Title: The Maori Race

Author: Edward Tregear

Publication details: Archibald Dudingston Willis, 1904, Wanganui

Part of: New Zealand Texts Collection

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Dreams And Omens.

We have treated of the omens that were particularly noticed by a war-party (or in time of war), in those parts of this book which treat of war itself. There were besides these, omens drawn from dreams or from circumstances not having direct connection with the “alarums and excursions” of actual conflict.

Dreams were supposed to arise from one's spirit (wairua) leaving the body and wandering about. Sometimes dreams were accepted as warnings, sometimes as prophecies, but there was hardly a case to be thought of in which they would not be regarded as of importance. It was GOOD to dream that— Your spirit was flying along with another pursuing it, but you escaped. You were embracing a woman. A lucky hunting sign. You saw alive one who was really dead (as one's late wife, etc.). You saw a calabash of preserved birds. page 209 You had a new house. You saw feathers. If a woman dreamt this, it signified conception.

An evil dream was called a kotiri.

It was BAD to dream that Your spirit was flying along pursued by another, and that yours was captured. You saw someone carrying an ornament of green-stone. It was evil for him or her. You saw a man spilling tutu juice on the road. Tutu juice symbolized blood, and the dream showed that a murder would soon take place. Someone made an insulting gesture to you. You were inside a house with two doorways. You could see a house facing towards the back of another house. Someone used threats to you. This was a warning. You saw a garment hung up before you. This was only for a woman who had been weaving by day. You beheld the vision of a god or supernatural being (atua) hovering about you. It showed that the spirit, probably of your dead father or your child, was telling you to beware of some unknown danger. A spirit was doing you mischief. You were inside a house that had carved slabs. Evil for the owner of the house. Your hair was being cut. Evil for your elder brother or his child. You saw the spirit (wairua) of a human being. An unlucky sign in hunting or fishing. You visited a place and the people thereof offered you no food. Evil for them. A fence lay across your path. You were eating provisions, particularly if they were bad provisions. You were out in a canoe catching sharks. It foreboded war. You saw death-wounds, or people wailing, etc. It foreboded death, particularly if it was yourself you saw being wounded or killed.

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The above instances will suffice to show the nature of the auguries derived from dreams. Of the omens the greater number by far were evil, and the path of the Maori was beset by innumerable warnings and gruesome portents.

Some of the GOOD OMENS were as follows: If anyone sneezed while eating, visitors or news would soon arrive. If a dog twitched or barked in his sleep, you would go hunting with him soon, and he would catch plenty of kiwi (apteryx) for you. If when catching mutton-birds one bird flew against the lower rope of the net. If when hunting, your dog ran ahead and waited for you on the right hand side of the track. If an owl hooted when the tribe was in council. If a hawk flew over the heads of a council when they were deliberating as to projected war. If a pigeon cooed at the moment a child was born. If when men were voyaging in a canoe one of them in changing his paddle from side to side accidentally allowed the outer end of the paddle to come into the canoe. It presaged plenty of food at the termination of the journey. If when travelling by land the feet got filled between the toes with fern. It was an omen of abundant food, but to ensure this a charm had to be repeated, which ran thus, “Omen of sweet food, hold; go thou to the oven that I may arrive ere it be opened.” If a travelling party heard the bird called the Saddle-back (tirauweke: Creadion carunculatus) cry on the right hand of the path, it was a sign of feasting. If the chin itched, the person owning the chin would soon have a meal of oily or fat food such as eels, dog, whale's blubber, etc. When spiders built their webs. A sign of fine weather. page 211 If the sign was a jerking (takiri) of the limbs, etc., in sleep. The jerk on the right side was generally held to be fortunate. The lucky ones were the hokai, a starting of the leg or foot in a forward direction. (If in war time, it denoted a repulse of the enemy.) The tauaro, a starting of the arm toward the body. The whaka-ara, the head starting upwards in sleep. It signified that the chief (ariki) would soon arrive. The kapo, when a man lying asleep with his arm for a pillow started so as to strike his head. If in war-time, the sleeper who had experienced a kapo would not speak of it, for if not revealed to another it was an omen that the man who had felt it would kill the first man slain (mataiki) of the enemy.

