Best. — On Maori Magic. 75 



was to act, and also wrote out the magic spell. I have not 

 yet tried it on any of niy enemies, hut hope to be able to do 

 so in the future. This subject is an extremely interesting 

 one, but my notes thereon have really become so numerous 

 that they must be reserved for a separate paper. 



It is said that the Takitumu migrants brought a great 

 knowledge of magic with them to New Zealand. 



One of the most common forms of makutit, or witchcraft, 

 is that in which a medium is used in order to connect the 

 spells of the wizard with the object to be acted upon by them. 

 This medium, termed "ohonga" and " hohonga," when man 

 is the object, is usually a fragment of his clothing, a lock of 

 his hair, a portion of his spittle, or a portion of earth on 

 which he has left his footprint. By obtaining such a medium 

 the wizard will be able to bewitch the owner thereof by utter- 

 ing his spells and performing certain rites. This is sympa- 

 thetic magic. It may work all right, but if the object be- 

 comes aware that arts of magic are being practised against 

 him he can divert (wlnti, or whakataha, or ripa) such by 

 counter-spells and rites, as the kai-ure, the parepare, the 

 momono, and many others. It will then be resolved by the 

 fact as to which possesses the greatest mana or power (in- 

 tellectual and supernatural). 



The above is generally termed "taking the halt" of a 

 person. The hau of man means his intellectual and spiritual 

 and supernatural power (mana). The hau is the immaterial 

 essence or representation of such powers, while the olwnga is 

 the material representation of the hau, and through such 

 medium the hau of the subject is affected. When a person's 

 hau is affected by magic his body perishes, it can no longer 

 •exist ; his intellectual and spiritual force has departed. 



If you meet a wizard, a person famed for his magic spells, 

 ■and you happen to be carrying some food, do not give him 

 any of it or he will use it as a medium and bewitch you. 

 But when he has passed you do you stop and wave that food 

 across the track, and repeat an incantation to nullify the 

 effects of his spells. The action of waving the article of food 

 across the trail traversed by the magician will carry with it 

 the " w r arding-off' " power of the karakia or charm. 



When the ohonga is taken it is fastened to a branchlet of 

 the karamuramu shrub and taken to the tudhu, or sacred place 

 •of the village, and there the necessary spells are repeated over 

 it in order to cause the death of the subject, who will be 

 afflicted by wasting sickness. 



If you are talking to me and I wish to lay a spell upon 

 you, I can take the hau of your voice by uttering certain 

 incantations. Such spells as this and others practised in the 

 presence of the subject are not repeated aloud. 



