He Karakia Tohi Tamariki, Ara Tua

Tenei au he uriuri, he pia, he aro nou, E Io . . e!
Ka turuki atu ki a koe, ki nga atua o nga rangi tuhaha
Kia turuki mai koutou ki tenei tama, ki tenei aro, ki tenei pia
Ki tenei tawhito, ki tenei tipua nou, E Io-mata-ngaro . . e . . i!
Tenei to uriuri, tenei to pia, tenei o aro, he aro turuki mai nou, E Io-matua . . e . . i!
Tenei ka rewa, ka rewa ki runga ki taku ringa
He hapahapainga nuku, he hapahapainga rangi ki a koe, E Io . . e!
Tenei ka tohia to pia, to uriuri ki te wai o Moana o Rongo,
O Moana o Kura, o Moana wairangi o Moana Parawhenuamea ki a koe, E Io . . e!
Tenei au ka tohi i te ingoa ki a koe, E Io-taketake . . e . . i!
Ka tohia, ka tohia ki … . , ka whakamau atu ki te uru tu,
Ki te uru tau, ki te uru rangi, ki te uru tangata nau, E Io-rangi . . e!
He puri nui, he puri roa, he mauri taketake nou, E Io-te-waiora . . e!
Tenei ka tau, ka tau ki a koe he uri, he pia, he aro
He tama tane, he tama wahine no Tane, no Hine-ahuone
Ka tau, ka tau ki tenei … . , E Io-taketake . . e!
E tipu, e rea he pia nou, e tipu hei kauru nui, hei kauru roa
Hei kauru toi nui, toi roa, toi matua ki te ao taruaitu,
Ki te ao marama taihoaho nau,
E Io-taketake . . e . . i!
Tenei au te turuki atu nei ki a koe, E Io-matangaro . . e
Kia turuki mai koe he hikitanga, he hapainga, he arewa
Ki tenei tama, ki tenei pia, ki tenei uriuri nou, E Io-tama-akaaka . . e!

The occurrence of many sacerdotal expressions in these formulae, also of words that have become obsolete, make one very cautiouspage 41 about attempting a translation of them. Almost every word in the above is to be found in Maori dictionaries, but in many cases words have an unrecorded sacerdotal meaning, and that is where the danger lies. In this case the words uriuri, turuki, aro, tawhito, tipua, puri, kauru, and uru must be included in that category.

The following formula is said to have been employed in the time of Toi, some seven centuries ago, though, as given, it is not clear as to whether it was recited over Toi himself or one of his children by Huiarei:—

Ihi a tau . . e, ihi a Rongo . . e, ihi a Maru . . e
Aua atu . auamaiki tenei wai
Wai na huka a tai, wai na Makohurangi, wai na Te Ihorangi
Whakauru tapu . . e, whakauru ora
Ngatata o tapuwae, ngatata te pararo, ngatata whaitiri a Ururangi . . e,
Ki tenei tama nau, e Ihinuku, e Ihirangi!
Ka tau, ka tau he toi nuku, he toi rangi taketake ki a koe, e Io matua te kore!
Whakaruru ki runga, whakaruru ki waho, whakaruru ki roto
He putunga, he horunga, he akaaka nou, e Io . . e . . i!
Tuaina ki waho ko toi nuku, ko toi rangi, toi te matahi o te tau . . e . . i.
E tipu . . e, e tipu, e rea he pipi nuku, he pipi rangi
Toro te akaaka whenua, toro te akaaka rangi
He akaaka tangata ki te ao-turoa . . e . . i
He waerenga a rangi, he waerenga nou, e Ruatau . . e . . i!
He hukinga a rangi, he hukinga nau e Io matakaka!
Ki tenei urutapu toi nui, toi roa, toi te huatahi nau, e Io matua . . e . . i!
Tene au te huru atu nei kia huru mai koe ki tenei toi matua nau, e Tane!
He ihonga a rangi, he ihonga a tau . . e
Ki tenei toi, toi nuku, toi atua, toi rea, rea to toi . . e . . i.

If the previous formula seemed difficult to translate, then this one must be viewed as a veritable tipua. Makohurangi and Te Ihorangi are the personified forms of mist and rain, while Ruatau is one of the influential denizens of the uppermost of the twelve heavens, and is spoken of as an atua, one of the gods of the heavens. A brief discourse followed the repetition of the above formula, to the effect that when Huiarei, wife of Toi, gave birth to Ruarangi, Ruatau rendered assistance in bringing about a safe delivery. This seems to have endowed Ruarangi with mana atua, and, in order to preserve this quality and to observe the strictest form of primogeniture, the fruitful womb of Huiarei was tupatia (closed by means of magic arts), and so rendered barren, lest a female child be born later. "Hence," remarked the narrator, "the mana atua descended to Rongokako and others, and so down to our elders." The statement that Ruarangi was born through the agency of Ruatau is followed by s singular remark, viz.,page 42 "Whangaia tonutia ki te hau, ki te kapua o Tutumaiao, koia i haere atua tonu tena whanau." This may be in connection with the belief that Ruatau dwells in space. East Coast tribes, as a rule, maintain that Ruarangi was not a son of Toi, but took to wife one Rongoueroa, a daughter of Toi.

The tupa act above mentioned is allied to several other performances of white magic termed tuapa, while taupa denotes a magic spell repeated by a man over his wife when about to leave her for a time. Should any man interfere with the woman during the absence of her husband, then the powers of the magic formula would destroy him. Such formulae are empowered by the atua who stands behind them; lacking these malignant but useful spirits the repetition of a charm would be an idle thing, a waste of time.

