TRIBAL "MANA."

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10043, 23 May 1898, Page 5

TRIBAL "MANA."

(By J.DRE GI'DGEON.) Maori superstition does not limit it-self to the matter of tauiwlia, kura, or tipua only; its tendency to believe in the supernatural is very wide indeed. For instance, the Maori firmly believes in the sacrednoss of the ok'cst born of the "Ai-iki" line of the tribe; that is, of tlhe senior line of descent in the tribe, and from this conviction we can trace the origin of all their ideas connected with the "tapu" and mana of chiefs. Moreover, if we examine critically into these matters we shall find that the Maori view is not only logical, but also well founded, inasmuch that the sacredness of the ariki" is due to tihe fact that he, by virtue of Ms birth, is the shrino of an hereditary atua, aud therefore his power, or mana, is superhuman, and for the same reason anything brought in contact with his sacred person becomes also sacred, and therefore dangerous to mere common humanity. So, also, the Maoris believe in the "mana" that is said to be -hereditary in all of the descendants of certain ancestors, and on this subject I can give no better instance than that of the Waitaha, a small tribe of tho Haundu Gulf who are also known as the Wh&u-Wnau Harakeke*. The "mana" of this tribe is said to have been derived from a woman named Irakau, and those who can appreciate her illustrious descent will easily understand why sine should havo possessed "mana" in a high degree, for she was a veritable descendant of the sea god Tangaroa, not to mention other minor deities. I will not, however, expatiate further on this point, as I may have to deal with tho subject at length on another occasion. I need only say that Irakau had "mana" over all the fish, of Tno sea, more especially over 1 the whales, and that this unusual power was transmitted to her descendants. I have been told that Irakau derived her "mana" through her father Rakataura, who was liimself a great wizard, and ihad already proved his superiority to ordinary men by preceding the Tainui canoe (in her voyage to New Zealand), seated on the back of his ancestral taniwUia paneiraira. But I am also awaro that Irakau can, on the mother's side, claim descent from Wharewharenga-te-rangi and other famous ancestors, who belonged to tha ancient tribes of this island, and for this reason I am not prepared to indicate tho source of 'her mana, taough I freely admit ita existence. This power of the Whau-Whau Harakeke; is, so to speak, localised at the "mauri ika moana" of Rangiriri, on the shores of theHauraki Gulf, and I may here explain that the word "mauri" signifies an altar, or perhaps better still, a shrine, and therefore we may interpret the expression as the Bihrino of the sea fish. All birdß or fish have their mauri, before which the tribal Tohungft must invoke the aid of the gods whenever the tribe i*ave resolved to go fortih. and catch either birds or fish, for, without these preliminary rites, the mere efforts of man would indeed be futile. The mauri of which I now write is a small sand bank, in shape somewhat resembling the back of a whale, and hence it is known as the iwituaroa or backbone. Tlhe head of this so-called fish is directed inland, and the tail towards the sea, tho whole being overgrown with the coarse grass called matie. From the most ancient time? this sand hummock has been regarded not only as a sacred place, but also as a. veritable ika moana (sea fish). It was here that thpse descendants of Irakau, who had touched the dead, or tended the sick, apd thereby became dangerously tapu,. would resort in order to purify themselves, by ablutions and ceremonies becoming to a people who could boast that they were of the "kawei ika moana. t When any member of the Wihau-Whau Harakeke died the relatives were most careful that no leaves of green flax were used to bind up the body in the orthodox position for burial. On such occasions only the carefully dried leaves of flax or cordyline were used, for the reason that any breach of this rule would have prevented the whales attending the funeral feast. So, also, when the corpse was carried to its last resting place the bier was tied together with dried flax in order that no offence might be given to the sea fish, who, all things being favourable, would shortly be stranded in order to supply food for the feast. To ensure this happy result great care was necessary. For instance, those whose duties were suah. that they had become tapu by contact with the corpse would purify themselves at the "mauri" of the Iwituaroa, and return by the inland side of that shrine, thereby avoiding the path between it and the sea. On the third or fourth day after these ceremonies a school of whales would be seen'heading for the shore at the Iwituaroa, led by a fish , called .the ika tapairu, viz., the chosen of i directing fish, who would pilot his friends in sudh, a manner that they must of necesj sity be stranded; nor would h© leave them until they were helplessly at tho mercy of the tribe. Then, his work being well done, he would wriggle out of the shallow water and swim away rejoicing. When the ika tapairu had played his part in the tragedy | the Tohunga of the Whau-Whau Harakeke I would walk slowly towaids 'he sea, muttering as he went a karalria suit-able to the occasion, viz., an invocation to Tangaroa, the Maori Poseidon, and having reached tie sea, would there swallow a mouthful of salt water, after which act of homage ii becajßS impossible for any fish to escape the tender mercies of the children of Irakau. The rules observed on these occasions were very strict, no selfishness was permitted, and if any one member of the tribe was prevented by another from obtaining his just share of the spoil, it was the duty of the injured man to go forthwith to the chief priest of the mauri and relate to him the cir-urasta-ce. of his injury. Then, if the priest waß safchified that there had been greediness or selfishness on the part of any one he would proceed at once to the fish in dispute, which might perhaps by this tinie have been partly cut up, and a portion probably in process of cooking, and would there offer up tho karftisia, called a Toko, as follows: — "Ko te Toko o Tauemahuta, Te Tako o Rangi, Te Toko o Tinirau. Eo Toko s Ma*_ai_. I Tokona ai Tangaroa ki tai ra Nau mai a haki,, Kei taoua puka, pukatia koe ki to rangi, Pokokohua kei taoua koe." After this karalria no matter how distant the sea might be, or how mutilated the fish, it would begin, to wriggle, alternately lifting head and tailj until it reached the water; n<fr could this escape be prevented no matte. * Those frirt around with the leaves oi tt» Phormium _»__"_ t (*e_e_l()*y ot —c B***_.a*

