The Killing of Te Kaiwhakaruaki

Te Ao Hou, December 1967, Page 5

The Killing of Te Kaiwhakaruaki Translated by Margaret Orbell The main events in this story take place at the Parapara stream, in what is now Golden Bay in the Nelson province. Takaka and Motupipi are also in Golden Bay, to the east of this stream. Motueka is in Tasman Bay, further to the east, and beyond it is Whakatu, (the Maori name for Nelson). Arahura is on the West Coast. The story was told by Karepa Te Whetu, who belonged to Ngati Koata, a sub-tribe of Ngati Toa. Te Whetu lived most of his life in the Taranaki district, but when he was over seventy he went to live with relatives at Croisilles in Tasman Bay. He was well known as a story-teller, and he wrote down a number of stories that were published in the ‘Journal of the Polynesian Society’ this story first appeared there in 1894 (vol. 3, pp. 16–17). He also told many stories to A. A. Grace, a Pakeha friend who published some of them in retold form in his collection. ‘Folk-tales of the Maori’ (1907). In an introduction to this book, Grace describes Karepa Te Whetu as ‘a man of acute and artistic mind, a lover of tales for their own sake, and a humorist of no mean order.’ He died, an old man, in May 1905. This story is about a ngarara. Ngarara were supernatural creatures, usually described as being like giant lizards. As a rule they lived on the land, while taniwha, or dragons, were usually to be found in the water; but in this story, the ngarara lives in a stream. Te Kaiwhakaruaki is a name that is often given to ngarara in such stories. The warrior who attacks the ngarara throws a basket of red ochre into the stream where his den is. Houses, canoes and other important timbers were painted with red ochre, and men and women sometimes painted their faces with it. Sometimes, at any rate, red ochre was considered to be a defence against supernatural creatures; for it was said that fairies were frightened of it. Here it is apparently a challenge to the ngarara, a declaration of the presence of a human being. Te Whetu explained that the pohutukawa tree that the warriors cut down was the only one in the district. In the story there is a man named Potoru who remarks, ‘Taihoa, kia tohea ngā tohe a Potoru.’ In the context this is translated as ‘Wait until we have tried Potoru's plan’, but it could also be translated as ‘Wait until we have striven with the obstinacy of Potoru.’ In Sir George Grey's ‘Polynesian Mythology’, a man named Potoru is said to have set out from Hawaiki to sail to Aotearoa at the same time that Turi made his voyage in the Aotea. Potoru was in a canoe called Ririno. In the middle of the ocean the two leaders quarrelled as to the direction in which they were to travel; Turi was sailing towards the rising sun, but Potoru insisted on going instead in the direction of the setting sun. Turi could not make him change his mind; he stubbornly continued on his way, and his canoe was carried away by a strong current and swept down to the realms of death. It was said that this event was the origin of the proverb, ‘E tohe ana koe i ngā tohe a Potoru’: ‘You are obstinate with the obstinacy of Potoru.’ It is interesting that the saying is here given a quite different origin. Ko Te Patunga o Te Kaiwhakaruaki He ngārara anō tēnei, ko Te Kaiwhakaruaki te ingoa; ēngari tēnei i nui te mahi. Ko te mahi, he kai tangata; ko tāna māhi ko ngā teretere haere mai ki Tākaka, ki Motueka. Ka haere mai, ka hua ngā tāngata o muri kua tae ki ngā The Killing of Te Kaiwhakaruaki Here is another story about a ngarara. This one destroyed many men, devouring them in great numbers. Parties of travellers would take the road to Takaka and Motueka—they would set out, and those who stayed behind would

