THE TANIWHA.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 207, 16 August 1927, Page 9

THE TANIWHA.

TUTAE POROPORO. AN ANCIENT LEGEND. The old Maori lengend of the celebrated taniwha tutae-poroporo, which lived in p cavern near the Purua stream, and which destroyed every canoe-lbad of Mgbris that tried to pass his lair, and of his being killed by the wiles of Aokehu, is well-known locrl history that has, or had, no connection with 20th century engineering problems. But the writer learned the other day that is is not so easy to get rid of Taniwhas, and the City Engineer will have to put his best foot foremost before his department have got the best of the monster of long ago (states the Wanganui ‘' Herald. ’’) The site of the subsidence of the Taylorville bank, which caused such concern a year ago, and which, it is presumed, will fake £15,000, or more, to repair, is, according to a wellknown Maori, the actual site of the cavern occupied by Tutae-poroporo, and our authority says it is no good building stone or concrete walls in front of the old cavern, because the Kai-tiaki (or guardian spirit of the old time taniwha) will, from time to time come and clean out the old cavern In readiness for the return of his master.

“But do you Maori people believe that Tutae-poroporo will come back agaiW fo his cavern!” “Kaore hoki mai” (“no he will never return”) but the Kai-tiaki doesn’t know that, and will go on clearing out the lair, said our informant, as he reflectively lit his pipe.

Under these circumstances it does •of seem much good for the City Engineer to build stone walls, and one wonders what the C.P.P. will say about it.