calendar). } The word the final @ as in the word “yimua” = moss-grou Thus means “ Atua,” being intensive. comes to pass that “efernity” or * for-cver « e rimua ua atu "—the essential part of which is “rmu “rmu” MOSS Is express phrase The idea is of a lofty tree covered all over with moss, the grov of untold ages. So that the phrase might be rendered ° covered with the moss of ages,” i.e. for ever and ever. « Tupu” means grow, happen. roa mai” (the essential part of which is “tupua”) the sense “from the very beginning,” from the time when things i began to * tupu” = grow or happen. In the phrase “mel A very comprehensive designation for divinities of all kiné te anau tuarangi” or the-heavenlyfamily (* tu-a-rangi” 1 All nouns may be converted into verbs by means of suffixes. ith a bowl of sed by { ardians. Defi, ed Mo Cn. J iam Strangely enough, this celestial race includes ats, lizards, beetles, eels and sharks, and several kinds of birds he supposition was that “ the-heavenly-family ” heir abode in these birds, fish, and reptiles. ie-heaven-or-sky). had taken up , A common and expressive name for God is “ tatua manava ”’ loin-belt or girdle, as giving strength to fight. A HUMAN PRIESTHOOD NEEDED. The gods first spake to man through the small land birds ; but heir utterances were too indistinct to guide the actions of man- ind. To meet this emergency an order of priests was set apart, he gods actually taking up their abode, for the time being, in heir sacred persons. Priests were Ygmncanty named “ god.- (pia-atua),—generally abbreviated to mbodiments of these divinities, XS 3 § “ gods,” living Whenever consulted, a present of the best food, accompanied intoxicating “ piper my thisticum,” indis- himself into a frenzy, delivered a only to the initiated. was ensable. The priest, throwing sponse in language intelligible A favourite why so and so was ill ;” no one ng supposed to die a natural death unless decrepit with extreme d If a priest cherished a spite against somebody, he had ly to declare it to be the will of the divinity th bject of inquiry was “the sin age. at the victim ould be put to death or be laid on the altar for some offence aunst the gods. The best kinds of food were sacred to the lests and chiefs. Although unsuited for the delivery of oracles, birds were ever garded as the special messengers of the gods to warn individu impending danger ; als each tribe having its own feathered -,— J 36 Myths and Songs. Of their many priests the leading place ever belonged to the “ mouth-pieces” of Motoro. These men, significantly know as “the Amama,” or “open-mouthed-tribe,” mn reality ruled th island from the time of Rangi downwards: first as priests Motoro, and latterly by right of conquest. The two districs belonging to this tribe are the only ones which have not chang hands. From the gluttonous habits of these priests is denved th phrase, to gormandize like a god (kai Atua). DEDICATION OF INFANTS. ~ - ‘ anf C > Ore 10 aro yan As soon as the child was born, a leaf of the gigantic taro | (arum costatum) was cut off, its sides carefully gathered up, an \ darre Cus orn filled child would be placed. of the navel string nearest the infant, the nght ha First securing with a bit of Zapa t part : pit A »f the operator loneitudinally divided the cord itself witl ( ‘ S ‘ ife. The dark coagulated blood was then careful] bamboo knife. The dark coagulated bloc y os rhiid’e of Iaclar washed out with water, and the name of the child's god declare it having been previously settled by the parents whether their lit ol i - . one should belong to the mother’s tribe or to the father’s. Usu i c preference ; ccastonally, when the fathe the father had the preference ; but occasionally, wher family was devoted to furnish sacrifices, the mother would seek save her child's life by g , name of her own tribal divinity being pronounced over the bal As a rule, however, the father would stoically pronounce over child the name of his own god Utakea, Teipe, or Tangtis, wh would almost certainly insure its destruction in after years. 1 . sur ; besides, the child might 7of was done as a point of honour ; beside g 1s exte re baptismal font th 1 with pure water. Into this extempore baptism etting it adopted into her own tribe, U Deified Men. 37 quired for sacrifice, although eligible. The bamboo knife would e taken to the marae of the god specified, and thrown on the ound to rot. If a second god’s name were pronounced over e child, the bamboo knife would go to one marae and the name f the babe only be pronounced over the second marae. The moval of the coagulated blood was believed to be highly pro- otive of health, all impurities being thus removed out of the stem. Hence the common query in heathen times: “1 taia toou ito noai?” =“ What divine name was pronounced at the severance f thy navel string?” In other words, “ Who is thy god ? ” A deacon, still living, told me that his god was to have been cipe, but when halfway to the marae of that unfortunate god, js father resolved to break his promise to his wife, and actuall ) y — ned back and presented the knife to Motoro—his own god. Had my father not done so, I should long since have been fered in sacrifice, afd should not have heard of the one great fering on Calvary,” said he with evident feeling. At Rarotonga, when a boy was born a collection of spears, ubs, and slinging stones was made. When the sun was setting great taro leaf filled with water was held over these warlike kapons, and the navel string was treated as above described. he idea was that the child should grow up to be a famous RITIOT, On the birth of the first-born son of the reigning king Makea, human victim previously fixed upon was slain. The royal babe s placed upon the dead body for the purpose of severing the vel string, thus indicating the absolute sway he would exercise er the lives of his subjects upon succeeding to the throne of b father. It is often said to an ill-tempered person, “ E pito raka toou” o 30 “ Myths and Songs. “ The name of a deve * was pronounced over #4y severed nav string,” —the phrase having outlived the custom. NAMING OF CHILDREN. At convenient intervals the principal king of Mangaia, as hig priest of aZ the gods, assisted by the priest of Motoro, summong the young people to their various family maraes to be public « named.” Some might be verging on manhood or womanhoo whilst others were scarcely able to walk. Standing in a half circk two or three deep, the operator dipped a few leaves of a beaut species of myrtle (naire) in the sacred stream flowing past th} marae, and sprinkled the assembly ; all the while reciting a son or prayer to the particular god at whose shrine they were wo shipping, and who was supposed to be the special protector those present. At certain pauses in the song the king, as “pontifex maximus gently tapped each youngster two or three times on the head shoulders, pronouncing his or her name. The idea evidently was to secure a public recognition of t god and clanship of each of the rising generation— for Zier ot guidance in the ceremonial of heathen life, and for the guidan of priests and chigfs afterwards. The greatest possible sin eathenism was “ta atua,” Ze to kill a fellow worshipper stealth. In general it might be done in battle. Otherwise su a blow was regarded as falling upon the god himself ; the liter sense of “ta atua” being god-striking, or god-killing. SU 1 Whilst their gods were nearly all malicious, some being more mischie: than others, the Hervey Islanders had not the idea of one supreme evil s] corresponding to our Satan. Defi ed Men. ” 39 grimes were generally the consequence of ignorance: to prevent ithe priests and chiefs from such blundering, these occasional ’ #namings”’ were appointed. C | In the event of war, and a con- : quent redistribution of lands, the favour of all the principal gods must be secured by favours shown to their worshippers— at ast to a selection of a few to keep up the worship of each idol. j great feasting invariably succeeded this ceremony of naming. 40 Myths and Songs. CHAPTER 111 ASTRONOMICAL MYTHS. A CHASE THAT NEVER ENDS. THE only children of Potiki were twins: the elder, a girl, wa named Piri-ere-ua, or Znseparable; the younger was a boy These children were naturally very fond of each other : whateve the sister wished the brother agreed to. Unhappily, however, ther mother, Tarakorekore, was a scold, and gave them no peace. On: "Nnight the mother went torch-fishing on the reef. The tide, risin; at midnight, put an end to her sport; but not before she ha obtained a basket full of small bony red fish, called kiki Upon arriving home, according to invariable native custom, she woke her husband and cooked the fish. Four divisions wer made ; the parents eating their portions at once. The mothe would not agree to her husband’s suggestion to wake the childre: to partake of the warm and savoury midnight feast. However she carefully put away #%4e/7 portions into their baskets.? ! Throughout the islands each member of the family has a separate foo basket, so that if hungry at night he should only take his own share, and n encroach upon his neighbour's. Astronomical Myths. 41 ' Now, Inseparable and her twin-brother were all the time fawake, but did not let their parents know the circumstance. In vain they waited for their mother to fetch them to share their good things. ~~ Potiki and Tarakorekore enjoyed a thorough good supper, but their children were not to get a taste until morning. The twins wept in secret. As soon as their parents were soundly asleep, Inseparable proposed to her brother that they should fee away for ever. At first the boy hesitated, but eventually agreed to comply with his sister's wishes. Cautiously opening the sliding door of their house, they started on their journey. Upon reaching an elevated point of rock, they sat down and again wept, each filling a little natural hollow in the rock with their parting tears, without, however, in the least relenting in their purpose. At last they leaped up into the sky, Inseparable holding on to the extremity of her brother’s girdle. As soon as the morning star became visible, the mother went to rouse the children, so that they might eat their fish and taro ; but they were gone. Their little bed of fragrant dried grass was cold, though moist with tears. Hastily summoning her husband, a strict search was made. The path taken by the twins was traced by their tears. The little hollows filled from their eyes revealed the spot where they had last rested on earth. But no further trace could be discovered. In utter perplexity the now sorrowful and Fepentant parents looked up at the sky, where the sun had not yet fisen, and, to their great surprise, saw their beloved children hining brightly there. Vainly they called on Inseparable and ier brother to return. To stay longer on earth without these (early loved, though ungrateful, children could not be thought of : 0 then father and mother leaped right up into the heavens in hot pursuit of the “ Twins.” But the children had got the start of 42 their parents, and made the best vault. never yet succeeded in overtaking shine brightly : the parents Potiki exceed their children in brilliancy. Myths and Songs. This strange chase is still of their way through the azure going on ; for the parents have their truant children. and Tarakorekore, being larger, Brother and dearly-loved sister, still linked together, pursue their never-ceasing flight, resolved never again to meet their justly enraged parents. SONG OF THE TWINS. Eaa te ara i ooro ai nga tamariki a Tarakorekore ? Noa riri paa i te ai kik na Potiki; I tu aiiooroaij ituaiiooroail Ua vaia aui teia e, ei ta ua taana e! E kore au e ta ; o te ui maie ua atu, Ua kore ake oi €! Ka akakutu ta ua'i; ka akakutu ta ua’i. I moe ana au i Karanga ; i moe ana au i Karanga. I tau metua vaine: kore ua ka rerua koe ikona €! Wherefore fled the children of Tara korekore ? Anger at the cooked fish of Potiki. They stealthily rose, and ran and fled for ever. Alas! that a mother should thus ill treat her children. Such was not my (father’s) wish ; and when I intercede, She will not relent. She thrashes them,—is always at it. If one sleeps at Karanga or else where, Still there is no peace—only threats and blows. These lines were composed by Reinga for a féte held circa 1815. which means ‘ never-speak-at-all.” A play is intended on the mother’s name ‘ Tarakorekore, Inseparable and her brother are the double star wt and # Scorpii. The irate parents are the two bright stars v and \ Secor. The Rev. W. Ellis, in his “ Researches,” erroneously calls them Gemini, or “The Twins,” vol. iii. p. 172, second edition. All four fran for his life, and took refuge behind a stream. Astronomucal Myths. 43 * | once heard a native preacher say, that Christ and the 1 Christian should be like these twin stars, ever linked together— come life, come death. The allusion was happy, and was per- j fectly understood by all present, the story being a favourite one E throughout the islands. MATARIKI, OR PLEIADES. ~ These stars were originally one. Its bright effulgence excited the f anger of the god Tane, who got hold of Aldebaran (Aumea) and Sirius (Mere), and chased the offender. The affrighted fugitive But Sirius ] drained off the waters, thus enabling Tane to renew the chase. Finally, Tane hurled Aldebaran bodily against the exhausted | fugitive, who was thereby splintered into six shining fragments. f This cluster of little stars is appropriately named Mata-riki, or /iitleeyes, on account of their brightness. It is also designated Tau-ono, or thesix, on account of the apparent number of the fragments ; the presence of the seventh star not having been detected by the unassisted native eye. Reinga thus sings of the wars of the star-gods :— Ua riri paa Vena ra ia Aumea, Vena! was enraged against Aumea, (Aldebaran), | Noa kite ake i te kakenga. On account of the brilliance of his rising. Noa ui atu i te ara i pao ai Matariki She demanded if he recollected the ma fate of the Pleiades, E Mere ma €! Shivered by Sirius and his friends. Alas! ye bright-shining gods! Bright- shining gods ! Tuarangi maiti! Tuarangi maiti ! ! Vena was a goddess, represented by the star Procyon (Canis Minor). 44 Myths and Songs. Astronomical Myths. 45 This beautiful constellati as of extreme i ¢ T . : eau Onstelianon. Was (of extreme. siporiance i ['onga-iti sullenly allowed his share, the lower half, to remain ison dia heathenism, as its appearance at sunset on the easter izon 2 iid . 