SHORT SKETCHES OF POLYNESIAN MYTHOLOGY.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 160, 7 July 1909, Page 6

SHORT SKETCHES OF POLYNESIAN MYTHOLOGY.

[(Specially Written for the "Auckland Star" by J. jtf. PEEBLES.) n. THE STORY OP HINA-URI AND RUPE. After Maui's cruel trick upon his sister in turning her husband, Irawaru, into a Cog. it may be remembered that Hina, in Her grief, threw herself into the sea. According to the legend, she floated upon I Hie bosom of the waters for many months *nd was at length thrown up on the beach, at Wairarawa. Here she was found, to all appearances dead, by two brothers named Ihuatamai and Ihuwareware. These men, gazing with wonder upon the straage shape at their feet, which was covered with barnacles and seaweed, yet perceiving that the object ■was the body oi a beautiful woman, lifted it tenderly between them and conveyed it to their home. Arrived there, they carefully scraped all the enveloping weed away, and, laying her by the fireside, in xime had the pleasure of seeing animation return and to hear her speaking. When Hina was full}- recovered her former vivacity, the brothers both discovered that they had fallen in love -with her, and to ovejeome an obviously queer dilemma, mutually agreed to take her as a wife between, them both. Naturally, they •wished to learn all about their wave-borne bride, but to all their entreaties regard- | ing her name and people she remained; Eile-Bt, saying- only that her name was! now Ihungarupaea. which means "strand-; ed log of timber."' These three people! lived very happily together for a long) lime, the two brothers doing everything in their power to render the existence' of their joint bride as bright and joyous | as passible. One day Ihuwareware went on a visit to the leading chief of the district, and to this personage he told i the tale of the finding of Hina. Tinirau, i as this chief was called, was greatly j interested, and he came back with Ihu I to see her for himself. He was so struck \ by Hin-a"s beauty that he thereupon made overtures to the brothers that they j should waive their claim upon her and Jet him. take (her as a wife himself. Surprising as it may seem, the brothers consen ted to their superior's proposal, and shortly after Hina set forth for the Island of Moto-tapu with her new lord and master, where she in a short time gave birth, to a child by Ihuatamai. Tinirau had two other wives residing with him on the island, and these women, i in their hatred and jealousy, made things particularly unpleasant for the beautiful newcomer. To such a length did their frenzy lead them that they struck at [ and attempted to kill Hina, bitterly cursing her the while. Poor Hina's lot may be imagined, and she got very sorrowful and gloomy. Things got so bad that at length she began to utter karakias or incantations against these : two wicked worn-en, and one day she uttered one so fell and potent that the two viragos dropped dead at her feet! i Hina was thus left free and untrammelled, and life became more bearable, particularly so, as her husband was untiring in his devotion and duty to her. But while Hina was living amongst i ttrajigers, the hearts of her relations were ever fearing to learn tidings of her ' whereabouts: so vexed "was her young tiroth-er Majii-Mua at her absence that, overcome by Ms intense love for herj he finally decided that come wha-t may > he must go in search of the missing one. Maui-Mua, or Rupe, as he was afterwards called, set out at once and visited scores of places without 'hearing any news. After reflection, he decided to ascend to the heavens, and there consult a great ancestor of his called Rehua, ■who dwelt at the place called '"Te-putahi-nui-o-rehua," Beaching a place which •was inhabited he en-quired, "Are the

