THE LUCK BRINGER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 273, 18 November 1930, Page 6

THE LUCK BRINGER.

A New York nautical -writer, discussing matters in connection -with, the recent America Cup race, said that it was tie custom in the TJ.S.A. to deposit a twenty-dollar gold piece under the butt of tie defending yacht's mast. Many other big racing craft had. this luck-coin put thereunder the mast just before it was stepped. It is a very ancient custom, this placing of a fortunebringing emblem at the butt of the mast, usuallv the mainmast in a three or two masted vessel; as ancient as the practice of placing coins and other articles under the foundation stone of an important building. The idea, of course, i≤ the far-back belief in universal magic and in the multitude of spirits, good and evil, which it was necessary to propitiate. The gold coin under the pleasure yacht's mast, or the mast of a prosaic trading vessel for that matter, is a relic of the era when offerings were made to Xeptune, or Poseidon; to our Maori-Polynesians he.is Tangaroa, the god of the ocean and all the creatures i that dwell therein. In the case of the buildings it is the olden offer of treasure to appease the deity, or demon, of the earth. So our church builders and layers of foundation stones in setting their coins and other mementos under the corner stone are simply imitating the immemorial i pagan custom. J The Maori had the custom of luck offerings I developed to a high degree. Xo carved house I deemed safe unless a block of greenstone or i some other treasure were laid in the hole in i which the central house pillar, the "poutokoi manawa," was set up, to support the ridge pole, j In olden days it was a slave instead of a green- ! stone. Xo doubt slaves came cheaper. There are instances, too, of war parties having been ■ eent out to elay some suitable victim for the ; offering to the spirit of the soil; and a victim ] . also killed to celebrate the launching of a new war canoe. Ancient and modern touch hands ' here in this "atua- 3 "-propitiation rite —only we ! don't iknock the victim on the head these days, j we only tXf into Ms pocket. —J.C.