Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 251 



This was repeated over the first trap set only. In Nga Moteatea another 

 version of the above gives the first line as " Tawhiti — e ! " which reads 

 better. Te Puia p\it it, " Ka oti te rafiko, la harahia i tenei,'" &c. (When 

 the trap was set he recited this). The words whapiko, tapiko, kopiko, and 

 rapiko, which seem all allied to and bear a similar meaning to whakapiko 

 ( = to bend), are all employed to denote the forming of looped snares and 

 the bending-down of the ivhana in trap-setting. 



The trappers, on returning to the camp or hamlet on this first day of 

 the season, w^ere obliged to be very careful in their behaviour. They might 

 not speak for the balance of the day and following night. They ate their 

 food in silence, and slept without removing their garments. The next 

 morning they went to take the rats from the traps. The tapu was then 

 lifted from them and their employment, and they returned to their normal 

 condition. 



Tutakangahau stated that the tapu of opening the rat-trapping season 

 was similar to that pertaining to birds. When a good many rats had been 

 taken on the first day, and collected, a time was appointed for the huhuna 

 or icJiakanoa rite (lifting of the tapu, the making common, opening of the 

 season). This function often continued for two days. There were many 

 karakia (charms, invocations, &c.), says Tu, pertaining to the opening of 

 the rat. fish, and bird taking seasons, taking the tapu off the forest, &c. 

 Some of them came under the generic term of kaha. Such were the tumu- 

 tumu, the tuota, and the motumotu. The tuota was a very tapu charm, re- 

 cited in order to bring plenty of rats, birds, or fish to trap, snare, or net. 

 If a hunter employed this kaha he would deem it necessary, on his return 

 from the forest, to perform the vJuoKjai rite. This was an offering to and 

 placation of the atua (gods, demons). The motumotu was a noa charm, free 

 from tapu, and could be used by any person, but its object was the same 

 as that of the tu-ota. It might be asked of a fowler, fisher, or rat-trapper, 

 " Ko wai to kaha ? " (What is your kaha ?) and the answer would be, 

 " Ko tuota " (It is tuota), or " Ko motumotu " (It is motumotu), or which- 

 ever it was. 



The following charm or invocation used in trapping rats was given by 

 Himiona Tikitu, of Ngati-Awa : — 



Takii turupou nei 



Ko whakaihi nukii. ko whakaihi langi 



Ka poua nei e au 



Ki runga ki a Papa-tiianuku 



E whakamau atu ana 



Ki te tiipua, ki te tawhito. 



Pona te pou, tu te rupe 



Ko te ]iou na wai ? 



Ko te pou na Toi. 



Ko te rupe na wai ? 



Ko te rupe na Toi. 



Toi i hea ? 



Toi i hekeheke iho i a Maui-mua 



Poua te pou, tu te rupe 



Te Pu, te More, te Weu, te Aka. te Rea 



Tuia a uta, tuia a tai 



Poua te pou, tu te rupe 



Kokoia i raro i a Papa-tuanuku 



Ki a tutangatanga. 



Nau mai ki roto 



Poua te pou. tu te rupe 



Kokoia i raro i a Tane-mahuta 



I te wao kia tutangatanga 



