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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Personal Adornment

Personal Adornment.

Ornaments come under the general name of rakei. To decorate is hakamanea.

Head ornaments. Wreaths or garlands come under the general term of pare, and have been referred to under the chapter on Clothing. They were made of flowers and sweet-scented leaves that are mentioned under hei, necklaces.

Hair Ornaments.

Combs. Combs are now called paoro. No information was obtained of ornamental combs corresponding to the Maori combs of bone, nor of the close-set combs of wood. Paoro simply means to scrape.

Feathers. The scanty information regarding feather head-dresses has been given in Chapter 3.

Single feathers or feathers bunched together were used for hair adornment. The feathers were those of the tavake (tropic bird). karavia (long-tailed cuckoo), purake (a white sea-bird that comes inland), and the moa (fowl). The term for feathers is huru manu.

Ear ornaments. The ears were pierced with a pointed stick. In these days it is done with the thorn from an orange tree. On removing the thorn, a small quill from the feather of a fowl is put in to keep the aperture from closing. After some days the quill is removed, and, if page 361necessary, the hole is kept from closing by putting the pointed ends of the unopened central leaves of the Dracæna, ti.

Flowers and scented leaves were worn in them, but no special ear ornaments, such as those of the Marquesas or New Zealand could be described. Flowers were also worn with the stalk over the ear.

Neck ornaments. Anything strung on a cord and worn round the neck comes under the name of hei. They were composed of scented flowers and leaves in various combinations, shells, and seeds.

Flowers and Leaves.

Tiare maori. The tiare maori has a beautiful white, scented flower. It is said to have been introduced into Aitutaki by the ancestor Ruatapu. The place where he planted it was called Tiare, and can still be pointed out.

Hara, pandanus fruit. The pandanus, hara, is recognised by the natives as male and female trees. The large fruit of the female tree is called kahui hara. When ripe, it has a pleasing orange colour, and is scented. The segments of the ripe fruit are separated and threaded on a cord, usually with other material.

Inano. The inano is the flower of the male tree. The flower bunch is called kopu inano, and it is selected for its pleasing scent.

Miri. The scented leaves of the miri plant are interspaced amongst the more showy flowers.

Poroiti. The poroiti belongs to the same family as the two kinds of poroporo of New Zealand. There are two species in the Cook Group. One has a bright red berry and the other has yellow berries. The latter is called tavai ranga. The ripe berries are peeled into a continuous strip from one end to the other. In combination wreaths and necklaces, the spiral strips hang down and brighten up the hei.

Mapua. The mapua g rows in the taro patches. It is of historical interest, in that it was brought by one Hui-tariro in the canoe Uira-kau-putuputu. He came from the district of Taravao in Tahiti, and gave the name of Taravao to a district in Aitutaki. More recently introduced plants are now used. The most sought after is the Frangipani, but roses and other page 362flowers of a temperate climate are used with good effect.

Shells. Shells are bored and threaded on short strings for head bands or on longer strines for necklaces. A single species of shell may be used, or various combinations. The use of different shells is known as tahonohono. The shells used are:—

Pareho. The pareho is a small kind of cowrie. Pipi. The pipi is a bivalve, with a ribbed shell like a cockle.

Kahi. The small shells are used for necklaces, and the larger shells for domestic purposes.

Ungaunga. The ungaunga is a long, thin, spiral shell.

There are also a number of shells that come under the pupu class. They are here enumerated under their native names.

(a.) Pupu Mangaia. (c.) Pupu henua.
(b.) Pupu tahi. (d.) Pupu motu.
Seeds.

Puka. The black seeds of the puka are covered with a brown substance. This is rubbed off against a coral stone and the seeds rubbed and polished with cocoanut oil. They make a good necklace with shiny black beads.

Poepoe The poepoe is a plant that grows 4 to 5 feet high, and the seed are of a slatey blue colour.

Tavara. The tavara is a red seed that is much used for necklaces.

Mata koviriviri. The mata koriviviri is a red seed with a black spot. It is said to have been introduced from Niue Island.

Breast ornaments. Breast ornaments come under the name of tiha. There are none to be seen in Aitutaki at the present time. One was described as having been dug up in an old deserted village site that was being brought into cultivation. It was made of pearl shell that had been worked into a crescentic shape. There was a hole at each end to take the fastenings to the cord for tying round the neck. Unfortunately the finder broke it with his adze and threw it away.

Makea Vahine informed me that an old tiha belonging to the Makea family was of the above type. In these cases page 363the shell came from the Northern Islands. Similar crescentic ornaments were made from cocoanut shell, ipu, and rubbed with cocoanut oil to make them shine.

Large cowrie shells were also split for a similar purpose. Te Muna Korero decorated his canoe with shells of the pahua and ariri.