162 Transaction*. 



The Matenga and Wai-o-Tane-pi. 



We will now glance at the singular custom of the o matenga 

 (food for the death-journey), the supplying of food to a dying 

 person for the long journey to the underworld, the realm of the 

 dead. "0" is a term applied to food carried on a journey; 

 " matenga " denotes the time or circumstance of dying. Apart 

 from this " death (or dying) food," the spirits of the dead are 

 often spoken of as partaking of food in the land of spirits. 



" Just before death, or perhaps the day before, a dying person 

 often asks for some article of food which he fancies he could 

 relish. That food is obtained : it is eaten : then death ensues." 

 The food so desired would be obtained for the sick person, 

 however distant or difficult to procure. 



Perhaps the favourite foods as o matenga desired by the men 

 of olden times were — (1) human flesh ; (2) earthworms (toke) ; 

 (3) dog's flesh ; (4) rats (More). 



If when a person of rank was near death he desired to partake 

 of human flesh as an o matenga, a party of his people would sally 

 forth and slay a member of some other clan or subtribe of the 

 surrounding people, or a member of another tribe. The body 

 was cleaned, dismembered, and brought to the village home, 

 where it was cooked in a steam-oven. A portion of the cooked 

 flesh was partaken of by the dying person as his last meal in the 

 world of life ; the balance was eaten by the people. 



When the war-party of Te Whakatohea Tribe, under Makawe 

 and Heretaunga, attacked the people of Te Papuni, slaying 

 Mahia and others, the chief Makawe was seriously wounded — 

 so much so indeed that he was soon brought to his death-bed. 

 When near his end Makawe called upon his people to provide 

 him with an o matenga of human flesh. Thereupon a party of 

 warriors attacked a village at Puke-taro, slaying several people. 

 The heart of one of these victims was carried back to the Wha- 

 katohea camp at Te Huia. But Makawe had already passed 

 beyond the need of o matenga in this world. Anyhow, that 

 article would not be wasted. 



Earthworms were another favourite o matenga in days of 

 yore. The generic term for such is toke (or noke), but there 

 are many different varieties, each having its distinct name. 

 The two favourite kinds for the above purpose were the whiti 

 and kurekure* The)* were stoneboiled in vessels of wood or 

 stone, and certain herbs (greens) mixed with them prior to being 

 eaten. It is said that the sweet flavour (tawara) of this food 

 remained on the palate for two days after the consumption 



* The kurekure is Tokea esculenta, named by Professor Benkam. (See 

 vol. xxxv of the Transactions, p. <>4.) 



