Best — On Maori Magic. 83 



might have sent the ill-omened reptile. Also a charm known 

 as "hirihiri" is repeated, in order to banish the threatened 

 disaster to other parts. Then the people will pull out some 

 of the hair of their heads and cast it into the fire, and all 

 expectorate upon the dead lizard. Thus will the evil omen 

 recoil upon he or they who sent it. Kaitoa ! 



I tahuna mai ahau ki te ahi whakaene 

 Ki mate te wairua. — Old Song. 



The hirihiri is repeated by a person when he believes that 

 some one is directing, or may shortly direct, spells of magic 

 against him. Also, a priest will recite a hirihiri over a sick 

 person, in order to discover who is "meddling" with him — 

 that is to say, what magician is bewitching him. The follow- 

 ing is an example : — 



Kotahi koe ki reira 



Kotahi kia Te Reretautau (name of a priest or magician) 



Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga ariki 



Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga rnatfimua 



Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga wanaoga 



Kotahi koa ki reira, kotahi ki nga tapu 



Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi kia Te Haraki. 



In the particular case from which I take the above, when 

 the patient heard the name of Te Haraki (a wizard) pro- 

 nounced his life departed in a last sigh (puhanga manawa = 

 the last expelling of breath by a dying person). Thus it was 

 known that the worker of magic, Te Haraki, had been the 

 cause of his death. Had the illness of the sick person been 

 caused by that violation of tapu known as " kai-ra-mua " 

 (the eating of food set apart for the first-born, matamua, 

 of a high-born family, a most intensely tapu individual), 

 then he would have expired (ka puha ake te vvinaiva) at 

 the word matamua ; and so on with the other terms. 



Be clear, the offender would be afflicted in this manner 

 during times of peace. But if he ate of the food of a 

 matamua in time of war, then he would be afflicted by 

 Tu-mata-rehurehu of dread memory ; of a verity the afflic- 

 tions of the pahumi, hinapo, and parahuhu would descend 

 upon him. His strength would wane, his sight wax dim, 

 no enemy would he slay or catch, the fear which springs 

 from sin committed would be upon him. All of which 

 troubles are inflicted by the gods. 



Ngau Paepae. 



A person falls ill. The priest is sent for. He finds that 

 the illness has been caused by some infringement of tapu. 

 The priest will then proceed to cure the patient by means 

 of the rite known as " Ngau paepae." He conducts him to 



