TAPU.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20, 24 January 1935, Page 6

TAPU.

PROPITIATING THE ATUA

(By TANGIWAL)

i Sonic Maori folk beliefs have been passed on to the. pakelia. Here and there an ancient tree sacred to the people of the soil is respected by European residents and travellers, and many people take pleasure in observing such ceremonies as laying a handful of leaves at the foot of the- tapir tree Hinehopu, which stands alongside Hongi's Track, now a main motoring highway. The automobile associations have done the cause of history and tradition a service by erecting signs near interesting objects and places, for the guidance of travellers. One of these relics is Kurangaituku's Hock, at the foot of Ngatdku Hill, on the Rotorua side of the bridge over the W-aikato River at Atiamuri. This curious volcanic boulder, with a great cavity in the side nearest the hill, has its legend, associated with the adventures of the Arawa ancestor, Hatupatu, and the bush witch-woman whose name means Kura-of-the-Claws. The old Maori custom is to pay respect to the spirit of the place by reciting a brief charm, a tapu formula ending with the words, "Mau e kai te manawa o tauhou," which means "Feed thou on the heart of the stranger." Places which traditions require shall be honoured in this way are called "uru-uru whcntia," and the rite of laying green blanches or handfuls of fern leaves there is a polite act of propitiation to the deities of the locality. If this is neglected by passers-by, punishment will quickly follow in the form of a storm or heavy rain; so says the .Maori.

The other day three Wellington College boys who were cycling to Rotorua on a long holiday tour through the island passed Kurangaituku's Rock, where a painted sign, "The Lucky Rock," had been set up by the roadside. The leading boy, who was a considerable distance ahead of his mates, had heard the story of the rock. He dismounted and laid an offering of manuka branches in the hollow of the boulder, and rode on again, satisfied that he had done his best to propitiate the spirit of Kura watching from the hill, though he did not know any karakia to recite. A storm had been looming ahead all the morning since leaving the camp. The lad took shelter in a belt of jiine trees by the roadside just before a heavy rain squall broke on the plain. He was quite comfortable and dry when his mates came along-, drenched.

"Did you slop at the Lucky Rock?" he asked the dripping ones. Xo, they had seen the roadside sign, but did not trouble to pay their respects there, though they had been told of the custom. "You will next time, won't you?" said the other, witli a triumphant grin. "Too right we will!" was the fervent reply. There is, it seems to me, a kind of tapu consulship between this incident of the Maori plains and an adventure with the bones of the Polynesian dead which came to my cars this morning from a passenger who lately returned from a cruise to some of our South Sea islands. The ship called at Nine Island, where the passengers all had a run ashore for a day. It happened to be a smooth and pleasant day, an oasis of quiet in a boisterous cruise. The tourists were motored from village to village around the island, and finally they were taken to the caves, or rifts, near the "shore, where they saw in one cave a pile of human bones. These relics were said to be the remains of ancient Tongan invaders who were wiped out by the Nine warriors. One member of the party, smuggled a couple of skulls and a stray leg bone or so aboard the -ship when they returned from their excursion. Very soon after they arrived on board a gale sprang up; it developed into a violent storm with a very heavy sea, and the passengers were with one accord very unhappy. Someone happened to mention to the captain the bones brought from the island ossuary. Dislike for relics of the dead aboard ship is pretty 'Universal among sailormen. This crew, likely enough, connected the human skulls with the sudden storm.

"Heave the stuff over the side," was the captain's request to the passenger who had stowed them under his bunk. Over they went; and my informant avers that the gale from that hour began to ease off, and the ship was soon plugging away northward at her usual speed again. They went to Davy Jones' locker, did those skulls —all but the teeth, which the managing owner of the bones carefully extracted before the dunnage was jettisoned. He was a dentist on holidav.