2 4 is:appe § € ¢ eastern horian a day or two on the ground. Seeing the brightness of Vatea’s i determined the commencement of the new year, which is about - half, he resolved to imitate his example by compressing his share a the middle of December. The year was divided into two into a ball, and tossing it into the dark sky during the absence of the sun in Avaiki, or nether-world. Thus originated the moon, on or near the horizon ; the second, when at sunset the stars were Fa seasons, or Zax : the first, when in the evening these stars appeared ose paleness is attributable to the blood having all drained out invisible. d decomposition having commenced. The re-appearance of Pleiades above the horizon at sunset © © This myth was rejected by the victorious tribes ; 7zof on the Ze. the beginning of a new year, was in many islands a time of Bg,ind of its excessive absurdity, but on account of its represent- extravagant rejoicing. in: Tonga-iti as a husband of Papa, instead of being her third so. Ta re oY r ne x Q y q y a Cf x» pve of rt . . . mm We have already seen that the sun was known as “the eye of By this account the almost extinct tribe of Tongans should take mite Iaten { yy? 7p 5. wp ys a Ip oof BG : : Avatea, of Vatea (noon-day),” i.e. the right eye: the lft eye of the precedence of their hereditary foes, the descendants of Rongo. Tate 31 he -_ . . . Vatea being the moon. he origin of this myth seems to be this :— Ta Q = 3 r rQ ~ 1 FP ” ” T* 3 N Venus, as the morning star, was called Tamatanui, Ze. 2k Day (Vatea) and Night alternately embrace fair Earth (Papa). eve of Zane. The evening star was regarded as a different planet Their joint offspring are the sun and moon. The cutting of the being known as Takurua-rau. Jupiter was often mistaken for). in two was invented in order to account for the paleness of the morning star. be moon. The rainbow was designated ‘““the-girdle-of-Tangaroa,” by which the eldest of the gods was accustomed to descend to earth. THE WOMAN IN THE MOON. b I'he Magellan clouds are known as “nga maf,” or the upper The eldest of Kui-the-Blind’s four attractive daughters was and lower mists. Binply named Ina. Marama (Moon), who from afar had often THE SUN AND MOON. finircd her, became so enamouted of her charms that one night : ; [Be descended from his place in the heavens to fetch her to be his A curious myth obtained in the now almost extinct Tongan tribe Rigs. pe goddess Ina became a pattern wife, being always busy ; relative to the origin of the sun and moon. Vatea and Tonga-it y a clear night one may easily discern a goodly pile of leaves, quarrelled respecting the parentage of the first-born of Papa, each khown as “te rau tao o Ina,” for her never-failing oven of food ; claiming the child as his own. At last the infant was cut in twc so her tongs of a split cocoanut branch, to enable her to adjust Ia . : ). . a a s his s [Bo . : Vatea, the husband of Papa, took the upper part as his share, and Jb. jive coals without burning her fingers. forthwith squeezed it into a ball and tossed it into the heavens By jg indefatigable in the preparation of resplendent cloth, Ze. where it became the sun. Wiite clouds. The great stones needful for this purpose are also 46 and Songs. Myths visible. As soon as her tapa is well beaten and brought into th; desired shape, she stretches it out to dry on the upper part of th; blue sky, the edges all round being secured with the large stone Ina smoothes out every crease with her own hand, and final) leaves it to bleach. The cloth manufacture of the goddess is on a much grande scale than any seen in this world; consequently the ston required are of a monstrous size. And when the operation i completed, Ina takes up these stones and casts them aside wit violence. Crash, crash they go against the upper surface of th solid vault, producing what mortals call under. Occasionally the goddess first removes the stones from the par of the tapa nearest to her fair person, and then hastily rising The concussio produced by these ponderous stones falling together is termed bs mankind a Zerrific thunderclap. empties out, as it were, the whole lot at once. Ina’s cloth glistens like the sun. Hence it is, that whe hastily gathering up her many rolls of whitest tapa, flashes of ligh fall upon the earth, which are designated Zg/ining. The great antiquity of this myth is attested by the circumstanc: that throughout the Hervey Group the only names for “moon light” and “no moon ” refer to Ina. Moonlight is expressed bi Ina-motea = #he-brightness-of-Ina; “no moon,” by Ina-poiri- Ina-invisible. In the Samoan “Ina” becomes “Sina ;” th word ma-szna = moon, embodies the name of the goddess. In the Tahitian “ Ina” becomes * Hina.” At Atiu it is said that Ina took to her celestial abode a mort: husband. After living happily together for many years, she said t ! nothing of swallowing up the moon whole. Astronomical Myths. 47 ® him, “ You are growing old and infirm. Death will soon claim you, for vou are a native of earth. This fair home of mine must not ! be defiled with a corpse. We will therefore embrace and part. Return to earth and there end your days.” At this moment Ina | caused a beautiful rainbow to span the heavens, by which her | disconsolate aged husband descended to earth to die. ECLIPSES. Tuanui-ka-rere, or Zuwanui-about-tofly, a demon from the eas?, fis at times subject to excessive fits of rage, in which he thinks Affrighted mortals | exclaim, ““ Alas! a divinity has devoured the moon !” and very anxiously wait to see whether the useful luminary will be restored or not. Tangiia-ka-rere, or Zangiia-about-tofly a demon from the west, was the ill-mannered god who devoured the swz in his anger. It was very comforting to find that in every instance sun and moon | were vomited forth whole again, and resumed their old duties, | apparently none the worse for what they had endured. No offerings were made at Mangaia to these demons, as was the invariable custom at Rarotonga, when the irritated Tangaroa was there believed to have done what at Mangaia was attributed to Tangiia and Tuanui. The upshot, however, was a very serious matter ; for the anger of these demons having been vainly exercised against the heavenly bodies, must occasion the death of some man of distinction, to assuage their ire, and as a sort of payment for giving back to man- kind those luminaries. Note the inconsistency of this with the former myth. Myths and Songs. A CELESTIAL FISH-HOOK. The tail of the constellation “Scorpio,” consisting of eight star two of which are double, is here known by the curious designatior of “the great fish-hook of Tomgareva.” The monstrous myth associated with it is as follows :— Vatea, the father of gods and men, whose home was in a par of Avaiki, or nether-world, called The-thin-land, one day wen fishing in the deep blue ocean. He carried with him a great fish. hook, which he baited with a sta» (doubtless an allusion to the bright star, the last in the tail). Notwithstanding this brillian bait, he caught nothing. Vaitea now resolved to imitate the conduct of his mother, Vari-ma-te-takere, ze. Zhe-very-beginning accordingly, he pulled a piece of flesh off one of his own thighs and baited his big fish-hook afresh. This time he found that he had got a prize, but it was extraordinarily heavy. Fortunately, how ever, the line attached to the hook was the strongest known, con sisting of many strands of cinet cord plaited round. Vatea pulled away lustily at this line, and was rejoiced at seeing a large dark round mass slowly rising to the surface. This proved to be th island of Tor gareva, which had till then lain at the bottom of the deep blue sea. Vastly pleased with this achievement, Vatea hun: up his great fish-hook in the sky. Hence its name, “the gre: fish-hook of Tongareva.” In some islands this constellation is known as “the fish-hook of Maui, with a somewhat similar myth to account for it. It is not a little remarkable that this group of stars was called on Mangaia long before any European had discovered th: island in question. When found, it was designated in the chart as Penrhyns, without its native name, Tongareva, being knows until a schooner, in 1853, had the misfortune to go ashore ther BE roroa ua na ngutu e, e kaua, Astronomical Myths. 49 When discovered, the inhabitants of Penrhyns knew of the exist- ence of Auau (or Mangaia), and asserted that Tavai, the erring Bvife of their great ancestor Mahuta, was a native of that island. A DAY SONG FOR MAAKIS FETE. BY TANGATAROA, Chorus. Like the outstretched heavens Are the spread wings of the warning bird. 1820. : E aparangi 0 te kaua peau nui ka rere. E uoa mai na e taae, "Tis the incarnation of a god. One shakes with terror At the long curved bill. FE mataku paa taua é ! E roroa ua na ngutu € ! : Solo. Ah, that long curved bill ! Tis a bird from some other land, I am the chosen bird That comes to warn thee. E manu no tai enua é! Oi au ikitia te manu E tei taraka aé ! Chorus. Oi au ikitia te manu We are all chosen birds, t | taraka, e tai rau, e Tané ! Messengers of Tane, to save you, a0a i te kaki aro, e pauru kaua. Our bills are long and dangerous. Euca te mata o te marangi nui Tamatakutaku € ! mai tai turama ia Mangaia marama € ! f tamatanui aengata ua ao €! Reveal thy face, lovely full-moon, Whom all adore. O for a torch to illumine Mangaia, A bright morning star, harbinger of day. Solo. Ie tutu ake ki runga €! Nga manu taae, noea koe ? fo nunga au, no ua reia e te matangi, Pray stand erect, Ye divine birds. Whence came ye? From the sunrising, driven about Through the expanse of heaven, Ra roi mai! We come to you. Chorus. Tena oa te anana kaua ! Hail flock of warning birds ! Solo. Ua ana mai nei koutou ? Ha! ye have arrived. Myths and Songs. Nako nei maira! Koki, koka Tangaroa, Akarongo koumu i te tua o Vitea Kokiia te rangi. Tapai ia te rangi. E rere i te itinga. E rere i te opunga. E kapakapa te manu e tau ra. Chorus. Welcome to our midst! In the heavens Tangaroa Listens to the whispers of Vatea. Awake, ye winds ! Sweep o’er the skies. Fly east (ye warning birds), Fly west. What a flapping of wings whe act ! resting ! FINALE. BY TIKI (1820), IN FULL CHORUS. Na verovero o te ra I patia i Avaiki, O Rongo Nui Maruata E puta i te rangi. Ko verovero o te ra Ia iti pakakina te etu, E mau te marama O Rongo te atua tupu a taae, E tupiti i te moe O Tavare-moe-roa. Eara! Eara! E ara, e Tane, i to mata katau, Aue €! kua kata te anau Atea I te rara varu! Kua itirere i te popongi. Kua ao €! Ruru i te tere ia Tiki, Ka aere ei ! Six men in masks represented the warning birds. tions of Tane they come from “the sunrising.” right eye” of Tane is Venus. “Tavare” is the lengendary sound sleeper (the mother ¢ See yon rays of light Darting up from spirit-world (Where Great Rongo reigns), Piercing the heavens. The rays of light are lengthening ; The stars still shine ; The moon is full-orbed. Rongo, thou fiercest of gods, Arouse all sleepers, e’en those As profound as Tavare of old. Awake ! Awake! Open, Tane, thy brilliant right eye. Ha ! all the divine offspring of Vite Laugh at our brave diversion. Day is at hand. "Tis dawn. The féte of Tiki is over. We part. Moke), who passed each winter in unconsciousness. of the world, he subsisted on uncooked food. * Buataranga, occasionally visited her son; but always ate her food f apart, out of a basket brought with her from netherland. One As incarn: The brilliar | it was evident that the secret of fire was there. CHAPTER IV. THE EXPLOITS OF MAU! THE FIRE-GOD’S SECRET. ORIGINALLY fire was unknown to the inhabitants of this world, I who of necessity ate raw food. In nether-world (Avaiki) lived four mighty ones : Mauike, god of fire; the Sun-god Ra; Ru, supporter of the heavens; and lastly, his wife Buataranga, guardian of the road to the invisible world. To Ru and Buataranga was born a famous son Maui. At fan early age Maui was appointed one of the guardians of this t upper world where mortals live. Like the rest of the inhabitants The mother, day, when she was asleep, Maui peeped into her basket and discovered cooked food. Upon tasting it, he was decidedly of opinion that it was a great improvement upon the raw diet to ! which he was accustomed. This food came from nether-world ; To nether-world, » Myths and Songs. the home of his parents, he would descend to gain this knowledge so that ever after he might enjoy the luxury of cooked food. On Avaiki (nether-world), when Maui followed her through the bus the following day Buataranga was about to descend t without her knowing it. This was no difficult task, as she always came and returned by the same road. Peering through the ta reeds, he his mother standing opposite a black rock, whi 13 oR : she addressed as follows— a rua, e rarangatu Buataranga, descend thou bod ranga 1 ton through this chasm. a atu el. The rainbow-like must be obeyed ae! As two dark clouds parting at dawn, ] rong 1-te-ats Avaiki, nga Open, open up my road to nether- world, ye fierce ones. 1 . : Dd) - re a 3 words the rock divided, and Buataranga descendec At Maw these carefully treasured up these magic words; and withou [ to see the god Tane, the owner of some wonder He pigeon not plea earnestly begged Tane to lend him one ; but the proffered sing Ma aul, was at once returned to It owner. A better pigeon was offered to the fastidious borrower Nothing would content Maui but the posses Fea ries that was rejected. Akaotu, or sO tame but sion of 5, a red pigeon, specially prized ! Tane. It was it knew its name: and, wande wherever it might, 1t was sure to return to its master. Tane. whe was loth to part from his pet, extracted a promise from Maui tha 1e pigeon should be restored to him uninjured. Maui now se carrying with him his red pigeon, to the plac ended. he had overheard, X off in high spirits, where his mother had desc Upon pronouncing the magi words which opened, and Maui, entering the pigeon, descended. ! Names for the two clouds which are parted by the rising sun. to devour it. to his great delight the rock Some asser The Exploits of Maui. that Maui transformed himself into a small dragonfly, and perched upon the back of the pigeon, made his descent. The two fierce guardian demons of the chasm, enraged at finding themselves imposed upon by a stranger, made a grab at the pigeon, intending Fortunately, however, for the borrower, they only p succeeded in getting possession of the tail; whilst the pigeon, minus its beautiful tail, pursued its flight to the shades. Maui was grieved at the mishap which had overtaken the pet bird of his friend Tane. Arrived at netherland, Maui sought for the home of his mother. It was the first house he saw : he was guided to it by the sound of her cloth-flail. The red pigeon alighted on an oven-house opposite to the open shed where Juataranga was beating out cloth. She stopped her work to gaze at the red fpigeon, which she guessed to be a visitor from the upper world, as Buataranga said to fone of the pigeons in the shades were red. ithe bird, nodded assent. ‘Are you not come from ‘daylight?’” The pigeon ‘ Are you not my son Maui?” inquired the old oman. Again the pigeon nodded. At this Buataranga entered her dwelling, and the bird flew to a bread-fruit tree. Maui resumed his proper human form, went to embrace his ther, who inquired how he had descended to nether-world, and the object of his visit. and Maui avowed that he had come to learn ithe secret of fire. fre.god Mauike. When I wish to cook an oven, I ask your fither Ru to beg a lighted stick from Mauike.” here the fire-god lived. His mother pointed out the direction, Bnd said Are-aoa = house-of-banyan-sticks. She gntreated Maui to be careful, “for the fire- god is a terrible fellow, of a very irritable temper.” 