The Pa Maori
Watch Songs
Watch Songs
The following are specimens of the old time watch songs employed by the Maori folk:—
"Tukua mai Kopu kia morunga, kia moraro
Kia whakatakataka ko te manu nui na Rua
Ka tutu te heihei, ka roki te tai e whatiwhati
Ka rere whakaaitu ki te po
Ka takahia te wai korire
Te niho o te kuri. Moi! Au!
Ka hei tahau, ka hei tahei e te tete
Nau ka whakaoho i te moe
Ka potapota rikiriki te kiri o te tangata
Koia ka katea i te ara tua, i te ara kino
Tangaroa whiti tua, whiti aro
Ko te tohe rere o te mahanga
Ka toremi, toremi
Whakatoremitia te taumanu waka taua o Hika-uhia
Ka toeke te paua mata konokono no runga no Kuao
E hara i te mango o uru
Ko te awhe iti ki makohakoha
Ko te Huihui o Matariki te ngakau kawe ke
Kiina mata wharenga, a kiina mata wharenga
Kiina mata wharenga
Te kai patu kohuru a to tipuna
Nana i tiki mai whakahi, hi, hi, hihiwa!
Taka te kohanga rua tupapaku
Parearau ki te wairau o to ure
E ruru, E koukou!
I haramai ra ruru i rawahi i Otama-kanohi
Kaore iara ko ruru pakau; pakia ki tua, pa!
Pakia ki taha, pa!
Papa pakihikihi ana te wai o taku hika
Kai ki te wheki ra, pa!"
(This weird chant is a very old one, and the natives cannot now give any explanation of its meaning. It is therefore untranslatable.)
The following watch song is a well known one among the Tuhoe and adjacent tribes:—
"Kia hiwa ra, kia hiwa ra.
Kia hiwa ra tera tuku;
Kia hiwa ra tenei tuku;
Kia hiwa ra.
He taua iara koua hopukia
Kai waho kai te tata;
E kimi ana, e rapa ana.
Ina koia, e te iwi, e!
E ara, e!"
(Be watchful, be alert. Be on the alert in yonder terrace; be alert in this terrace. O be watchful. Enemies have been detected at the outer stockade, seeking and searching. Here they truly are. O people. Awake!)
The following is another old watch song from the same district, and was dictated by Toki Wharetapu of Tuhoe:—
"Kai Tuhua pea, kai Orona pea, kai Tokorangi pea
Ka rato te puke i hapa (?)
He kore tangata ki tua ki te maro o Tamatea
Te uhia, te rawea, te mau mai
Ka tokomaha ki a Te Werawera
I tona pa i a Tapu-te-rangi
Nana ka tuwherawhera atu ona taramata
Moe tu, moe araara, moe tu, moe araara
Ka tangi te manu ki te pae
Ko heri, ko hera, ka taka mai i runga, ka taka mai i raro
Ka taka mai te rangi nui e tu nei
kia hiwa, kia hiwa ra
Kei whakapurua mai au
Whakapuru tonu, whakapuru tonu te tai ki Heriheri
E kaore iara e titiro ana, e matai ana
Ki nga hunga ki nga kokonga ra o Matariki
E ko-koia, e ara e!
He taua iara kua hopukia kai waho
E kimi ana, e rapa ana
Inei koia iara te taua-e-e-i-a!"
Tuhua and Orona are the names of two old hill forts of the Upokorehe folk; Tokorangi and Puhirake were also strongholds of those people. Tuhua is situated on a hill top on the left bank of the Wai-o-tahe stream, inland of Ohiwa. Orona is on a spur near and south of Tuhua; the Waiwhero creek runs between them. Opposite Orona, on the right bank of the Wai-o-tahe, is the Waka-taua native village, and on the hill above it is the old Tokorangi fort. The Puhirake pa is on Mr. Chapman's farm, lower down the valley, right bank of the Wai-o-tahe.
