“HOTUNUI”

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 16439, 12 March 1925, Page 5

“HOTUNUI”

PARAWAI CARVED HOUSE. ' SOME INTERESTIN'C HISTORY. AS RELATED TO N.Z. INSTITUTE. In the proceeding's of the New Healand Institute for 1S:»7 is an article contributed bv Captain Gilbert Mail on the building of Hotunui. Whare Whakairo, W. H. Taipari's carved house at Thames in 3STS. as told to him by Mereana Mokomoko. widow of the late chief. This story was read before the members of the Institute on (ith. September, 1897, and was as follows: My father. Apanui Hamaiwaho, chief of Ngatiawa at Whakatane, built the house at Mataatun. Taipari, his father, Hotereni. and myself were invited to go to Whakatane to take away that house, but before we could go Sir Donald McLean visited Whakatane, and Ngatiawa. to show their aroha, gave him the house. My father then said Ngatiawa would carve a house for me. This was in 1875. Accordingly the work was commenced forrthwith. and in May. J S7S. the posts were all finished, and about seventy Ngatiawa. under the chiefs Wepiha Apanui (my brother;, Rangitukehu te Wharewera Tiopira. Te I’utere, and Te Pirini. came to liauraki. bringing all material. The freight and passages cost £l7O. The first post erected was named after Peroki Awhiowhio, chief of the Ngatiwhanaunga. When an attempt was made to lift the ridge pole it failed; then we sent for Paroto Manutawhiorangi. who uttered an incantation, or kurakia. called "Tehuti o Tainui” (the raising of Tainui), and lo! the great tree was listed up quickly and easily. Such was the power of magic as exercised by Maori priests of old. During the building a number of the Ngatiawa workmen were smitten with sudden illness, which was attributed to their having burned in a cook-ing-fire some chips from Apanui'? chisel (Avhau). it was the women who inadvertently committed sacrilege, and the sickness which fell upon our people was termed a mate-ruahine. When several persons had died, my brother Wepiha came lo me at dawn of day, saying: "Ktia ngaro a Ngatiawa (Ngatiawa will be annihilated.! Hasten you quickly to remove the the spell caused by the desecration of the work of our father’s chisel." I hurried to the spot and in the raids! of the assembly a small fire-was made i>f chips front the carvings, and two kutnara roasted therein, which were offered to me to ent. 1 trembled witty fear, lest death should come to me also; but the old men said. “Pear not. you are equal in mana to Apanui. your Ngatiawa.” I then ate the roasted food, and the epidemic ceased. Soon the house was completed, and Wepiha summoned a tohunga called Mohi Taikororeka from Opotiki to perform the ceremonies called “whai kuwa" —i.e., making the house “noa,” removing the tapu, etc. After this was done, and the men had entered and eaten food, in the house, three women . (myself, Kitemaie Kiritahanga and Mere Taipari) were sent for to takahi te paepae (to tread on or cross over the threshold, and thus remove the enchantment which debars women from entering a sacred house until the ceremony is ended), for, as you know, the ridge-pole would sag down in the middle and destroy the appearance of the house were this

ceremony disregarded. As the morning star (Kopu) rose, we, the three women, crossed over tho threshold which Te Railii, of Ngatihaua, had tapa’d (called) (Tape Koroki, and then the mana o te whakairo (the saeredness of the carving) was subjugated, overcome, and women generally were free to enter and eat within the house. The several tribes of Ngatiawa who took part in the building were as follows:Is” gatihokopu, Te Pahipoto, Te Patmvni. Te Patutatahi, etc. Tlic ridge-pole was a kahikatea (white p>ne), procured at Turn'. It was c:i:\ed bj r Hotereni Taipar s himself. and named after his great ances tor lloiiiMui. These are the generations from that ancestor: (!) Hotonui; (2) Marutuahu: (3) To Ngako; (I) Kahurnutao; (5) Rautao; (0) I Tape: (7) Te Poutu: (S) Patera ngi; (0) Te Hotereni Taipari: (TO) \Y. IT. Taipari-Te Tawai; (11) AVuata Taipari. Eruini Taipari. Tho length of the house is 80ft: width, 33ft; height, 24ft; length ot porch, 12 ft. The figures on the right-hand s'idc of the porch are: —(1) Kopuani; (2) Takuao; (3) Te Taite Hura; (4) Takoto titahi; inside on the right-hand the large figures are as follows: (5) Te Motuituiti: (6) To Iwi Tuha; (7) Te Putara; (S) Ngahaupaha; (9) (not named); (10) Te Apurangi; (11) Kahurautao; (12) Hape; (13) Matatahi; (14) Ngangaia; (15) Taitoi; (16) Perekl Awhiowhio; (17) Te Whero; (15) Te Umu; (19) Matau: (20) Kiwi. On the left-hand side of the porch are:—(l) Kauahi; (2) Te Tuki; (3) Horowhenua; (4) Tauaiwi; on the left hand inside the figures are: (5) Paharua: (6) (not named); (7) Ramuri; i (8) Parera; (9) Ureia: 1 (10) Rautao Pouwharekura; (11) ITetawhiti; (12) Tapano; (13) Toitoi; (14) Puhoi; (15)