LONG AGO STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1935, Page 18 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES

TABOO. White Pheasant was li when he became a warrior and set out with his tribe to attack the Apache Indians. He painted his face with green vegetable juice and wore a pheasant’s feather in his long black hair. He was a young buck and he thought that the spirits of the rare white pheasants would protect him. In the battle he slew an Apache chief. At first his triumph was great, but then fear fell upon him. His tribe praised him, yet he was sad. When the tribe returned to its own place the warriors were examined by the old men and some were obliged to undergo taboo, or purification. “White Pheasant is taboo,” said an old man. “He has killed an Apache. An Apache is a great enemy who never forgets and his soul will return and torment White Pheasant all the days of his life unless he is taboo for 21 days.” Then White Pheasant put down his weapons and went away to the forest to purify himself from the slaying of the Apache. The forest was cold and for four days he fasted though on the fifth he ate a little food which an old woman placed for him at the root of a tree. For 17 days he took scarcely any food, spoke to no human being, ate neither salt nor meat, looked upon no fire, but bathed every day in the ice cold river and plastered his head with mud. On the 17th day, feeble through lack of food, White Pheasant returned to the camp where the old men were sitting in a circle round a fire. When he had dug a hole for himself in the ground in which he sat in order not to contaminate the tribe, the old men picked up his weapons and danced with them round the fire which burnt all the evil from them. Then White Pheasant rejoiced for he knew that the spirit of the Apache was at rest and could no longer harm him because he was clean. But he returned to the wood till the 21 days were over, bathed in the river, cleaned his long black hair of mud, oiled his face, put on new clothes, and then went back to his people. “Here comes White Pheasant,” cried the young men and maidens and children. “Here comes the young warrior who has done us so great a service in slaying our enemy! Rejoice because White Pheasant is clean and no longer taboo!” The word taboo has come down to us.