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

Chapter IV

page (8)

Chapter IV

Now thy canoe, o Kahu ki-te-rangi
Is seen to shimmer like the trembling leaf of flax:
Then go o father go, and cast the sea weed
On my house to take the sacredness from me;
But come then back, and be as loved
As thou wast loved in days gone by,
Nor be like branch decayed, but
Still be sacred and alive to love and me
And I will stem the darkening
Dread of god that comes o'er thee,
As with the chill that
War dance brings to pass
I into calm forgetfulness
Shall cast. But o mother,
Weave, weave thine our sea weed
And I will stay the whispering god,
And god that groans at dawn of day
Nor shall I ask that and
To wield the power, to
Clap my hands to scare
The gods and evil far away.

page (9)

Alullaby composed by Te-Rangi-Takoru
for his daughter Wharau-Rangi

(Nga-ti-hau)

These are the words in respect to the lullaby composed by Te rangi takoru (the day of hanging in folds, loose) for his daughter Wharaurangi (stage like house). Hau came in the canoe Kura-hau-po (red sky with wing at night) and the reason he came in the canoe was to follow his wife Wai-raka (tangled in water) so that he might regain her from a man called Weku (wipe, catch hold of) with whom she had eloped. He came along the sea coast from Taranaki and on in the direction of Te-whanga-nui-a-tara (the great harbour of Tara, Port Nicholson). He came to the Whanga-nui river and gave it that name, as that harbour (whanga) was great (nui) at its mouth. He still went on along the coast till he got to Whanga ehu, and he called it by the name of Whanga-ehu (harbour of the spring) as it was so, near to the Whanga-nui harbour that he could cause the spring of water thrown by him from Whanga-nui to go to Whanga-ehu (harbour of spring). He Hau still went on the coast, till he got to another river, and as this river was near to Whanga-ehu, and as he thought that if he felled a tree at Whanga-ehu the head of the tree could reach this river, so he called this river Turakina (throw (or cut) it down). He went on still along the sea coast, and as he had to take many strides (tikei) before he arrived at another river he called it Rangi-tikei (day of (many) strides). He still went on till he came to a wide river, at which he was doubtful how he could cross it, as he thought he would have to swim to get over it as it was so broad from bank to bank, and his heart was startled so he called this river Manawa-tu (startled heart). He went on, and as the wind whistled past his ears, so he gave this name to this river Hokio (tingle, whistle). He went on till he page (10)came to another river, this he called O-hau (wind) from the wind which had whistled past his hair. He went on and carried his spear as on the point of joining in battle, like a warrior holding his spear to combat with an enemy, so he gave this river the name of O-taki (hold the spear as in war, while he is making a speech) as he travelled on his journey. He stayed here and chanted incantations with a loud voice, and hence he called the river Wai-mea (water of the doing) as he had made this spot sacred (mehameha) by the sacred incantations he had chanted there, and hence the meaning of this name "water of the sacred doing or acts". He went on to another creek where he looked slyly out of his eyes, and he called this river Waikanae (water of the sly look) as it was here that he looked slyly out of his eyes to see if he could discover his wife. He went on till he came to a place where his wife and Weku were staying, he parted, and his breath sobbed and his throat jingled as he arrived at this place, which was at the Paripari (sleepy, the south point of the Tara-rua (two prongs) range) where he saw his wife Wai-raka (entangled in the water) and he called to his wife and said "O Wai-raka, I am thirsty, go and bring some water for me." Wai-raka rose and went for water, as she went into the water till it was up to her knees, with a calabash in each hand she began to fill the calabashes. He called and said "go still further out in the water, to obtain water for me." She went still further out in the water till the water was up on her waist, and again began to fill the calabashes. He called to her and said "go still further out in the water to obtain water for me" so she Wai-raka went out till the water was up to her neck, and Hau stood up and began to chant his sacred incantation, and page (11)Wai-raka became a stone, where she is still standing as a stone in the water to this day with her two calabashes which are to be seen at this day, and that rock is called Wai-raka by the tribe who know this tale of Wai-raka and Hau. Hau then went on up the Wai-rarapa (glistening water) river, and the reason it was called Wai-rarapa is, because the eyes of Hau glistened on account of the confusion and the retributable death and being turned into stone which he had caused to fall on her, for her forsaking him.

Another hint is given by Te-rangi ta karu in his lullaby is in reference to Waitiri (Whaitiri) where he says Hanga-te-paepae (build the privy) which was the beams which caused the death of the child of Tawhaki, and the constellation of stars called Meremere is that privy, but some of the Nga-rauru people say this song refers to Turi as the composer of this lullaby, who went in search of his wife who had gone away with another man, and he came from Pa-tea (white fort) even to Te Whang-nui-a-tara (the great harbour of Tara, Port Nicholson in which journey his daughters accompanied him, who were killed at the cliff on the coast to the south of the Pori-rua (two cuts) where the flax is red from the blood of these women.