We are told that a number of these songs contain statements that an enemy force is at hand and has been seen, or that such a force is addressed and asked as to what tribe it belongs. Also that, occasionally, the principal man of an approaching force, or one awaiting dawn to deliver an attack, would call out his name, scorning all concealment of his identity.
A short form of the above mataara chant seems to have also been employed, it is as follows:—
"Kai Tuhua pea, kai Orona pea
He kore tangata ki tua ki te Kope o Tamatea.
Te hurua, te rawea, te tau mai-e-e-e-i-a!"
The following is yet another watch song or whakaaraara pa:—
"Piki mai ra, kake mai ra
I nga pikitanga ki Pari-maukuuku
Ka titiro iho, ka rarapa ake Ki te kopua wai hinu
Mana ano ka koukou ki te wai
Kia pai ai koe te haere ki te taua
I nei koia e te taua-e-e-i-a!"
Here follows another whakaaraara pa, or watch song:—
"Titi mai te marama, titi mai te marama
Na tara tuturu, na tare tetehi, na tara hokaia
Kihai au i panapana, kihai koe i panapana
Tau atu ko tawhiti.
Ka tu kapiti nuku, ka tu kapiti rangi
Waiho te tai o matuku
E moe ana te mata hi tuna
E ara ana te mata hi taua
E..e..e..ia!"
The following is a watch song used on the East Coast:—
"Ko hinamoki anake te kiore e whakakoko haere nei i te roro o toku whare. Ko, ko, kokoia, e tu e! Ko, ko, kokoia e rongo tangata keka. Tahuri rawa ki tua ki Waikari, ka hoki mai ai i te riri-E .. e .. e-i-a!"
Another watch song:—
"Kai te whetu whero
Kai te marama whiti rua e aio
Ka haramai nga wahine, ka kopeka
Ka haramai nga tane, ka kopeka
Nga wahine ngutu oriori
Nana te whakatomo ki roto o Waikato rua
Kokoia! E ara .. e .. i-a."
Another watch song:—
"Piki mai, piki mai
Kake mai koutou i te pinakitanga ki te Kapu-kaka
Kia noho koe e te tahakehake i te tihi ki Maunga-kawa
I hokia ruatia atu i te haupapa nui ki Horotiu
Kohe moko tai areare o te puta o te kotiro nei a Horiwaka
I te hawaninga a te ure i roa tau
I whea koia e hine whakaaro
Mau tonu mai te puku i te whatitoka o puta tarerarera
Maitara i runga i to taringa whakarongo korero
Ki te muri, ki te hau marangai
Ka tika tonu nga ure tokomaha ki roto ki to hau mihi
Ka taretare noa me he toka i piri atu
Ki te ihu o Moutara nui
Kai raro ia i reia pukutia atu e Rohu ki te puia
I hoki aromaki te hanga ure e noho mai nei
Tena i onia, i onia
Anei noa, anei noa te kai, te kai a te pare na koa
Aneane noa pare ngarehu
Aneane noa to kotiro
Aneane noa, e hiwa!"
The above song was chanted by the Hauhau watchman in the Waerenga-a-hika pa during the attack on that place by white and native troops in 1865. It is said that a watchman was heard to miss some of the words when chanting it, and this omen of ill luck was followed by the fall of the pa.
These watch songs are termed whakaaraara, awakening or rousing songs, they keep the non-watchers on the alert and prevent them sleeping too soundly, and also let any prowling enemy know that the garrison is vigilant.
The following watch song is taken from Mr. White's Mss.:—
"Piki mai, kake mai
Homai te waiora ki au
E tutohu ana koa te moe a te kuiai te po koi raru ai
Ka he to manawa i te ao, e
E papaki tu ana te tai ki te Reinga
Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea."
An old and oft quoted saying is included in the sixth chant:—
"E moe ana te mata hi tuna
E ara ana te mata hi taua."
The eel fishing eye is closed, the enemy fishing eye is open. A fisherman may doze at night as he fishes for eels; not so the fort watchman, who must ever be on the alert.
