NOTES TO “UENUKU” BY AUGUSTUS HAMILTON

Te Ao Hou, March 1959, Page 53

NOTES TO “UENUKU” BY AUGUSTUS HAMILTON 1 Your waewae (legs) will assail or overcome the stars and the earth. A curious expression meaning: On account of the correct deportment of those performing the war-dance (tutu waewae or tutu ngarahu), and the absence of any evil omens caused by errors of movement, &c., while dancing, victory is assured, the unattainable (by ordinary means) shall be attained. The stars in the heavens—not to be reached by human legs—are mentioned in a paraphrastic manner as equivalent to a numerous or brave enemy of the genus homo on earth. Neither can be conquered under ordinary circumstances, but the performance of the war-dance with absolute correctness and lack of all bad omens will mean that the gods are on your side, and that all things are attainable by you—heaven and earth are at your feet. “Display your legs to your women”—i.e., strip and perform the war-dance. 2 “Te kawenata mau tonu.” The writer here makes use of the English word “covenant,” whereas he might have employed a Maori word that would have served much better. He means “the changeless sign,” or token. Tu-Korako is a pale (koma) bow seen at night. 3 Hiko, distant lightning seen flashing in space or darting from a mountain range in one bright flash or a blaze of lightning; kanapu, gleaming electric light at the horizon or on a range, giving two or three flashes in succession; uira, ordinary forked lightning. The hiko is a token that, ere long, a chief will die. The place or direction from which the light flashes is termed the rua o te hiko, or the pu o te hiko. Compare the terms kotua, rua koha, and rua kanapu, used by some tribes. It is the uira that destroys man or tree, the hiko never does so. When the latter was seen, the old men would inquire, “Where is the rua of the hiko?” One would answer, “At such a place.” Then the old folk would say, “Alas! A desolate land,” and they would wail over the misfortune so soon to afflict the district foredoomed to disaster. 4 The writer gives three descriptive or onomato-poeic names for thunder, as folows: Whatitiri tangi pohutu, hoarse or crashing thunder, the sound of which seems to fill space; whatitiri tangi pakee, thunder giving a sharp, crackling sound; ngaruru mai rangi, low continued muttering or rumbling sound, seemingly afar off. In addition to such expressions as these, there were concrete special names for divers kinds of thunderstorms, and these are o used as to give the impression that each form of thunder was personified by the Maori. 5 Tuhi — to point out, show, &c. A new branch of the Maori Women's Welfare League was recently established near Tauranga, called Ngaitukairangi league. President is Mrs Marama Dickson and secretary-treasurer Mrs Takahi Pene. * * * Who wants to have a penfriend in Nigeria? We received a letter recently from Anthony A. Hok-unboh, c/o Mr S. O. Oke, Telephone Exchange, Post and Telegraph Department,. Badagry, Nigeria, asking our help to find him penfriends. He is very interested in the Maori people. * * * The trend to learn the Maori language is rapidly on the increase. Adult education tutors report remarkable attendances, with 200 at Rotorua probably a record. Wellington stood at 120, Auckland at 110 last year. These figures were all great improvements on previous years. * * * Two Taranaki primary schools celebrated their centenaries this year. They were the Bell Block and Omata schools, both established before the Maori wars. During the wars, both were closed for a while, but re-opened soon after.