3 Buataranga said, “ This secret rests with the Maui inquired it was called 54 Myths and Songs. Maui now walked up boldly towards the house of the fire-god, Mauike, who happened g guided by the curling column of smoke. | at the moment to be busy cooking an oven of food, stopped ; 8S er wante Maui replied, his work and demanded what the stranger wanted. Ma I “A fire-brand.” ied it w a stream running past the bread-fruit tree and there extinguished The fire-brand was given. Maui carried it to 1 1 ~ ~ ] it. He now returned to Mauike and obtained a second fire-brand, which he also extinguished in the stream. The third time : 2C e fire- ew side himself lighted stick was demanded of the fire-god, he was beside himse with rage. Raking the ashes of his oven, he gave the daring age. Maui some of them on a piece of dry wood. These live coals were thrown into the stream as the former lighted sticks had been Maui correctly thought that a fire-brand would be of little use fll unless he could obtain the secret of fire. The brand would eventually go out; but Zow fo reproduce the fire? His objec therefore was to pick a quarrel with the fire-god, and compel hin by sheer violence to yield up the invaluable secret, as yet known to none but himself. On the other hand, the fire-god, confiden in his own prodigious strength, resolved to destroy this insolent intruder into his secret. fire of the enraged fire-god. pain of being tossed into the air; for Maui was small of stature But the visitor said he should enjoy nothing better than a trial of Mauike entered his dwelling to pu strength with the fire-god. on his war-girdle (ume i tona maro) ; Maui had swelled himself to an enormous size. at this, Mauike boldly seized him with both hands and hurled hin to the height of a cocoanut tree. Maui contrived In falling make himself so light that he was in no degree hurt by his adver ture. Mauike, maddened that his adversary should yet breathe = isd fhreathe awhile. 3 ou ;—Zell me the secret of fire. fhim inside his wonderful dwelling. particularly the “ aoa,” q . 3 land ready for use aul fa p rth time demanded . Maui for the fou ls by thennelver, Mauike ordered him away, unde jg but on returning found tha Nothing dauntec 7 he Exploits of Maus. 5S and next time hurled him far higher than - highest cocoanut tree that verted his full strength, nik ever grew. Yet Maui was un- injured by his fall ; whilst the fire-god lay panting for breath. It was now Maui's turn. Seizing the fire- god he threw him up ho a dizzy height, and caught him again like a ball with his hands. SWithout allowing Mauike to touch the ground, he threw him 2 second time into the air, and caught him in his hands. Assured hat this was but a preparation for a final toss which would seal bi is fate, the panting and thoroughly exhausted Mauike entreated Maul to stop and to spare his life. Whatever he desired should the his. The fire.god, now in a miserable plight, was allowed to Maui said, “ Only on one condition will I spare Where is it hidden? How is it pro- ued?” Mauike gladly promised to tell him all he knew, and led In one corner there was 2 quantity of fine cocoanut fibre; in another, bundles of fire- elding sticks—the “aw,” the “oronga,” 2 the “fawinu,” and These sticks were all dry In the middle of the room were two smaller One of these the fire-god 3 or banyan tree. gave to Maui, desiring him to hold it firmly, while he himself plied the other most vigorously. And thus runs— THE FIRE-GOD’S SONG. Ika, ika i taku ai € ! Grant, oh grant me thy hidden fire, Te aoaoaoa. Thou banyan tree ! * The lemon hibiscus. * Urtica argentea. 3 Ficus Indicus. Myths and Songs. Perform an incantation ; Utter a prayer to (the spirit of) The banyan tree ! Tutuki i te pupu ; Ka ai i te karakia. Te aoaoaoa. Kindle a fire for Mauike Of the dust of the banyan tree ! Kia ka te ai a Mauike I nunga i te papanga aoa e ! By the time this song was completed, Maui to his great joy perceived a faint smoke arising out of the fine dust produced by the friction of one stick upon another. As they persevered n their work the smoke increased ; and, favoured with the fire-god: arose, when the fine cocoanut fibre was Mauike breath, a slight flame called into requisition to catch and increase the flame. now called to his aid the different bundles of sticks, and speedil got up a blazing fire, to the astonishment of Maui. The grand secret of fire was secured. But the victor resolved to be revenged for his trouble and his tossing in the air, by setting fire to his fallen adversary’s abode. In a short time all nether world was in flames, which consumed the fire-god and all he possessed. Even the rocks cracked and split with the heat hence the ancient saying, * The rocks at Orovaru * (in the shades are burning.” Ere leaving the land of ghosts, Maui carefully picked up the two fire-sticks, once the property of Mauike, and hastened to the bread-fruit tree, where the red pigeon * Fearless” quietly awaited his return. His first care was to restore the tail of the bird, so as to avoid the anger of Tane. There was no time to be lost, for the flames were rapidly spreading. He re-entered the pigeon, which carried his fire-sticks one in each claw, and flew to the lower entrance of the chasm. Once more pronouncing the words he learnt from Buataranga, the rocks parted, and he safely got back ! Equivalent to saying, ‘‘ The foundations of the earth are on fire.’ Since closed up. the devouring flames. in putting out the fire. oe — fo this upper world, Through the good offices of his mother the pigeon met with no opposition from the fierce guardians of the ad to the shades. On again entering into light the red pigeon ook a long sweep, alighting eventually in a lovely secluded valley, bwhich was thenceforth named Rupe-tau, or the pigeon’s-resting- #/occe. Maui now resumed his original human form, and hastened to carry back the pet bird of Tane. Passing through the main valley of Keia, he found that the flames had preceded him, and had found an aperture at Teaoa, The kings Rangi and Mokoiro trembled for their land ; for it seemed as if everything would be destroyed by To save Mangaia from utter destruction, they exerted themselves to the utmost, and finally succeeded Rangi thenceforth adopted the new name { Matamea, or IFatery-eyes, to commemorate his sufferings ; and f)okoiro was ever after called Auai, or Smoke. The inhabitants of Mangaia availed themselves of the con- gration to get fire and to cook food. But after a time the fire Went out, and as ey were not in possession of the secret, they Could not get new fire. But Maui was never without fire in /%#s dwelling: a circum- Stance that excited the surprise of all. Many were the inquiries as b the cause. At length he took compassion on the inhabitants of he world, and told them the wonderful secret—that fire lies den in the hibiscus, the urtica argentea, the “tauinu,” t le banyan. This hidden fire might be elicited by the use of fire- ticks, which he produced. Finally, he desired them to chant ¢ fire-god’s song, to give efficacy to the use of the fire-sticks. From that memorable day all the dwellers in this upper world sed fire-sticks with success, and enjoyed the luxuries of light and oked food. and 58 Myths and Songs. To the present time this primitive method of obtaining J 1s still in vogue; cotton, however, being substituted for x. cocoa-nut fibre as tinder. It was formerly supposed that only Jour kinds of wood found in the fire-god’s dwelling would yield . fire. “ Aoa” means banyan-tree; for intensity and for rhythm th word 1s lengthened into ““acaoaca.” The banyan was sacred t the fire-god. The spot where the flames are said to have burst throug named Te-aoa, or the #he-banyan-tree, was sacred until Christianiy induced the owner to convert the waste land into a couple excellent taro patches. Often when listening to the story of this Polynesian Prome theus, the question has been proposed to me, “ Who taught you ancestors the art of kindling fire ? ” At Talanga. Rarotonga Buataranga becomes Ataranga; at Sam In the Samoan dialect Mauike becomes Mafuie. THE SKY RAISED: OR, THE ORIGIN OF PUMICE STONE. The sky is built of solid blue stone. touched the earth ; resting upon the stout broad leaves of ti teve (which attains the height of about six feet) and the delica indigenous arrow-root (whose slender stem rarely exceeds thre feet). of outspread hands pressing upwards, is the result of having ! sustain this enormous weight. earth and sky the inhabitants of this world were pent up. R whose usual residence was in Avaiki, or the shades, had come U] Mor a time to this world of ours. At one time it almos The unique flattened-out form of these leaves, like million In this narrow space betwes - — rimestetns Pitying the wretched confined The Exploits of Mau. 59 fesidence of its inhabitants, he very laudably employed himself in E endeavouring to raise the sky a little. For this purpose he cut a umber of strong stakes of different kinds of trees, and firmly planted them in the ground at Rangimotia, the centre of the island and of the world. This was a considerable improvement, 8s mortals were thereby enabled to stand erect and to walk about fyithout inconvenience. Hence Ru was named “The sky-sup- porter.” Wherefore Teka sings (1794) :— Tuperetuki i te rangi, E Ru e, ua mareva. Force up the sky, O Ru, And let the space be clear ! ( ne day, when the old man was surveying his work, his graceless on Miui contemptuously asked him what he was doing there. ] u replied, “Who told youngsters to talk? Take care of yourself, or I will hurl you out of existence.” * Do it then,” shouted Maui. Ru was as good as his word, and forthwith seized Maui, who was gall of stature, and threw him to a great height. In falling Maui assumed the form of a bird, and lightly touched the ground perfectly unharmed. Maui, now thirsting for reverge, in a moment fesumed his natural form, but exaggerated to gigantic proportions, nd ran to his father saying :— Ru tokotoko i te rangi tuatini, Ru, who supports the many heavens— ¢ Tuatoru, ka ruatiaraurau ! The third, even to the highest, ascend ! Inserting his head between the old man’s legs, he exerted all his prodigious strength, and hurled poor Ru, sky and all, to a tremen- lous height—so high, indeed, that the azure sky could never get back again. Unluckily, however, for ¢ the-sky-supporting-Ru,” his head and shoulders got entangled among the stars. He struggled hard, but fruiMessly, to extricate himself. Maui walked off well 60 Myths and Songs. pleased with having raised the ty; to its present height ; but lg half his father’s body and both his legs ingloriously suspend between heaven and earth. Thus perished Ru. His body rotte away, and his bones, of vast proportions, came tumbling dow from time to time, and were shivered on the earth into countles fragments, These shivered “bones of Ru” are scattered ove every hill and valley of Mangaia, to the very edge of the sea. “The district ” (said my narrator) “where Ru’s bones are su posed to have fallen is on the northern part of the island, ar derives its name from this circumstance. It belongs to me.” It is true that what is universally known in these islands a “the bones of Ru” small (te ivi 0 Ru), 1s found all over the island i quantities. Upon repeated careful examinations thes ‘bones ” proved to be common pumice stone. The largest bone I have ever seen on the island is about the size of a man’s fis The peculiar lightness and bonelike appearance of pumice ston: doubtless suggested the idea that it was the veritable remains of: famous hero of antiquity. The younger natives now know prety well the volcanic origin of these mythical “bones.” In 1862, when at Pukapuka, or Danger Island, where tw John Williams natives brought me a large collection of idols of secondary rank years afterwards the first was wrecked, the They piled them up in a heap before me. My curiosity wa carrying wh Upon carefully looking at it, kis god proved to be merely pumice ston aroused by seeing an old man, formerly a priest, seemed to be a large lump of cal with evident ease. Of course it ha Ko {¢ the-light-stone, and was regarded as the go blackened by long exposure to rain and wind. drifted from some other island. It known as toka was mama ze. of the wind and the waves. antations and offerings of food would be made to it. ther gods in the museum of the University of Sydney. impossible to get through any work. mot be prepared and cooked before the sun had set. d “karakia,” they were overtaken by darkness. rm resembling a man, and possessed of fearful energy. ] Buataranga advised her son not to have koulate his movements, fre, each composed of four strands, and of a great fength. The Exploits of Maus. 61 Upon occasions of a hurricane, in- Such jorship will be made no more ; for it is now deposited with the Pumice ne was not regarded as being sacred in the Hervey Group. THE SUN MADE CAPTIVE. Maui had secured fire for the advantage of mortals, had elevated e sky ; but there remained one great evil to be remedied—the sun had a trick of setting every now and then, so that it was Even an oven of food could Nor could or incantation to the gods, be chanted through ere Maui resolved to remove this Now Ra, or the Sun, is a living creature and divine; in His lden locks are displayed morning and evening to mankind. anything to do with Ra, the Sun, as many had at different times endeavoured to and had all signally failed. Jut the kdoubtable Maui was not to be discouraged. He resolved to &pture the Sun-god Ra, and compel him to obey the dictates of his onqueror. Maui now carefully plaited six great ropes of strong cocoa-nut These Honderful cords of his were named by the inventor Aei-ariki * - royal nooses. Maui started off with his ropes to the dis- ant aperture through wae the Sun climbs up from Avaiki, or == Taei-ariki. 