4 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



The Maori race, as it now is, seems to be in its old age; but it must once 

 in some former time have had its youth, when, in buoyancy of spirit and 

 yet simplicity of mind, it saw in the surrounding nature and natural 

 phenomena beings of a higher order, to whom the national poets gave names 

 and a history. This must have been before they came to New Zealand, as these 

 names, and a similarity of the mythology attached to them, are to be found 

 among the whole Polynesian race, and may likely be traced back still farther. 

 Ethnology might be assisted if all who are in a position among uncivilized 

 races to do so, would make themselves acquainted with their mythology and 

 ancient tales, and then communicate the result to scientific men, who might 

 thereby trace the development and migration of the races. Care should be 

 taken by the collectors to furnish only the raw material, and not to mix Greek 

 mythology or Hebrew history with it. 



The ancient tales among the Maori have been handed down through 



many generations by word of mouth only. The tohunga, or wise men 

 among them, told those tales over and over again, almost always in 

 the same words, so that the younger ones, who had a mind for 

 learning, learnt them by rote, and could impart them in the same way to a 

 following generation. Still discrepancies would creep in, and deeds which in 

 some localities are imputed to one personage, in others are imputed to another. 

 But that is of no consequence. Although some tales may have been built on 



■ 



facts, and if even these could be stript of the fictions, which they cannot, they 

 would not be of the least historical value, as they lie altogether outside the 

 bounds of general history. 



The heathen religion of the Maori in New Zealand had got into such 

 confusion that no meaning could be found in it. The cause of that confusion 



o 



may be found in the fact that among them, at least in former times, as well as 



among all Polynesians, their kings or great chiefs were regarded as divine 



persons already during their lifetime, and that after their death they were 



transformed into gods. Those among them who had been great as men, would 



be much feared and worshipped as gods after their death, till, in the course of 



time, they were superseded by new ones. Through such continual changes the 



original gods would be neglected in fear and worship, till at last they were only 



regarded as historical beings without any influence. Even the deeper meaning 



of their history has been lost. There are some invocations and incantations to 



the old gods preserved, but they are not understood now, and the wise men 



cannot explain them. Either the language has been much changed since they 



were composed, or the ancient priests clothed them purposely in obscure forms. 



By religion we understand a feeling of dependency in the human mind, in 



the consciousness of its own weakness, on a higher being, or beings; which 



beings are therefore feared and worshipped. But the Maori religion had lost 



