Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (digital text)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions. Awatea, Taranaki, Nga-Ti-Hau Nga-Ti-Rua-Nui [Vol. VIII, English]

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Welcome o my child, come in
And let me view that most I prize
An ear drop long kept hid away
By mother Hine and sister to
And Hine-porangi, Like down
Of Albatross, of taken bird from Karewa.
Come, come on now o child
O father come to Mirumiru-te-po
The gate to world of night
To house of Rua-kumea
Of Rua-toia, and of Miru too
Of Tu-horo punga and Kai-ponu-kino
Who threw the down in front of house;
But o my sons exist the wizards power
In the care of mine own spouse
That it may sail to jutting points
Of Rua-taniwha (the cave of gods)
And ………. land at O-tama-i-ea
And look beyond to One-tahua
To land on which my eyes
Have never looked, but travelled o'er
By Tuki-hawa-iki

page (249A)

The Genealogy of Turi
(Nga-ti-hau)

Turi (deaf) took Rongorongo (obedient) and had Turanga-i-mua (stand in front) who had Tama-tea (fair son) who had Hiku-ao (tail of a cloud) who had Haere-ao (go in the day) who had Te-ihi (the dawn) who had Te-mana (the authority) who had Te-tapu (the sacred) who had Te-maru-tuna (the worthless) who had Te-maru-wehi (the dreaded protector) who had Temaru-aitu (the power of the disease) who had Te-maru-ariki (power of the land) who had Te-hiko-o-te-rangi (the flash of heaven) who had Ra-tua-o-te-rangi (go behind the sky) who had Rangi-tau-mai-waho, (day of lighting on the out side) who had Rangi-pakihiwi (day of the shoulder) who had Rangi-hikaka (day of rash acts) who had Maruaia (head) who had Rake-kohera (scrape wide) who had Te-konatu (mix into a pulp) who had Te-ao-makiri (false clouds or day) who had Tau-ope (song of the troop) who had Taipu (sand hill) who was the ancestor of Hoani Rawenata, Taipu had, Kaia (steal) who had Te-rangi-matao (cold day) who had Te-keo-(keho)-te-herepu (seize the transparent) who had Haimona Te rangi pohea (day of the blinding).

Genealogy of Kura-i-raro-hea
(Nga-ti-hau)

Kura-i-raro-hea (the plume at Raro-hea) had Rongo-mai-te-kawa (whale of the baptism) who took the wife of Peo (by) and had Kai-whare (eat the house) who took Te nui (the great) and had Topeora (cut off while alive) who took Hua (fruit) and had Hau (scalp) who took Rangi (day) and had Hinahina (grey headed) who took Papa-rangi (floor of a stage) and had Wai-tui (water of the parson bird) who took Whare-rau (house of leaves) and had Te-pehi (the pressed down) and Karapepe (flutter).

Rongomai-te-kawa had Rangi-mata-nui (heaven page (249B)of great face) and Heke-rangi (descending sky). Rangi-mata-nui (heaven of great face) took Perea (chip the weeds off) and had Rere (flee) who took Wai (water) and had Reo (speech) who took Uru (west) and had Kokopu (big eel) who took Rua (pit) and had Te-take (the origin) who took Matere, and had Mahu (healed) Puraho (messenger) Pahu-taha (garment of the side) who took Hiwi (ridge) and had Uinga (asking) who took Patu-ngahere (kill in the forest) and had Puhi-o-nga-huruhuru (plume of the feathers) who had Ara (road).

Genealogy of Rongo-tea
(Nga-ti-hau)

Rongo-tea (news of the fair) had Puru-ora (good plug) who had Turi (deaf) who had Tahau (front part of the thigh) who had Tuitui (sew) who had Rongomai-tahae-(taha)-nui (whale of great side) who had Tama-kai-u (son who lives on the breast) who had Hine-kupa (daughter of the mildew) who had Tama-kai-kino (evil eating son) who was killed by an insect who had Takirau (moon on the nineteenth night) who had Wai-aria (water of the appearance) who had Rangi-a-uta (day on shore) who had Tinanga (fixed) who had Tu-roa (long standing) who had Pehi-tu-roa (pressed down and stand long) who had Mutu-mutu (cease again and again).

