FIEE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTUBE 163 



hand. The secondary myth makes Maui beg the finger of Mauika 

 to produce fire for man. The myth connects the five fingers of man 

 in fire making with the production of fire. Auahi roa, the comet, 

 brought fire, and fire is called Upoko roa, son of Auahi roa, the comet 

 which first brought it to man. The descent of the fire is as follows: 



Te-ra, The sun. 



Auahi-truva, Mahuika. 



Takonue Takoroa Mapere Manawa Toiti.^^ 

 The following myth presents episodes like those of America: 

 "The descendants of Tarangate were the parents of Fire. He 

 conceived the idea that he was destined to become the conqueror of 

 the world. He protruded his tongue to Uck up water, thinking he 

 could consume it all. Then came forth the great wave to do battle 

 with him. The one shot forth his tongue, the other did the same on his 

 part. Aha! The name of the battle was Kaukau-a-wai. Then 

 water invoked all the winds, every one of them; they came forth; 

 then, indeed, was the power of water exhibited. Aha! This was 

 the defeat of fire; it flew; it retreated; it was conquered by water 

 Before all was over, however, everything on earth had been melted 

 by the heat. After the conquest by water the few remains of fire 

 flew into the rocks, and also into the trees, especially into the Kaiko- 

 mako tree. Behold the mountains such as Raupehu and others, 

 which ever burn, ever rage. 



"Toitipu and Manatu were the men who discovered the hiding 

 place of the fire within the trees, that is, the remnants which escaped 

 there after the conquest by water. So they sought for means by 

 which fire could be obtained for the use of man, and experimented with 

 wood, one holding the board (or piece held flat on the ground) whilst 

 the other rubbed a stick on the surface. After a long time forth burst 

 the smoke; hence the saying, 'By energetic rubbing with the hand 

 the son of Opoko-roa shall appear.' 



"After this the two made a snare; great was the thickness of the 

 ropes thereof! Was it not to catch Matuku? Matuku was an 

 exceedingly evil being — indeed, he was a very Taniwha — who lived 

 in a cave. They found a tree suited to their purposes, over which 

 they cast a^ rope, which caught in a fork; then they hauled on the 

 rope till the tree bent down, and to it they fastened the snare, and 

 thus completed their work. They then ascended a hillock, a ridge 

 which stood near there, and lit a fire. No sooner did Matuku see 

 the smoke of the fire than he rushed out of his cave, and, seeing the 

 two men, immediately drew toward them, when he suddenly encoun- 



"Elsdon Best. Astronomical Knowledge of the Maori. Dominion Monograph 3, Wellington, 1922, 

 p. 54. 