62 Myths and Songs. the land of ghosts, into the heavens, and there laid a slip-nog for him. Further on in the Sun’s path a second trap was laid. fact, all the six ropes were placed at distant intervals along ¢ accustomed route of Ra, or the Sun. Very early in the morning the unsuspecting Sun clamber: up from Avaiki to perform his usual journey through the heave: Maui was lying in wait near the first *“ royal noose,” and exultin; pulled it; but it slipped down the Sun’s body, and only cau his fee. Maui ran forward to look after the second noose, i: that likewise slipped. Luckily, however, it closed round the Su knees. The third caught him round the %#ps ; the fourth, round: waist; the fifth, under the arms. Still the Sun went tearing his path, scarcely heeding the contrivances of Maui. But hapyi for Maui's designs, the sixth and last of the “royal noose caught the Sun round #ke neck! Ra, or the Sun, now ter frightened, struggled hard for his liberty, but to no purpose. Maui pulled the rope so tight as almost to strangle the Sun, then fastened the end of his rope to a point of rock. Ra, or the Sun, now nearly dead, confessed himself to! vanquished ; and fearing for his life, gladly agreed to the dem of Maui, that in future he should be a little more reasonable a deliberate in his movements through the heavens, so as to en the inhabitants of this world to get through their employme: with ease. The Sun-god Ra was now allowed to proceed on his way; ! Maui wisely declined to take off these ropes, wishing to ka Ra in constant fear. These ropes may still be seen hang from the Sun at dawn, and when he descends into the ocean night. By the assistance of these ropes he is gently let do into Avaiki, and in the morning is raised up out of the shades. The Exploits of Maus. 63 Of course this extravagant myth refers to what English children all “the sun drawing up water ;” or, as these islanders still say, # Tena te taura a Maui !” = “Behold the ropes of Maui!” It is interesting to note that the great Polynesian name for the un-god is Ra, as was the case in ancient Egypt—entering into he composition of the regal title “Pharaoh,” etc. The rule of pach great temporal sovereign was indifferently called a “ man- paia”* = peaceful reign, or a “koina-ra” = bright shining of the un, the sovereign chief, of course, being the sun. Sometimes fhe was called “the man who holds the Ra (sun);” at other times ‘the Sun(Ra)-eater.” At death, or the transference of the jupreme temporal power, it was naturally said, “the Ra has set.” Ra was the tutelary god of Borabora. Such are the three great achievements of Maui. Nothing more s related of him in the Hervey Group, save that he was driven away by Rangi for setting the rocks on fire. A husband is lovingly called by his wife her “ rua-ra ” = sun- ole, In allusion to the preceding myth, as from him comes the light If Jer life. The husband gallantly calls the wife his ‘ are-rau,” = well-thatched house, — where his affections repose. These are tandard expressions in hourly use. ‘HE WISDOM OF MANIHIKI® (KORERO MANIHIKI). On the island of Rarotonga once lived Manuahifare and his Mie Tongoifare, offspring of the god Tangaroa. Their eldest son as named Maui the First, the next Maui the Second. Then fol- Manihiki, Rakaanga, and Tongareva are situated about 600 miles north fof Rarotonga. 64 Myths Q nad Son JS. lowed their sister Inaika = /za-the-Fish. The youngest was a by Maui the Third. Like all other young Polynesians, these childra| delighted in the game of hide-and-seek. One day Inaika hid hg pet brother, Maui the Third, under a pile of dry sticks and leave and then desired the elder boys to search for him. They sough everywhere in vain. Inaika at last pointed to the pile, naturally expected to see her little brother emerge from his hiding place, as the sticks were scattered to the right and left. The hex had disappeared, but no Maui was to be seen. What had becon: of him? But after a few minutes they were astonished to see hin start up from under a few bits of decayed wood and some leavs which had been thoroughly searched a few seconds before. Th was the first intimation of Maui the Third’s future greatness. This wonderful lad had noticed that his father, Manuahifar mysteriously disappeared at dawn of every day ; and in an equal; mysterious way came back again to their dwelling at night. HK: resolved to discover this secret, which seemed to him the mor fare, and yet never knew when or how he disappeared. On night he lay awake until his father unfastened his girdle in ord to sleep. Very cautiously did Maui, the Younger, take up on end and place it under himself, without attracting his father notice. Early next morning, this precocious son was roused fron his slumbers by the girdle being pulled from under him. Th: was just as he desired ; he lay perfectly still, to see what woul become of Manuahifare. The unsuspecting parent went, as was wont, to the main pillar of his dwelling, and said— O pillar ! open, open up, That Manuahifare may enter and descend to nether-world (Avaiki). The pillar immediately opened, and Manuahifare descended. %hould look out for some place to hide in. peing cooked. gocogmut midrib, split open). four trees. ith = houted, “Who is this meddling with the nono of Maui the #ccond ?” The audacious boy struck a third tree, and found it 5 The Exploits of Maui. 65 That same day the four children of Manuahifare went back to heir old game of hide-and-seek. This time Maui the Younger old his brothers and sister to go outside the house, whilst he As soon as they were out of sight, he went up to the post through which his father had appeared, and pronounced the magic words he had overheard. fo his great joy the obedient post opened up, and Maui boldly fescended to the nether regions. Manuahifare was greatly sur- prised to see his son down there; but after saluting (literally, melling ”) him, quietly proceeded with his work. Maui the Third went on an exploring tour through these nknown subterranean regions, the entrance to which he had ckily discovered. Amongst other wonderful things, he fell in pith a blind old woman bending over a fire where her food was In her hand she held a pair of tongs (ie a green Every now and then she carefully look up a live coal, and placed it on one side, supposing it to be food, whilst the real food was left to burn to cinder in the fre | Maui inquired her name, and, to his surprise, found it was . The andson heartily pitied the condition of the poor old creature, but naporari, or /na-the-Blind, his own grandmother. clever ould not reveal his own name. Close to where he stood watching ie futile cooking of Ina-the-Blind grew four nono trees (morindo irifolia). Taking up a stick, he gently struck the nearest of the Ina-the-Blind angrily said, “ Who is that meddling the nono belonging to Maui the Elder?” The bold fisitor to nether-world then walked up to the next tree and tapped gently. Again the ire of Ina-the-Blind was excited, and she F 66 Myths and Songs. fourth and last zone tree, and heard his old grandmother as; “Who is this meddling with the zone of Maui the Third? “I am Maui the Third,” said the visitor. “Then,” said she “you are my grandson, and this is your own tree.” Now when Maui first looked at his own nono tree, it wx entirely destitute of leaves and fruit ; but after Ina-the-Blind ha spoken to him, he again looked and was surprised to see i covered with glossy leaves and fine apples, though not rip Maui climbed up into the tree, and plucked one of the apple Biting off a piece of it, he stepped up to his grandmother an threw it into one of her blind eyes. The pain was excruciatin —but sight was at once restored to the eye which had so long blind. Maui plucked another apple, and biting off a piece threw it into the other eye of his grandmother—and lo! sigh was restored to it also. and, in gratitude, said to her grandson, “ All above, and i below ”(= all on earth and all in spirit-land) “ are subject to the and to thee only.” Ina, once called the-Blind, now instructed Maui in all thing found within her territory ; that as there were four species nono, so there are four varieties of cocoa-nuts and four of tu in Avaiki, ze. one for each child of Manuahifare. Maui asked Ina, “ Who is lord of fire?” She replied, “Th grandfather Tangaroa-tui-mata,” (or Zangaroa-of-thelattooed fu “ Where is he?” inquired Maui. “Yonder,” rejoined his gran mother ; “but do not go to him. He is a terribly irritable fellov you will surely perish.” But as Maui persisted, the gratef One! these is the path of death; whoever unwittingly approaches goddess Ina said, “ There are two roads to his dwelling. belonged to his sister Inatka. He now exultingly tapped ths H intruder. * “What did you come for?” EF Maul f and sent him away. Ina-the-Blind was delighted to see agan ® Manihiki, extinguished the lighted stick. ® was repeated. § Maui blew it all away. ! last, to the infinite joy of Maui, fire was obtained. The Exploits of Mau. 67 Great Tangaroa by this path, dies. The other is the ¢ common,’ or ‘safe’ (noa) road.” Maui disdained to choose the path of safety. Knowing his own prowess, he boldly trod the path of death. 1 Tangaroa-of-the-tattooed-face, seeing Maui advancing, raised | his right Zand to kill him—that hand which as yet had never failed to destroy its victim. But Maui, nothing daunted, lifted Zs right hand. At this Tangaroa, not liking the aspect of Maui, raised his right foot, for the purpose of kicking to death the luckless But Maui was prepared to do the same to the lord of fire with Zs right foot. Astounded at this piece of audacity, Tangaroa demanded his name. The visitor replied, “I am Maui the Younger.” The god now knew it to be his own grandson. “To get fire,” was the response of lighted stick, Maui walked to a short distance, and finding Tangaroa-of-the-tattooed-face gave him a ! some water, like that dividing the two islets collectively called Three times this process The fourth time all the firebrands were gone, and * Tangaroa had to fetch two dry sticks to rub together, in order to produce fire. Maui held the under one for his grandfather ; but just as the fine dust in the groove was igniting, the impudent Tangaroa, justly irritated at this, drove Maui away, and summoned a “kakaia,” or tern, to come to 8 his assistance to hold down the lower piece of wood, whilst P Tangaroa diligently worked again with the other sticks At It was no Maui suddenly snatched the upper stick, one The patient bird of white plumage still firmly clutched with her claws longer a mystery. end of which was burning, out of the hand of Tangaroa. the under firesstick, when Maui purposely burnt either side of the 68 Myths and Songs. eye of the bird. The indignant tern, smarting at this ill-requital, fled away for ever. Hence the black marks, resembling a pair of eyebrows, on either side of the eye of this beautiful bird to this day. Tangaroa reproached his grandson with having thus wantonly deprived him of the valuable services of his favourite bird. Maui deceitfully said, “ Your bird will come back.” Maui next proposed to Tangaroa that they should both fly up to day-light through the hole by which the bird had escaped The god inquired how this could be accomplished. Maui at once volunteered to show the way, and actually flew to a considerable height like a bird. Tangaroa-of-the-tattooed-face was greatly delighted. Maui came down to the ground, and urged his grand father to imitate his example. “Nothing,” said Maui, “is easier than to fly.” At his grandson's suggestion, Tangaroa put on his glorious girdle, by mortals called #ke rainbow, and, to his immense delight, succeeded in rising above the loftiest cocoanut tree. The crafty Maui took care to fly lower than Tangaroa, and getting hold of one end of the old man’s girdle, he gave it a smart pull, which brought down poor Tangaroa from his giddy elevation. The fall killed Great Tangaroa. Pleased with his achievement in getting the secret of fire from his grandfather and then killing him, he returned to his parents, who had both descended to netherland. Maui told them he had got the secret of fire, but withheld the important circum stance that he had killed Tangaroa. His parents expressed their joy at his success, and intimated their wish to go and pay their respects to the Supreme Tangaroa. Maui objected to their going at once. “Go,” said he, “on the #urd day. 1 wish to go mysell tdtmorrow.” The parents of Maui acquiesced in this arrangement. Accordingly, on the next day Maui went to the abode of Tangaroa E him well. The Exploits of Maui. 69 and found the body entirely decomposed. He carefully collected the bones, put them inside a cocos:nut shell, carefully closed the tiny aperture, and finally gave them a thorough shaking. Upon opening the cocoasnut shell, he found his grandfather to be alive again. Liberating the divinity from his degrading imprison- ment, he carefully washed him, anointed him with sweet-scented oil, fed him, and then left him to recover strength in his own dwelling. Maui now returned to his parents Manuahifare and Tongoifare, and found them very urgent to see Tangaroa. Again Maui said, “Wait till tosmorrow.” The fact was, he greatly feared their displeasure,-and had secretly resolved to make his way back to the upper world he had formerly inhabited whilst his parents were on their visit to Tangaroa. Upon visiting the god on the morning of the #ird day, Manuahifare and Tongoifare were greatly shocked to find that he had entirely lost his old proud bearing, and that on his face were the marks of severe treatment. Manuahifare asked his father Tangaroa the cause of this. “Oh,” said the god, “your terrible boy has been here ill-treating me. He killed me; then collected my bones, and rattled them about in an empty cocoa-nut shell ; he then finally made me live again, scarred and enfeebled, as you see. Alas! that fierce son of yours.” The parents of Maui wept at this, and forthwith came back to the old place in Avaiki in quest of their son, intending to scold But he had made his escape to the upper world, where ¢ he found his two brothers and his sister Inaika in mourning for him whom they never expected to see again. Maui the Third told them that he had made a grand discovery —he had obtained the secret of fire. He had found a new land. 70 Myths ana Songs. » “Where is it situated?” inquired they. “Down ere” said Maui the Younger. “Down where? ” they demanded. “Down there,” the secret opening in their house again shouted Maui. At the earnest solicitation of Maui, they all consented to follow him. leading to Avaiki. Accordingly, he went to the old post of their dwelling, and said as before :— O pillar ! open, open up, That we all may enter and descend to nether-world. At these words the wonderful pillar at once opened, and all fou descended. Maui showed them all the wonders of spirit-world, and when at length their curiosity was perfectly satisfied, he con: ducted them back to the upper world of light, to which they all properly belonged. MAUI ENSLAVING THE SUN. Food was now cooked by the inhabitants of this upper world, But the set in mad haste, ere the family oven could be properly cooked whereas formerly it was eaten raw. Sun-god Ra used t« Maui considered how he could remedy this great evil. A strong rope of cocorsnut fibre was made and laid round the aperture by which the Sun-god climbed up from Avaiki (nether-world). But it was in vain. Maui sister's hair, which was remarkably long and beautiful. Still stronger ropes were made; but all to no purpose fortunately bethought himself of his beloved some of Inaika’s locks and plaited it into rope, placed it round the aperture, and then hid himself. The moment the Sun-god Ra emerged from spirit-world in the east, Maui quickly pulled one end of the cord and caught him round the throat with the slip- b 5 his vain efforts to extricate himself. The fact was, they were not aware of E begged Maui to release him on any terms he pleased. "the assistance of Ru. Braising a little with their backs the solid blue mass. Rawhile BE were now able to stand upright ; Bthe sky higher still. Band higher. f which they have