A STRIKING THEORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2935, 15 June 1910, Page 13

A STRIKING THEORY.

CHRISTIAN STORY KNOWN TO MAORIS.

By Habe Hongi.

PART IV. In our second and third articles parallels were given from the Maori legends of Tawhaki to the: life of Christ. , The- following ale further parallels between the Christian story and the ancient Maori legends in connection with Tawhaki ; BAPTISM WITH FIRE. 19. Baptism with fire. “ I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I: . . He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” (St. Matthew, ch. iii, 11.) “ The people l present all rushed forth from the coart-yards, for the whole place was made tapii by Tawhaki. And murmurs of gratification and astonishment arose upon every side at, the splendour of his appearance. For in the days when he l had been amongst them as an old man, his form was very different from the resplendent aspect which he wore on this day. . . . When in the morn the sun arose they made an opening through the inner end of the house opposite to the door. And they carried the infant daughter forth by that way, instead of the common entrance to the house. And Tawhaki repeated a prayer on their issuing forth. . . And when the words were said: — ‘To reach the sacred isle Whence lightnings flash.’ Lo, the lightnings flashed forth from the arm-pits of Tawhaki. He then took the infant into the water, and on reaching into it baptised her with this baptismal ritual:— ‘ Prepare ye the heavenly courtyards. The extensive courtyards, The courtyards of this infant;' Baptise we Puanga in her waters. My baptismal treasure 1 indeed. Is" this my Puanga, to the world.” And so on.” (P.M., 54-5. A.H.M., I;, 116). HATED BY THE WORLD. 20. As I was hated. “ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me, before it hated you.” (St. John, x\, 18). “ And his cousins, the sons of Punga and Karihi senior, hated Tawhaki with a deadly hatred. . . And when they saw Tawhaki combing his hair at the sacred pool of Rangituhi they fell upon him and slew him. Thus died Tawhaki.” (A.H.M., L, 86). “ That is why the desire grew upon Tawhaki to ascend to his father - (in heaven). There was also another reason, even fenr of his hating cousins, for they conspired to* slay him.” (A.H.M., I, 47). BEARING THE CROSS. 21. He bore the heavy cross. “ And he, bearing his cross, went forth. (St. John,. xix, 17). ... “Tawhaki was a man of might; he could shoulder along a huge tree and he did many other wonderful things.” (A.H.M., 1., 89). “Then did Tawhaki mediate in his heart how he ’ might astonish and terrify them. So he went and brought along a tree, a very great tree. He shouldered it along, and on reaching the courtyard he let it down with a loud crash, which startled all of his cousins. So greatly were they startled that his cousins were quite unnerved at their dwellings at Papeaea ” (A.H.M., 1., 83). “He (Tafai) was very tall and strong, but not cruel to any one. . • • He plucked up by the roots a great Malili tree, eighty feet high, carried it oft on his shoulders, branches and all, and could throw it up and catch it again, as if he were playing with a small crab. (Turner s “ Samoa,” p. 136.) REVILED AND MOCKED. 22. “ And they reviled him.” “ ... , and the rulers also with them derided him, saying: ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God.’ And the soldiers also nr ocked him.’ (St. Luke, xxiii, 35-6.) “.And whilst his brethren slew him the senior called mockingly (tawai) to him, saying: ‘O Tawhaki where now art thou?’ and the next elder and then the next called, to him in the same mocking manner. Then did Tawhaki arswer suddenly and say: — ‘The blood of Tawhaki be upon you, The blood of the Sun and of the Moon., Of heaven itself, which is above. My blood which flows Be upon your hairs, Be upon your foreheads; This blood which /naught can cleanse away.’ ” —(A.H.M I, 97.) “ The (Tafai and Karisi) were therefore envied because they excelled in everything. They were told that they did not belong to that country at all, and bidden, go in search of their mother’s country. “The brothers, continually taunted with oeing adventurers, longed to get away to their mother’s country.—(Efatese.) CRUCIFIXION AND MURDER. . 23. Crucifixion and murder. “ And they crucified Him.”—(St. Matt, xxvii, 35.) “When his seniors, the children of Punga and Karihi, saw Tawhaki combing his hair at the waters of Rangituhi they went forth and laid hold of and smote him, so that he died.” They then returned home, and after some time their sisters asked of them: ‘Where is your junior?’ And they ans wered and said: ‘He is still at the waters combing his hair.’ Having waited a little longer their sister went forth and called, ‘ Tawhaki, O’ ; and a p’ukeko bird answered, ‘ Ko.’ She called again, and a moho bird answered, ‘ Hu.’ The woman .then returned to the house, and said to Mango and them: ‘Ye have slain your junior,’ and they admitted that it was so.”—(A.H.M., I, 86.) 23a. The Death Cry. “ And . . . Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: ‘ Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani'.’ ”—(St. Mark xv, 34.) “ Whilst Tawhaki was at the water, and just before beins: slain by his four brethren, he prayed loudly in these words : c Pupu mahina. homa.i ra taku Karau, Kia Whano Au kite wai; Panorituhi te wai; E, Ha, I. (A.H.M., He suffered for the unjust. “Ye have condemned and killed the just; and He* doth not resist you. (St. James v., 6; I.S. Peter ii, 22.)

