Smith. — On the Tohunga-Maori. 259 



are innumerable instances of priests leading their tribes in 

 time of war, and I think this is a custom dating from very 

 ancient days. If this is so, it is obvious that if any crushing 

 defeat overtook one of the tribes engaged in the wars many of 

 the priests would be killed, and with them would perish much 

 precious knowledge. There are indications in Maori history 

 that some great catastrophe of this kind has overtaken their 

 branch of the race at a period which may now be called 

 ancient. It would lead me too far from the subject in hand 

 to demonstrate this, but a close study of Polynesian traditions 

 for many years has led to this — to me — inevitable conclu- 

 sion. 



Even when not engaged as a leader in warlike expeditions 

 the priest had still very important functions to perform. As 

 mata-kite, or seer, he had invariably to foretell from the signs 

 and omens whether the result would be favourable or not. 

 By these signs the chiefs were guided in their actions. Every- 

 thing connected with war was taptt, or sacred, from the first 

 preparations of the war-party to the return home, when the 

 priest removed the sacred ban from all who had been engaged 

 in the campaign. The reason of this was that man himself 

 was sacred — he was the living representative of the mighty Tu 

 (god of war), and hence the shedding of blood was a dese- 

 cration of the tapu, and had to be cleansed, in the persons of 

 the shedders, by appropriate incantations and ceremonies. No 

 step during the campaign would be taken by the leaders with- 

 .out consulting the priests, and there is little doubt that hints 

 as to the wishes of the chiefs judiciously given affected the 

 utterances of the priests to the multitude. On starting from 

 their homes the warriors all gathered at some stream which 

 had been used for the same purpose from time immemorial, 

 and there the toJn-taua was performed by the priest over every 

 man, all kneeling on one knee at the side of the stream. 

 With a sacred karavm branch, which was dipped in the water, 

 the priest struck lightly the shoulder of each warrior, repeat- 

 ing at the same time a karakia, or prayer. If the branch broke 

 in the operation that warrior would be killed in the ensuing 

 fray ; consequently they wisely stayed at home to assist in 

 protecting those left behind. This ceremony is aptly called 

 the " baptism of war," which, indeed, is the translation of the 

 term tohi-taua. After the day's march the priest decided on 

 the camping-place by sticking his turit-pou, or staff, into the 

 ground, around which the warriors slept. Instances are 

 known in which an imminent defeat has been turned into a 

 victory by the priest driving his staff into the ground and 

 calling on his tribe to die or conquer there. 



Not a single ika-a-Tu, or fish of the god Tu (in other 

 words, a slain man), might be eaten until the priest had first 