The following are the words of the lullaby of Te rangi-takoru

I search yes search without effect,
O, daughter of mine, germ from Hawa iki
page (12) Where hands and feet were formed,
From whence, o daughter floated
The canoe of Rua-tea, Kura-hau-po
And we came o'er to Ao-tea land.
In canoe in which old Turi came
And landed at Whenua kura mouth
Where Rangi-tawhi House was built
And kumara crop was planted there,
And karaka trees were planted
In this world, and god of women
Was set up, and put in charge
Of the two sisters, Nono-uri
And Nono tea, and other two
The Here runga, and Koro hunga
And in his hand Hau took some soil
And staff of old Tu-roa
Then crossed the creek, large creek
And called it Whanga nui
Then water misty spray gave
Rise to river name, Whanga-ehu
And tree was felled, then name,
Was given to Turakina River
Then walking step by step, the name
Of Rangi-tikei name to river gave
And then the shock to startled heart
Gave name to Manawa-tu river
And gust of wind passed by the ears
And hence Hokio the river was
And Awa iti creek was called
O-hau by him, from his own self,
Then staff held up, gave name
To little district now O-taki
Then sacred acts, gave name to
Wai-mea, Then glistening eyes
page (13) Were opened wide in joy
Gave name to River Wai-kanae
Then sole of weary heart, was heard
And then o child Wai-raka was seen,
Then fell determination came
And powers beneath, and powers above
Took hold, and firmly held
Revenge, and glistening eyes gave
Rise to name of Wai-rarapa
And O my child thy ancestor
Had glistening eyes in days of fore.
And then the world was great
And the Pae was built by Waitiri
Was built at Warea-kai-tangata
Far out on ocean face.
And posts of Privy were put up
And Meremere star drawn out
And Punga's offspring were the anchor
Of his own canoe Te-a-whenua (Hou mea)
So let us cease to speak of old

page (14)

Hau, an ancient account
(Nga-ti-rua-nui)

Hau came in the canoe Kura-hau-po (the red of the windy night) but some of the Priests (or learned men) of other migrations say the name of Kura was used instead of Turi, and other tribes say that the name of Hau ought in this account ought to be substituted by the name of Kupe, and that Hau came in search of his wife Wai-raka (tangled in the water) who had fled with a man called Weku (rub off), and it is supposed that the man Hau mentioned here must have been Turi (deaf) as this man landed at Pa-tea (white fort) and from that part he came over land by the sea coast and came to Whanga nui, and he gave the name Whanga nui to this river, on account of the mouth of this Harbour or river being so wide and hence he called it Whanga nui (great harbour) and because this river was so close to another river a short distance to the East of it, he called this other river Whanga-ehu, because the spring of water thrown from Whanga-nui would go as far as Whanga-ehu, (the harbour of spring) and also there was another river not far to the East of Whanga-ehu, and he thought if a tree were felled at Whanga-ehu, the head on top of the tree would go as far as this other river, so he called this river Turakina (felled as a tree, cut down) and as he took some time to go from this to another river, and as he had to take very many steps in his journey, he called this river Rangi tikei (day of many steps or strides). He went on and arrived at a large river and as he thought he could not cross it, and as his heart started in surprise, he gave the name of page (15)Manawa-tu (heart stand still) to this river. He went on along the sea coast and the wind whistled through the hair of his head hence he called the name of the spot Hokio (whistling noise). He went on and arrived at another small river and he called this river O-hau after his own name. He went on and carried his staff as he would a weapon of war, so he called the name of this river O-taki (make a speech, or hold a weapon of war as it should be held in battle). He now stood and chanted an incantation to make himself powerful to do the work for which he had taken this journey, and he called the name of this place Wai-mea (that is Wai-meha or sacred water) as this place was made sacred by his chanting his sacred incantation there, he gave it the name so bestowed on it by him. He went on and arrived at a small river, which he looked slyly out of the corners of his eyes, on account of his joy at the expected meeting with his absconding wife, so he called the name of this river Wai-kanae (water of the sly look) and here he was quite fatigued, or very weary which made him pant for breath, and he went on and arrived at the place where his absconding wife Wai-raka and her adulteress husband were, at the Paripari (cliffs) at the south end of the Tara-ru (trembling barb) on the south part near to the sea, where he saw Wai-raka to whom he said, "I am thirsty go for water for me that I may drink." She rose and took a calabash, and went to fetch water, and Hau called and said to her "Go further out in the water." She went further out till the water, till the water was up to her waist, and Hau called to her and said "Go still further out in the water." She went still further out till the water was up to her shoulders, when Hau rose and chanted an incantation page (16)which caused Wai-raka to turn into stone, and she stood there, and is still standing there as a rock to this day, and Hau was much delighted, and he went on his way and he called the place Wai-rarapa (the glistening water) on account of the glistening of his eyes with joy at the just punishment he had inflicted on his absconding wife, who had gone from him.