The following notes on the pourewa were also contributed by Tuta Nihoniho:—Another style of fighting stage was that known as the pourewa in the East Cape district. This was a small platform, with breastwork, elevated on a single tall post. Such platforms were erected at weak places in the defence, at probable points of attack, and sometimes one would be seen on some elevated part of the interior of the fort, used as a look-out station. Stones of the size of a man's fist were placed in heaps on all stages for use as missiles, as also sling spears and spears for hand throwing, both of which were merely pointed rods of manuka, not carefully manufactured weapons. These spears were, as remarked, sometimes cast by hand, with an overhand throw. In preparing these rude spears, the green manuka sapling rods were placed on a fire on which some green brush had been cast; this loosened the bark, which was then stripped off. The butt ends were then sharpened, first hewed to a rough point and then rubbed on a stone to give them a fine point, when they were ready for use and were tied together in bundles and hung up in a hut to be smoked dried.
It must not be supposed that the pourewa stage was supported merely by the top of a bare post, for that post was a tree selected for the purpose on account of its having several branches that could be cut off so as to provide a good foundation for the platform by means of beams lashed in a horizontal position to the various branch supports. See Fig. 36, p. 116. The timbers composing the platform were then laid on these beams, everything being lashed with durable vines (aka). Some of these pourewa are said to have been as much as twenty feet in height. On these platforms there would, as a rule, be room for from three to five persons to manipulate long spears, or stones. A breastwork was constructed along the outer side to shelter the occupants from the missiles of an enemy. See Fig. 36 p. 116. This defensive screen was made by securing two uprights to the beams of the platform, lashing two horizontal rails to them, then lashing upright pieces of timber to these rails. On the outer side of this close timbered picket fence were arranged many strips of totara or manuka bark, outside of which were lashed poles to keep them in position. If any heads of slain enemies were secured during a fight they would be hung from the ends of poles projecting in a slanting position outwards from the stage, the object of this pleasant custom being 'hai tunutunu i te puku o te hoariri,' i.e., to cause the enemy to become unnerved. It is said that the bodies of some of Wilson's men, killed at the Waerenga-a-hika fight in 1865, were stripped naked by the Hauhaus and suspended from the stockade of their pa. This did not, for some reason, cause our men of the Forest Ranger type to become fainthearted or unnerved, as they soon proved to the discomfiture of the gentle savage. A most annoying person your Forest Ranger!
Stones or spears cast from these high stages were very effective missile weapons when they hit the right place.
We now see that these fighting stages were used for three purposes-(1) To protect gateways; (2) as an assistance in defending any weak or exposed place in the defences. In addition to these there might be an elevated platform situated on a knoll or other coign of vantage within the defences, and used as an observation post. Such a look-out place was useful in daytime when a raiding party was expected, and sometimes served as a station for a watchman at night, in which case a wooden gong was often suspended thereon and struck at intervals. Here the sentry kept lone vigil and chanted such songs as those given above.
The notes of Cook and Banks show that these stages were constructed up to forty feet in length, and even more, and employed in conjunction with stockade, rampart and fosse defences, not only at entrance passages, but also along the curtains or faces of a fort. Sir Joseph Banks measured one stage 43 ft. in length, and speaks of another one as being 'much longer.' The names rangi, pourangi, poutarewa and ahurewa were sometimes applied to these elevated platforms, while taumaihi seems to have been applied, not only to such a stage, but also to an earthen mound used for similar purposes, at least in the Taranaki district.
Matairangi was a name applied to a look-out place on a hill top near a pa. "The look-out watches for approaching parties and signals to the folk of the pa. If he sees people coming, he waves both arms downwards twice. If it be a numerous party, he waves his arms from side to side three times. If it be a hostile party he crosses his arms in front of his head. If a mixed party of men, women and children he clasps his arms over his breast three times. The watchman on the observation stage in the pa notes these signals." So says my informant.
Fighting stages were employed in New Zealand, Tonga, the Marquesas, Fiji and New Guinea. In New Zealand and New Guinea they sometimes had an upward sloping floor. In New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji they often projected outwards over the top of the stockade. See Figs. 8 and 35, pp. 14 and 108.