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MAORI RELIGION
AND
MYTHOLOGY.
WILLIAM ATKIN, GENERAL PRINTER,
HIGH STREET, AUCKLAND, N.Z.
_Maori Religion_
_and_
_Mythology._
ILLUSTRATED BY TRANSLATIONS OF TRADITIONS,
_KARAKIA_, &c.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED
NOTES ON _MAORI_ TENURE OF LAND.
BY
EDWARD SHORTLAND, M.A., M.R.C.P.,
LATE NATIVE SECRETARY, NEW ZEALAND,
AUTHOR OF
“TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS OF THE NEW ZEALANDERS.”
LONDON:
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
1882.
_All rights reserved._
TO THE MEMORY
OF
SIR WILLIAM MARTIN
THESE PAGES ARE DEDICATED,
THE AFFECTIONATE TRIBUTE
OF
A FRIENDSHIP OF MANY YEARS.
PREFACE.
The Maori MSS. of which translations are now published were collected by
the author many years ago. The persons through whom the MSS. were
obtained are now, with one exception, no longer living. They were all of
them men of good birth, and competent authorities. One who could write
sent me, from time to time, in MS. such information as he himself
possessed, or he could obtain from the _tohunga_, or wise men of his
family. Chapters iii. and iv. contain selections from information
derived from this source.
The others not being sufficiently skilled in writing, it was necessary
to take down their information from dictation. In doing this I
particularly instructed my informant to tell his tale as if he were
relating it to his own people, and to use the same words that he would
use if he were recounting similar tales to them when assembled in a
sacred house. This they are, or perhaps I should rather say were, in the
habit of doing at times of great weather disturbance accompanied with
storm of wind and rain, believing an effect to be thereby produced
quieting the spirits of the sky.
As the dictation went on I was careful never to ask any question, or
otherwise interrupt the thread of the being guided by the sound in
writing any new and strange words. When some time had thus passed, I
stopt him at some suitable part of his tale: then read over to him what
I had written, and made the necessary corrections—taking notes also of
the meanings of words which were new to me. Chapters v. and vi. are with
some omissions translations of a _Maori_ MS. written in this way.
Chapter ii. contains a tradition as to _Maori_ Cosmogony more particular
in some details than I have ever met with elsewhere. My informant had
been educated to become a _tohunga_; but had afterwards become a
professing Christian. The narrative took place at night unknown to any
of his people, and under promise that I would not read what I wrote to
any of his people. When after some years I re-visited New Zealand, I
learnt that he had died soon after I left, and that his death was
attributed to the anger of the _Atua_ of his family due to his having,
as they expressed it, trampled on the _tapu_ by making _noa_ or public
things sacred—he having himself confessed what he no doubt believed to
be the cause of his illness.
In Appendix will be found a list of _Maori_ words expressing
relationship. It will be observed that where we employ definite words
for ‘father’ and ‘brother’ the _Maori_ use words having a more
comprehensive meaning, like our word ‘cousin’: hence when either of the
words _matua_, &c., are used, to ascertain the actual degree of
relationship some additional explanatory words must be added, as would
be necessary when we use the general term cousin.
A short vocabulary of _Maori_ words unavoidably introduced in the
following pages, which require explanation not to be found in any
published dictionary, are also printed in the Appendix,—as well as a few
selected _karakia_ in the original _Maori_, with reference to pages
where their translations appear, as a matter of interest to some
persons.
_Auckland, January, 1882._
CONTENTS.
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PAGE
_Chap. i._—Primitive Religion and Mythology. Aryans and 1
Polynesians
_Chap. ii._—Maori Cosmogony and Mythology 10
_Chap. iii._—Religious Rites of the Maori 25
_Chap. iv._ „ „ „ 38
_Chap. v._—The Maori Chief of Olden Time 51
_Chap. vi._—Claiming and Naming Land 68
_Chap. vii._—The Maori Land Tenure 88
—————
APPENDIX.
Terms of _Maori_ Relationship 106
Explanation of some _Maori_ words occurring in 107
following pages
Karakia Maori 109
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ERRATA
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
p. 8 for “Pendora” read “Pandora.”
p. 21 „ “Herekeke” „ “Harakeke.”
p. 11 „ “Whananga” „ “Wananga.”
p. 24 „ „ „ „
p. 28 „ “manumea” „ “Manumea.”
p. 90 „ “and” „ “land.”
p. 96 „ “conquerers” „ “conquerors.”
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PRIMITIVE RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY.
CHAPTER I.
ARYANS AND POLYNESIANS.
Νόμιζε σαυτῷ τοὺς γονεῖς εἶναι Θεούς.
The religious feeling may be traced to the natural veneration of the
child for the parent, joined to an innate belief in the immortality of
the soul. What we know of the primitive religion of Aryans and
Polynesians points to this source. They both venerated the spirits of
deceased ancestors, believing that these spirits took an interest in
their living descendants: moreover, they feared them, and were careful
to observe the precepts handed down by tradition, as having been
delivered by them while alive.
