FANTASTIC DRAMA

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1935, Page 4

FANTASTIC DRAMA

DEATH OF SEVEN MAORIS FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. AGED WOMAN FORETELLS DEATH. DISTRESS OF HER RELATIVES. Although the Maori has adopted Christianity, beneath the surface he is still fearful of the second sight usually evidenced in older people. The European is often cynical about such powers, but occasionally there comes with startling suddenness an occurrence that confounds his matter-of-fact and confident mind. Such an event has just taker- place in Taranaki. On December 4, as Roera Pouwhareumu lay dying at Hawera, she' foretold that as well as herself six of_ her kin would die within a short time. On Thursday night the death at New Plymouth of the 11-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Kopu completed the fulfilment of her prophecy. As the wife of a man of high rank, chief of the Ngaruahine tribe, a subtribe of the Ngati Ruanui, and as a woman of over 80 years of age, Roera was held in esteem by the Maoris of Taranaki. Her age and her rank made her death-bed pronouncement all the more portentous to her relations, who all feared they would be included, as no particular persons and no definite time were stipulated. The first to die after Roera passed away on December 4 was her uncle, Tapuke, of Kaipakopako. Since then Charlie Isaac (Kapui), a cousin living near Waitara, Jim McLeod, Smart Road, a second cousin, Hiki Hoera, Waitara, a cousin, a three-year-old daughter- and an 11-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Kopu have died. With the death of the sixth relative a great weight has been lifted from the minds of the remaining relatives, who resignedly waited in a state of oppressive uncertainty for the next to die. Never for an instant did they imagine the nonfulfilment of the prophecy, and perhaps their fatalistic attitude helped. The case is a striking illustration of the fear of the supernatural often seen among native peoples.