Best. — On Maori Magic. 89 



with the same object' in view. Of course, the hoa rakau charm 

 was repeated over the weapon thus deposited. 



In the far-back misty past, when gods and men mingled 

 and deeds of passing strangeness occurred, it was Maahu who 

 strove with Haere-atautu, their weapons being the magic of 

 old. This was probably after the separation of Maru, Haere, 

 and Kahukuva. Both those beings were destroyed, each by 

 the other. Haere (a rainbow god) was lured by Maahu to the 

 paepae, where he was entered by Noke, the earthworm, and 

 so destroyed ; while Maahu of old was lured by Haere into 

 the calabash known as Tipoki-o-rangi and therein destroved. 



When travelling through an enemy's country always walk 

 in the water as much as possible, so as to avoid leaving your 

 footprints on earth or sand, the hau (personality) of which 

 might be taken by an enemy and used as an ohonga, or 

 medium, through which to destroy you by his dark spells. 

 Also be careful not to expectorate as you traverse a trail or 

 cast away any article you have touched, for any of these 

 articles may serve as a medium for the rites of magic. Again, 

 when in mixed company, of whom you are not sure that a 

 member thereof may not bear you ill-will, never rise from a 

 seat without putting down your hand and "scooping up" 

 therewith any fragments of your hau, or personality, which 

 may have adhered to the seat. It is not well to neglect these 

 precautions. 



A priest or magician of sufficient mana, or power, can 

 eause a flood by means of an invocation known as tuku- 

 rangi, addressed to Para-whenua-mea, the origin and per- 

 sonification of floods or flood-waters. He can also cause a 

 flooded river to subside. To do this he would take in his 

 hand a stone, over which he would repeat his karakia 

 (charm, &c). He would then cast the stone across the 

 flooded river. The tohunga rua-nuku had also incantations 

 in his budget wherewith to blast trees, to shatter rocks, and 

 many other marvellous things. 



When invited to a feast it behoves one to be cautious when 

 the presents of food are placed before you, for maybe that 

 food has been bewitched by some evilly disposed persou, and 

 it is well to avert (whiti) the misfortune. You know, of 

 course, that when the long heap of food is placed before 

 guests the right-hand end as you face it is the kauru (head) 

 and the other end the take (base). Before commencing to 

 eat, your priest or man of knowledge will rise and, taking 

 the basket of food from the extreme right, or kauru, he will 

 place it on the extreme left, and shift the one on the left to 

 the extreme right. This is a whiti ora, an averting of mis- 

 fortune. 



If you should happen to wound yourself — say, a cut by an 