The souls of men deified by death were by the Latins called “Lares” or
“Mânes,” by the Greeks “Demons” or “Heroes.” Their tombs were the
temples of these divinities, and bore the inscription “Dîs manibus,”
“Θεοῖς χθονίοις;” and before the tomb was an altar for sacrifice. The
term used by the Greeks and Romans to signify the worship of the dead is
significant. The former used the word “πατριάζειν,” the latter
“parentare,” showing that the prayers were addressed to forefathers. “I
prevail over my enemies,” says the Brahmin, “by the incantations which
my ancestors and my father have handed down to me.”¹
¹ La Cité Antique par De Coulange.
Similar to this was the common belief of the _Maori_ of Polynesia, and
still exists. A _Maori_ of New Zealand writes thus: “The origin of
knowledge of our native customs was from Tiki (the progenitor of the
human race). Tiki taught laws to regulate work, slaying, man-eating:
from him men first learnt to observe laws for this thing, and for that
thing, the rites to be used for the dead, the invocation for the
new-born child, for battle in the field, for the assault of fortified
places, and other invocations very numerous. Tiki was the first
instructor, and from him descended his instructions to our forefathers,
and have abided to the present time. For this reason they have power.
Thus says the song:—
_E tama, tapu-nui, tapu-whakaharahara,_
_He mauri wehewehe na o tupuna,_
_Na Tiki, na Rangi, na Papa._
O child, very sacred—very, very sacred,
Shrine set apart by your ancestors,
By Tiki, by Rangi, by Papa.”
The researches of philologists tend to show that all known languages are
derived from one original parent source. The parent language from which
the Aryan and Polynesian languages are derived must have been spoken at
a very remote time; for no two forms of language are now more diverse
than these two are. In the Polynesian there is but the slightest trace
of inflexion of words which is a general character of Aryan languages.
The Polynesian language seems to have retained a very primitive form,
remaining fixed and stationary; and this is confirmed by the fact that
the forms of Polynesian language, whether spoken in the Sandwich Islands
or in New Zealand, though their remoteness from each other indicates a
very early separation, differ to so small a degree that they may be
regarded as only different dialects of the same language. The _Maori_
language is essentially conservative, containing no principle in its
structure facilitating change. The component parts or roots of words are
always apparent.
When we consider the great remoteness of time at which it is possible
that a connection between Aryans and Polynesians could have existed, we
are carried back to the contemplation of a very primitive condition of
the human race. In the Polynesian family we can still discover traces of
this primitive condition. We can also observe a similarity between the
more antient form of religious belief and mythological tradition of the
Aryans and that still existing among Polynesians; for which reason we
think it allowable to apply to the interpretation of old Aryan myths the
principle we discover to guide us as to the signification of Polynesian
Mythology.
It was a favourite opinion with Christian apologists, Eusebius and
others, that the Pagan deities represented deified men. Others consider
them to signify the powers of external nature personified. For others
they are, in many cases, impersonations of human passions and
propensities reflected back from the mind of man. A fourth mode of
interpretation would treat them as copies distorted and depraved of a
primitive system of religion given by God to man.²
² Juventus mundi, p. 203.
The writer does not give any opinion as to which of these theories he
would give a preference. If, however, we look at the mythology of Greek
and Latin Aryans from the _Maori_ point of view the explanation of their
myths is simple.
This mythology personified and deified the Powers of Nature, and
represented them as the ancestors of all mankind; so these personified
Powers of Nature were worshipped as deified ancestors. There is no
authority for any other supposition. With regard to the two latter
theories above referred to it may be remarked that fiction is always
liable to be interpreted in a manner conformable to the ideas prevailing
at any particular time, so that there would be a natural tendency, in
modern times, to apply meanings never originally thought of to the
interpretation of mythology. Man in early days, ignorant of the causes
of natural phenomena, yet having a mind curious to inquire and trace
observed effects to some cause, formulated his conceptions on imaginary
grounds, which, although now manifestly false and absurd, yet were
probably sufficiently credible in the infancy of knowledge.
There is a notable mental condition of the Polynesian to which we desire
to direct attention. The _Maori_ has a very limited notion of the
abstract. All his ideas take naturally a concrete form. This inaptitude
to conceive any abstract notions was, it is believed, the early mental
condition of man. Hence the Powers of Nature were regarded by him as
concrete objects, and were consequently designated as persons. And this
opinion is confirmed by the fact that the researches of comparative
philologists give proof that all words are, in their origin or roots,
expressive of visible and sensuous phenomena,³ and consequently that all
abstract words are derivable from such roots. The absence, too, of all
abstract and metaphysical ideas from Homer has been noticed by Mr
Gladstone as very remarkable.
