Best. — On Maori Magic. 79 



ing spirits, when, of course, the physical bases of such would 

 infallibly perish. 



Those who have been simply rendered insane or mentally 

 deranged (Jceka) by magic for such a crime as theft would 

 spend the balance of their days wandering aimlessly about, 

 clutching at the air, and repeating meaningless words and 

 phrases. 



Whakamatiti. 



The ichakamatiti is a spell of magic, or magic rite, which 

 is employed by a priest in order to punish a thief without kill- 

 ing him. This causes him to become mentally deranged, as 

 described above, and also contracts his fingers and weakens 

 his hands, so that he can take or hold nothing with them. 

 This rite is sometimes termed " ahi matiti." It is mentioned 

 in an oriori, or lullaby, of olden times : — 



Waiho te whare, E hine ! 



I to tipuna i a Paia 



Hua rawa atu nei ka matau rawa i a ia 



Te whata a to tipuna, a Raumati-ninihanga 



Para wbetau — e 



Na Turuwhatu te whata a Pouroa 



I Tahuna-a-tapu. 



Mou ra, E hine ! 



Koi hikaia koe ki te ahi o te ruhi, 



Ki te ahi o te ngenge, 



Ki te ahi o te whakamatiti 



Mo te kore rawa, E hine ! 



There were in former times a great number of charms or 

 spells of an inferior kind, which had no power to destroy life, 

 but simply unnerved or weakened the subject. They were 

 often put in the form of a song or chaunt (tcaiata). The fol- 

 lowing is a specimen thereof. It is one of the class of songs 

 known as a " makamaka kaihaukai," which are chaunted by 

 the people who present food to guests at a feast. The 

 following was composed by one Euru, of Tuhoe, in order to 

 unnerve a rival and render him incapable of performing with 

 good effect before the visitors at a feast : — 



He Waiata Makamaka Kaihaukai. Na Euru : He Karakia kia kore e 

 kaha tana hoa Makamaka Kaihaukai, kia hinga i a ia. 

 Korokoro whiti, korokoro whiti 

 Tu ana te manu i runga i nga puke ra 

 Tenei hoki te kame ka whakairi 

 Te kame ka whakarere 

 Te kame i pokaia noatia 

 I runga i a Tu-ka-riri 

 I a Tu-ka-niwha, i a Tu-ka-ritarita 

 E haere ana Rita, he tangata kamenga kore 

 Ka pau te ki hanga maka 

 He nui kame maoa e tu ana i ou atua roa 

 He tini te kame, he mano te kame, he tutae taua 

 Ka kame tiko iho ki waenga 



