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Maori Religion and Mythology Part 2

Swamps

Swamps

Hine-i-te-huhi Personified form of swamps. We note allusions to this Swamp Maid occasionally in songs.
Hine-i-te-repo Personified form of swamps. We note allusions to this Swamp Maid occasionally in songs.

When the Greenstone folk fled hither to this land, and were attacked and defeated, we are told that some fled to the Swamp Maid as to a refuge. One Hine-turepo as the wife of Maui who was ravished by Tuna, the eel.

Tane-i-te-whaka piripiri

This is Tane's title showing him as representing houses. Houses are constructed of timber, many pieces of which are procured from divers trees, assembled at a chosen site, and there fitted together, stuck together as it were, caused to adhere to each other, hence whakapiripiri, from whakapiri = to stick, to fasten (piri = to adhere, to be attached, etc.).

A peculiar term, tamaroto, is employed to denote the "inner man", which words are a fair rendering of the term, it is used as though a proper name "Ka haere i a ki te kawe i a tamatoto ki turuma"

The Maori not only personified things immaterial but, also visualised such personifications in some cases, and so was enabled to describe their appearance. Thus we are told by one old pundit that the eyes of the Dawn Maid were like unto the gleam of lightning, her body was of human form, her teeth were like mihi makomako (as white as those of the makomako shark), her hair resembled the karengo seaweed, her skin had the glow and smoothness of a maiden's cheek.