Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 451 



invocation. These are the words by which the fire is rendered sacred. All 

 the gods are located in that fire, to slay, or what not.) 



" Manu-waero-rua means ' wind, a strong wind.' That is Tawhiri- 

 matea. 



" The first-fruits of the birds of the forest are brought in. The priest 

 takes the first bird. The feathers thereof, and piece of some edible herb, 

 are roasted at the fire. They are taken from the fire, and the priest repeats 

 over them the taumaha : — 



" Taumaha kai te motumotu 

 Kai te ngarehu, kai te kapekape 

 I aua kia mate, i aua kia irohia 

 Ka ma Tujjakaka, ka ma Rakaihika 

 Ka ma te kapiti 

 Te kapiti ki tamaoa 

 Tena taumalia, taumaha ka eke 

 Ka mama uga pukeuga 

 Ka mama nga wauanga 

 Ka mama hoki ahaii 

 Tenei tauira. 



" Tupakaka and Rakaihika were ancestors of very remote times who 

 originated the taumaha. The body of that first bird is suspended over the 

 fire. The semblance (ahua) of that first bird — i.e., the feathers — the priest 

 touches to his mouth. No unauthorised person may approach this sacred 

 fire ; it would spell death to do so. The body ot the first bird is placed 

 upon a stage. A portion of it may be eaten by the priest if he is of suffi- 

 ciently high standing ; if not, it is left for the trees to eat it — that is, it 

 is thrust into or impaled on (kohika) a tree, and left for Tane to eat. That 

 bird left on the stage (whata), or on a tree, is afterwards taken down, and 

 to it is added the hau of the person of highest rank {ariki) and the hau of 

 the land. After a while it is buried as an ika purapura (seed-fish), which is 

 the hau of the people and land. Its duty is to guard the land, the people, 

 and the birds — to preserve them from harm. It acts as a manea, and pre- 

 serves all from evil influences or machinations. It is the salvation of man. 

 I have seen this rite performed," says Tutaka, " and have performed it 

 myself {hua taitai ano au). 



" And now other birds are brought and are cooked for the ati a toa and 

 the forest craftsmen, the fowlers. After that the tukupara takes place — 

 that is, a large quantity of birds is cooked and eaten by the bulk of the 

 people. When the contents of the tukupara oven have been eaten, then 

 the ceremony is over. The tapu is now lifted. The forest, the birds, all the 

 people are now noa, or free from tapu. The season is open. People now set 

 to work, some going bird-snaring, and some set to work at potting birds. 



" Now, should travellers or visitors arrive at a place where the taitai rite 

 is being or is about to be performed, which place is therefore still in a state 

 of tapu, those visitors will not partake of food at that place — not in any 

 case. 



"The taumaha repeated over the first-fruits of fish is the same as that 

 used for birds, save that the name of Tangaroa is inserted in the place of 

 those referring to Tane and birds. 



" In case of the products of forest or stream, as birds, fruits, and fish, 

 becoming scarce or afflicted in any way, as by disease, the adept who has 

 charge of the rahui will go and get the kapu, or object that represents the 

 rahui, and take it to the ahi taitai, where certain charms are repeated over 

 it in order to cause it to wake up — for it has been asleep — and to restore the 

 1-5*— Trans. 



