Best. — The Maori Genius for Personification. 9 



Even swamps are personified in Hine-i-te-huhi and Hine-i-te-repo. 

 South Island Maori state that Hine-tu-repo was the wife of Maui, and it 

 was she who was interfered with by Tuna or Puhi, personified form of the 

 eel. Maui himself seems to have personified day or daylight ; hence his 

 contest with Hine-nui-te-po, of the realm of darkness. Transform the eel 

 into a snake, and in the inner reading of the Maui, Hine, and Tuna myth 

 you have the true version of our borrowed myth of Eve and the serpent. 

 This story also explains why the tail of an eel is known as hiku rekareka 

 and tara-puremu. The name of the woman is usually given as Hina, a 

 suggestive name. 



The glow-worm is personified in Hine-huruhuru and Moko-huruhuru, 

 the earth-worm in Noke, and the lizard in Rakaiora. One Peketua was 

 the origin of lizards, and the first to appear was the tualara. Peketua 

 moulded some clay into the form of an egg, and took it to Tane, who 

 said, " Me whakaira taitgata " (Give it life). This was done, and that 

 egg produced the tuatara. All land-birds were then produced from another 

 egg ? fashoned by Punaweko, and sea-birds from yet another, made by 

 Hurumanu. Birds and tuatara had a common origin. 



Maru is the personified form of some celestial phenomenon. Among 

 the Awa folk of the Bay of Plenty Wainui is a personification of the ocean, 

 and Tahu personifies food. 



Though Whiro is the origin of death, &c, yet there are many per- 

 sonifications of different kinds of disease and misfortune. Among them 

 are Maiki-nui, Maiki-roa, Maiki-arohea, Tahu-maero, Tahu-kumia, Tahu- 

 whakaeroero, and Tahu-pukaretu. All these dread beings are the hench- 

 men and agents of Whiro, the evil one. They dwell within Tai-whstuki, 

 the abode of disease and death, which belongs to Whiro, and ever they 

 afflict mankind. Thus does Whiro still continue his struggle against Tane, 

 continuing to slay man, animals, trees — all things of this world that sprang 

 from Tane. Thus is man destroyed in the upper world, and when his 

 spirit reaches the underworld Whiro strives to destroy that also. Had 

 not Hine-titama, the Daughter of Light, descended to the underworld, 

 there to war with Whiro and so rescue the spirits of her children, then they 

 would have been cast by Whiro into Tai-whetuki and Tai-te-waro, there 

 to perish. When men of this world die, their spirits are drawn down to 

 the underworld by Rua-toia and Rua-kumea, and are there received and 

 protected by Hine. For ; in the days when the world was young, when 

 Hine fled from Tane, the sun god, her abiding words were, " I go to the 

 lower realm that I may protect our descendants ; to the underworld I will 

 draw them down and cherish them ; their spirit-life shall be my care. 

 Maku e kapu i te toiora o a taua tamariki." 



But ever Maiki-nui and Maiki-roa lurk within Tai-whetuki, the House 

 of Death, while Rua-toia and Rua-kumea convey the souls of men to the 

 care of the Daughter of Light, erst the Da,wn Maid. 



There are two aspects of Maori myths, or two forms in which they 

 are related. One of these is the common or " fireside " version, the other 

 is the " inner " version, as conserved in the school of learning, and taught 

 only to those entrusted with the task of preserving the esoteric know- 

 ledge of the elders of the tribe. These remarks do not apply to ordinary 

 folk-tales, but to what may be termed the higher class of myths. The 

 ordinary version of such myths is known to all members of the rribe, and 

 may be related at any time or in any place. The other version is seldom 

 heard, and is usually unknown to the bulk of the people. 



