ON WHALE’S BACK

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10595, 25 May 1928, Page 5

ON WHALE’S BACK

PAIKKA’S FAMOUS VOYAGE. HAWAIKI TO NEW ZEALAND. WHY HE MADE FOR WHANGARA LIVELY TIMES IN THE MISTY PAST. (Specially Written for tho Gisborne Times <O. • Whangara, where a unique memorial to Queen Hinematiora, grandmother of Te Kani aTakirau, will be dedicated to-morrow, is famous in Maori history on account of the fact that it. was the home of Paikea, who is credited in the Native traditions with having made \ the long journey from Hawaiki to \ New Zealand on- the . back ‘of an Vj;' l obliging sea monster, believed, to '/ have been a whale. It seems that Kahutia-te-Rangi, who, afterwards, took the name of Paikea, was the legitimate son of Uenuku Kaiiangata, one of the most powerful priests of Hawaiki. Uenuku also had a son named Ruatapu, who was irregularly born. One day Uenuku'was disturbed by the noise of someone trespassing on the roof of liis whare. it was Ruatapu, who liad been flying ,a kite, which had fallen on Uenuku’s roof, in angry voice, Uenuku inquired who it was that was trespassing and Ruatapu answered by name. Then Uenukfi said: -“If it were Kahutia-te-Rangi (Paikea), > who was begotten on my mat, it would be alright. Rut you, Ruatapu, you, a mere child of an irregular conception, how dare you trespass on my urutapu?” Ruatapu was angered at -the slight cast upon his birth ; and filled with the spirit of revenge, lost no time in making himself Scarce until such time as Uenuku might become calm.

UENUKU THE MAN EATER. As showing what a harsh type of priest Uenuku was, Sir George Grey, in dealing with the Aotea migration, suiys that one day Potikiroroa went to take Uenuku an offering of cooked food, but fell on his doorstep. Immediately’ he was caught by Lenuku, who swallowed him. As a consequence,' Turi, father oi' Potiki, sought compensation. Turi planned to waylay Hawepotiki, a son of Uenuku, so he commanded his own children to amuse themselves by playing with the whipping top and the hoop. Hawepotiki, however, did not evince any desire to join in the games. At last, when summer came, Turi instructed his children to go for a bathe in the river and Hawepotiki joined them and was caught and killed bv Turi. Later on, Tun put Hawe’s heart in a basket of kumeras which Hotukura was taking to Uenuku. The kumeras were all besmeared with blood from the heart. In the course of his meal, Uenuku sighed for his cnild, saving, “0, Hawepotiki. thou dost not, now appear fit home when the food is ready.” Then he asked for his child and someone answered: “That is he who lias been eaten by yen.” When he heard this, Uenuku said • “Then, leave it, it is now hidden in the great stomach of Toitehnutahi."’ Tins double tragedy led to Turi migrating to these islands.

LIKE JOB OF OLD. Incidentally, it may further be mentioned that Uenuku was the cause of the Arawa migration. Uenuku (so says a legend gathered by Mr White) had some food cooked called “poapoa,” winch, according to custom, had been dressed as part of a ceremony over the dead. This, like the shew-bread in the temple ot Jerusalem, was for the priests alone to eat. As the food was stolen, Uenuku became very angry. He was, it seems, afflicted like Job with boils and like Job, too, he had scraped liimself with shells. A dog belonging to Tamatekapua made away with the contents of some of the sliells, and Uenuku. for this unpardonable offence, had it cooked and eaten. WhaAaturta (Tamatekapua’s younger brorAier), searching for the dog, at last 'went to the pa where it had been eaten, and, having called out, the dog is supposed to have answered its master’s cal) from the stomach oi Toi. SIMPLE, BUT CLEVER, RUSE. To pumsb Uenuku, 'lama and Whakaturia went, in the night anti ate the fruit of a sacred poporo tree which was growing at the end of his house. It being dangerous to go openly to flic poporo, Tama invented stilts for the occasion. Finding his fruit decreasing, and not observing any footprints, Uenuku ordered a watch to he kept with the result that Whakaturia was caught. Toi’s people -sewed-him up in a mat and hung him' up in an 'assembly house to starve. Tama went to the house by stealth and learned from Whakaturia how the people amused themselves every night. He learned that one of the pastimes was the ■ kanikarfi. (In this game the performers sit side by side, and the one who can make tile' most inhuman grimaces and the most groans was considered the best.) Tama was told to tell them that if they loosened him he would teach them a new way to kanikani. and by this ruse he escaped. Toi and Uenuku then attacked the pa held bv Hounioitawhiff, father of Tama and' Whakaturia, but were repulsed. 11 ou died shortly alter and Tama arid Whakaturia .decided to leave Hawaiki. R UATAP U’S REVENGE.

