THE MYTHOPOETIC MAORI

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 121, 22 May 1920, Page 12

THE MYTHOPOETIC MAORI

GENIUS FOR PERSONIFICATION. "In no department of knowledge is the mentality of the Maori better illustrated 1 than in his mythology," said Mr. Elsdon Best, in the course of an address on the genius of the Maori for personification, delivered before the Historical Section of the Philosophical Society. Mr. Best proceeded to explain that in the cosmogonic and other myths of the Maori were conserved the results of his endeavours to explain the origin of the earth, the heavenly bodies, and of man. "The most remarkable feature connected with these concepts is that of personification, and all natural phenomena were personified by the forbears of the Maori. This universal practice seems to be a natural' sequence of the equally common practice of assigning a spirit or soul to inanimate objects, for such an indwelling spirit seems to develop into a personified form in all cases.. The men of yore traced all' things back to the primal parents— earth and sky—but prior to the existence of that twain was a, condition of chaos, of primeval darkness. The offspring of Earth and Sky were supernatural beings, and it can be shown tha.t they are • personified forms of natural phenomena.. Thus, Tane is the lightbringer and the fertiliser of the Earth Mother, for he is the personified form of the sun. Tv stands for the setting sun, for bloodshed, and death; while Kongo, of the flashing eyes, is the male form of Hina or Sina-, representing tho moon. Although the Maori recognised the sun as the fertiliser, yet he ever ap-. peaiftd to J;he personified form of the moon in his ritunl pertaining to agriculture. This exaltation of the moon, as being the more important to the cultivator, was also* a /prominent ' feature of ■ Babylonian belief. "Tane, representing Light, was a younger brother of Whiro, who personifies darkness; and Whiro attacked Tane sut all seasons, striving to destroy him. Eventually Whiro (Darkness) was'driveri down t<> the underworld, while Tane remains in this world. This is the old Persian; myth- of the first war, that is found in all lands—the war of Light versus Darkness. "In Maori myth wo have personified forms of winds, clouds, rain, mist, cold, heat, winter, summer, water, fire, the ocean,- space, and other things too numerous to mention. Seasonal changes—conditions connected with natural laws, etc. — Am spoken of as though they were contests between individuals, or pertained to the domestic affairs of-certain, personifications. The sun has two wives, the Summer Maid and Winter Maid; these a,re~"ever at war with each other, though neither ever wins a permanent victory. The comet brings fire from the sun as a boon for mankind; the five Fire Children are destroyed by Maui; Mahuika, the personified form of tire, attacks Maui. Then Maui • calls upun his ancestor, Te Ihorangi-—personified form of rain— who assails and defeats Fire, the remnanta or survivors of which find refuge in trees; and from those trees the Maori calls forth fire. Again, Uenukm, personified form of the rainbow, is captivated 1 by the .charms of the Mist Maid, and their adventures form a long story. ■

"A study of -native myths and mentality shows us that the old-time Maori assuredly indulged in introspective thought, and sought to explain natural phenomena and conditions. The results o.f such observation lie taught to succeeding generations in the form of allegorical myths. These mythopoetic concepts he loved to conserve in hia school of learning', and in as pure a condition as possible. Of many myths there were two widely-differing versions—the popular story known to all the people, and the esoteric version. The latter was retained by the few, as. also, was the ritual pertaining to the Supreme Being. The faith of the Maori-in his god's, and their powers, v.-.as passing strong; nor did any person question the teachings of former generations. When death claimed him—that is, when dread Whiro succeeded in slaying him--his spirit traversed the, broad path of Tane, the gleaming sim-gkde that stretches far across the breast of the Ocean Maid. On reaching the hidden home-land his spirit descended to the underworld, there to be cherished by the Dawn Maid, who protects it from the designs of dread Whiro."