| “It was the brothers-in-law of Tawhaki 1 who slew him, and he was guiltless of the charge brought against him.” —(A.H.M., I, 48.) “He (Tafai) was very tall and strong, but not cruel to any.” (Turner’s “ Samoa.”) 25. Save me also. “ And one of the malefactors .... saying: *lf Thou be the Christ, save Thyself and us.” “ And ho said unto Jesus: Lord, remember mo when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’ (St. Luke xxiii, 39 and 42.) “And Karahi cried up towards Tawhaki, saying: ‘ 0 Tawhaki, take me ako with you.’ And Tawhaki answered: ‘Not so. for yo aro of those who did murder me. —(A.H.M., I, p. 88.) DESCENT INTO HELL. 26. He descended into hell. “Nov/ that He ascended, what is it but that He also first descended- into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended i.s the same also that ascended up far .above all heavens.”—(Eph. iv. 9 and 10). “When Tawhaki was.in the lower world of death, Hinetomuri called unto him. But he made no answer, for how could the dead make answer, spirit passing downwards to extinction? ” —(A.H.M., 1., 98). - , , “ Tavi than recited the rituals, the rook opened asunder, and the brothers descended to the under-world. (Tahitian). RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. 27. He rose from the dead. “ And go quickly and tell His disciples that Ha is risen from the dead; and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him; 10, I have told you.”—(St.Matt, xxviii, 7). “When Tawhaki rose up from the waters (wherein he was slain) he saw the parent vine depending, upon which he then ascended to heaven.” —(A.H.M., 1., 95). “Had Tawhaki, when he was slain by his seniors, entered the door of darkness perpetual; and had he; reached his ancestors, Ruakumea and Ruatoia; then would he not have returned to this world, but would have remained a prey. to corruption. Ruakumea saw Tawhaki and called him forward to the door of darkness perpetual. But Tawhaki paid no heed to his call, and Tawhaki returned to his relatives of this world. And when Tawhaki had returned from the realms of darkness and death, he said unto his parents, and so on.” — (A.H.M., L, 96). THE ASCENT INTO HEAVEN, 28. “ The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven.’ (Apostles’ Creed). “ Tawhaki climbed up on to a I l ™ which a spider-web was attached. The other end of the web was fast to the heaven. Tawhaki ascended upon that, as a pathway for himself to the heaven, to the home of his father. Tawhaki fell down at the first attempt; he also fell down at the second attempt. But on hikS ascending the third time he reached the heaven. (A.H.M., L, 49). “ Tawhaki then laid hold of the firm vine and ascended with this prayer: “ ‘ Tawhaki climbs to the first heaven, An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the second heaven, An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the third heaven, An obedient calm reigns. , Tawhaki climbs to the fourth heaven, An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the fifth heaven, An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the sixth heaven. An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the seventh heaven. An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to the eighth heaven. An obedient calm prevails. Tawhaki climbs to - the ninth heaven. An obedient calm prevails. ■Tawhaki ascends to the uppermost heaven. I cling, I cling, I dwell in Peace: ‘ , ~, i At the uttermost parts of heaven. I (A.H.M., L, 88). “ Tawhaki ascends ; To the first heaven, To the second heaven: . , The Tawhaki leaf scarce quivers (so calm), Great Tawhaki: ' . . , . ’Tis the pathway of Hema (his father) Reaching to the heaven: For thee alone, My Son, for thee. —(P.M., 52). ANOTHER VERSION. 1 “ The Ru-wahine then asked them; j ‘ Whither do ye two ready intend going They answered and said: Me go to our ' ft,the- ’ A spider-web was then let down They two then asked: ‘ What is that for? She y answered and said: ‘Know ye not that that is even the pathway fop ye to ascend to the heaven? So iawfiain ! ascended to the heavens, and as he did so I be prayed these Payers. Compare ante No . 12.—(A.H.M.„1, 55; J.P.S., vu, 75.) 29 The first fruits of the dead. “ Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. —(I Cor., xv, 20.) „ . , , “ The first man who buried the first dead in the beginning of the world is called : Maka Tafaki.” —(Efatese.) Such are the minimum—for they are mostly drawn from out Maori sources—contemporary evidences of genuine traditional literary remains. In treating ct the genealogical evidences it was consistently urged that no point would be unduly pressed or laboured—that there was no occasion to do so. With those genealogical evidences and the unique testimony of these traditional records before him. the student can form but a single conclusion, which is tb"t Christ and Tawhaki are one and the same, or should I say that these stories have a common origin? TAWHAKI’S ASCENSION. Paut HI. “ Truth, like a torch, the more ’tis shaken, shines.” . The story of the ascension of lawhaki appears to have been particularly well preserved : On the Ascension of Tawhaki. (Maori.) “ Prepare : prepare ; Make straight with prayer thy pathway, Over shores and over seas; ! Moving with the far-moving earth, Through the vasty distances of heaven, Where abideth the Eternal One. “ Take hold of the efficacious means As used by the Lord ashore, The same being efficacious To the Lord at sea; Give heed, then, to those means, And accursed be all else. “ Lo, I now put forth my staff. The sa.m-a being dedicated to motion.

So propitiating the unseen powers, In whom is mankind consecrated, By the sacred name of the Lord And the living waters of baptism. “So I, even Tawhaki, The sanctified son of Hema, Have walked in faith the billowy waters, And crossed in safety To other worlds of light and being. “ Lo, the high throne of Tawhaki, It is even as a green branch. Which, i Stretching to the outspreading heaven itself, No axe can lay low. It groweth upward as a towering vine, •As a spiritual vine it forms thy pathway Of ascent; Such is its growth, Even the lofty vine of Tawhaki, Which taketh root To become a mighty rata.”* r The crimson-flowering rata is one of our most highly esteemed forest trees. It towers above its neighbours and attains a diameter of some 10ft. The point here is that its large and lofty proportions are attributable to so humble an origin as a delicate tendril or vine. So, by comparison, we are asked to contemplate this spiritual or invisible vine as developing into a kind of world tree, which, towering to the heavens, formed the pathway for the ascension of Tawhaki.] The Moriori and Hawaiian versions, which Hare Ho.ngi has for reference, are omitted here. (To be concluded.)