But- to return to Ruatapu and his plans to have revenge on Uenuku at, if possible, Knhutia-te-Rangi’s (l’aikea’s) expense, as well as the expense of other members of the family. When a suitable day arrived he invited a large party, including Paikea, to accompany him on a fishing expedition. The canoe was well filled and out and farther out it proceeded. In duo course, it was suggested to Ruatapu that they had t'one out far enough, but, at Ins in''sOgation, the canoe went right out d(f sight of the land. Then he withdrew his foot from a hole which he had secretly bored in the bottom of the canoe, and it rapidly filled and turned turtle, throwing the occupants into the deep sea in consternation. Taking a paddle, Ruatapn began to slay his companions. When all the rest . had been drowned, Kahntia-to-Rangi, who had not been caught, called out to Ruatapu. “Chase mo; lam Paikea.” .Ruatapu eventually gave up the chase and his parting words to 1 aikea ■vvero to tell the people who would collect -where he landed that he would he their chief and that he (Ruatapn) had died whilst seeking revenge iri respect of the curse uttered by their father, Uenuku. Paikea then called on his gods to . aid him and a whale arose, took'him on its back and made for Aotenroa, where it eventually became stranded, and turned into the island now called Whangara Island. MAN OP MANY WIVES. ■JP According to Ncpia Pohuhu, who * \ supplied Mr -John White with some interesting traditions close on htty (years ago, the change in Kahutiatelßangi’s name to Paikea was due entirely to the fact. that he reached Aotearoa- '(New Zealand) on the hack of a sea monster., First of all, 1 aikea lived at Ahiiahu, where* he married Ahurumowairaka, and had - a family. Then he removed to Whakatane. took to himself another wife, Te Manawatina, and had another familv. In due course, he came on to the Waiapu district, where he entered i nto a fresh matrimomal alliance., his latest wife being. Huturangi, and raised still another .family. With Huturangi and her. parents, brothers

and sisters-in-law, together with other members .of his wife’s. tribe, Paikea ,theh- moved on, to Ana’ura. IHe -' took his '' wife’ a, parents to live next with TetunaiandTangotangorau at Roto-o-tahe; wlieffe lie built the pa called Tatauorangiriri, in which" they could ‘become secure. . Again' Paikea went on the march ‘in'search of Whangara. Sitting on the line of travel, where, he could see the land, lie said bo his fellow-travellers: “Yon place is Pakarae, there is Waingutu; yon is Tokaakuaku, this is Teahiraraihe; yon is Waikino, there is Tutapamhi; yoii is Tahatuoterangi; that is Tewarauharigaahine; . yon is Pukekole, and this-is Teronanga.” And Paikea added : ‘ ‘This' is quite like the appearance of my home, and this is, •verily,; Whangara. There-is only one thing that makes it different, from my old home at Whangara (in .Hawaiki) and that is if Waimoico here had been near to. the place- I now call Ahirarariki it would have been exactly like my old home: at . Hawaiki called •'. Whangara. • But truly this is Whangara,” and he decided- to Jive there. He died there and was buried. in what was called “The Cave of Paikea.” -• \ DOMESTIC DISGRACE. In the account given to Mr J. E. Dalton, of Tolaga Bay, concerning Paikea’s journeying-s from Ahunhu to Whangara it is stated that. Paikea got into domestic disgrace at Whakatarie because he would not go fishing, so as to supplement-the family larder, visitors having arrived. Being tapu, Paikea could not collect food. His wife, Te Manawatinc, therefore said that she would, be. the man, and, : accordingly, she visited the fishing ground herself: hence the. name “Whakatane.” On his arrival in the Waiapu district, Paikea came to a small lake, named Whakaataata, on the top of a hill. There he- -saw a. young woman collecting water in a calabash. He climbed a tree overhanging the lake and changed himself so that the woman came to the 'conclusion that a reflection which she saw was that of a taniwha. Hastening home in fright, she acquainted her father of her dread of the lake. Her father, owever, told her that if she returned she would find a handsome man and she went back and met Paikea. who took her on to Whangara and hence the naming of the people there “VVhanau-a-Paikea.” SPIES WHO REMAINED DUMB. Curiously enough, Whangara Island is whale-like in appearance. As time went- on, nobody at Hawaiki could glean what had become ol Paikea. It- was nob even known if he were alive or dead. Uenuku, according to a tradition that has been handed down to Mr R. Leach, of Whangara,' learned the true facts, in a miraculous manner. Uoirig into Ids whare, he found that his comb, which, of course, was tapu, was missing from its accustomed place and', naturally, he became very concerned, as nobody had any right to interfere with it. Every side post in tho house was carved, and the figures were in the habit of conversing wit h him. As a matter of fact, they filled the role of -spies on his behalf. But when he inquired as to what had become of his comb, all remained silent. Next, he went to the carved slabs, but they, too, remained dumb. Then he turned to. the tiki, called Kahutia te Rangi, which was hanging on a wall, and the tiki told him that Ruatapu had stolen his comb. It was as a result of the tiki speaking that Uenuku learned that Paikea was still alive. The silence of the posts and slabs, which were all named after the other occupants of the canoe, showed that no one else had survived Ruatapu’s treacherous act.