³ Max Müller, “Science of Language.” Farrar, “Chapters on Language,”
p. 6.
I have seen it stated in print that the New Zealander has no sentiment
of gratitude; in proof of which it was mentioned that he has no word in
his language to express gratitude. This is true; but the reason is that
gratitude is an abstract word, and that _Maori_ is deficient in abstract
terms. It is an error to infer that he is ignorant of the sentiment of
gratitude, or that he is unable to express that sentiment in appropriate
and intelligible words.
ARYAN MYTHOLOGY.
The Aryans do not appear to have had any tradition of a Creation. They
seem to have conceived of the Powers of Nature very much in the same way
as the _Maori_ did,—namely, that the mysterious power of Generation was
the operative cause of all things.
Hesiod in his Theogony relates that the first parent of all was Chaos.
From Chaos sprang Gaia (=Earth), Tartarus, Eros (=Love), Erebus, a dark
son, Night, a dark daughter, and lastly, Day.
From Gaia alone sprung Ouranos (=Heaven), Hills, Groves, and Thalassa
(=Sea).
From Heaven and Earth sprung Okeanos (=Ocean), Japetus, Kronos
(=Saturn), Titans.
Hesiod also relates how Heaven confined his children in the dark caverns
of Earth, and how Kronos avenged himself.
In the “Works and Days” Hesiod gives an account of the formation of the
first human female out of Earth, from the union of whom, with
Epimetheus, son of the Titan Japetus, sprung the human race.
So far Hesiod’s account may be derived from Aryan myths. The latter and
greater part, however, of Hesiod’s Theogony cannot be accepted as a
purely Aryan tradition; for colonists from Egypt and Phœnicia had
settled in Greece, at an early period, and had brought with them alien
mythical fables which were adopted in a modified form, in addition to
the antient family religion of worship of ancestors.
Herodotus asserts that Homer and Hesiod made the Theogony of the Greeks;
and to a certain extent this may be true, for the bard was then invested
with a kind of sacredness, and what he sung was held to be the effect of
an inspiration. When he invoked the Muses his invocation was not a mere
formal set of words introduced for the sake of ornament, but an act of
homage due to the Divinities addressed, whose aid he solicited.⁴
⁴ Hom. Il., 2-484. Invocat. to Muses:—
Tell me now, O Muses, ye who dwell in Olympus;
For ye are goddesses, and are present, and know all things,
But we hear only rumour, and know not anything.
The traditions prevalent in Bœotia would naturally be strongly imbued
with fables of foreign origin; and Hesiod, who was a Bœotian by birth,
by collecting these local traditions and presenting them to the public
in an attractive form, no doubt contributed, as well as Homer, to
establish a national form of religion, made up of old Aryan tradition
and what had been imported by Phœnician and Egyptian colonists.
Thus Zeus and the other Olympian deities formed the centre of a national
religious system; but at the same time the old Aryan religion of worship
of ancestors maintained a paramount influence, and every tribe and every
family had its separate form of worship of its own ancestors. The prayer
of the son of Achilles, when in the act of sacrificing Polyxena to the
manes of his father, is a striking instance of the prevalent belief that
the deified spirits of ancestors had power to influence the destinies of
the living.
“O son of Peleus, my father, receive from me this libation, appeasing,
alluring, the dead. Come now, that you may drink the black pure blood of
a virgin, which we give to thee—both I and the army. And be kindly
disposed to us, and grant us to loose the sterns of our ships, and the
cables fastening to the shore, and all to reach home favoured with a
prosperous return from Ilium.”⁵
⁵ Hecuba, l. 533-9.
Euripides would not have put these words into the mouth of the son of
Achilles had they not been in accord with the sympathies of an Athenian
audience.
Comparing the Greek mythological traditions, such as they have come down
to us, with those of the _Maori_, some striking resemblance is to be
observed. First, there is the fact that both treat the elements of
nature, and abstract notions as persons capable of propagating from each
other by generation. In both Light springs out of Darkness. The sons of
Heaven and Earth in both accounts conspire against their father for the
same reason—that their father had confined them in darkness. And lastly
the first human female, in both, is said to have been formed out of
earth. The first woman, in the _Maori_ Mythology, drags down her
offspring to Po (=Night), meaning to death. And the first woman of the
Greek Mythology, Pandora, introduces all kinds of afflictions as an
heritage for hers.
It is also to be noticed that just as Zeus and the Olympian Gods were
national deities for Greeks, so their old mythical deities—Po, Rangi,
Papa, Tiki, &c., were invoked alike by the whole _Maori_ race,
especially in the ceremonies required to free a person from the sacred
restrictions comprised under the term _tapu_. They were the _Maori_
national Gods, for they were their common ancestors. But at the same
time every _Maori_ tribe and family invoked independently each its own
tribal and family ancestors, just as was the practice of the Greeks and
Latins.