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Games and Pastimes of the Maori

The Kokiri or Water Jump

The Kokiri or Water Jump

Another form of aquatic pastime was that of jumping into the water from a plank or flatted sapling fixed in a slanting position and extending out over deep water. There is no evidence to show that it served as a springboard; it was apparently too thick for that purpose; it merely provided a good point of vantage from which to leap where no high perpendicular bank was available. Fig. 7 (p. 46) shows the form of these structures. This exercise or pastime was known as kokiri. As a rule this runway consisted of a stout sapling, one end of which rested on the bank, and the other, considerably elevated, on a post, or crosspiece between two high posts, at or near the water's edge. Taylor, of Te Ika a Maui fame, simply says:— Kokiri. Pole; flattened on the top for a person to stand on, and inclined over deep water; a favourite amusement to run up to the top, and then jump into the water. Elsewhere he remarks:—Kokiri is jumping from a pole into deep water: before doing so the person repeats:—

Puhipuhi rawa ki te kereru
Mehemea e kato ana
Kokiri!

page 46

The following extract from Brodie's New Zealand explains the mode of procedure in this exercise:—"Over the edge of the Roto-iti lake there projected a pole, raised by a strong post in the lake to an angle of thirty degrees from the level of the water. This raised pole, I was informed, was for a native exercise called kokiri. With women and children the kokiri is a famous amusement. The boys and girls stark naked, and the women with only a rough garment round the loins, run up the pole as ready as monkeys. Having reached the end, which is flattened to form a standing place, they make a momentary stay, and then jump down into the water from a height of twenty feet, swimming directly back and reascending the pole for another jump. Each follows the other pretty briskly, and in this way they keep up the exercise till they are tired of it."

Fig. 7 The Kokiri or Water Jump. A springless springboard of neolithic days Sketch by Miss E. Richardson

Among some tribes this exercise is called morere, and perhaps also moari, though the latter seems to properly apply to the 'giant strides.' The following extract from Wade's observations of 1838 shows whence friend Brodie obtained his information, though he moved the scene to the Roto-iti.

W. R. Wade, in his Journey in the Northern Island of New Zealand, describes the form of morere that may be compared with our spring board, as having been seen by him on the shores of Rotorua, in 1838:—"There projected over the water a pole, raised by a strong post in the lake to an angle of 25 or 30 degrees from the level of the water, the outer and higher end of the pole being finished off underneath with an indecent piece of carving. This raised pole, we were informed, was for the exercise of a native sport, and called by the several names of moari, kokiri and morere. With women and children the morere is a famous amusement. Some of them good naturedly gave us an example of the sport. The boys and girls stark naked, page 47and the women with only a rough garment round the loins, run up the pole as readily as monkeys. Having reached the head, which is just flattened to form a standing place, they make a momentary stay, and then jump down into the water, from a height of fourteen or fifteen feet; swimming directly back and reascending the pole for another jump. Each follows the other pretty briskly, and in this way they keep up the exercise till they are tired of it."

The kokiri was also practised by the Tahitians. Ellis says that a kind of stage was erected near the margin of a deep part of the sea, or stream, from which the people jumped. The children were specially fond of this diversion.