A TELL-TALE BAILER, Taking a. wooden bailer called Hakihea, and repeating appropriate incantations. Uenuku commanded if to search for Paikea. Before he committed it to the sea, however, he took the wrist rope attached to it and twisted it round in leit-handed fashion, afterwards tying it so that it could not break.loose. Away the bailer went, following in the tracks that had been taken by the whale which had transported Paikea to Whangara. First of all it touched at Ahuahu, but there was no one there to receive it. it then came on to Whakatane and m due course was about to cast itself on the beach at Whangara. At the time some children were at play on the beach and they rushed to get the bailer, it would not let them touch it. and made off again into the deep water. The youngsters went and told their parents of the strange happening. When Paikea learned of the occurrence he went down to the beach and, as soon-as the bailer saw him, it rushed into his arms. Paikea looked at the rope, untwisted it, and rewound it in the right-hand, way arid cast the bailer into the sea again. In due- course it found ft-s way back to Hawaiki. Upon its return to Hawaiki, Uenuku said to Rongomai tu Aho, “Your father still lives. You had better sail to him.” Rongomai'- tu Aho took a canoe, called Te, Rea-anini, and made straight for Whangara. When he got near the beach he found burning a fire which was known as Te Ahi Rarariki (The Unquenchable Fire)-. Rongomai Tu Aho was -so afraid of the fire that he went , over to Toka-a-kuku reef and then found a creek into Which he hauled the canoe.

HOW A MURDER WAS AVOIDED. Ip his story of the Horouta migration. Paratane Okawhare, in 1880, related how Paikea saved the life of Ira at Whangara. He says when the news was heard by lluaawharo and 1 Tu-pai, who were living at Porirua, Aropawa and i’ateathat Paikea was living, at Whangara they paid him a visit in the Takitumu and took him an offering of kumeras. Rua and Tupai wished to murder Ira, who was living at P'akarae, and give his body as part of their offering to Paikea. When Paikea heard of the intended murder of Ira, he said to them: “0! men. You two do not appear to he blood relations of Ira that you should speak such words against our elder brother; the evil was done on the other shore of the sea, at Hawaiki, and you bring it even to this, land.” Now these the word's of Paikea saved the life of Ira. The reason for the intended murder was that Uenuku had thrown Kuaawharo into a fishing net and Rua must have revenge. Ruaawharo was also called by a second name, which was Tchakawhiti (the thrown into a net). Rua and Tu wont back to their own place and Paikea and Ira. .went and lived at Uawa, where Tra made a house called Matatuahu. Now, for the, first time, were all the gods and incantations collected together at Uawa that had been brought by the Horouta migration, as.she was the most sacred of all the canoes. . These things were at Uawa given by Ira to Wharepatari and have been kept down to this. day.