wāhi i haere atu ai; kāore, kua pau i te nanakia nei! Ka haere atu nga teretere o Whakatū, o Tākaka, o Motupipi, ka ahu ki te rā tō; ka haere atu, ka tae ki te awa nei, ko te ingoa ko Te Parapara, kei reira te rua o taua ngārara—Te Kaiwhakaruaki. Ka kite mai te ngārara nei i te kai māna, kātahi ka whāia ake; kāore tētehi e ora. Ahakoa he ope nui, kāore tētehi e puta; ahakoa tekau, pau katoa, ahakoa e rima tekau, kāore tētahi e puta; ahakoa he kotahi rau tāngata, ka pau katoa. Akuanei ka haere mai tētehi ope nō Arahura, ka haere mai taua ope kia kite i a Pōtoru rāua ko Te Koheta; ko Te Koheta nō tēnei motu, nō Taranaki, ki a Puketapu. Ka tae te rongo ki Arahura, kātahi te ope ka haere mai, ka tae mai ki Matarua. Ka noho e ope, kei runga ko Pōtoru; kātahi ka kōrerotia te kōrero mō te ngārara nei, mō Te Kaiwhakaruaki. Ka whakarongo mai te toa o Ngāi Tahu. Ko taua tangata, ko tāna patu i tēnei ika i te kekeno, ko tōna ringaringa tonu; ka kī taua tangata, ‘Kia kotahi tonu tāku kuru, ka mate ia, e hira atu rānei ia i te kekeno, e, kotahi tonu nei te kuru, ko tēnā rānei e ora i a au?’ Kātahi a Potoru ka kī atu, ‘Kāti anō tāu patu, ko tāku; taihoa, kia tohea ngā tohe a Pōtoru.’ Kātahi ka tuaina te pohutukawa hei patu, kātahi ka tāraia ngā tokotoko. Kotahi rau mā whitu o te ope, kotahi rau mā whitu hoki o ngā patu o taua rākau. Kātahi ka haere te ope, ka tae ki Aorere, ka noho. Kei runga a Pōtoru: ‘E tama mā, te riri! te riri! kia manawa-nui! Akuanei, whakarongo mai. E tae kia hokowhitu hei matua-iwi, kia hokorima ki tētehi tāhapa ki tētehi tāhapa o te ara, engari kia ngaro, kia hokorima ki tētehi taha o te ara, kia ngaro; me tuku mai mā te matua-iwi e huaki, hei reira ngā tāhapa ka huaki. Ko tētehi: titiro tonu, e haere, e whai te hiku i tētehi, huakina e tētehi; kia mea te hoki o te hiku ki te koko i tērā, e hoki, werohia; ka pare ki tētehi, mā tētehi e wero.’ think that they had reached their destinations. But no, they had been eaten by this monster! Men from Whakatu, Takaka and Motupipi who were travelling in the opposite direction, towards the west, would come to Te Parapara river. In this river was the den of this ngarara, Te Kaiwhakaruaki. The ngarara would see that there was food for him, and he would rush out to pursue them—not one would escape. If there were many men, still none would survive—if there were ten, they would all be eaten; if there were fifty, none would escape; even if there were a hundred men, all would be eaten. After a while a party of travellers came from Arahura to visit Potoru and Te Koheta (Te Koheta belonged to the North Island, to the Puketapu sub-tribe at Taranaki). When the news reached Arahura the travellers set out, arrived at Matarua and rested there. Then Potoru told them all about this ngarara Te Kaiwhakaruaki. One of the warriors of Ngai Tahu listened attentively to what Potoru said. This man was a famous seal hunter, whose only weapons were his bare hands. He said, ‘One blow of my fist, and this ngarara dies! Is he of more consequence than the seals that I kill with a single blow of my fist?’ Potoru said, ‘Never mind your method, let us follow mine; wait until we have tried Potoru's plan.’ Then they felled the pohutukawa tree to provide them with weapons, and they shaped the wood into fighting-staffs. There were three hundred and forty men in the party, and three hundred and forty weapons were made from the wood of that tree. They continued on their way, arrived at Aorere and rested there Then Potoru stood up to address them: ‘To the fight, comrades, the fight! Be brave, be strong! Now listen to the plan. The main division of the army will consist of a hundred and forty men. As well as this there will be a hundred men on one side of the path and a hundred on the other side, but these divisions will be hidden and will let the main division attack first. Then the divisions at the sides will rush out to attack it. Watch carefully, and when its tail goes in one direction, you men on the other side must attack it. When the tail comes back to scoop you up, those on the far side must run forward and spear it—when the tail goes in one direction, the men on the other side must spear it.’