heavens above thus inhabited?" These people replied that the heavens above were inhabited, but also told him that lie could never hope to get there, as they were the boundaries fixed by Tane. IRupe was not at all discouraged a/t this, ■but forced his way ever upwards, and he had the satisfaction of reaching, after much -weary and arduous work, the tenth j heaven, wherein was the abode of Rehua, whom he sought. Rupe. disclosing his identity in his lamentations with Beh.ua, the latter immediately gave § orders to his servants to light a fire and get everything ready to cook food for his visitor The servants soon had a bright fire Mazing and brought a number of cala-1 bashes, ready to contain food, which they laid beside Rehua. Rupa was inwardly wondering where the food was io come irom, and to his surprise his lost began to unwind the bands which fastened -his long locks of hair. Tiiis accomplished, Rehua shook his head, and from his, luxuriant head-dress, flew forth great numbers of the birds which had been living upon the insects in. Rehua's head. The servant's caught the birds and quickly Icilied and cooked them, afterwards putxing the food as a present before Rupe, Renua bidding him begin ito eat. This, I however, Rupe would not do, and he | eaid, "Who would dare to eat birds that had fed upon insects in thy sacred head? - ' After a time, he ventured to ask if Rehua, had heard any news from the world below upon any subject in, Y.'hieh he was interested. Rehua. assur- j ed him, saying, "Yes; a. murmuring of distant voices has reached mc from the island of Motu-Tapu in the world below these."' at once, by his wizard powers, turned himself into a pigeon, and flew downwards through space for the island. Arriving there he iiew straight to the house of Tinirau, where he alighted upon the window-sill. Some of Tinirau's people saw him and cried, '■there's a bird; make haste and sppar him" One man threw his spear, but the bird turned it aside with its bill, and 3t struck the window-sill and was broken. They then essayed to noose him, but to no purpose, as he turned his head from tide to side, and successfully evaded all their efforts to capture him. Hina herself now appeared, and suspecting something, she ordered the people 'tp leave the bird alone till -she looked more closely at it. dose scrutiny revealed to h«r that thp wandering bird was her brother, so she called to him. saying, "What is the cause tvhich has made you thus come here?" The bird opened and shut his beak as if trying to speak, and Hina called to her husband ihnt his brother-in-law was •here. To her husband's query as to the name of the newcomer she replied, "It is lnv brother Rupe now Tecited this greeting to his "beloved sister, the nari'.p of the greeting being known as ••Toe Toe Tu.' ••Ilimi-uri, Hinauxi is the sister. And Foipe is her brother, Jtat Jtow came iha ihere? Casio ho by traTelling on the earth, Or -ctme is Ifero-Qgn. ifche airS Sot jow grtb fes -ifcnasfr 4fc* «te"':

j Hina's answer to this greeting was I this:

"Rupe is the brother. And Hina is his young sister; But ihow came he here? Came he by travelling on the earth, Or came he through the air? Let your path be now upward through the air

To. Rehua." Like a flash Rupe swooped down, and grasping his sister and her new-born babe, they in a moment were lost to sight, taking with them the placenta, which had, according to ancient etiquette, to be buried with solemn rites and karakias. On their way, as they ascended, th c placenta was accidentally dropped into the ocean, and a hungry shark greedily - devoured it. To this event is attributed the reason of the great number of large eggs found in the body of these voracious monsters. Eventually the brother and sister arrived at Te-Putahi-nui-o-Rehua, and they received a warm and hearty welcome from the noted old man who lived there. Rupe noticed that the courtyard, through the laziness of Rehua's servants, was in a i filthy condition, and drew his ancestor's attention to the fact by saying, 0 Rehua, they leave this courtyard of yours in a most vile state. You people are such a set of lazy rogues that if every bit of dirt was a lizard, I doubt if they would I even stoop to touch its tail to make it run away." This saying o f Rupe's eventually was handed down as a proverfc among the people. Rupe now set to ■work himself, and made two wooden shovels, which he respectively named "Tahitahia" and "Rakerakea" To such good use did he put these implements, i that in a short time the whole establishj ment was clean and wholesome as one ! eouJd wish. He then found an outlet ; for his superabundant vitality in adding j a new building to Rehua's home, but j his skill in this craft was not so successI ful as he could have wished. He had I fixed one of the beams very badly, it seems, and this caused a sad fatality one day. Kaitangata, a son of Rehua, I was swinging, boylike, on this very i timber, whioh gave way, and springing I back threw the boy down, and he died J from his injuries. His blood ran about and stained a part of the heavens, and iit is this which is responsible for the , ruddy tinge sometimes seen in the skies. Therefore, when men behold this they murmur, "Ah, Kaitangata stained the I heavens with his blood."