TUPURUPURU An Old Maungaraki Maori Love Story

Te Ao Hou, 1972, Page 12

TUPURUPURU An Old Maungaraki Maori Love Story told by T. V. Saunders Many, many years ago, the romance of Tupurupuru and the beautiful maiden Konini, was retold over and over by the Wairarapa Maori people, and handed down through many generations by the hapu (tribes), where the roots of the romance first came into existence. Our story began in the Valley of Taueru, at a place known as Te Whiti, on a hillside where a cave exists even to this day. The cave was, and is still, known as Tupurupuru's cave. It is sited in the middle of a clearing in the vast forest which surrounded the Taueru Valley. On a beautiful clear morning just at the break of dawn, the surrounding bushland was filled with the songs of thousands of birds — the tui, kaka, bell-bird, the tiny riroriro, the cooing of the kereru (wood pigeon), and other songsters who all contributed their part towards the melodious music of the forest. The last calls of the kiwi and the weka had ceased at the approach of dawn, while the sweet melodious notes of the sacred huia, could be heard calling its mate from amongst the scarlet blossoms of the rata tree. Soon it would be spring again, and from now on could be heard the long drawn out notes of the migrating pipiwharauroa, the long-tailed cuckoo. Within the cave a young man awoke out of his sleep. This was Tupurupuru, known to his kith and kin as ‘Tu’. Now Tu was awakened from a vivid dream, and as he rose and stretched himself, one could see that he was very tall, very lean, but very powerfully built. He seemed full of eagerness and purpose as he moved about preparing a meal, and well he might be, as in his dream his father, Mananui, had appeared to him, as he had done many times before. Mananui in his time was a great tohunga, who had devoted all his powers to bring up his son to be mighty and powerful — for a set purpose. This purpose was to slay the taniwha Huarau. For many years the taniwha had been raiding his pa and fishing parties. Ngarara Huarau, being a water taniwha, could not travel very far from the water. His permanent home was at Uwhiroa, the swamp of some 500 acres in the centre of the Longbush area. This swamp was very tapu to the older Maoris, even after the early European advent into the Wairarapa. The usual route the taniwha took on his foraging was down the Makahaka stream, through Gladstone, and thence to the Taueru and the Ruamahanga rivers. Now on one of its raids the taniwha came upon a large fishing camp, with people from several pa who had joined together to harvest kakahi (fresh water pipi), eels and native trout, etc.

The camp was pitched near where the Taueru river flows into the Ruamahanga river. The taniwha came upon the campers so suddenly, that very few were able to escape from the monster. Among those who escaped was Konini, the beautiful maiden who was betrothed to Tupurupuru. Konini lived with her parents at Kehemane, near the present road from Martinborough to Pope's Head, on the bank of the Huangaroa river. A few days before the taniwha Ngarara Huarau raided the fishing camp at Taueru, Tupurupuru had journeyed to Kehemane to visit his beloved Konini. On arrival there he was told that she had left with a party to go fishing at the Taueru river. Tu immediately left in great fear as the taniwha had been very restive of late. On arrival at the fishing camp, and seeing the terrible havoc that the taniwha had made, he immediately hastened to Hurunuiorangi, which was the nearest pa, to make inquiries. The people there told Tu that a number of their people had been killed by the taniwha, but that Konini had been with a party snaring pigeons, and had escaped somewhere, perhaps to Hinewaka. Tu refused to rest or take food, and hurried on to the Ruamahanga river, where he plunged in and swam swiftly for the opposite shore. He travelled up the Maungarakis to Hinewaka. By the time he reached Hinewaka, he was becoming very weary, so accepted the food that was pressed upon him, and rested. He was very disappointed that his friends had seen no trace of Konini's party. Komene Tahana, the chief of Hinewaka, suggested to Tu that perhaps Konini and her friends had fled north to Ngaumutawa, so Tu, deeply troubled, said goodbye to his friends at Hinewaka, and set off down the hill to Taueru, and swam the river to the other side. Just as darkness was falling he came to one of his favourite caves, the stopping place at Te Whiti. Tupurupuru was now eager to be on his way, because while he was in a deep sleep at the cave, his father Mananui appeared before him and raising his hand in salute, had said, ‘Greetings, my son. You have done well, and I have come to calm your fears. You shall hear of your beloved Konini if you go to Ngaumutawa, but you will not find her without further worry. Remember that wedlock is tapu to you until after you have destroyed the taniwha Ngarara Huarau. Also, my son, you have only one man to fear. Beware of Morunga, he is full of treachery. Farewell my son, until you have carried out my heart's desire. Then will I appear before you again.’ So Tupurupuru left his cave, and sped swiftly north with great eagerness, hoping to see his beloved Konini safe and well. Again swimming the Ruamahanga, near where the Waingawa river flows into it, he hurried to Ngaumutawa. Here he learned that Konini and her party had left two days ahead of him for Hakakino, by way of Kaikokirikiri. There he learned that the party had stayed for only a short while and then set off for Hakakino, on the banks of the Wainuioru river. After accepting a little food to help him on his way, Tu set out on a well-beaten track to the east, then after crossing the Ruamahanga river once more, swiftly passed through the dense forest on to Te Oreore flats, climbed the Weraiti hills and came to the Taueru river. Crossing the river, he decided to pause awhile beside the Patukawa stream for food and drink before striking out up the spur on the track to Kumukumu, and then on to Hakakino pa. While travelling along a certain spur, he thought he had heard a sound ahead. Springing behind a large matai tree, he peered through the leaves of the rangiora which were very dense thereabouts, and saw a runner coming down the track panting heavily. As the runner passed, Tu pounced upon him, seizing him in his powerful arms. He threw him to the ground, knelt upon him and cried out, ‘Ko wai koe’ (who are you). Then seeing that the runner was winded, Tu waited for him to speak. Presently the runner spoke, ‘I am Epihana Te Tau. I was visiting friends at Hakakino, when we were raided by a Te Raki taua (a northern war party). We were overpowered and the place was ransacked.’ Hearing this, Tu sprang up and cried. ‘When did this happen. Did you see a tall beautiful maiden by the name of Konini? Come, answer, man!’ ‘It happened this morning.’ the runner said, ‘and Konini was among five or six of us who dived off the cliff into the Wainuioru river. The last I saw of her. she was swimming downstream.’

On hearing this, Tupurupuru seized his hunting spear and dashed on his way. As he neared Hakakino be became wary, and treading softly, crept near to where the raiders were resting. Tu could hear that there was an argument going on. and on creeping closer, heard the leader of the party say, ‘Enough! I decree that we depart on our way home tomorrow.’ Tu, skirting the camp silently, descended to the river, then scouting the bank for any human sign, he presently saw small footprints in the sand of the riverbed. He knew they were made by his beloved Konini. Swiftly following the footprints up the bank of the river into the bush, he soon came upon Konini, lying seemingly lifeless beneath a large totara tree. In great fear, Tu rushed forward, and throwing himself beside her, placed his head upon her breast to hear if her heart was beating. To his great joy, it seemed to be beating quite strongly, but her whole body began shivering. Realising that she was suffering from cold and fatigue, he lifted her in his arms and carried her deep into the forest in a westerly direction. After tramping some distance, he decided that they were quite safe and that Konini needed warmth and food. Searching round, he came upon a large totara tree from whose branches a lot of kiekie leaves had fallen to the ground. By crumbling some dry totara bark and twirling two sticks between his hands, Tu soon had a fire going close to the tree. Taking a cooked kereru from his kit, he broke off pieces of the bird into a calabash he carried on his belt. Adding water from a nearby stream, he placed the ipu on some hot ashes to warm. Scraping the fire away from the tree, he placed some of the dry kiekie leaves where the fire had been, and lifted Konini upon the bed of leaves. Konini ceased to shiver as the warmth from the ground where the fire had been penetrated through the leaves. Konini gave a slight moan, and Tu, who was watching her closely, seized the ipu and pressed it gently to her lips, tipping it so that the warm liquid passed down her throat. Presently Konini opened her eves. Seeing Tu. she smiled and gave a deep sigh, than sank back into sleep. Now that Tu had found his loved one, he realised he would have to find a safe place for them to hide until the raiders had gone. Finally he decided to carry Konini high up on the Maungarakis to a limestone cave beneath the top of Pariwarariki. This cave was large and dry, and as Tu often used it, he always kept a good stock of dry wood there. Also, there was a small spring of good fresh water nearby, which never ran dry. In a cunningly devised sling, he kept smoked tuna and kereru. By the time he had reached the cave with his burden. Tupurupuru was completely tired and weary. He and his beloved Konini were quite safe from the raiders, and could rest and recover their strength. Early next morning, when the birds of the forest began their morning chorus. Tu was up and about preparing a meal. Treading softly, he crept to where Konini was sleeping, and as he watched her. she opened her eyes. Seeing her beloved Tu, Konini sprang to her feet crying, ‘E Tu, ko koe tena’ (Oh Tu, is it really you). I have had a terrible dream. Where are we? Where is this place? I have prayed for Tane, and all of our other gods, to send you to me.’ ‘Hush,’ said Tu, ‘you were exhausted when I found you near the Wainuioru river. Are you feeling better, my loved one? Are you hungry? Come, here is food to eat. Let us eat, and then we can bask in the sun, and admire the scenery until we recover. Then I will take you back to your parents at Kehemane. They will be fretting over you.’ There was great jubilation at Konini's home when they arrived, and Tupurupuru was feted, as was Maori custom on such an occasion. When the time came to say goodbye. Konini and her parents begged Tupurupuru to remain. Konini's parents wanted him to stay and marry their daughter. But remembering his father's great desire that his son should slay the taniwha Ngarara Huarau, Tu told Konini and her parents that he was under a vow to his father to slay the taniwha, and that marriage was tapu to him, until he had fulfilled the vow. It is satisfying to place on record that Tupurupuru did slay the taniwha, and was married to his beloved Konini. So ended one of the most well known romances of the Wairarapa.