There were omens that were neither good nor bad. Of such are— Should burning wood shoot out a jet of bright flame (hutarore) it was a sign of approaching rain; a spirit had come to obtain fire. Should food fall from the mouth of one who was eating it was a sign of visitors coming. If, in weaving, the woof threads became knotted, visitors would arrive next day. Should the weaving-rods (turuturu) fall, visitors would soon arrive. If one felt hungry when cooking it was a sign that strangers were on the road to that place. When one heard a singing in the ears it was time to ask a question, such as, “Is it peace?” “Is it war?” “Is it murder?” “Is it good news?” and so on. The ears would cease singing when the correct question was asked. If the sign shown by involuntary twitching (io) of a part of the body was given it was interpreted thus. If on the right leg between thigh and knee visitors who had never been in that district before would arrive. If between thigh and stomach, visitors were coming who had never been to that village before. If in the groin a visit from relations coming that same evening or at dawn next day. The subject would say, page 212 “My parents?” “My elder sister?” etc., etc., and the io ceased at the right name. If on right arm a present of food would soon arrive for the person perceiving it; if on right shoulder the food would be birds and eels. If on the lower lip food would soon arrive for that person. If a sleeping man's right hand closed convulsively (as if clutching something) or if he ground his teeth, these were signs that plenty of food would soon arrive.

The EVIL OMENS were as follows— If a woman stepped over a male child. Bad for the child; it would become stunted. If one beat out fern-root at night. One's head would soon be pounded by the enemy. If a chill wind blew through the village and sent a shiver over every one. This was the icy Wind of Battle (Tokihi kiwi), and that village was threatened by a foeman near at hand. If a gurgling sound was heard in the throat of a sleeper. Murder was near. If anyone sneezed. A charm (tihe mauri) had to be said to avert the omen. If the young moon was on its back. A sign of bad weather. If you allowed a person to go by your village without asking him to stay. Even if you had no food you should have asked him to stay awhile, as only the sound of your voice requesting him to do so would avert the calamity (aitua). If you passed cooked food over a person's head. If you slept often in the day time. If when on a journey you lit a fire on the path. It should be lit to one side. If you stumbled with the left foot when going out hunting. If a spider when spinning a web on the inside of a roof let one of its threads down to the floor. The house would catch fire and be burnt. If feathers were left behind in the hands of the priest when food had been consumed by the gods in the ceremony of Kumanga Kai. ⁷ page 213 If you awoke and found signs of a lizard (kaweau) on the floor. If a chief quarrelled with a common man and was thrown down. Evil omen for the chief. If a sound was heard in the house like a hand fumbling with the thatch. It showed that Maikuku and Maikaka, two household gods that dwelt in the corners of every house, were moving. If you saw any demons (tipua). These demons might be stones, water monsters, etc., or only sacred birds. If there was heard a spirit voice (irirangi) singing outside the house when all the people were within their dwellings. If there was anyone ill the omen was for him. If one sang in the house at night. If a man was always singing about the place. Evil for him. If you sang when travelling at night. It was your spirit (wairua) making you do it as a sign of danger to you. If people (when not on a woman-seizing expedition) collected and sang jeering songs. If one heard the sound of a death-watch beetle. If one heard the chirp of the small house-lizard (moko-ta). If you slept in the open and did not cover your face. If you talked nonsense in your sleep, and your hands were clenched. It was not an omen to talk in one's sleep if the words were sensible. Delirium was a bad omen. If a man slept at another man's feet. A woman could sleep at a man's feet. If one awoke a man when he was dreaming. He was not to be shaken, but called so that his spirit might have time to get back again. If, when you were sleeping near another person, you received a dig with his elbow. This was unlucky for him, but the evil could be averted by giving him a pinch. If, when not asleep, you heard a tree falling, or the noise of a cracking branch. Should many trees fall or the sound be heard on many successive nights, it meant trouble for the whole tribe. page 214 If one heard a peculiar sound, said to be made by an earthworm. If heard at night it was a death omen, but some say it only presaged a deserted house. If you saw the spirit of a person who was absent. If the appearance was shadowy and the face hidden, the person it represented was in danger only; if the face was plainly seen he was already dead, and the ghost was a kehua. If a weaver wove fine garments after sunset. If a fine mat or garment was woven in the open air. This could be averted by the erection of any kind of temporary roofshed such as an old garment on sticks. If, in weaving, a cross thread was left not carried out to the margin by sunset. If a visitor arrived when weaving was going on, and the work was not laid aside. If, when a weaver ate food, the work was not covered. If, after the site of a house was levelled and prepared, the house-building was not proceeded with. If, in house building, you improperly fastened the batten that lay next the ridge-pole. If, in house building, when the pegs were put in to square the house, the pegs were inserted exactly in the right spots at the first trial. This was evil either for the principal builder or for the owner of the measuring cord. If the house should shake when on the occasion of its opening ceremony the visitors seized and shook the posts. It was an evil omen for the builders, not for the visitors. If one got