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 thetohunga, or wise men of his family. Chaptersiii.andiv.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 [pg VIII] 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. Chaptersv.andvi.are with some omissions translations of aMaoriMS. written in this way.Chapterii.contains a tradition as toMaoriCosmogony more particular in some details than I have ever met with elsewhere. My informant had been educated to become atohunga; 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 theAtuaof his family due to his having, as they expressed it, trampled on thetapuby makingnoaor public things sacred—he having himself confessed what he no doubt believed to be the cause of his illness.InAppendixwill be found a list ofMaoriwords expressing relationship. It will be observed that where we employ definite words for ‘father’ and ‘brother’ theMaoriuse words having a more comprehensive meaning, [pg IX] like our word ‘cousin’: hence when either of the wordsmatua, &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 ofMaoriwords 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 selectedkarakiain the originalMaori, with reference to pages where their translations appear, as a matter of interest to some persons.Auckland, January, 1882.[pg!XI]CONTENTS.PAGEChap. i.—Primitive Religion and Mythology. Aryans and Polynesians[pg 1]_Chap. ii.—Maori Cosmogony and Mythology[pg 10]_Chap. iii.—Religious Rites of the Maori[pg 25]_Chap. iv.„ „ „[pg 38]_Chap. v.—The Maori Chief of Olden Time[pg 51]_Chap. vi.—Claiming and Naming Land[pg 68]_Chap. vii.—The Maori Land Tenure[pg 88]_—————APPENDIX.Terms ofMaoriRelationship[pg 106]_Explanation of someMaoriwords occurring in following pages[pg 107]_Karakia Maori[pg 109]_[pg!XII]ERRATAp.[pg 8]_for“Pendora”read“Pandora.”p.[pg 21]_„“Herekeke”„“Harakeke.”p.[pg 11]_„“Whananga”„“Wananga.”p.[pg 24]_„„„„p.[pg 28]_„“manumea”„“Manumea.”p.[pg 90]_„“and”„“land.”p.[pg 96]_„“conquerers”„“conquerors.”[pg 1]
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 thetohunga, or wise men of his family. Chaptersiii.andiv.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 [pg VIII] 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. Chaptersv.andvi.are with some omissions translations of aMaoriMS. written in this way.Chapterii.contains a tradition as toMaoriCosmogony more particular in some details than I have ever met with elsewhere. My informant had been educated to become atohunga; 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 theAtuaof his family due to his having, as they expressed it, trampled on thetapuby makingnoaor public things sacred—he having himself confessed what he no doubt believed to be the cause of his illness.InAppendixwill be found a list ofMaoriwords expressing relationship. It will be observed that where we employ definite words for ‘father’ and ‘brother’ theMaoriuse words having a more comprehensive meaning, [pg IX] like our word ‘cousin’: hence when either of the wordsmatua, &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 ofMaoriwords 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 selectedkarakiain the originalMaori, with reference to pages where their translations appear, as a matter of interest to some persons.Auckland, January, 1882.[pg!XI]CONTENTS.PAGEChap. i.—Primitive Religion and Mythology. Aryans and Polynesians[pg 1]_Chap. ii.—Maori Cosmogony and Mythology[pg 10]_Chap. iii.—Religious Rites of the Maori[pg 25]_Chap. iv.„ „ „[pg 38]_Chap. v.—The Maori Chief of Olden Time[pg 51]_Chap. vi.—Claiming and Naming Land[pg 68]_Chap. vii.—The Maori Land Tenure[pg 88]_—————APPENDIX.Terms ofMaoriRelationship[pg 106]_Explanation of someMaoriwords occurring in following pages[pg 107]_Karakia Maori[pg 109]_[pg!XII]ERRATAp.[pg 8]_for“Pendora”read“Pandora.”p.[pg 21]_„“Herekeke”„“Harakeke.”p.[pg 11]_„“Whananga”„“Wananga.”p.[pg 24]_„„„„p.[pg 28]_„“manumea”„“Manumea.”p.[pg 90]_„“and”„“land.”p.[pg 96]_„“conquerers”„“conquerors.”[pg 1]
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 thetohunga, or wise men of his family. Chaptersiii.andiv.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 [pg VIII] 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. Chaptersv.andvi.are with some omissions translations of aMaoriMS. written in this way.
Chapterii.contains a tradition as toMaoriCosmogony more particular in some details than I have ever met with elsewhere. My informant had been educated to become atohunga; 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 theAtuaof his family due to his having, as they expressed it, trampled on thetapuby makingnoaor public things sacred—he having himself confessed what he no doubt believed to be the cause of his illness.
InAppendixwill be found a list ofMaoriwords expressing relationship. It will be observed that where we employ definite words for ‘father’ and ‘brother’ theMaoriuse words having a more comprehensive meaning, [pg IX] like our word ‘cousin’: hence when either of the wordsmatua, &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 ofMaoriwords 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 selectedkarakiain the originalMaori, with reference to pages where their translations appear, as a matter of interest to some persons.
Auckland, January, 1882.
[pg!XI]
PAGE
Chap. i.—Primitive Religion and Mythology. Aryans and Polynesians
[pg 1]_
Chap. ii.—Maori Cosmogony and Mythology
[pg 10]_
Chap. iii.—Religious Rites of the Maori
[pg 25]_
Chap. iv.„ „ „
[pg 38]_
Chap. v.—The Maori Chief of Olden Time
[pg 51]_
Chap. vi.—Claiming and Naming Land
[pg 68]_
Chap. vii.—The Maori Land Tenure
[pg 88]_
—————
—————
APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
Terms ofMaoriRelationship
[pg 106]_
Explanation of someMaoriwords occurring in following pages
[pg 107]_
Karakia Maori
[pg 109]_
[pg!XII]
p.
[pg 8]_
for
“Pendora”
read
“Pandora.”
p.
[pg 21]_
„
“Herekeke”
„
“Harakeke.”
p.
[pg 11]_
„
“Whananga”
„
“Wananga.”
p.
[pg 24]_
„
„
„
„
p.
[pg 28]_
„
“manumea”
„
“Manumea.”
p.
[pg 90]_
„
“and”
„
“land.”
p.
[pg 96]_
„
“conquerers”
„
“conquerors.”
[pg 1]