Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Maori Religion and Mythology Part 1

X—Tohunga Matakite — (Initiation Ceremony over a Matakite)

X—Tohunga Matakite
(Initiation Ceremony over a Matakite)

Ka moe te tangata, tana moemoea kua kite ia i te wairua o tona papa ranei, tona tipuna ranei, o tana tamaiti ranei. Mehemea taua tamaiti, aha ranei, he tamaiti i puta tetahi matauranga nui, a i pa he pouri ki a ia, me era atu tangata, mo te matenga o taua tangata ki te pirangi taua tangata ki te hoki mai taua wairua ki a ia, ka haere ia ki te tohunga tuahu, ki te tohunga ahurewa ranei, kaore ki etahi atu. Ka tono ia kia whakahokia mai te wairua i kitea ra e ia, hai awhina i a ia. Ka tae ia ki te tohunga, ko te kupu tonu a te tohunga ki a ia—"Ae", a "Kaore" ranei. Mehemea "ae," ka ki atu ia: "Haere; hopukia te manu, he miromiro ranei, he tatahore ranei, engari kia mau ora." Ka haere taua tangata; ki te mau i a ia taua manu, ka whiwhi ia; ki te kore e mau i a ia, e kore ia e whiwhi (ara i taua ra ano), ara me hopu te manu i taua ra tonu. Ki te mau taua manu, ka mau ki runga ki te tuahu a te tohunga. (Me mau te manu i mua atu i te puaotanga o te ata.) Ka meatia te manu ki roto ki te kete, taha tapu ranei, ka waiho ki te tuahu. Ka kawea te tangata e te tohunga ki te wai pure ai. Ka heke te tohunga ki roto ki te wai, ko te kirikau anake; ka heke hoki taua tangata pera ano, ko te kirikau anake. Me haere ia ma te taha katau o te tohunga, ka huri ia i muri o te tuara ki te taha maui. Katahi te tohunga ka karakia i a ia. Ko te karakia he karakia whakahoro i nga raruraru o te tinana katoa i runga i a ia, mai i tona tamarikitanga tae mai ki a ia e tu nei. Ka pataia tenei patai ki a ia—"He whiro ranei koe, he ahurangi ranei?" Ka whakautua pea e te tangata he ahurangi ia. "He ahurangi tenei tama nau." He matakite hoki te tohunga.

Mehemea ka korero parau te tangata, ka huna i tana mahi kino, tahae, aha ranei, makutu ranei, ka kitea e te tohunga. Mehemea he kohuru, ka patai atu te tohunga—"He aha te take o Mea i mate ai?" Mehemea ka kitea e te tohunga he whiro te tangata nei, e hara i te ahurangi, ka panaia, a ka kino rawa te riri a te tohunga. Mehemea ka kite te tohunga he tika taua ahurangi, ka whiwhi ia. Katahi ka toro te ringa maui o te tohunga page 410ki te ringa katau o te tangata; ka mau hoki te ringa katau o te toh-unga ki te ringa maui o te tangata; katahi ka karakia i tenei karakia:—

He ahurangi, E Io, E!
Tenei ka turuki atu
Kia turuki mai te ata a rangi o Mea*
Kia whakaupa ki tenei tama tamaua take nau, E Io-taketake
He koronga ka tu ki a koe
He koronga ka whano ki a koe
Kia uru tu, kia uru taketake ki tenei tama
He tama ahurangi nau, E Io, E!
Tawhia tamaua take ki tenei pia, ki tenei taura
Na tenei tama kia mohunga, kia mohikutu
Tenei tauira ki marae nui, ki marae whakapau tangata
Kia koe, E Io, E!

Ka mutu te karakia ka ki atu ki te tangata kia whakatotohu ki roto ki te wai; kai te mau tonu nga ringa. Katahi ka whakatotohu te tangata ra kia ngaro katoa ki roto ki te wai. Te eanga ake ki runga, katahi ka toro te ringa maui o te tohunga ki runga ki te matenga o te tangata. Katahi ka heke te ringa katau ki te wai, katahi ka ehua te wai ki runga:—

Tapihai nuku, tapihai rangi
Ki a koe, E Io-matua, E!
No tenei tama.

Ka mutu tenei karakia, ka ki atu te tohunga "Haere ki uta. Kauaka e uhu i te wai o te mahunga, o te tinana ranei, i runga i a koe." Katahi te tohunga ka ruku, ara kia tae te tangata ki uta, ka whakatotohu i a ia ki roto ki te wai; e whitu ona wha-kangaromanga ki roto ki te wai. Ka mutu, katahi ia ka hiki ki tahaki, katahi ka hoki raua ki te tuahu. Katahi ka tangohia mai te manu i roto i te taha, katahi ka mauria atu e te tohunga, ka ki atu ki te tangata kia whakaha ia ki runga ki te upoko o te manu. Ka toru nga whakaha e whakaha ana ia; ka mutu te whakaha katahi ka mauria te manu ki roto ki te whare, raua tahi ka haere. Ka tutakina raua ko te manu e te tohunga ki reira ki roto ki te whare. Ka tukuna te manu ki roto ki te whare rere ai. (No te atatu tonu ia i tae ki te tangata.)

Na, ka noho tonu te tangata ki roto ki taua whare, me te manu hoki. Ka hoki te tohunga ki runga ki te tuahu. Kia haramai te maramatanga o te atatu, ara ka aho mai te maramatanga o te atatu, ka huaki te tangata i te tatau o te whare, ka rere te manu, ka tukuna kia rere. Te putanga o te manu ra, katahi ka haere te tangata ki runga ki te tuahu ki te tohunga ra. Mehemea he miromiro taua manu, ka karanga mai te tohunga ki taua tangata—"Kua whano ranei a Miro?"—a tatahore ranei. Te whakautu page 411a taua tangata. "Ae." Katahi ka ki atu te tohunga. "Tuturi," a ka tuturi te tangata ki tona aro e hangai tonu ana ki a ia ki te tohunga. Katahi ka pa iho nga ringa o te tohunga ki runga ki te matenga o te tangata, katahi ka karakia.

Ko te karakia kaore i riro mai

Koinei te karakia e whiwhi ai te tangata i te matakite, ahakoa i te moemoea, ahakoa i a ia e ara ana.

page 412