The Legend of Werohia and the Cannibal Folk

This is another tradition collected by the late Mr. John White; it was recited by a member of the Ngati-Mahuta Tribe many years ago:—

A chief of olden times named Puni had two sons, Werohia and Raho-punga. Werohia, the elder brother, was trained in the arts of war, while his brother was taught the learning of his father, who was a tohunga (priestly adept). When Werohia was trained to the use of arms his father challenged him to fight, that he might see his proficiency; and so clever was the son in the use of his weapon that he slew his father. Now, these brothers heard reports concerning a people of evil habits, a cannibal folk, who lived in a distant land. They resolved to go and attack those people; so they went into the forest, felled a tree, and hewed out a canoe. They selected a crew of fifty men, and sailed for the home of the cannibal people, which was an island far away across the ocean. They steered by the sun in the daytime and the stars at night. On reaching the island the voyagers were met on the beach by some of the cannibals, whom they attacked and dispersed. Other actions were fought, and the raiders were again victors, after which the cannibal chief sued for peace, which was granted by Werohia. Then that chief gave his daughter as a wife for Raho-punga, brother of Werohia.

Some time afterwards the cannibal chief said to his daughter, "O girl, will you not ask your husband by what means his brother may be killed?" The woman replied, "Yes, I will inquire." So that night she said to Raho-punga, "By what means could your elder brother be slain?" And he replied, "It might be done, but this must not be repeated by you to any person." The woman said, "I will not speak of it." Then said her husband, "If he be pelted with stones he may be slain." "Indeed?" "Yes, indeed."

Next morning the wife set off in search of her father, and said to him, "The brother of Werohia says that if he be pelted with stones he cannot escape death." The father remarked, "What is that you say?" "I say that my husband states that stones are the only weapon that Werohia can be slain by-to be thrown at him."

It fell upon a certain day that the cannibal folk attacked the party of Werohia, and when he appeared at the head of his men he was pelted with stones and so killed, together with all his companions, except Raho-punga. page 421The body of Werohia was placed in a basket and suspended to the roof of a house, the while his brother mourned his death. Two old women remained in the house to guard his body. When night came Raho-punga bethought him of trying the powers of certain spells or magic arts taught him by his father, Puni. So he went and stood outside the house where the body of Werohia was suspended, and there repeated a charm. As he ceased the voice of Werohia was heard: "I am Werohia, O Raho-punga!" Thus it was known that Werohia had regained life. And the old women, guardians of the dead, trembled as they heard the voice of the dead. In the morning the old women called upon the people to assemble, when they called to them, "O people! Bow down your heads, that Werohia may be taken down to be eaten." Then, as the people bowed their heads, Werohia leaped down from his basket, seized his weapon, and slew all those cannibal folk, not one of whom escaped except the two old women, whose lives were spared.

Now, the first two of these legends may be genuine traditions of drift voyages from New Zealand that occurred in former times, for we know that a great number of such voyages have occurred in the Pacific. But the story of Werohia is of a very different type, and reads like a vague myth. The idea of a Maori people being shocked at the custom of cannibalism is decidedly novel. The curious account of the vulnerability of the hero takes us back to the myth of Achilles; it is a type of myth encountered in many lands. It is highly probable that this is an introduced legend or myth, brought hither from other lands, and not a remembrance of a genuine voyage made from these shores.