152 Transactions. 



(whose full name was Tane-nui-a-rangi), but refused to return 

 with him, saving, " Return thou to the upper world, that you 

 may draw up our descendants to light and life ; while I remain 

 here below to drag them clown to darkness and death." 



Here some Natives state that Hine-titama became Goddess 

 of Death and of Hades, and was ever after known as Hine-nui- 

 te-Po. Others say that Hine-nui-te-Po was a daughter of Hine- 

 titama and Tumurangi. Yet again other versions give Hine- 

 ahu-one as the one who became Queen of Hades, others that 

 Hine-a-tauira (which seems to be another name for Hine-ahua- 

 rangi) obtained that important post. However that may be, 

 it is admitted by all authorities in this district that Hine-nui- 

 te-Po is Queen of Hades, and the origin or cause of death. De- 

 scendants of Te Tini-o-Awa state that she had two younger 

 sisters, Mahaika and Hine-i-tapeka, who were the personification, 

 or origin, of fire, Mahuika was the living fire, the ordinary fire 

 of this world, while Hine-i-tapeka (or Hine-tapeka) represented 

 the fire which burns in the underworld, the tokens of which are 

 the charred trunks of trees, and charcoal seen in deposits of 

 pumice, as at Kainga-roa. When Maui, the hero, sought to 

 obtain fire for man he sought Mahuika for that purpose. 



I i , 



Hine-nui-te-Po. Mahuika Hme-tapeka 



I I 



(1) Takp-nui, (1) Motumotu-o-rangi, 



(2) Tako-roa, (2) Ngarahu-o ahirangi. 



(3) Manawa, 



(4) Mapere, 



(5) Toiti. 



Now, the fire seems to have been contained in the body of 

 Mahuika herself, or in her fingers. The names of her five children 

 given above are those of the fingers and toes, beginning with 

 tako-nui, the thumb, or big toe, down to toiti, the little finger 

 or toe. These were the fire children, or offspring, of Mahuika, 

 whose name is viewed as a synonym for fire. The names of 

 Hine-tapeka's offspring imply firebrands and charcoal. 



When Maui applied to Mahuika for fire she pulled off one 

 of her fingers and gave it to him. This finger was fire. Maui 

 took it aside and promptly extinguished it, after Avhich he re- 

 turned and demanded again the fire of Mahuika, which was 

 granted him. This also he extinguished ; and so on until he came 

 the fifth time, when the enraged Mahuika plucked off her last 

 finger and cast it at Maui. The fire raged fiercely and pursued 

 Maui, who was almost consumed by the same, when he bethought 

 himself of calling upon his ancestors to cause the heavy rains 

 to fall, which soon extinguished the pursuing tire. The remnants 

 of fire fled to the woods and took refuge in the kaikomako 



