Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Legends of the Maori

Chapter VIII. — The Story of Tupahau. — The Rival Tohungas And Their Little War

page 40

Chapter VIII.
The Story of Tupahau.

The Rival Tohungas And Their Little War.

TUPAHAU was the son of Te Urutira, who was the son of Kaihamu and Tuparahaki; and the clan of Tainui, of which he became the warrior chief, was known as Ngati—Mango, after their ancestor. Te Urutira was a man of peace; he loved the life of the food-grower, and he lived at peace with all men. He became noted as an agriculturist, and he had many homes and cultivations on the shores of Kawhia Harbour.

Tupahau, like his forefathers of ariki rank, was instructed in the priestly lore of the Maori. But there was a man of the Kawhia country who was his rival in tohunga knowledge; this man was a chief named Tamure. One day he manned his canoe and crossed the harbour to visit Tupahau, whose home was on the bank of the Rakaunui tidal river. There, in Tupahau’s home, he remained many days. On one of those days—it was the last day of his visit—the two wise men discussed the religion of their people, and they argued with each other as to the correct words of a certain karakia, which was called “Tu—hangaia.” Tupahau disputed one of the words of the prayer as recited by Tamure.

This contradiction gave great offence to Tamure, who considered himself a very great authority on the ancient religion; he thought his knowledge of prayers and charms was superior to that of Tupahau. In anger he returned to his home in Rangiahua pa, on the north side of the harbour.

There, in the meeting-house in the hill fortress, he told his people of the dispute between himself and Tupahau, and of how Tupahau had dared to question his version of the karakia, with reference to that one word. There was, he said, only one way to settle that dispute, and to wipe out the affront put upon him by daring to question his recital of the karakia. That way was to make war upon Tupahau and slay him.

The tribe gathered in Rangiahua approved of this course, and a large war-party was assembled for the purpose of attacking Tupahau in his pa at Rakaunui. It was indeed an army, for our traditions say that it numbered two thousand men.

page 41
The Combat of the Chiefs.

The Combat of the Chiefs.

page break page 43

At the head of this army Tamure invaded the lands of Tupahau and offered battle. Tupahau wondered at the invasion, and then he found that the cause was his contradiction of his fellow-tohunga in the matter of the disputed word, in that karakia called “Tu-hangaia.” He had no wish to fight over such a small dispute; he did not consider it a sufficient také, a ground for war. So he stood on the parapet of his pa as the army approached, and cried out loudly to Tamure:

“Let not there be war between us over this dispute; let us settle it by peaceful talk. Why should blood be shed over so small a matter?”

But Tamure was resolved upon war, to assert his superior knowledge of priestcraft. He called to his warriors to advance against the pa.

Tupahau therefore was compelled reluctantly to defend his home. When he did so, he and his men entered into the battle with great fierceness. He had only one hundred and forty warriors (hokowhitu) against the two thousand men of Tamure. But these far outnumbered men fought with the utmost resolution and desperation.

The battle raged on the open ground below the pa. Tupahau’s heroes fought so well that they quite routed the army of Tamure. The invaders took to flight, after great slaughter, and Tupahau’s warriors pursued them, killing as they went.

Tamure fled with his men, and Tupahau gave chase and overtook him. He did not strike him, but grappled with him and brought him down. Tamure expected to be slain, but Tupahau had no desire to kill him. He bit him on the head in token of capture, and said to him: “Now you have seen the bravery of a chieftain’s son.” So saying, he released his rival and permitted him to go free.

Peace was made, and remained unbroken between those two men. And from that incident of Tapuhau’s generous treatment of the man who made war on him, the tribe to which he belonged came to be called, in after years, “Ngati—Toa Rangatira,” meaning the tribe of chivalrous and chieftain-like warriors. Tupahau’s grandson was named Toa-Rangatira after this episode, and his descendants and their connections formed the tribe of Ngati—Toa, which achieved such fame under the great Rauparaha.