f very irregular. He cut off in order to finish off the work so auspiciously commenced. it became faultlessly smooth and beautiful, as we The Exploits of Mau. 71 1,0t. The hitherto unmanageable monster bellowed and writhed Almost at the last gasp, The victorious Maui said that if he would pledge himself to go on his : course at a more reasonable rate, he should be released. The promise was readily given by the trembling captive, and hence it "is that ever since the inhabitants of this upper world have enjoyed sufficient sunlight to complete the duties of the day. THE SKY RAISED. Originally the heavens almost touched the earth. Maui Lresolved to elevate the sky, and fortunately succeeded in obtaining Maui stationed himself at the north, whilst ; "Ru took up his position in the south. Prostrate on the ground, at a given signal they succeeded in Now pausing Maul and Ru with their shoulders they raised The palms of their hands, and then the Zps \of their fingers, enabled these brave fellows to elevate it higher on their knees, they gave it a second lift. Finally, drawing themselves out to gigantic propor- tions, they pushed the entire heavens up to the very lofty position ever since occupied. But the work was not complete, for the surface of the sky was Maui and Ru got a large stone adze apiece, and therewith chipped off the roughest parts of the sky, thus giving it a perfectly oval appearance. They now procured superior adzes, Maui tand Ru did not cease to chip, chip, chip at the blue vault, until see it now ! =r find his way back with abundance of fish. N x Myths and Songs. MAUI'S LAST AND GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT. A native of Rarotonga, named Iku, was a noted fisherman. He was accustomed to go out to sea a great distance, and ‘yet safely The obvious reason of this was that Iku knew the names and movements of the stars: and by them he steered his course at night. Upon one occasion this Rarotongan fisherman, at a grex distance from his home, discovered a vast block of stone at the bottom of the ocean. This was the island of Manihiki. Ik made sail for Rarotonga to tell what he had seen The three brothers Maui heard Iku tell his story of this sub marine island, and determined to get possession of it for them. selves. Accordingly, without giving the discoverer the sli 1ghtest hint of their intentions, they sailed in a large canoe to the north Many days passed in weary search, ere they were rewarded with a sight (a distance of 6oo miles) in quest of the sunken island. of the great block of coral at the bottom of the sea. Maui the Elder now baited his large hook with a piece of raw The bait took; and Maui the Elder pulled As the fish drew near the surface, he asked his fish, and let it down. hard at the line. brother whether it was a shark or a kakai. They pronounced it to be a kakai. Maui the Second next baited 4:5 hook, and like his brother caught only a kakai. It was now Maui the Younger's turn to try 4s luck. He selected as bait the young bud” of the cocoa-nut, which he had brought with him for the purpose. ! The size of a filbert. bof the laurel tree. 2nd then let down. This he wrapped up in a leaf 73 A very strong line was attached to the hook, Maui soon found that he had got hold of something very heavy, and he in his turn asked his brothers what ort of fish was on his hook. They sapiently assured him that “it jas either a shark or a kakai.” Maui found his prize to be intolerably heavy, so he put forth g/l his hidden strength, and up came the entire island of Manihiki ! As the island neared the surface, the canoe in which the three others were, broke in two with the mighty straining of Maui the unger. His two brothers were precipitated into the ocean and Luckily for Maui the Younger, one of his feet rested on he solid coral of the ascending island. rowned. At length Manihiki rose igh and dry above the breakers, drawn up from the ocean depths v the exertions of the now solitary Maui. Maui surveyed his island possession with great satisfaction, for is he Spm as his crowning achievement. There was, how- Maui at fice set to work upon a part of the reef, and made the excellent ening for canoes which distinguishes Manihiki above e many other lands. Not long afterwards Iku came back to his favourite fishing- ound. Great was his surprise and indignation to find Manihiki sed up from the ocean depths by the efforts of Maui, and ready inhabited by him. Iku resolved to slay Maui for doing 5. He got ashore at the passage which his adversary had so er, one serious defect,—there was no canoe passage. veniently made, and fought with Maui. In this fight Maui. rated to a certain spot, stamped his foot with great violence, dso broke off a part of what now constitutes one extremity of sister islet of Rakaanga. Iku feared not this exhibition of the prowess of Maui, and Myths and Songs. again pursued him with intent to kill him. opposite side of Manihiki, and again violently stamped the ear} with his foot: and thus it was that the originally large island Manihiki was cleft into two equal parts, one of which retams th ancient designation Manihiki, the other is called Rakaanga. wide ocean channel (of twenty-five miles) separates these twn coral islands. was seen no more. On the island of Rakaanga visitors are shown a hollow a rock near the sea, closely resembling a human foot-print of tix ordinary size. This is called “ tke footprint of Maui," —where hi right foot rested when the canoe parted, and he had almost sux in the ocean. Close by is a hole in the coral, said to be the | lacs where Maui's fish-hook held fast when he pulled up the isl from the bottom of the ocean. It is asserted that Mau cam with him to the skies the great fish-hook employed by him ox the occasion. The tail of the constellation * Scorpio ” is to try d called by the natives of Manihiki and Rakaanga “ #ke fish-/wo Maur.” One day he « He brought Iku lived alone on Manihiki for a time. a cocoa-nut floating on the surface of the ocean. ashore, and then planted it. Thus grew the first cocoa-nut tre Manihiki. : : Iku returned to Rarotonga to fetch his sister Tapairu and y husband Toa. All three safely reached Manihiki and setts down in their new-found home. Five daughters were bom: Toa : but no son was given to him until he married his young From Toa and Tapairy, a single family, all the pres! In at daughter. inhabitants of Manihiki and Rakaanga are descended. Maul now ran to the Finally, Maui ascended up into the heavens an The Exploits of Maui. 75 3 hes Mahuta and his clan migrated to Penrhyns; thus the pnrhyn Islanders, the natives of Manihiki and Rakaanga, are all pscended from the Rarotongan Toa and his wife Tapairu. Such is “the wisdom of Manihiki.” Few myths are so com- te, and few islanders have been so free from foreign admixture the natives of Manihiki and Rakaanga. They wonderfully emble each other; so that to have seen one Manihikian is to ve seen all. A close parallel runs between their version of the exploits of Maui and that which obtains elsewhere. Some particulars wholly dissimilar ; for instance, I can find no account of he bones of Ru.” Mangaian tradition represents Maui as being driven away by ngi to Rarotonga, for setting the island on fire. The “ wisdom Manihiki” represents Maui as living at Rarotonga, and starting nce on his wonderful voyage in search of Manihiki. The tail of “Scorpio ” is on Mangaia known as “ #e great fish- ¢ of Tongareva,” i.e. Penrhyns. The myth respecting it is lar to the preceding, but refers to Tongareva, or Penrhyns, to Manihiki. Vitea takes the place of Maui. The story of Toa and Tapairu is simple history, well known at fotonga. That Mahuta, accompanied by his wife Tavai, grated to the hitherto uninhabited island of Penrhyns is oubted truth. A second canoe, piloted by the son of the wned Mahuta, followed and succeeded in making that exten- but most barren of islands, Tongareva. In July, 1871, I visited Rakaanga. We rowed in a flat- Myths and Songs. 70 bottomed boat without a keel, built of cocoa-nut timber ney sewn together with cinet. Yet these adventurous islanders thy nothing of traversing the twenty-five miles of ocean bet Rakaanga and Manihiki in such frail barks. : The king pointed out to us the foot-print of Maui, and i rock in which his fish-hook caught. He next took us to: Luninhabited islet (where now they keep their pigs), to show the ancient road to spiritland. We could perceive no hol special depression in the ground; but were assured that, if dug deep enough, we should be sure to find it. { S < E n Maui once, standing upon this spot, overheard a conf murmuring of voices beneath. In a low voice he mmquireds these imprisoned spirits were. Those underneath shouted their names in the form of a song, which our guide repeat Said he. “Our fathers assured us there they still are; only " : » T ep SDITIER a QF 1 i t has been piled upon the aperture. I'hese spirits are said t Ing m : ding 1 » bowels of : _ «like soldier crabs, boring down and hiding in the t earth.” CHAPTER VV. TREE MYTHS. ee OM — THE MYTH OF THE COCOA-NUT TREE. \-MOE-AITU," or [na-who-had-a-divine-lover, daughter of Kui-the- 1 ] nd, once dwelt at Tamarua, under the frowning shadow of the ¢ of Tautua, so like the entrance of a gigantic edifice. A Bb Lash stream, abounding in eels, ran near her dwelling, and lly disappeared beneath the rocks. At dawn and sunset Ina ! I «d to bathe near a clump of trees. On one occasion an enor- s eel crept up the stream from its natural hiding-place under rocks, and startled her by its touch. Again and again this ured; so that Ina became in a measure accustomed to its sence. To her surprise one day, as she fixed her eyes upon cel, its form changed, and the fish assumed the appearance of andsome youth, who said to Ina, “I am Tuna (eel), the god protector of all fresh-water eels. Smitten by your beauty, From that he became her attached admirer in his human form, always ft my gloomy home to win your love. Be mine.” ming the eel shape upon his return to his proper haunts, so as tlude notice. Some time after he took his farewell of the ! Aitu = god. Myths and Songs. lovely Ina. our attachment, I will bestow on you a great boon. To-mom there will be a mighty rain, flooding the entire valley. Be afraid, as it will enable me to approach your house on yon ris; ground in my eel form. I will lay my head upon the wood: threshold. At once cut it off, and bury it: be sure daily to vi the spot to see what will come of it.” Ina saw no more of her handsome lover ; but was that nig roused from sleep by rain falling in torrents. Remembers Tunas words, she remained quietly in her dwelling until day when she found that the water, streaming down from the hil had covered the taro-patches, and had risen close to the entra to her hut. At this moment a great eel approached her, and kx its head upon her threshold. with chopped off the head, and buried it at the back of her hu the hillside. The rain ceased, and in the course of a day or? the waters were drained off by the natural passage under the —the true home of Tuna. According to her promise to her lover, Ina daily visited _spot where the enormous eel’s head was buried ; but for many saw nothing worthy of notice. stout green shoot piercing the soil. Next day the shoot The twin shoots, thus gradually unfold divided into two. themselves, were very different from other plants. They gre maturity, and sent forth great leaves, exciting the wonder of : After the lapse of years flowers and fruit appeared. Of twin cocoa-nut trees, sprung from the two halves of Tuna’s bra one was red in stem, branches, and fruit: whilst the other wx a deep green. varieties of the cocoanut; the red being sacred to Tangaro “We must part,” said Tuna ; “but, as a memorial Ina ran to fetch her axe, and for At last she was delighted to find And thus came into existence the two prin Tree Myths. 79 eg In proof of its being derived from the head f Tuna, when husked on each nut is invariably found the two ves and mouth of the lover of Ina. the green to Rongo. [he white kernel of the cocoanut is commonly called “te v . » 2. Pas . oro 0 Tuna,” or the brains of Zuna. In heathenism it was law 7 1 ! nlawful for women to eat eels; and to this day they mostly turn pay from this fish with the utmost disgust. | The extremity of a great cocoanut leaf, termed the “iku kau,” and comprising ten or twelve lesser leaves, when cut off nd neatly bound with a bit of yellow cinet by “the priest of all ood,” constituted the fisherman's god. Without this Mokoiro js the divinity was called, no canoe would venture over the reef INN The same device was used in inviting gre iefs he sacred cinet, however, being Sama Ts Bolo : 2 hi The principal taro patch in each district was analogicall esignated the “iku kikau,” as its possession indicated Mt n1p. / £ yrapys 1041 All “raul,” or taboo restrictions, were and are still made by ans of an entire cocoa-nut leaf plaited after a certain ancient attern. The preceding myth is evidently designed for the glorification { the Amama, or priestly tribe, who were worshippers of a0 under the double form of shark and eel. 3 In the year 55, at the very place indicated in this story, an enormous eel \ baetivees sarin fost in 1a : a suring sezen feet mn length, was caught by daylight in a strong * bh : net. In heathenism this would have been regarded as a visit [laio, and the dainty morsel allowed to return under the \ | 30 Myths and Songs. rocks unmolested. As it was, it furnished several families with; good supper. In a figurative sense, Rongo’s cocoa-nuts are human head; Hence the common phrase respecting the beginning of wz, «Kua viii te akari a Rongo” = the cocoa-nuts of Rongo hu been split open ; in other words, men have been clubbed. The mass of the people, chiefs included, never struck off th top of a cocoanut in order to drink; but were content to su: the refreshing liquid through the hole which nature provides. Th cocoa-nuts of the priests were invariably struck off (tip1 take when drunk by them, symbolical of the fact that with them lay th power of life and death. Chiefs and warriors were merely inst ments of their vengeance. TAHITIAN MYTH OF THE COCOA-NUT TREE A king named Tai (sea) had a wife named Uta (shore) wh was anxious to visit her relatives. But Tai did not like her to without a present. He therefore inquired of the oracle whi would be most suitable. The god directed him to send his wife! r the stream to watch for an eel; that she should cut off the head the first that presented itself, and deposit it in a calabash an carefully plug up the aperture. The eel was then to be throw back into the water, and the calabash carried to the husband. Upon Uta’s return from the stream, the king inquired whet she had been successful. The wife joyfully said yes, and laid © well-plugged calabash at his feet. Tai now advised her to start? 