flow many ropes might have been lashed to the fish as a precaution against such accident., for the men holding the ropes would be tumbled in heaps one over tho other, and the whale would find its way back to the Puna a Tinivau, at Rangiriri, which as all the world must know, is the centre of the fish univei__, If any part of the fish aforesaid should per•*_ance have been cooked before or during the quarrel its flesh would have no more nourishment in it than decayed wood, indeed, 1 am told, that it would be so tasteless that no one could possibly eat it, and therefore it would of necessity bo thrown away. No reproach would be uttered against the selfish man who had caused this loss to his family and the tribe generally; his punishment would be the silent reprobation of his fellow tribesmen, who, being a primitive people and happily unacquainted with politics, held strong opinions on the subject of right and [wrong. This tradition concerning the mana of the Whau-whau Harakeke discloses the fact that the death of any member of the tribe was not a condition precedent to the stranding of whales in the vicinity of the Iwituaroa, for if any tohunga happened to wound himself, or be wounded, and washed the blood off near that sacred shrine that very day would see one or more fish stranded, at least such would have been the case up to the year 1845 or thereabout., for, as uiy inioimant remarked, since that date no Maori tribe has preac-ved its mana. My 'iuhuiiga lrieud is, however, of opinion that tho descendant. 01 Irakau havo still " mana" as to one matter, aad that is immunity from death by drowning, provided always that tho person in danger oi such a doatii had been uuly in.tiueteu in tlie mode ol procedure iv such tu.es. Suppose, lor insi—ice, tliat) my lrieud, who is pemap- the only i'ouunga left ot his tribe, were to hud himself shipwrecked in nud-o.cuii, in such case he would, it he maintained his presence ol mind, call out with a loud voice, ' 1. Toku Tini i uta, mc toku mano i te wai, Koau torn ka mute a-u. E koro ma, c likina. m<u au, kawea, hi uta."* At this call the taniwiia Ihumoaua would instantly appear and would he recognised by the fact tliat lie has a hollow place at the muck of his head large enough to hold several men, an admirable dispousa.tion ot nature, which enables this tumwha to dive under drowning, men and cleverly catch them in this weii-iike cavity. The benevolent monster would not fail to bring all oi the descendants of Irakau safely to land, provided always that those whom he -ought to save had tne decency to retrain from doing certain things, whicn my friend the Tohunga classes under the head oi " keeping their mouths shut.'' For instance, there must be no expectoration in mid-ocean no matter how nasty salt watei may be, for that is a thing no well-conducted tauiwha can put up with; also, when Ihumoana and his iiuin-.il freight had reached the shore it was necessary that a ceremony should be performed, as a thanksgiving to Tangaroa for tiie aid he had given his descendants. The shipwrecked men were required to gather a handful of seaweed from tne shore and carry it a short distance inland and deposit it, and would then gather some weeds or grass and cast them into the sea aa a mutual offering or exchange. Should this ceremony oi tiianksgiving be forgotten or neglected then those careless or unbelieving men would do well to remain for the future on dry land, because if they should on any subsequent occasion have urgent need for the services of Ihumoana they would call upon him in vain, for such is the nature of Maori gods that however, loving or generous they may be in their dealings with men they none the less require some recognition of the benefits they may confer.

As to the "mana" of the Whau-whau Harakeke, my Tohunga friend speaks with no uncertain sound. He says—" Only those persons of the' Kawei ika moana' who forget to call for assistance, or are ignorant of the proper method of so doing, by reason of their parents having neglected to instruct them, can bo drowned at sea, and therefore it was that the Maori king Tawhiao, when contemplating a journey to England, turned a deaf ear to the remonstrances of Sir George Grey, who pointed out that Tawhiao was about to leave during the stormy season, for the King knew that he was a descendant of Irakau, and as such had ' mana' over the great fish and _ 'taniwha' of the seas, and therefore could not be drowned, for no matter where he might be wrecked Ihumoana would be at hand and would within three days bring him safe and sound to the shores of New _>ealand.

