Legend and Belief

Te Ao Hou, March 1969, Page 12

Legend and Belief The lay Buddhist in Ceylon had all along been influenced by the Hindu cult and he has faith in the deities of the Hindu pantheon of gods like Vishnu or Hari, Varuna, Yama, Ganesa or Kanesha (the elephant god) and the demon goddess Kali and in the belief that the first god who created the earth was Mnu or Manui. It is surprising that the Maoris too, did worship these very same deities and even today the story of these deities is reflected in their wood-carvings and meeting halls. The three-fingered Kali or the deity with the elephant's trunk are yet found and of special significance is the Maori carved ‘pare’ representing Vishnu and the Gadundas. In both countries I find some rituals common. We in Ceylon perform a ceremony called ‘kapa’ by fixing a pole in times of drought, crop failure and disease. The Maori too did this and it is again called ‘kapa’. This is done to invoke blessings from the deities and is followed by offerings or sacrifices of meals, etc. The Banyan tree and the Bo-tree are held in high esteem in India and Ceylon and references are found that the Maori too has done this. Although there appears to be no caste system in Maoridom, there is a close semblance of it in the sub-tribal feelings of superiority over other sub-tribes. The word ‘Avichi’ means the hell below, and I read in the book called Who are the Maoris by Newman, that the very same concept of ‘Avichi’ with a scorching fire burning eternally leagues deep down below was a popular belief of the Maoris. The concept that the superiors came from above and the personification of the sky, moon, sun and earth as deities, is still a living thing in Maoridom. The place given to the ‘cloud’ is significant and those who came from the clouds are called the sons of the cloud — Tama Te Kapua. In Ceylon and India too, the ‘cloud’ was associated with deities and superiority and ‘Megha Varna’. Megha Vana and Megha duta (megha meaning cloud) are significant. In the performance of demonological dances in Bali ceremonies in Ceylon, the marks worn by the dancers are almost the same as those figures of Maori carvings with rolling eyes, protruding tongues and fear-striking appearance. The colours used in these rituals are usually red and yellow in both countries.