85 her intended journey, and present the precious calabash to parents and brothers, «for there is a wondrous virtue in it.” F g to turn aside from the path, nor to bathe in hot to sit down, nor to sleep on the road, and above Bd Aw tl a ~al ag : 5 " own the calabash. but, at leng 2S 1 igh i gth, the sun being high in the he iting waters. bel’'s head had become a ve ; : come a young tree with strange Z ree Myths. re ————————————————————————— delic US f uit ne 7€ D e joi : < 81 any tempting fountain, all not to put Uta gladly started j a gle started on her journey. F 3 . For a while all went w : ent well ; > ben avens, she became very ! creeiving a crystal stream, she forgot her : i : + Oo romise to her husband, put down the calabash, and le . ’ « ot and weary. apt into the After loyririds ; ter luxuriating for some time in this manner . ’ 1 — he cast a glance at the calabas gle : alabash ; but, lo! i ash ; » 10 1 1t had sproute ad ed—the vv leaves ! Grieved bazo with all her mi pull it up ; but could not, for its roots had struck ci Uta wept long and bitterly. ther own folly, she ran to the bank and strove deep. Perplexed | xed now whe 1 v she perceived a little messenger-bir WIL ssenger-bird from he husb: 17 her ‘tu . : I husband direct- g her to return. She went back to the king ih t par « rn }« 5 . S < ar, and related to him all that had befallen her. 1 ) NCI, ad ame and ‘ai sadly said idst see the e dos | : § e eel whose d was cut off and deposited in the calabash ing, wriggling tail. “Go back to the place where thou d Seek for the When found, get a stick and kill it: pme back and tell me.” then Uta did as she was desi , d as she was desired ; but as soon as she entered tl 0] ( N Jha . . < . - ered 3 cling her husband expired in expiation of her s; ey ‘ Tr sin THE IRON-WOOD TREE. The iron-w ee 3 wood tree (casuarina) was originally introduced 1 ng: od 1 a gans, and planted in a deep sequestered v Te alley 'T med Angaruaau. So isi In the course of years it attaine ees s d to > ¢, and the fame of this graceful and st —_ ately exotic spread over G LS J My: itis and Songs 9 the island. osu and his four friends, nesting of its various uses in other lands, resolved to appropriate it to themselves, ani thus to gain a superiority over the rest of their countrymen. In; secret conference about the matter, some advised Oarangi to hav nothing to do with the tree, as it was an impersonation of an ev spirit named Vaotere. Od irangi, however, resolved that the famous tree should come down, in order to furnish him new and bette weapons of war. Thieflike, they started by night on their 1ll- starred expedition each provided with a sharp stone axe and a candle-nut torc: Arrived at the hillside, they easily found the tree, so utterly unl all others, in its long slender branches and wiry leaves, au towering above all its ts companions. It had four gigantic roos gnarled and twisted in fantastic shapes. The torches were pie on the ground around the tree, making the night light as d The four woodmen zealously set to work upon the four great TOOK whilst Oarangi sat at a little distance to watch their progres From time to time they changed all round, as some made Clea and deeper cuts than others. But curiously enough, when e returned to the root which had nearly been sev ered, he found: restored to its original condition, as if no axe had ever touches? The astonished men desisted awhile to consult w ith Oarangi, vb resolved to attain his object, advised that each should keep tol AR : iia fe 1 own root until entirely severed. Again they plied the and carrying out the advice of Oarangi, they eventually 1m ceeded in their endeavours. At dawn the tree fell to the grou with a tremendous crash. By full daylight the top had lopped off, and the ponderous trunk lay on the soil. They triumphed. They resolved now to return home to rest; to-mom they would come back to finish their task. Zee Myths. 82 J At this moment the ir men were ken i, and began to vomit blood—the redness of the blood answ ering to the tress § of the inner bark of the iron-wood tree which had been so injured § by them. They staggered to the stream which winds through the valley, and sought relief in its waters, but kept on vomiting until | two of their number died, and their unburied bodies were left in the tall fern. Oarangi and the two surviving woodmen went off with heavy hearts. Upon reaching the crest of the hill overlooking the scene of their midnight toil, to their utter astonishment they saw that the great tree they had so recently felled was growing as stately as ever. They retraced their steps, in order carefully to note this wonderful phenomenon. There was no mark whatever of an axe on the resuscitated tree; even the chips all around had dis. appeared. The tree was restored to its former condition, with this difference, however—the trunk, branches, and leaves were now all of the brightest red : as if resenting the treatment it had received, it bled at every pore. They slowly wended their way homewards, but ere long the tvo surviving woodmen fell dead in the road. Oarangi, greatly mnoyed at his failure, resolved that his next attempt should be made by daylight, in the hope of better success. With a number f friends he returned one day to the valley in quest of this tree. ‘pon arriving at the summit of the hill, where the tree could first ¢ seen, their eyes became totally blinded. With difficulty they escended to the bottom of the valley, and wearied themselves in earching for the tree. But after wandering about all day in its fnmediate neighbourhood, they groped their way homewards at ightfall without having found it at all. Oarangi had done his utmost, but had been foiled by the “J 5 Tree Myths. 35 S4 Nn — oR 1ec 1 : of the demon—i 0 h ee une ual hortions . f i z hh i 1 1 of the iron- vood ree, and soon after died. But | C q I maiicious ¢ emorl \ nt thr y spler tie quantity of long spears, another to be split into arad, or skull ] ne who could overcome Vaotere, and render the tha third furnish d d All thi ras there no one 1 leavers; the third to furnish are, or wooden swords. tnis , ie f the t useful to mankind? Ono came from the land J ©“ lished bv 4 il ) it; { Runinrk hicl ood of the tree us ‘ .. uns "was accomplished by the versatile qualities of Rua-i-paku, which his tree was originally derived, and had in his possession | i 1 i ye » g 5 med pag, ‘hence this tree was orginatiy : : . IF was used first as a spade, then as a club, and now as an axe. Taper Kable iron-wood spade, named Rua-i-paku = the-hol: T | d : ; i 1 te of thi a a remarkable 1ron- spade, ne 1e thousand chips from the small roots of this wonderful tree 8 DE : sven to him by his father Ruatea, ere he set er P ‘ : is where-it-mustfall, given fie roency. Thisclina R falling everywhere over hill and valley and sea-shore, originated . “nos for any dangerous emergency. s talisman [8 : ; : : his voyagings, for any dangc De I the iron-wood trees now covering the island : but, happily, Vaoter Or 1 : bi rd club. Armed with Rua-i-paku, he resolved JS ne ne fearlessly chorpidR signifies indifferently “iron-wood,” and what most resembles it, a ceedingly numerous, he 1CaTlCssi) i. st Tw t: lthough exceedingly nu ; : § “ warrior.’ portant, a o = ot Bad action: EE ¢ . them with his famous spade. The chips flew In all iste 8 Sortlof salon tia Sabot of OMS died otiel” Tiley ; sia sé After many days (0/ js > . : iv : s michty blows. After man) ) - oe i = : e and vale, under his mighty : .. JB are believed to have been several hundreds of years old. Such over ui - . were bared and severed at their extremitc ig i ‘ > $ HL Wa y i 3 all the surface roots were bx « alone real JR compositions are called “pee manuiriy,” ze. “songs relating to . ry ” 2 00 a =) c alllCl 3 in . tree began to totter. The tapr f visitors.” They are know > the oldest ex so that the tree beg: : IB visitors. 1ey are known to be the oldest extant. . A « on, at a blov je J ent de the red soil, and then, ¢ Ono dug to a great depth nto 1 and horrid visa : : divided it. At this critical moment, the head and h oF I'he following fragment relates to the preceding myth: — of the evil spirit Vaotere became visible, distorted with rage ? ol ia is mn iaws. filled with terrible tect 5 z. a 3 being again disturbed. His open jaws, fille py ONO FELLS A FAMOUS TREE. o ‘ a ; arcelvin pared to make an end of the impious Ono, who, percent: prepatc : Cigale Wn luckil TUMU. INTRODUCTION. his danger, with one well-directed blow of his spade club PF Bs Gis > ap kull of Vaotere Kotia rai te toa i Vaotere The succeeded in splitting the skull of V¢ : iron-wood tree of Vaotere The victorious Ono now leisurely removed the four grea 1e Tr - v felled : It lies low on the earth. Once it stood erect ; now it is pros- trate. ol Kua aka-inga. narled roots which were, in sooth, the arms of the fierce VaO"BB Ty ¢ tauri te rakau e ! g odine bod d afterwards divided the enormous trunk—the bleeding bod an 0 Myths. 87 Eka eva ra Ono-kura : PAPA. FOUNDATION. ha e < Ono the Handsome chants mournful ‘Eigs : x songs Uriuri ana rai Turn the log over and over, 7 > i . z . Under the shade of the laurel trees. Kua kotia ia rakau The tree thus laid low. Kauvare a Iva e! To : Rr : BE bauvare : Ne’er more will Iva be seen ! Uriuria o te vao Formerly it was the glory of the J P 1 te puka maru. valley This . is : : : ley, 3% is song is complete in itself, and 1 Tu e tauri te rakau e ! Once it stood erect ; now 1t 1s pros- J ' 1 . P! ’ S$ an inttoduction to the trate. "narrative of his exploits and sorrows. The style is very unlike that of later times, when the art of song-making became a national WANDERINGS OF ONO. f passion. There 1s no reference to the known history of Mangara. “The “Iva” referred to is believed to be Nukuhsza. TUMU. INTRODUCTION. | 2 th : = ! t was under the rule of Z 1 i Rupitia ra Ono e te matangi, Ono tossed about by a tempest, : : the Mautara tribe that the poetical Tau akera i tai motu. Eventually reached this isle. faculty of these islanders was most highly cultivated ; ze. during O te rorongo i kauvare a Iva e ! Alas for the haunts of loved Iva! Pthe past 150 years of their history. PAPA. FOUNDATION. Kua nui ua rai ; How terrific the ocean ! Kua tokarekare rire. The waves covered with foam ! Ka ara Ono iaku nei A punishment for the sins of Ono. Kauvare a Iva e! Ne'er more will Iva be seen ! UNUUNU TAL FIRST OFFSHOOT. Ka ara ra koe ra iaku nei e! How great must be thy sins Taku nei e! Against the gods ! E enua tauria e te manu This isle is but the home of birds. Kua kai ana i Ono e, Ono is driven to satisfy hunger. O te ua o te pitai With wild fruits and berries Kura ra i motu e ! Growing, ruddy, over this isle. Kauvare a Iva e! Ne’er more will Iva be seen ! PAPA RUA. SECOND FOUNDATION. E ua te matangi Through rain and fierce winds, E te matangi tere ariki On a peaceful errand we sail. Kauvare a Iva e ! Neer more will Iva be seen! UNUUNU RUA. SECOND OFFSHOOT. Tei te matangi tere ariki e, On a peaceful errand we come, Nai ariki no Ono e, Ono, denied his regal honours, Ka araara i Iva nui Still longs for Iva the Great. E taia e Murake. Alas for those slain by Murake ! Myths and Songs. CHAPTER VL INA, THE FAIRY VOYAGER. INA'S VOYAGE TO THE SACRED ISLE. Tue only daughter of Vaitooringa and Ngaetua was Ina, whos brothers were Tangikiki and Rupe. The parents of Ina were ti wealthiest people in the land of Nukutere, boasting as they did o a rich breast ornament, abundance of finely braided hair, beautiit white shells worn on the arms, and—more precious than all thes: —a gorgeous head-dress, ornamented with scarlet and Dlack feathers. with a frontlet of berries of the brightest red. Early one morning the parents for the first time left their hom in the care of Ina ; the mother charging her to put these treasure out to air: but should the sun be clouded, be sure to take them back into the house. For Ngaetua knew well that in the bright beams of the sun the arch-thief Ngana would not dare to come i but if exposed on a lowering, cloudy day, the envious foe woul not fail to try his luck. : : re ath In a short time the sun shone brightly ; not a cloud could an The obedient Ina carefully spread out thes But the arch-fo where be seen. treasures on a piece of purest white native cloth. “these much-coveted articles. Ina, the Fairy Voyager. 39 Ngana was on the watch. Very cautiously did he approach Fthrough the neighbouring bushes in order to get a good sight of He forthwith used an incantation, o that the sun suddenly became obscured. Ngana now fearlessly ‘emerged from the thicket and endeavoured to grab the long- Byvished-for ornaments. But Ina was too quick in her movements Ngana now with affected humility begged per- iission to admire and try on the various ornaments, for her to see Bow he would look in them. Ina was very loth, but after great Bpersuasion, consented that Ngana should put them on zuside the Bouse. To prevent the possibility of his taking away any of these g reasures, she closed the doors. Bo permit this. The crafty Ngana now arrayed mself in these gorgeous adornments, excepting the head-dress, fvhich Ina still held in her hand. Ngana, by his soft words, at length induced her to give zat up too. Thus completely arrayed he began to dance with delight, and contrived to make the entire gircuit of the house, careering round and round in hope of §ccing some loophole through which he might escape with his Boil. inches wide, through which, at a single bound, he took his flight, ind for ever disappeared with the treasures. Ina at first had been delighted with the dancing of her visitor ; but was in utter At last he espied a little hole at the gable end, a few espair as she witnessed his flight, and heard the parting words :— Tamu tamu tai tara Beware of listening to vain words, E Ina e tou reka. O Ina, the fair and well-meaning ! Not long afterwards the parents of Ina came back in great ste, for they had seen the arch-thief passing swiftly and proudly rough the sky, magnificently attired. A fear crept over them bat all was not right with their own treasures. They asked the QO Myths and Songs. weeping girl the cause of her tears. She said, “ Your choices possessions are gone.” “But is there nothing left?” ‘demands the parents. * Nothing whatever,” said the still weeping Im The enraged mother now broke off a green cocoanut tree branc: and broke it to pieces on the back of the unfortunate girl. Agar and again Ngaetua fetched new cocoa-nut branches and cruel} The father now took his turn in belabouring the beat Ina. gil until a divine spirit (* manu”) entered and took possession ol Ine and in a strange voice ominously said— Most sacred is my person ; Untouched has been my person; I will go to the Sacred Isle, That Tinirau alone may strike it. E kiri taputapu taua kiri ; E kiri akaereere taua Kiri; E kave au i Motu-tapu Na Tinirau e ta ta 1 taua kiri. The astonished father desisted : cried over his beloved sister. merely to saunter about ; but no sooner had she eluded the ey of her parents, than she ran as fast as her legs could carry her the sandy beach. brother Tangikik, who naturally asked her where she was gon She gave an evasive answer; but fearing lest he should infor her parents of her flicht, she snatched his bamboo fishing