The opinions I have quoted are those of • very j learned man, whose name I am even to-bidden to disclose lest his fellow tribesmen should ascertain that he had given mc information which ought not to have been furnished to a mere pakeha; for he is a man of reputation, one of the few "Tohungas left us capable of .xplaining the myths that obscure the truths contained in old Maori tradition. Hence it is that my friend is exceedingly cautious lest he should be accused of having been paid money for the information he has given. ♦iTf 1 1" 6 ? 1 * root^d in the Maori mind is the belief that the spirits of departed ancestors are m constant attendance upon living men, provided always that the said men have the "mana" that would warrant the attendance, and the evidence that would make manifest to the world the possession of such 'mana" would amount to this, that a man shall govern his actions and mode of We by common sense and prudence, under such conditions the ghost folk would be justified in giving him all the assistance he might require. , These are benevolent spirits, who, as I have said, were once men; but in the Maori system of "Nature there are supernatural beings, who, in spite of their semi-human appearance, are none the less wood demons pure and simple, and are not to be confounded with the "Turehu," or red-headed dwarf folk. These Turehu are described as * simple, harmless race, who fear tne light of day above all things, but whose deeds >f darkness were ever of- the most harmless Wiption; though it must be admitted i t f-T d occ '' s * onn % carry off women and children. In the opinion of the Maoris these people have existed until comparatively recent times, frequenting the dark forest-clad valleys of mountains, such as lirongm, Moehnu, aud other places untrodden by the unsanctified foot of the white man. , Concerning these wood demons, the tales told aro most amusing, more especially when narrated by a trained Maori oratof, with all the dramatic force natural to the man unci his language. The legend of Tukoio and the Atuti is a case in point, but it is not possible to reproduce the tele as I Have heard it from the lips of old Tuao, a i-Hiei" of the Upper Whanganui tribe*, for tho Enghsh language does not altogether kiui itself to such fantastic tales. The Maori is more suitable, because more ornamental; moreover, it lends an air of truthfulness to the narrative which would be found wanting in our more prosaic tongue. It would seem that this Tnkoio—who was -n ancestor of old Tuao—was engaged in spearing birds in the dense forests that fringe the banks of tho Whanganui river, mid while- thus employed he saw moving towards him what appeared to be a "mohoao" (wild man), whose long hair trailed upon the ground. For some time the chief watched this strange being, unobserved by him. and noticed that though unprovided with weapons he darted out his very long arms at each bird that came within reach, and never failed to transfix it on his lonj_ finger-nails, which were as sharp aa spear heads. Now, -'ukoio had been born and bred in the midst of danger, and, as a true Maori chief, feared 110 living man; but he nevertheless trembled in tho presence of this strange being, and would have retreated had such a course been possible; but it was not, for his very first movement rivetted the attention of the atiia, who charged him without the least hesitation. Then. Tukoio recovered his courage, and met his foe half way; with his left arm he parried the thrust made at him. and with a single sweep of his greenstone axe severed his enemy's arm at the wrist. Little cared tlie atua for this misadventure, for crying "I have still a stump.' he again thrust at Tukoio, and by so doing lost his arm at the shoulde.. & this way W w!*i contin ? ed ' *~«ta the demon had ended the fight by dragging the toe to a •J.-, root, whereon he cut off hia head. A very joyful man was our chief an he gathead

up the long hair and threw the head over his shoulder, for no man might deny his prowess while he had the head as proof thereof, and therefore he intended that it should be carefully dried in an oven and p**e_erv_d among the tribal heirlooms; but as he strode along with his ghastly burden the head spoke, saying, "E tama ma km toto au" (my children, J am being carried ottf. This exhibition of supernatural power was too much for Tukoio's nerves. It was not within his experience that severed heads could speak; he therefore hastily abandoned his trophy and fled in panic to his tribe, to whom he related his surprising adventure. Instantly each warrior seized his weapons and followed the chief to the scene oi the combat, but to their great astonishment neither arms, legs, head or body were to be seen; only a great pool of blood testified to the truth of Tukoio's tale. A close search was then instituted, and the fact made manifest that the demon, aided by his wife, had succeeded in joining himself together, and that both had taken refuge in a cave on the hill known as Puketiotio. From this place they were driven by fire, or, in other words, smoked out; for says Tuao:—"There is nothing a god so much dislikes as fire, and hence it is they object to cooked food being brought to places sacred to them, unless, indeed, the food be dedicated solely to thenown use by 'Tohungas,' who are their servants."

Let it not be supposed that Tukoio is a mythical personage, or that he lived at a period very remote from the present day, for such is not the case; he has many descendants now living, and the*cu*cumstances I have related are said to have occurred only six generations ago, perhaps 150 years.