Best. — Maori Eschatology. 197 



We have noted that when a body was lying in state, relatives 

 of the dead would produce their finest garments and prized 

 greenstone weapons and ornaments, which were exhibited near 

 the corpse. It was a token of respect to the deceased. When 

 the burial took place most of these articles would be reclaimed 

 by the owners, but some were buried with the body, or placed 

 by the side thereof in the cave or tree. These also might be 

 reclaimed later on, as when a tribal meeting took place, or a 

 dist'nguished visitor arrived, or other occasion equally import-ant 

 in Maori eyes. 



A child who died at Waikare-moana was buried with her 

 favourite ornament, a brooch made from a crown piece, on her 

 breast. Hence her little sister was given the name of Karauna, 

 the Native rendering of the English word " crown." 



Articles buried with a body are often recovered when the 

 bones are exhumed, but sometimes they are placed with the 

 bones in the burial cave or tree and allowed to remain there. 

 These latter — weapons, greenstone implements or ornaments, &c. 

 — were often the property of the deceased, and would not be 

 reclaimed. " Na te ngakau mamae tena mahi" ("Grief was the 

 origin of such acts "). 



When old Puke-tapu, of the Waikare-moana district, died, 

 his son buried with his body a manuscript book in which were 

 written the ancient history, genealogies, &c, of his tribe, and 

 which was thought much of, yet it was sacrificed, and much 

 interesting lore that it contained is now lost for ever. Max 

 Midler quotes a similar case as having occurred in modern times, 

 when an English poet placed the manuscripts of his own un- 

 published poems in his wife's grave. 



Suicides were buried as any person would be who died a 

 natural death. Wives were not buried in the same grave as 

 their husbands, even though buried at the same time, as would 

 occur when a wife committed suicide at her husband's death, 

 a frequent occurrence in former times. The custom of exhuming 

 the bones would tend to single burial, in order that the bones 

 might not get mixed. A child is sometimes buried in the same 

 grave as a parent or grandparent. 



Male relatives of the dead prepare the grave and bury the 

 body. They are tapu while so engaged, and the whakanoa rite 

 is afterwards performed over them in order to remove the tapu. 



The Tuhoe Tribe do not seem to have had any burial-grounds 

 in former times — i.e., where a number of persons would be 

 buried — for reasons already stated. Matters are very different 

 now that parties of armed ghouls no longer roam the land seeking 

 whom they may devour. Hence, also, the custom of exhuming 

 the bones of the dead is falling into desuetude. 