broke it in pieces with her foot, and selected one of the fragment as a knife. She now said to her brother, “ Put out your tong In an instant she cut off its tip. ; speak ; so that Ina was certain that he could not reveal t secret of her sudden departure. “ and pressed on to the shore, where she gazed long and wistil towards the setting sun, where the Sacred Isle is. about for some means of transit, she noticed at her feet a sm ! The only knife known in these islands formerly, save red flint. Beh named the avini fini tere uta koe i teia manini? her younger brother Rup After a while Ina got up, ast When nearly there, she fell in with her cli Tangikiki vainly essayed She kissed her maimed broti Look Ina, the Fairy Voyager. oI Knowing that all fishes are subjects to royal Tinirau, she thus addressed the little avini® that gazed the disconsolate girl :— Ab, little fish ! art thou a skore-loving 3 avini ? nini tere tai koe i tela manini ? Ah, little fish! art thou an ocean-loving avini ? Come bear me on thy back To my royal husband Tinirau, With him to live and die. bo mai takitakina atu au taku tane ariki kid Tinirau, i toto atu au 1 reira. The little fish at once intimated its consent by touching her Ina mounted on its narrow back ; but when only halfway the edge of the reef, unable any longer to bear so unaccustomed Burden, it turned over, and Ina fell into the shallow water. gry at this wetting, she repeatedly struck the avini; hence beautiful stripes on the sides of that fish to this day, called na’s tattooing.” The disappointed girl returned to the sandy beach to seek some other means of transit to the Sacred Isle. A fish ied the paoro, larger than the avini, approached Ina. The nded bride of the god Tinirau addressed this fish just as had the little avini; and then, mounted on its back, started a ond time on her voyage. But like its predecessor, the paoro 5 unable long to endure the burden, and dropping Ina in low water sped on its way. Ina struck the paoro in her er, producing for the first time those beautiful blue marks \ ch have ever since been the glory of this fish. Ina next tried the api, which was originally white, but for etting Ina at the outer edge of the reef was rendered intensely k, to mark her disgust at her third wetting. 1 ¢ Manini ” is an old form of ‘“ Avini.” \ Myths and Songs. She now tried the sole, and was successfully borne to the ed; of the breakers, where Ina experienced a fourth mishap. W; with rage, the with such energy that the underneath eye was removed to f upper side. now to swim flatwise, one side of its face having no eye! At the margin of the ocean a shark came in sight. Address the shark in words very like those formerly used, to her ge delight the huge fish came to her feet, and Ina mounted triun antly on its broad back, carrying in her hand two cocoa-nuts to¢ When halfway on the dangerous voyage to the Sacred Isle, I felt very thirsty, and told the shark so. The obedient fish in diately erected its (rard tua) dorsal fin, on which Ina pierced: eve of one of her nuts. After a time she again became thr and again asked the shark for help. This time the shark hited head. and Ina forthwith cracked the hard shell on its foreh The shark, smarting from the blow, dived into the depths From t day there has been a marked protuberance on the forehead of the ocean, leaving the girl to float as best she could. sharks, called “ Ina’s bump.” The king of sharks, named Tekea the Great, now mad appearance. Ina got on his wide back, and continued her voy She soon espied what seemed to be eight canoes in a line 13 approaching her. When near they proved to be eight si resolved to devour Ina. Ina in an agony cried to her g shark. “O Tekea! O Tekea!” “What is it? shark. “See the canoes?” said the girl. inquired “ How many are the “ Eight,” replied Ina. Said her guardian shark, © Say to th ¢ Mangamangaia, mangamangaia aea koe e Tekea Nui’ away, or you will be torn to shreds by Tekea the Great.” girl stamped on the head of the unfortunate f Hence it is that, unlike other fish, it 1s constrain: Ina, the Fairy Voyager. 93 As soon as Ina had uttered these words the eight monstrous rks made off. Delivered from this peril, Ina again went her long voyage to the Sacred Isle. But one more danger catened her : what seemed a fleet of ten canoes, but which oved to be ten ground sharks, started off from the very shores the Sacred Isle to make an end of Ina. Again they were ven away by the fear of the king of sharks. At length the ave girl reached the long-sought-for Sacred Isle, and Tekea ¢ Great returned to his home in mid-ocean. Upon going ashore, and cautiously surveying her new home, - was astonished at the salt-water ponds, full of all sorts of fish, erywhere to be seen. Entering the dwelling of Tinirau (= In- merable), the lord of all fish, she found one noble fish-preserve side. But strangely enough the owner was nowhere visible.'; In other part of the house she was pleased to find a great wooden Wishing to test r skill, she gently beat the drum, when to her astonishment the cet notes filled the whole land, and even reached to Pa-enua-kore No-land-at-all), where the god Tinirau was staying that day. he king of all fish returned to his islet dwelling to discover who bs beating his great drum. Ina saw him approaching, and in r ran to hide herself behind a curtain. Tinirau entered and und the drum and sticks all right, but for a time could not scover the fair drummer. He left the house, and was on his av back to No-land-at-all, when the coy girl, unwilling to lose so ble a husband, again beat the wonderful drum. Tinirau came bck and found the blushing girl, who became his cherished wife. | 2 now discovered that it was the might of Tinirau that inspired r with a “manu,” or strange spirit, and then provided for r safety in voyaging to his home in the “sacred islet.” X 04 Myths and Songs. In the course of time Ina gave birth to the famous Koroms ariki, commonly called Koro. Besides this boy she had a g named Ature. Her younger brother Rupe wished much to see his sister In who had long since disappeared. Rupe asked a pretty kan rau (a bird of the linnet species) kindly to convey him whe Ina lived. The bird consented, and Rupe, entering the linn fled over the deep blue ocean, in search of the Sacred Is where his beloved sister had her home. It happened one morning that Ina noticed on a bush near dwelling a pretty linnet, just such a one as she used to see in i old home. into a human form. It was Rupe himself! Great was In: delight ; but after a brief stay Rupe insisted on going back to his parents of the welfare of Ina. They were rejoiced to hex A feast wi made, and the finest cloth prepared for Ina and her child their daughter, for whom they had long grieved. Mother and son now entered two obliging linnets, and laden wi all these good things, flew off over the ocean in search of I Arrived safely at the Sacred Isle, mother and daughter embrac each other tenderly; the past was forgiven. Three whole dy were spent in festivities on account of Koro and Ature, the chil ren of Ina. The visitors returned to their home over the st and Ina was left happy with Tinirau the king of all fish. « Qacred Isle” is an islet in the harbour at Ngatangiia, Rar tonga. “ No-land-at-all” is the residence of the chieftainess I on the mainland. ghar This very popular legend seems designed to support 95 Ina, the Fairy Voyager. It is expressly said to be an account of the origin of qttoo, although another myth refers #2af to Rongo’s ill-treatment f his brother Tangaroa. It 1s, however, true that the tattooing bof this island was simply an imitation of the stripes on the kvini and the paoro. § “Tinirau” literally means “forty millions.” Doubtless it Stands for «“ Znnumerable,” referring to the impossibility of count- ine the small fish-spawn supposed to be under his special care 1e Sacred Isle. Tinirau was second son of Vari, The-very- beginning. known as This heroine is “Ina, daughter of Ngaetua,” to dis- tinguish her from the four Inas born of Kui-the-Blind. SONG OF INA. TUKA'S CONTRIBUTION TO AKATONU’S FETE, CIRCA 1814. Call for the music and dance to begin. iE manini au na Ina é! Here are we, Ina’s little fish,? : On whom the “Zattoo formed ta te reu o Tautiti was first per- i. paoro ina i te apainga € ! As we bare her on her voyage. Solo. Taipo ¢! Go on ! : Chorus. \unga atu na ia Tinirau On her way to Tinirau aIna Tekea i ta €! Ina invented Zatfooing. 1 5s : iy : : Literally, ““ Here are we, Ina’s avin and paore, from which mortals—i.e. Bangaians—derive their Zattooing.” “Te tatau a Rongo,”—i.e. ‘‘ the tattooing of Aengo,” as opposed to that Of /na,—means the bloody marks inflicted by spears in war. Myths and Songs. Ina, the Farry Voyager. Calo Ua rongo Tinirau ee PF Ua kanga Unga € Gi! Tinirau is enchanted ‘id " : 3 Ter ER By the music of the lovely one. Manini tere uta! Ah, thou shore-loving little fish! Ko uraura pia; e ura te tere o BR Tautiti, Our sport is over: the visit of Tautiti is ended, Chorus. Eia Ina tata ia i te reu ¢, When did Ina imprint so distinctly . BE numi te tere o Avaiki ka aere! Motu te tatau ra € ? Those lines on thy body? E: : a I'he guests from spirit-world are gone ! Takitaki atura na te manini aé Takitaki atu na te manini Anau tama it te akatapunga Tautiti e Koro ¢ FINAL STANZA OF THE FETE. Solo. I, a little fish, bare her back. US. Brave fish that bare her to band, Wn So that she became the happy 1 Of the dance-loving Koro! DAYSSONG FOR BY KOROA, CIRCA 1814. Ua pururu ua te etu I maunga Opoa Purui tataka 1 te ara Era vaine taia e te matangi. Tarotaro Ina 1 te pa ika, Oro mai ana tatakina 'tu au, E Tekea, i tau tane ariki Ia Tinirau i te moana. Vaia te upoko, tipitake te akari I te pane o mango, I te mimi o Ina ia takaviriviri, Ia tae au i Motutapu. Titi kaara na Ina. S / ) I'he stars have ¢ Behind the western hills. Like a tall solitary tree is the fairy Who committed herself to the winds Ina invoked the aid of many fish To bear her gaily on their backs ;— The lordly shark to convey her safely To the royal Tinirau o'er the sea. Alas, the bruised head of the monster, Who hitherto had obeyed the trembl maid, Who opened a cocoa-nut On her voyage to the Sacred Isle. Softly she beats the drum. Bia i te naupata kura THE VOYAGE OF INA. FOR A FEMALE REED-THROWING MATCH, CIRCA 1814. BY KOROA. Selo. i Tekea Nui Tap gently the head of the shark king, ba Prk ve ‘ - =a . . . ‘ tarotaro na Ina €! And invoke his aid, fair Ina. Chorus. ne-ere-tue Here comes Tane-the-fierce pal atu na i te anau ika Driving along shoals of young fish, I'o cover the white sandy beach itapu e ia Tinirau Of the *“sacred islet” of Tinirau. Solo. pia ri Loves a tane ! Yes, Tinirau, my future husband. Chorus. we keui to Iva tangata. I will be no bride to the men of Iva. My feet are wet with the ocean waves. Foam-sprinkled I press on to Rangiriri,! I te kare i te matangi. noana i Rangiriri— ngiriri te aroaro ariki. To Rangiriri, the home of my royal husband. Solo. 10.20iki i akon & ariki 1 kakea €! At the home of my husband I land. Chorus. p mai tapoki ake au. an maira Ina Paenuakore ; Benua tapu 1 taea mai nei. Come, throw a garment o’er me. Ina has reached No-land-at-all A sacred spot attained by few. ’ 1 The ; I'he name of a place at Rarotonga, near the Sacred Isle. — Myths and Songs. Ina, the Fairy Voyager. THE TAAIRANGI, OR PORPOISE. : THE FINNY SUBJECTS OF TINIRAU. : 3 BY TEREAV! Tm " ‘ini ived in The-thin-lan{ 8 REAVAI, FOR HIS FETE, 1823. Vitea, the elder brother of Tinrau, lived 1n e ani I e Call for dancing bo : c the ocean; whilst Tinirau, whose home was t:fF@ J a J dancing and music to lead off. and was lord of the ocean; = Vaia mai i te akeke i Aitutaki Throw open the fish-ponds of Aita- takil Where sport the fish of Tinirau and ( : Koro. other fish. as it is covered with pure fat or blubber. | Ff] alf ma Solo. this to be so? Why, Vitea himself, half fish and half maf Sacred Isle, was king of all fish—from the shark to the tin INNOW The taairangi, Or porpoise, was not counted wifE® O te pa ika na Tinirau e Koro €! minnow. aairangt, Jarl ere, | Go on! imitating the conduct of their great mother ari-ma-te-takere, | J du STOR Sim Ch The-very-beginning, tore off a portion of his own person, i Vaia mai te tino ika nei, e Vitea, Tony part of the half-fish body of ! atea, That it may Tane. Lr 9 er thm ‘ce is of necessity unis SUE : made it Into a porpoise. [hus the porpoise 1S : Ei taairangi, e Tané ! 7 become a porpoise, O \/ 3 ee wer taste os pop : all other fish. Whales were often seen but never tasted on saia in heathenism. Had they been obtained, these islandersmy L So. gals 1 A . . a C0 alrv ; ” are coves Aé! ; have learnt that other fish besides the ¢ sky caught” are COVES ore Aye. with pure fat. . 7 - utu oki 1 te kava rauriki ur out ¢ libz on of kava ) Ag | ~ ~ y I ] Q ted I =% tv f \ te 1 ’ Po DD the O« can was t 1€ unc 1S pu CC P oper y 0 atea, t d i E ] t 4 pe ; * = Sole. : ‘ i . ct 4 Tig became alive with taairangl sporting about 1n it. : c Se 2 ne hat . iste. bla z . became jealous of this magnificent ocean fish-pond, seeing th Via mai & i te akeke aé ! Yes, throw open the fish-preserves. Chorus. Throw them all open, O Tane, That the little fish may sport in the } ocean. ys : se ; on one CONCIgES into the great sea. Vatea Ww ould consent only or Solo. Ly gcoics . sevtlrnds own subjects were in danger of dying in the too cont I though very numerous, fish-ponds of the Sacred Isle. @Vaia mai i te akeke ; Oo J 1 chi all fish el te moana te ikatauira a Tané. craved his brother's permission to let some of his small fish y : c 27s own territory of! 2 ree __that Tinirau would add a portion of his own territc yo Aé! Tis done. Sacred Isle to the land of Vitea. With immense cathe Chorus. this was accomplished—the two brother gods had to get akave mai i te uru kare See, they are borne on the crest of Ss was ¢ ls re : rt. Aa the billows > onde ak off a part of it. This (RL ; x the Sacred Isle, in order to break off a pa S rou a Tane-ere-tué, Driven by Tane-the-Fierce, : ARR ath us IK» acre PT : Shred Tinirau liberated a portion of his finny population, and th | a aere e tauri atu i te akau. And are lying in shoals on the reef, ‘ 7. Wi he great halla! 