Ka whakaaetia e te rau-mā-whitu. Ka mutu a Pōtoru, kei runga ko taua toa patu kekeno: ‘Whakaaro mai, e te iwi! Kāore āku whiriwhiri mō tēnā ngārara, whakarongo mai! Māku tonu e tiki ki roto i te wai, hei reira māua riri ai!’ Kātahi ka whakaaetia e Pōtoru, ‘Ae.’ Ko te kupu ia tēnei—āna, a Pōtoru: ‘Waiho kia tohea ngā tohe a Potoru.’ Kātahi ka haere te rau-mā-whitu, ka tae ki te awa, ko te ingoa ko Te Parapara. Kātahi ka karanga atu a Pōtoru ki te ope kia noho ki raro, kātahi ka kawea e Pōtoru tētehi tāhapa, ka noho tērā; kātahi ka kawea tētehi tāhapa, ka noho tērā; kātahi ka kawea te matua-iwi, ka noho; oti rawa. Kātahi taua tangata patu kekeno ka karanga mai, ‘Kua oti tō mahi?’ Ka kī atu a Pōtoru, ‘Kia mārama te titiro atu; e āhua kaha, tukua mai ki te ope.’ Kātahi te tangata nei ka kī mai, ‘Māku ia e titiro, otiia, kāore anō he ika kia ora i tōku ringa o mua iho, tae noa ki tēnei rā.’ Ka kī atu a Pōtoru, ‘Haere! Ko te kupu nō roto i te upoko o ōku tūpuna, haere!’ Ka kī atu hoki a Pōtoru ki āna tamariki, ‘Haere, hei ārahi mai i te ika nei. Kāore au i te mōhio ki te haere a tērā tangata, he kawe ingoa pea nōna, otiia mā kōrua e titiro atu tōna mahi; ko wai ka hua e ora te uru o tāna patu?’ Kātahi te tangata rā ka haere, ka tae ki te awa, kātahi ka kau atu. Ka tae te wai ki ngā hope, kātahi ka piua te kete kōkōwai ki te wai. Ka heke iho te kōkōwai rā, ka tae ki te rua, kātahi te ngārara nei ka puta ki waho; ka tirohia atu ki te ngaru o te moana e waha ana mai. Kātahi ka hoki whakamuri mai te tangata rā; ka tae te wai ki ngā hope, ka tae te wai ki ngā turi, kātahi te tangata nei ka tahuri ki waho atu anō; ko te ngaru o te moana kua tae ki uta, ko te waha kua hāmama tonu mai. Ka tata mai, kātahi te tangata nei ka tahuri; e haere mai ana, e haere atu ana, ka tata tonu, kātahi ka whiua te meke, tahi tonu atu ki te ihu. Kua titaha te ihu, huri rawa te upoko; roa rawa, kātahi ka huri mai, ka whiua atu anō te meke, ka hāmama tonu mai te waha. Nō te whiunga atu i te meke, kīhai i pā ki te ihu, ka tika tonu te ringa ki te waha, ka riro te tangata nei ki roto ki te puku o te ngārara rā. Kātahi ngā tokorua nei ka karanga. ‘Tēnei tō whare! Tēnei tō whare!’ Kua rongo te ngārara nei i te waha o ngā Everyone agreed to this. Then after Potoru had spoken, the famous seal hunter stood up: ‘Kinsmen, listen carefully to what I say! I am not afraid of the ngarara. Listen! I myself will enter the water, and he and I will do battle there!’ Then Potoru agreed to this: ‘Very well.’ Yet it was Potoru who had said, ‘Wait until we have tried Potoru's plan.’ They went on, and arrived at Te Parapara river. Potoru called to his men to stop. Then he put a group of warriors on one side of the path and another group on the other side, and he placed the main group of warriors in position. At last everything was ready. The seal hunter called, ‘Are you ready?’ Potoru said, ‘Watch him carefully, and if he seems very strong, leave him to the warriors.’ He answered, ‘I will be careful, but never yet has any fish escaped my arm.’ Potoru said to him, ‘Go! My ancestors speak through me, saying to you, go!’ Potoru also said to some of his people, ‘Go and entice the creature towards us. I do not understand the nature of this man; perhaps he does it to win a name for himself. But you must watch and see what he does. Who can know if his blow will be sure?’ The seal hunter went forward, and when he came to the river he waded in. When the water was up to his waist he threw a basket of red ochre into the stream. The red ochre sank down to the ngarara's den, and the ngarara came out from the den—they could see the waves that were carrying it along. The seal hunter walked back again until the water came first to his hips, then to his knees. Then he turned round again. The waves had reached the shore, and the monster was coming towards him, its mouth gaping. As the ngarara approached he made his way towards it, and when he was very close, he struck it a blow on the nose. The blow turned its nose to one side, and twisted its head. After a while the ngarara again faced the warrior, who dealt it another blow. But the ngarara's mouth was still gaping wide, and when the man tried a second time to strike it, he missed the nose—his fist went right into its mouth, and he disappeared into its belly. The two men who were watching called, ‘That is your house! That is your house!’ The ngarara heard the two of them calling,

tokorua nei, kātahi ka ahu mai; ka whai te ngārara nei, ka whai i ngā tokorua nei, nā te mea anō, ka eke ki te matua-iwi. Kātahi ka huakina e ngā tāhapa, ka huri te hiku, kātahi ka werohia, ka tū, ka huri anō te hiku, ka huakina e tētehi tāhapa, ka werohia, ka tū, kātahi ka patua te ngārara nei, ka mate. Akuanei ko te wāhi i parepare ai te hiku, e ono putu te teitei o ngā parehua i te okenga o te ngārara nei. Kātahi ka haehaea te puku o te ika nei. Nui atu te ūpoko tangata, te taiaha, te pouwhenua, te patu parāoa, te patu pounamu, te tōpuni, te kaitaka, te pūreke, te patutīkoka, te pūihiihi me ngā kahu katoa a te Māori, i roto i tōna puku e pūkai ana. E hoa mā, kātahi ka ora ngā tāngata o tērā motu, kātahi ka whati ngā iwi nāna i patu taua ngārara. Ka mutu tēnei kōrero. Ko ngā iwi nāna i patu tēnei ngārara, ko Ngāi Tara, ko Ngāti Apa, ko Ngāti Tūmutakōkiri, ko Rangitāne, ko Ngāi Tahu, ko Te Ati Awa ki a Te Koheta; ka mutu ngā iwi nāna i patu a Te Kaiwhakaruaki. nā Karepa Te Whetū and turned to pursue them. When it did so the main group of warriors rose up to attack it. Then the men at the sides attacked it—the tail swung one way and they speared it, then it swung back the other way and the men on the opposite side speared it. Then they clubbed it to death. Where the tail of the ngarara lashed about, there are now banks six feet high that were formed in its struggles. The ngarara's stomach was cut open, and inside there were found great quantities of human heads, taiaha, pouwhenua, clubs of greenstone and whalebone, dogskin cloaks, fine cloaks with taniko borders, flax cloaks, capes, piupiu, and every other kind of Maori garment—all heaped up there inside its stomach. Friends, after this the inhabitants of the South Island lived once more in safety, and the men who had destroyed the ngarara returned to their homes. That is the end of the story. The people who killed the ngarara belonged to Ngai Tara, Ngati Apa, Ngati Tumatakokiri, Rangitane, Ngai Tahu, and Te Ati Awa under Te Koheta: those were the tribes responsible for Te Kaiwhakaruaki's death. by Karepa Te Whetu