Chapter I: 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
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APPENDIX.
Terms of _Maori_ Relationship 106
Explanation of some _Maori_ words occurring in 107
following pages
Karakia Maori 109
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ERRATA

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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.”
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PRIMITIVE RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY.