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Grey River Argus, Issue 107, 18 September 1866, Page 3

Maori- Superstitions.— The '" Timaru Herald," of the lstjp&nstant, gives the following account of the revival of certain superstitious practices among the Maoris in the part of the Province :— "It appears that some months ago. a Maori named Piripi, or Philip, came from the Northern Island, on a self-con-stitEted mission, for the extinction of tapu. Before giving an account of his doings, it may be necessary to explain what is meant by tapu. Tapu was a system invented by the chiefs to preserve their dignity and property in a community where all freemen were considered equal, and all property held in common. Every Mapri believed himself possessed by one or more demons, but only a few knew the charms and spells by which to control these familiar spirits, a knowledge they took care to keep secret from all but their own families, and thereby insured to them an influence and position they could not otherwise have maintained. Every ■part of a chief's body was sacred; but his head the most so, being, the residence of his. demons. Everything that touched aohief's body became tapu,-and any person ■who violated its sacredness died immediately, unless he possessed charms "more potent than those of the rangatira whose tapu he had violated. Tapu could only be removed from person or place by one whose demons were superior in number and power to^ those whose influence he wished to destroy. To destroy the tapu, it was necessary to defile the person or place .with cooked food, which all' the demons held in abomination. Before the northern Maoris . were baptised, ' "\they broke off their connection with familiar spirits., by allowing cooked foo"d to be eaten out of baskets' placed on their heads. The natives in this island neglected to do this, and now attribute the mortality amongst them to the malice of the demons who still possess them, and render them .tapu, in spite of themselves. They believe that many havii lost their lives from using other people's caps and pipes, and from passing by old ruined houses," or over old burying grounds, or places where divining fires were lighted. Piripi> after visiting Otago and Southland, was -invited by Horomona Pohio to remove the tapu from Arowhenua. On his arrival, -he called the entire Maori population of the place together,, and after a careful inspection, declared that he "could see the demons inside Tamaiharoa and several others. "With the unanimous consent of all' present,'' he began the process Of expelling these said spirits, and removing the. tapu from the neighborhood. First, he visited all the tapu places, taking a stick from one, and a tuft ..of grass fromanother; from the lagoon iiJiront of Mr Woollcombe'g — a favorite haunt of demons who had cauaed the death of many ait un-

suspecting passer-by — he took some water.. With, these materials' he cooked food, which all the Maoris partook of, without "distinction. of age or. sex. Being obliged "to leave suddenly, Piripi deputed Tamaiharoa to complete the emancipation of his tribe from the .power of their fiiniiliar spiiits. * After conning over his instructions for. some weeks, the deputy exorcist at last summoned the people before him. Having ranged them in a circle, he ordered Rawiri to cut the nails and a lock of 'the hair off. every one present, and to place them in "a plate held 'for the -pnrposo by Horomona Pohio. Each person's hand was then pricked j and his or her nail parings, together with the lock of hair, smeared with blooa. The contents" of the plate were then thrown into a boiler full of tea, the contents of which were afterwards served round. This ridiculous ceremony was supposed to have the effect of rendering the cvil v spirits utterly powerless for the future)" and all who joined in it are congratulating themselves on the removal of one great cause of mortality amongst them.