3 en came swarming, not only with the g RE INN. ‘ : ; ocean became : & 1 dros = "The Sacred Isle is here confounded with Aitutaki, both lands appa- taairangi, but with fish of all sorts and sizes. ently lying in the vast unknown. Myths and Songs NUMERATION AND THE ART OF FISHING INVENTED. Vitea prepared an enormous net which he entrusted to si But the subjects of his broth Day after day i fishermen, the first of their order. Tinirau were too crafty to be easily caught. finny tribes were hunted in vain. At length the aid of Raka,t as invoked to make the surface of the ocean roug and thus to hide the great net of Vatea from the sight of the fis) Their younger brother, Raka, willingly lent his aid, : but it was not in the power of i god of winds, w below. the net was completely filled ; cix fishermen to hold the net. Tane, son of the great Vite fis came to the rescue, and resolutely held on to the captive fi hts the finny prisoners raced through the vi At last they became ex Eight days and nig ocean, carrying the net with hausted, and Tane exultingly Vitea turned out the fish one by one, pronounciny each kind has sinc them. dragged the rich spoil to the fe of his father. for the first time the various names by which been known; and thus, also, origin: ating the useful art of counting At last, utterly w earied with reckoning, as being In truth innumerable. ocean lay in heaps on the reef tide carried them out again to their proper element, none the worse for this first experiment in fishing. THE ORIGIN OF DANCING. Tinirau Sacred Isle, occasionally lived on the northern part of Mangaiz The son had repeatedly noticed that his father disappeared U | night, and remained away from their home two or three d a time. “attracted the admiration of Koro ; : - ip in vain. Band gave Ina, the Fury Vopr. 101 ays at One thing greatly whenever his father came back, Where the sire went was a mystery. he was adorned with as : a fresh feckinge of fragrant pand | agra andan oe I us seeds, and red. Daterainiad to solve this mise one night 3 ikoro craftily hid AW ir d 3 < g Cc, an fC nN Not long : ng afterwards the old man sought everywhere for At last he woke up his boy, who rose 1t to < st I hut, in >a ivr raQ p 1 bu, reality, was narrowly watching his father’s movement f ol ments. Eo having adjusted his royal girdle, went outsid 11 €; and in a short tim ¢ Koro slipped out unperceived, and hid himself in tl 1e shadow of the house. Bsome strong bark in the usual fashion, and climbed i he gave up the remainde Ji one hand, he husked the nuts, clave them in two The exhausted inhabitants of the and sandy beach until the rising and his son Koro, whose proper home was at the The old man now passed over his ankles a cocoa-nut But to the great astonishment of Koro, he used only hj y his ght hand, and did not even permis his chest to toucl wi 1 the tree Ti < I y By « wi : sistance of lt one hand. th the On reaching die Ground, still with lelr contents hi the broad leaf of a spat oe fred ‘pongl.” This finely grated cocoa-nut was thet oo or rapped up in the same great leaf, and secured with Nik " —. ! as carried by Tinirau to the sea, a distance of a mile i” er is 1 cks, by a narrow path overhung with lofty trees. On RL ¢ beach, he took up his station on a point of rock, still ; Akatangi, or the-calling-place, and which runs into th Pr Co the reef. Koro hid himself | in the low bushes es growing ot 1 Arum costatum, 102 9 Myths and Songs. s—— — ——e ———————————————————— now liberally scattered the scraped cocoa-nut Over the waters whilst chanting quickly caught up the words, and treasured them in his memory § for his own use at some future period. To the infinite delight of the son, the smaller inhabitants of call of their lord, and came to taste the food provided for ther entertainment. At length the voice of Tinirau was heard by the larger fish in the great ocean, who hurried to the feet of ther sovereign. Ere the incantation ended, the Sacred Isle itscl came bodily from its proper place to the edge of the reef! Thus the entire throng of Tinirau’s obedient subjects assembled on the moving Sacred Isle, and changing their forms into a parti resemblance to human beings, came dancing to meet their lord- who, being himself in his true the famous gladly united with them in their dance, which was of sort called * Tautiti,” in which hands and feet all move at the same time. The subjects, like their sovereign, were all arrayed in necklaces of sweet-scented pandanus seeds, which grow plentiful over the native home of Tinirau. The Sacred Islet, king, finm subjects and all, distant ocean. Koro returned home to the interior, satisfied & to the real cause of his father’s frequent disappearance in pa times. A day or two afterwards Tinirau returned to his son, & Lfragrant as before, with a pandanus fruit necklace, but entire] ignorant that Koro had witnessed his proceedings on his last vis! to the Sacred Isle. It was some time ere the king of fish started off again on a did ¢ he did not escape the vigilance of his watchful son, who W anxious to perfect his knowledge of the necessary invocatior midnight expedition ; but when he a long incantation to his finny subjects. Koro f= the reef at once obeyed th | started off, and were speedily lost to sight in th 4 moonlight dancers. Ina, the Fairy Voyager. 103 ] Again with a single hand the old man climbed the tree, threw down the nuts, and descended to the ground. Again he Favetsdi the lonely path to the sea by moonlight, carrying with him a great quantity of finely scraped cocoa-nut. At the projecting piece of rock overlooking the ocean he scattered food for his marine The invocation over, fish, islet, and all came again to the feet of the mighty Tinirau, who exultingly joined No mer subjects in their favourite employment of dancing by oi : Koro gained his object: he had learned the magic words and "therefore went home well satisfied with himself. ; £2 children. » aki On the following night he, in his turn, climbed a cocoa-nut as his father had done 2 ) nd then carried the finely scraped kernel to “the calling place” vhere Tinirau had performed his wonderful feats. Now was the me to test his own powers as the son of the king of all fish Reciting the prayers, he scattered the rich food hi the Waters when, to his delight, the fish obeyed the summons, swimming : + hoals to his feet. The Sacred Isle, too, with all its vast preserves of fish, soon hove in sight. Amongst its finny inhabitants he had he joy of recognizing his own father, Tinirau, in the merry throng Koro at once joined this novel assembly hen his father greeted him thus: ‘Son, this, then, is why a id away my girdle.” : re Arrayed like the rest in beautiful necklaces of fragrant pan-,/ — berries, father and son that night, and ever after when so Inclined, enjoyed the pleasure of a prolonged midnight dance th their finny subjects on the Sacred Isle. It was the enowned Koro who conferred on the inhabitants of Mangala he favour of planting the first pandanus tree close to the Spot Akatangi) where he was accustomed to summon his scaly friends. Be ; j : : e instructed the inhabitants in the mysteries of dancing. His 104 Myths and Songs. Ina, the Fairy Voyager. time was spent half at the Sacred Isle and half on the northem UNUUNU TAI FIRST OFFSHOOT. shore of Mangaia, which is thence named Atua-Koro,* Ze #: |B Solo. land of the divine Koro.” I mau te ara € tei Taipau aé ! Groves of pandanus cover yon sandy beach. Chorus. A Rs = : 2 A SONG FOR TENIO'S FETE. E mau te ara i Taipau, Yes, groves of fragrant pandanus No Tautiti kake mai ¢& ! For Tautiti, whenever he may come BY VAARUA, CIRCA 1814. up. Solo. Call for the dance to begin. 1 Ave, Tautiti au ¢€ ! I am Tautiti. i Tai Tané Chorus. O te ara ra i Taipau, e Tané ! : Thoms beach is mine. cre maira te ara no tai tuamotu é ! This famous tree came from some other isle, ol datiky 1 1 » le pr BP } al Solo. Patiki io i te kea é ! T'o grace the sacred sandstone. Taipo €! Go on! Solo. Chorus. SHE 34 4a Te aa B ; : , TI rave. ‘ret vulun Patiki io i te kea € ! Yes, to grace the sacred sandstone. Tanumia te ara 1 te Atuakoro ¢ ! That fragrant tree was first plante te ara ra i Taipau, e Tané ! be he divi 1 O Tane, the fragrant pandanus on y the divine Koro. the beach is mine. Solo. - VE yo» - Ag! Aye! T'aipo € ! Go on! Chorus. Chorus. Tautiti rava ki tonga makatea Fautiti’s favourite wreaths grow aumia te ara i te Atuakoro & ! ; rallic That fragrant tree was first planted oopu. yon gullies. by the divine Koro. ai 7 Solo. Solo, Nai makatea oopu ¢€ ! Yes, in those gullies grow Ai} Ave? » ara kura o Tautiti ei mai € ! Red pandanus berries to adorn : dance. Chorus. ut rava ki tonga i makatea Tautiti’s favourite wreaths grow in : : opu yon gullies. ! Every return of March shoals of bream (ature) find their way to Atu hor rot ’ : - Eas QO are 1S ¢ ] Solo Koro. The name of Tinirau’s daughter is 4Zure. Of course there is a play i 20/0. i > name of the beautiful silvery fish which every year visits that par, Nai makatea oopu ¢ ! Yes, in those gullies grow upon the name of t 3 J J : Es dr V3 S S and that only, of the island, as #f the sister and her attendants were paying : ¢ara kura o Tautiti ei mai & ! Red pandanus berries to adorn the visit to the chosen home of her brother Koro. dance. a Myths and Songs. UNUUNU RUA. SECOND OFFSHOOT. eo »n 1 > gweet-sce >, rn-leaves E te opu, e te opu ! Entwine sweet-scented fern-leave Chorus. ER " 3 Mok 3 eriitier on vorsler? Eaara? Eaara? What is going on yonder Tei tai! Tei tai At the margin of the sea? : CHAPTER VIL Aye! Age! MISCELLANEOUS MYTHS. A kitea! A kitea! The god reveals himself ! Chorus. I A BACHELOR GOD IN SEARCH OF A WIFE. Tautiti kake mai. DE uno © JRoxcst the thirteen principal gods of Mangaia which at the tablishment of Christianity were surrendered to the missionaries i 2 o fancél : O Tane. he stands revealed ere four bearing the name of Tane.* They were simply pieces Rites maj, g Agnes f ron-wood carved roughly into the human shape, once well a Be Plessiere tiielils Hironals iy! npped up in numerous folds of the finest native cloth. Of Maniania, 0 ISR low Mea. pigs ese four Tanes three—Tane Ngakiau, Tane-i-te-ata, and Tane Na Sola, [would [were i0—were considered to be inferior to the first, who was usually O te A = a EY A dragon-fly exulting in the suji@lled Tane, sometimes, however, Tane Papa-kai, Ze. Zane-piler- beam. -of-food. UU In order of rank Tane came after Rongo and Motoro, be chief deities of Mangaia. Tane was said to be the fifth son f Vitea, born in Avaiki, or nether-world. The following is the ravagant myth of Tane’s exploits when in search of a wife. At Ukupolu there lived a woman named Tekura-i-Tanoa, . The-ruddy-one of Zanoa, possessed of uncommon attractions. ' Tane = husband, or the generative principle in nature. Tane is equiva- tio ¥2 Innumerable modifications of this dance-loving god were wor- ipped throughout eastern Polynesia. 108 Myths and Songs. But she had one sad defect,—her right foot was afflicted wit elephantiasis. The chief Ako was violently in love with her; I the fair one disdained his advances, saying, “If it had been Zax Noy Ako was a great friend of Tane'’s ; so that he at once paddled of she would have thought favourably of the proposition.” to Avaiki to fetch Tane, who cheerfully consented to accompan him. The two friends started for Ukupolu, each in his om canoe. A day or two after their arrival Ako confessed to Tax the real motive of getting him to pay a visit to Ukupolu, an earnestly entreated his assistance in winning The-ruddy-one d Tanoa. Tane good-humouredly promised his aid. Ako had two sisters, to whom he applied for two garlands fu the neck, of sweet-scented flowers—one for himself and one fu his friend, against their projected visit to the inexorable beau The sisters were to arrange it so that the fragrant garland intend for Ako should have numerous sprigs of myrtle intermixed wi the flowers ; whilst Tane’s should be spoiled by the admixture offensively smelling leaves. When tastefully arranged, the garlands were carefully enclosed in a thin white layer of banana stalk, according to the invariable custom of the olde times. take. A mark was set upon the outside, so as to prevent ms Now Tane was a god, and was not to be deceived in thy way. Accordingly, when these friends, now become at heart rv in love, were both arrayed in their best garments, and their h: glistening with sweet-scented oil, Tane took out the fragu: garland of flowers and put it on. Ako, to his dismay, perceive that his crafty friend had by some means got possession of t being thus outwitted, he declined to put on! Off these rv best garland : own. lest Tane should twit him with his ill-faith. started to the dwelling of Theruddy-one of Tanoa. Tane fin 3 Miscellaneous Myths. 100 entered, bearing mn his hands a gift consisting of several highly- ented garments ; the rich perfume filled the house. Ako now : » his appearance. Eac ade 1S suit wi TE! - pade his appearance. Each pleaded his suit with great earnestness, for Tane was at first sight smitten with the charms of the fair ] e ) Sine 3 om . . . res gl. But the capricious Tekura-i-Tanoa accepted the advances of Ako, and Tane retired in disgust. He resolved to return at once Avaiki. With this purpose in view he walked to the sandy peach to launch his canoe and start for his home ; but upon amination found a large hole in its bottom made by his feacherous friend Ako. Tane sat down and loudly bewailed his pisfortunes in these words :— ua viivit e | Kua vavaiia ra tall Unhappy me ! My canoe has been destroyed by Ako. How shall I return to Avaiki ? will rain down my tears. vaka ¢ Ako tua 0 Avaiki. nei roimata Sy ius a Ringiringiia toku ine fell musing what he had best do. n : Upon looking up he wv for the first time noticed a gigantic bua tree (beslaria laurs- w) spreading forth its noble branches. In a trice Tane got up ¢ trunk of this tree and clambered to the extremity of otis of ¢ longest branches. Tane gave the far-stretching limb on which sat a mighty jerk, and thus swung himself fairly into hd, Enuakura, ze. LThe-land-of-red-parrot-feathers. After walking out this newly discovered land, he came upon an old woman another med Kui-the-Blind, who was busy cooking yams on a fire. In she had ten yams cooking ; at her side were ten calabashes of ter. After awhile the old blind woman took a yam off the fire i scraped it clean with a cockle shell. She then devoured the Te yam, washing it down with a calabash of water. But Kui. -Blind did not know that the moment she took up a yam, Tane ped himself too, and at the same time emptied a calabash of ter, ETL AA > 110 Myths and Songs. The old woman had no sooner finished her first yam and he first calabash of water, than she carefully counted the remain; with her fingers, when to her amazement she found a yam and calabash wivdig, She angrily exclaimed, “ What thief has con here? Had I my sight I would devour him.” Having thus vented her indignation, she ate another yam ay drank shore calabash of water; Tane helping himself in sileng as before ing: and calabashes with her fingers, and found that only six of ex 1 Ome > > remaining yam Again the old woman counted the remaining j 1 3 D ave re oy . ae agal N th remained. Once more she gave vent to her anger against unknown thief. Tane uttered not a word to reveal his presen In this way the ten yams and ten calabashes of water disappear Each time Kui-the-Blind missed a yam and a calabash of wa her anger grew hotter. At last her meal, but half the usu quantum, was finished, and she resolved upon immediate geance. Accordingly, she rose and entering her house felt int ad place for her greatfish-hook, which she had never y used in vain. Whilst adjusting the long line she slowly chant this ominous couplet :— Oi au ka rave, ka rave i te tautai a Kui matapo. - . . ad / = . Aa poiri i te ika a te tupuna e! Ara tatia , : :