When the time came to perform the pure ceremony over Hine-ahuone, the Earth-formed Maid, the first of mortal women, then Tumatauenga said, "Let it be so conducted that man shall possess the quality of courage." But Rongo said, "Let it be arranged that man shall possess the two desirable qualities of courage and mārū " This latter term is said to include many desirable things, such as industry, hospitality, and kindness. Then dour Whiro spoke: "Kati; mākū te poautinitini " Thus it was that misfortune, trouble, sickness, and death entered the world and became the lot of man, introduced by Whiro. These were the three things given to man— ihi, mārū, and poautinitini; and from one or another emanate all phases of thought, all activities of mankind, all conditions of human life.

When the procedure of the tohi rite dealt with war, it being desired that the child should develop into a warrior of renown, then the following was one of the formulae repeated:—

Haramai, e tama! I te ara ka takoto i a Tane-matua
Kia whakangungua koe ki nga rakau matarua na Tu-matauenga
Ko nga rakau tena i patua ai tini o Whiro i te Paerangi ka heke i Tahekeroa
Koia e kume nei ki te Po tangotango, ki te Po whawha o Whaka-ruaumoko e ngunguru ra i Rarohenga
Ka waiho nei hei hoariri mo tini o Tane-matua i te ao turoa
I konei, e tama! Ka whakamau atu ki te pito ururangi
Ki a Tu-matakaka, ki a Tu-mata-tawera, ki a Tu-matahuki, ki a
Tu-mata-rauwiri
Hei whakamau i te pona whakahoro kai na Hine-titama
Ka waiho hei tohu ki a Tane-matua
Ka whakaoti te pumanawa o Tane i konei, e tama . . e . . i!

In this effusion the child appears to be called upon to tread the path of war instituted in the time of Tane-matua, and to acquirepage 43 knowledge of the double-edged weapons of Tu the War-god, the weapons by means of which the hordes of Whiro were defeated at the Paerangi, and so descended to the underworld. By Tahekeroa they went the way that gives upon the Po, where rumbles Ruaumoko, the origin of earthquakes, and ever they are enemies of the multitudes of Tane-matua, the living folk of this upper world. I cannot say what pito ururangi refers to, but there is a reference to the fleeing Dawn Maid locating the pomum Adami in the throat of her parent Tane, the Sun-lord.

In another version of the description of the tohi rite, given by a Kahungunu native, appears some account of a peculiar divinatory performance on the part of the principal priestly expert engaged. It is said to have occurred prior to the act of immersion already described, when the infant was placed in the water. It may be, however, that the sprinkling described below was the real baptism and replaced the act of immersion. We have many accounts of infant baptism that describe the act of aspersion, but immersion is rarely alluded to in that connection.

For the performance of this ceremony the expert provided himself with a green branchlet of mapua (Myrsine) or of tawhiri (Pitto-sporum) and half a dozen young unexpanded leaves (riti) ; we are told that outer or matured leaves were not employed for the purpose. As the mother stood near the brink of the water, holding the infant in her arms, the expert approached her, reciting a karakia as he did so. He touched the infant with the leafy branchlet. then dipped it in the stream, and with it sprinkled the infant; this was done at a certain part of the recital. The Maori of old taught that water is life—that it represents the welfare of all things. (Te ora o nga mea katoa ko te wai; ki te kore he wai kaore he painga o nga mea katoa.)

Having finished the recital of the formula, the expert cast the half-dozen young leaves into the stream, and the movement of those leaves was watched closely by him, and also by all onlookers, inasmuch as this was a divinatory performance. Should the six leaves drift away without separating, and fairly close together, then the fact was hailed with pleasure—it was a good omen, and the infant would assuredly be healthy, vigorous, robust, and also attain manhood. But should the pieces separate and drift down-stream in a scattered manner, then an ominous future loomed before the child. This peculiar and exceedingly simple act of divination was, we are informed, a whakataki i te mauri o te tamaiti.

It was explained that a priestly expert took his stand in the water in order to perform rites wherein occurred formulae in which the name of Io was mentioned, save in a few cases connected with thepage 44 whare wananga, or school of learning. This was on account of the intense tapu pertaining to that revered being and his name. Water flowing from the earth is the purest of elements, and in that element a man is spiritually insulated, as it were. If any polluting object came into contact with flowing water, then such pollution was swept away. This custom originated in remote times: when Tane ascended to the heavens he had to undergo twice the tohi rite as a purificatory and tapu rendering performance, ere he could approach the majestic Io.

In some districts, or among some tribes, the tohi ceremony was, we are told, by no means so spectacular a performance as that described above, there being no ceremonial presentation of gifts, no paparoa, and less punctiliousness and ceremonious observance. The elaborate form of the rite described was known as tohi ariki; that form in which a human being was slain was called tohi raupara; while an inferior performance, lacking gifts and show, was the tohi kura. The first-named form is said to have always been performed at the orthodox time, but the last-named might be postponed, as among folk of inferior rank, owing to lack of means. In olden days one might hear such a question as "I tohia koe ki hea?" (Where were you baptized?"), or a sarcastic query such as "Ko wai koe, ko hea te wai i tohia ai koe?" ("Who are you? At what waters were you baptized?").

My informant, in describing the garments used in preparing the paparoa at the wai tohi, described a peculiar method of adorning the mahiti cape. The small tufts of dogs' hair used for the purpose were not composed of loose hair, but small pieces of skin, with hair attached, were taken from a dog's tail, and it was this bit of skin that was fastened on to the body of the garment.