Genealogy of Wai-kauri
(Nga-ti-hau)

Wai-kauri (very ancient) had Tuku-tahi (let go all at once) who had Karewa (buoy) who had Ihu (nose) who had Rua-tahora (pit of the plain) who had Nga-huka (the thrums) who had Takena.

Hikihiki (nurse) had Rangi-haua (day of the stupid) who had Kai-a-te-kowhatu (food of the stone) who had Rangi-ka-tukua (day when let loose) who had Neru (eat) who had Hotu (sob) who had Raho (testicle) who had Werawera (hot) who had Nokenoke (earth worm) who had Hamaruru (shut in) who had Takena.

Ua (rain) had Mutumutu (cut short) had Tu-arau (like ……….).

page (250)

The Genealogy of the descendants of Kahui-tu
(Puke-tapu)

Kahui-tu (the standing flock) had Pou-tina (fixed post) who had Pou-whana (stolen post) who had Pou-wananga (medium post of the gods) who had Pou-korero (post of the talking) who had Pou-tea (a man) (fair post) Pou-rangahau (a man) (post of the looking for) Pouwara (Wharau) (the indistinct post or post of the shed) and Mauri-rangi (the sound post of the ceremony of bringing any one who has fainted to life again).

Pou-ranga-hua (post of the porpoise) who had Tu-porangi (a woman) (insane god of war) who had Tu-mokopuna (god of war the grandchild) who had Poito-kino (evil float of a net) who had Mataukino (a woman) (evil fish hook) and Mou-nika (Mounu-ika) (held on as the skull on the body) (or fishing bait) who had Tara-re (speak loudly) who had Marangai-kino (evil last wind) who had Rangi-kauru (a woman) (head of heaven) and Whetu-o-te-ao (star of dawn) who had Torona (reach out for) who had Ika-pungapunga (fish of pumice stone) who had Te-kahu (the circus Gouldii) who had Maua-tahi (a woman) (we two) who had Tumati-tarepa (flapping about) who had Te-teira-manuka (spear) weterere. The Manga-iti (little branch) was his house, (or the house where this part of the tribe lived, and where the house stood in which they kept the representatives of the gods, and in which all councils were held).

Te-pou-tea (the fair post) had Hine-taka-waki(whaki) (a woman) (rushing daughter) who had Hape-ki-tua-rangi (bow legged of the other side of the sky) who had Patiki moe-roa (flat fish of long sleeping) who had Rangi-patito (day of eruption on the head) who had Nga-tara-puku (a woman) (the unknown bravery) who had Nga-whete (a woman) (the stare wildly) who had Whiti-uaua (severe blow) and Hine-wai-papakura (a woman) (daughter of the water of the small brown beetle).

page (251)

Nga-whete (or Whiti-uaua) had Rangi-apiti-rua (day of doing any thing twice over) who had Pou (Pau)-te-ahi (all the fire gone) who had Rongo (good of food) who had Retimana.

Hine-wai-papakura had Ruru-te-aku-rama (a woman) (make a torch, and scrape the materials up in a heap for it) and Te-roro (the entrance).

Ruru-te-aku-rama had Te-ika-a-te-mata (the fish of the face) and Hokinga-rua (go back a second time).

Te-ika-a-ngana had Te-ngana (the fluster) had Pararihi. And Ruru-te-aku-rama also had Hokinga-rua (go back a second time) who had Punga-taka (anchor dropped) who had Epiha.

Roro (brains) had Ruru (owl) who had Rawiri-rau-ponga (leaf of Ponga (cyathea dealbata)) who had Eruera.

Ika-pungapunga (fish of pumice stone) had Te-kanohi (the face) who had Te-rangi-kapo-tata (day of snatching at near) and Te-rangi-kuru-patua (day of beating with blows with the fist). The Proverb of this (man or people) is this "Ko te patete a te wheru" (the moving of the inactive). Wheru was chief of the Nga-ti-awa tribe of Puke-tapu and Nga-ti-hinga.

Rangi-kapo-tata had Tina (surfated) who had Rawiri-kai uri (eat the offspring).

