BiiST. — Maori Forest Lore. 443 



The Tuapa. 



Before setting forth to open the season by slaying the offspring of Tane, 

 we will discourse awhile upon the tuaya and the whare mata. 



The tuapa may he termed a luck-bringer. It h?s nothing to do with 

 the mauri, nor is it an uruuru ivhenua. Its function is to ward off ill luck 

 from hunters, fowlers, and fishermen. It is a luck-post, but does not, per- 

 haps, possess any inherent or innate power to ward off ill success from 

 hunters. It seems rather to be erected as a mild kind of shriiie, a common 

 place where all members cf the village commujiity attend to perform a 

 simple rite ere setting forth on a trapping or fishing trip. It appears to 

 be this rite that brings good luck — that is to say, that wards off' ill luck — 

 and not any virtue implanted in the tuapa post itself. This post, therefore, 

 is not tapu as is a mauri. Women may approach and perform the simple 

 rite at the former, but they would not be allowed to go near a mauri. The 

 word tuapa seems to bear the same meaning as pa — viz., to obstruct, block 

 up — as in Ka tuapatia te huarahi. ara ha paia. 



The tuapa was simply a piece of some durable timber, as heart of totara, 

 dressed with an adze into the form of a thick slab. It was set in the ground 

 as is a post, and stood four or five feet above ground. It was painted with 

 red ochre. Though it could not be styled a tapu object, yet it possessed a 

 certain amount of mana (influence, power, prestige) because of the rite 

 performed at it. If such post should be destroyed by a raiding enemy, no 

 harm would result ; another such would be erected. One of these tuapa 

 formerly stood near my camp at Heipipi, Kua-tahuna, but has long dis- 

 appeared. Paitini says that he last saw it about the year 1870, when the 

 Government troops were searching for Te Kooti. The following account of 

 the tuapa was given by old Paitini Wi Tapeka : — 



" Ka hui nga tangata nona te whenua. Katahi ka ki tona kai wha- 

 kahaere tohunga — ' Me whakaara he tuapa mo nga tumanako, mo nga 

 tuhira a te tangata, kia kore ai e kaha ki te whakapuhore i te hunga e haere 

 ana ki te mahi.' Ka whakaaetia e te iwi katoa. Ki te mea ka mahi, mahi 

 ika ranei, malii manu ranei, ka tae noa atu te wahine ki te tuapa, haunga 

 hoki te tane, e tae noa atu. Ahakoa rua whakatipuranga o te tangata, 

 toru ranei, wha ranei, koira tonu te tuapa, kaore e whakaara tuarua ki 

 muri. Kia haere te tangata ki te patu manu, ki te rama ika lanei, ka tango- 

 hia e ia he rau rakau, he maramara ranei no te rama, ka whakapa ki ona 

 mea mahi, kupenga, puwai, mo te rama tera. Mo te tane, ki te mahi manu 

 ki te tao, ka whakapa ki te tao, ki te kete rau huka ranei, a katahi ka whiua 

 taua rau rakau ki te tuapa takoto ai. Ko te kupu takutaku a nga tangata 

 makamaka pera ki te tuapa : — 



" Nga puhore nei 

 Nga tumanako nei 

 Nga tuhira nei 

 Ki konei koutoii imtii ai 

 Arai puhore 

 Whakavvhiwhi ki te tama a roa. 



" Ko te tuapa, ehara i te mea buna, kai te taha tonu o te kainga e tu 

 ana te pena. Ehara hoki i te mea tino tapu, ko tona tapu kia mana tonu 

 nga mahi. Koina tona tapu." 



(The owners of the land assemble. The priestly director says, " Let us 

 set up a tuapa against the envious desires of the indolent, that such may not 

 bring ill luck to game-hunters." And all the people consent. When about 

 to set forth on fowling or fishing trips, women may go to the tuapa, not to 



