HINGAHAPE OR MANAWAPOU.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 13

HINGAHAPE OR MANAWAPOU.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As I know a large number of your readers are interested in Maori lore, I offer no apology for again alluding to the naming of the so-called Manawapou riven It has been stated by your Whareroa correspondent, presumably on the authority of Mr Percy S. Smith, that Manawapou means “Heart on the post.” , “Manawa” certainly means “heart,” but' “pou” by itself, so I am informed by a Maori (who ought to know), does not convey any meaning further than “heart post.’’ “Manawa irunga ite pou” is the Maori for “Heart on a post.” The same authority also informed me that Hingahape (not Ingahape) is the correct name for the so-called Manawapou river, and he likewise narrated the tradition relating to the naming of the river. Prior to Turi landing at Patea, a taniwha (Toi Tehuatahi) is said to have arrived and taken up his abode at Tangahoe (usually spelt Tongahoe). Turi, it appears, in his journey up the coast, ignored and thus greatly offended this taniwha, and an encounter took place, in which Turi got the worst of it, one of his legs being so injured that he was rendered very lame. Turi apparently lav down and slept on the banks of a river, which was afterwards known as the Hingahape (“lame leg”). Tradition states that the first canoe that reached these shores was named Meteikoura, and was commanded by a chief named Kupe, who took possession of the country by naming all the mountains and rjvers from Wanganui to Patea. The next canoe that arrived was called Aotea, and was commanded by the chief Turi, who (and here is corroboration of the story mentioned above) gave names to all the rivers and mountains from Patea to Aotea. It is not known for certain what he named Egmont, but it has been called Pukekaupapa- as well as Taranaki. It would not do to enquire too closely' into what led to the naming of the various rivers and places in New Zealand, but it is quite certain names were given by the ancient Maori to correspond with some incident that took place—“heart on a post” and “lame leg” being excellent examples. In conclusion, let me say that I take off my hat to the late Mr Percy Smith as one whose knowledge of the history of the Maori was very great; but he, like your whareroa correspondent and myself, was liable to make mistakes, and I feel sure, from what I knew of him, that he made no claim to infallibility. As to wrong names having been given to rivers and places (as mentioned by your Whareroa correspondent), this is not the fault, of the Maoris, but the pakeha. Many of these alterations can be traced to the time the trooos were stationed along this coast in the" middle sixties. Waingongoro was substituted tor Ohawe, and no doubt this was when Hingahape was changed to Manawapou. Une might instance many other such alterations. Instead of “Previous Correspondent,” I will now use my usual pen-name of FIFTY-ONE.