up and went through antics of defiance while others joined him, all without singing. Evil for those people. If you passed anyone without speaking. You were a rude person and it was ill for you. If, on a journey to another village, you met someone who told you that a friend or relative had died in that village; if you did not go on, but turned back it was evil for you. If, when travelling, you were invited to stop at a village and refused. page 215 If you made a mistake or omission in reciting an incantation. Very deadly. If you made a mistake in singing a song as part of a public speech. If you fell when among a number of other people. If you experienced when sleeping one of the unlucky jerkings (takiri) of the arm or body. They were: Kohera, a starting of the arm and leg of one side of the body in an outward direction. Peke, a starting of the arm outward from the body. Whawhati, a sleep in which legs, neck, and head were bent doubled up to the belly. Very unlucky for the sleeper. All takiri but the last may have referred to companions. If your nose itched. It was a sign that you were being maligned. If you experienced an involuntary twitching (io); the signs differed as follows: Near lungs it meant death. Under the ear, death. At the side or below the eye, death. If above the eye the person would be smitten with leprosy or with contracted muscles. If on upper lip, you were being slandered. If a party of travellers was detained by rain or wind an io felt by an eminent person such as the chief or priest would have following meanings: If in middle of arm or leg, general misfortune. If on extremity of arm or leg, there would be bad weather, rain or wind, coming. If on left side under arm, death. If on chest and near heart, death, murder, or war. If anyone interfered with the Sacred Tree. The tree is the abode of one of the guardian-spirits of the forest. If you carried cooked food to the forest in a bird-snaring expedition, or cooked birds a second time. If, when hunting, your dog ran ahead and waited on the left hand side of the track. If, when hunting, and going along track, one's head got into a spider's web. If, when on a hunting party, you spoke of game as already caught. page 216 If, when looking for edible roots (such as perei), you uttered its name. The root would get away, or, as we should say, you would not find any. If, in snaring birds, you said “I am going to examine my snares at such a time.” If, when hunting, another person got fine fat birds and you did not. If, in netting mutton birds, any of them should bleed or strike against the upper part of the net. If you spoke when returning from setting traps for rats; if you spoke, rats would not enter the snares. The hunter had to eat his food and go to sleep in silence. If one's eel-weir was interfered with or part of it destroyed. If one took off his mat without untying the string, when about to make a public speech. If you spoke of ancestors, history, etc., in a place not made sacred. If you offered food to anyone who was in “The House of Mourning.” If, when carrying food, you met a friend and passed him without speaking for fear you would have to share the food. It was bad for the churl. If, when on a plundering party (taua muru), you stood by idle while others loaded up with booty. It was unlucky for you. If you made an error when carving wood. If you blew off the dust or chips when carving wood. If you found a pigeon's nest. A rare find. If, when a tree was being felled, it hung on the stump. If, in felling a tree, it fell backward. If, in felling a tree, one did not spit into the “scarf” or cut. If no one spat, the arms of those using the axes wearied. If, when making a canoe, you did not throw a small stone into it during the final adzing. If this was not done it was thought that the art of canoe making would be lost. If you did not bevel the gunwale of the canoe when adzing it. page 217 If, in clearing ground for cultivation, certain trees (rau-tawhiri, tawhero, etc.) were not left standing with their branches lopped off. If every limb and branch were not cut off the clearer of the ground or his wife would die. If you saw a certain kind of lizard (moko-tapiri or moko-papa) that lives in hollow trees. If a traveller saw a lizard on the path before him. This was very deadly. The omen was only to be averted by killed the lizard and getting a woman to step over its dead body. Then the traveller would search his mind to try to discover the malicious person who had sent the lizard and would say “May so and so (the enemy) eat you (the lizard).” This would bring the bad luck upon that designing one. If a land-slip occurred. Sometimes a very evil omen. If you kept seed in a house where a certain kind of wood (maire) was burnt for firewood. The seeds would not grow. If you planted seeds at any time of the moon except the full. If you lashed the palisading of a fort badly. If, in going to visit a village, you did not take some present (koparepare) for your hosts.

The above long list will serve to give some idea of the innumerable omens and presages which surrounded the daily life of the Maori. Of course there were other signs which connected with the religion, superstition, tapu, etc., etc., complicated observances and encircled, as with a fine net of unseen rules, every thought and action of the native, but these can only be gathered by inference as we describe the customs and beliefs of the people.

The antidote to some kinds of evil omen was to be found in a “luck-post” (tuapā), a slab of adzed timber painted red and set up in a village. Persons going on an expedition page 218 would avail themselves of its powers somewhat as follows: A fisherman before setting out would take a splinter from his torch, touch his fish basket (puwai) with it, and then throw the splinter down before the luck-post, reciting a charm the while. So, a person going bird-snaring would take a small branch, touch his bird-spear or the basket in which the snares were carried with the branch, throw the branch at the foot of the luck-post and repeat the charm.