Rangi-kura-patua had Tini (many) and Whetu (star) had Tu koko (stand and scoop) who had Hori Kokako (callaeas cinerea). Tini (many) had Rawiri-kai-uri (eat the descendants).

The descendants of Mauri-rangi (soul of heaven). Mauri-rangi took Tau-parua (the bereaved spouse) who was a drifted fish (a cast away on shore from a wreck or escape from battle from a distance) who had not any canoe (could not claim descent from any one who came in the canoes which brought the ancestors of the Maori to New Zealand) and had Rangi-roa (long day) page (252)who had Pou-rewa (floating post) who had Rangi-roa (long day) who had Tautau-pari (dangle over the cliff) and Te-horo (the land slip).

Tautau-pari had Te-mawhe (lost colour) who had Mihi (greet or wander) who had Rere-tawhanga whanga (rush heedlessly) who had Wiremu Kingi-rangi-ta-ke (to paint another colour or dash some other day).

Pou-whanau (post that gives birth) had Ringa (hand) who had Hemi-pataka (food stage).

page (253)

Te-rangi-noho-iho
(Puke-tapu)

Nikorima-te-rangi-noho-iho (stay the day with us) was a very old man, and he was the last aged man who can be said he was of the days of the old Maori cannibal, and he saw the first ships which came to these Islands, and in these days those ships or canoes of guests were called Te-tere-a-tupaenga-roa (the migration of Tu-paenga-roa, or stand on the border of a long cultivation).

Nikorima was a brave of the tribes Nga-ti-haumia and Nga-ti-rua-hine, of Tara-naki, and he was descended from Te-ao-nui (great day) whose Proverb says "Te ao-nui nana i karihi te niho o Tara-naki" (the Ao-nui, who put weights on or impeded the teeth of Tara-naki). He was also descended from Tu-te-pupu rangi (god of war and of the shell fish) and of Rua-korero (pit of talking) and to Tu-haka-raro (god of war of little note) and Te-rangi-i-runga (the day in the south) to Tu-te-raina (god of war of the warm day) and Rangi-mahihi (day of wandering).

The first war in which Nikorima took part was that led by Te-rangi-i-runga (day up above) at Patu-pohue (weapon of convolvulus) where he killed two men, he also joined in the war party led by the same chief or Te-aho-roa (long line) at Wai-pu (spring of water) where he killed three men and he also joined in the war party led by Te-rewarewa (the Knightia excelsa) and he then captured Taka-rangi (giddy) the chief of Nga-motu (locality of sugar loaf Islands at Tara-naki).

At the time that the Tara-naki tribes were attacked by the Wai-kato tribes Nikorima was in the midst of the attacked people, but was not captured, nor was page (254)taken prisoner in the battle of Tawhiri-kete-tai (wave the sea shore basket) though he was run through by the spears of Whakataka (cause to fall) and Ti-hau (cordyline in the wind) the spear of Ti-hau was barbed with the sting of a ray fish, and was decorated at the head with red feathers, and he was run through from behind, and the point of the spear came at the front through his stomach, but this did not kill him.

The Nga-ti-rua-nui, and Nga-ti-awa tribes attacked his Pa (fort) at Puke-kowhatu (stone hill) and his people at the time, were all away in their cultivations, and in the forest collecting food, and he and the children of the Pa were left to guard the it, but when the war party charged up to the Pa, Nikorima shut one door way, and then threw the ladder down the cliff by which access could be gained to the Pa by another gate, and the war party could not get in, and the Pa was not taken, so the war party had to go home without having gained any thing, and the people of the Pa came back to it at night.

Nikorima's weapons of war were spears, and the name of one of his spears was Nawenawe (scorched) and the other spear was sacred, that is, it was a monster, and to this, or over this he chanted incantations, so that he might know the fate of a war party, and also to know the fate of those left at home, the name of this spear was Rua-ho-ata (pit of the exclamation at early dawn).

The feathers he put in his hair when on a war expedition were the feathers of a Kaahu (circus Gouldii) as that bird is the god of man killers, and hence the feathers of that bird are tied to the weapon called Waha-ika (fish mouth) and a young warrior is not allowed to carry the weapon in his youth, nor will an ordinary warrior carry it but only the most supreme brave warriors carry it when in actual battle.

(216A to follow this)