Maui and the Sacred Jawbone

Press, 16 January 1979, Page 10

Maui and the Sacred Jawbone

Maui was a brave and crafty’ hero of ancient times. He was bold and strong, and he also knew some magic. Sometimes he used to change his shape and become a pigeon or other bird, but there was a great deal of magic he could not do and this frustrated him. He longed to undertake greater and more difficult adventures and was prevented because he did not have a magic weapon. One day, as he was thinking about his next adventure, he noticed two servants walking along a lonely track. They carried baskets of food and he could not help wondering where they were going. Later in the day he saw them again and this time they were empty-handed.

Maui was curious and said to the women: “Where did you go with the baskets of foodfl” The servants looked scared and did not answer. Then one of them said: “We took the food to an old woman.

But you’ll have to ask your mother about her.” Maui felt puzzled as the women hurried away and went straight to his mother. “Why do the servants take food to an old woman so secretly?” he asked. “And wjhy are they frightened?” “I’m glad you asked me,” Maui’s mother replied. “It’s time you knew what was happening. The servants are taking food to your blind grandmother, Muri Ranga Whenua. They are nervous because if they neglect her she will go mad with hunger and eat them alive.” “I should like to visit this old woman,” Maui said. “How shall I recognise her?” . .: “You’ll know her by her huge jawbone,” his mother replied. “It is the weapon you are longing for, my son. It is filled with magic and can help you overcome terrible enemies like monsters and demons.” Maui was determined to

possess the sacred jawbone and next morning he took the baskets of food from the servants and said that in future he would carry them -..t0 the old woman. Then he followed the track until he came to her house. The old woman was sitting outside on top of a pile of human bones. Her blind eyes were closed but as Maui approached she raised her mighty jaw and sniffed the air. Maui was careful to keep out of her reach and stood down wind so that she could not smell him. She did not smell the food either and he hid it in the bushes and' then returned home. The next day he brought the food again and as before ■ left it in the bushes and kept his distance. Maui continued visiting his grandmother and hiding her food but one morning she guessed that someone was playing tricks on her. And she decided to eat that person She was very, very

hungry after having eaten nothing for days and at the sound of Maui’s footsteps her stomach swelled out. She made ready to swallow him alive and sniffed the air. She sniffed to the south, she sniffed to the east. And she sniffed to the north. Each time her nostrils quivered and each time, as she smelt nothing, she growled in disappointment. Finally, the old woman turned her head to the west and sniffed. And the scent of man came to her nose. “Ah. You are over there,” she cried eagerly. Then she added: “Are you from the direction of the wind that blows on my cheeks?” Maui grunted, indicating that he was. Immediately, the grandmother knew that he must be one of her relations. She rose from her pile of bones and her stomach began to shrink. But it was as well that Maui had answered her question, for if he had

not acknowledged that he came from the west, she would certainly have swallowed him. The old woman turned her blind face towards Maui and asked: “Are you Maui?’’ “Yes, I’m Maui,” he said. “Well, why have you been cheating your old grandmother? You’ve been hiding my dinners and I’ve had nothing to eat for such a long time.” And she pushed her bony finger into her mouth. “I’ve come for your jawbone,” Maui replied boldy. .“I am planning great adventures and I need a weapon with magic powers.” “Take it," his grandmother said. “I’ve been keeping it for you. But I want to give you a warning before I hand it over. You must wash my jawbone on dry land. Do not clean it in the streams for fish will gather round and eat the flesh you scrape off.”

“I shall follow your advice,” Maui said. So the grandmother took her jawbone and wrenched it free. It came off easily for she was dead down one side from starvation. Maui carried it away proudly and when he was far from any stream he cleaned it. He shook water from his calabash over the jawbone and scraped away the flesh Soon it was white and smooth and he swung it joyfully round his head. As he stood there glorying in his weapon, the water he had used for washing it rushed down the hillside. It carried the blood down to the river and fish swam to the spot and fed there. The-e fish, known as Kokopu, became streaked with brown from the blood of the grandmother and have remained that colour. But Maui paid no attention to the fish and strode away. And he performed many wonderful feats with his mighty jawbone.