Polynesian mythology

Press, 26 November 1977, Page 17

Polynesian mythology

As tribal warfare spread throughout Aotearoa, the various Maori tribes were no longer able to claim the exclusive help of the great traditional gods. The result was the appearance in their mythology of atua, or tribal gods, each of which had a manifestation in natural phenomenon. Among them was the powerful war god Maru, claimed by several tribes to have travelled to New Zealand in their canoes. Maru was manifest in the red glow sometimes seen low on the horizon. On one notable occasion Maru and several companions found a huge whale, apparently dead, lying on the sand. Maru the atua excavated, a huge pit, filled it with heated stones, and heaved the whale’s carcass into the pit. But the whale was not dead; it was not even a whale, but the form adopted by an even more powerful atua, Rongo-mai. The sleeping god

woke up, reared into the air. and crashed down on Maru and his companions. They were all killed, but the spirit of Maru escaped to a fissure in the rocks from whence he continued to assist those tribes who put their faith in him. The myth of Maru, and the drawing of the awakening of Rongo-mai, come from “Maori Myth,” illustrated by Roger Hart with text by A. W. Reed (Reed, $5.95). The book is a companion volume to “Maori Legends” by the same author and artist. In this new volume the emphasis is on mystical and esoteric tales from New Zealand’s rich Polynesian inheritance. While the book might appeal most to younger readers, its clear text and striking illustrations would help to awaken sensitive appreciation of Maori mythology in adult readers as weII.—NAYLOR HILLARY.