MYTHOLOGY. 
109 
tremely interesting, and quite different from what we should 
expect from a people sunk in barbarism. Instead of en- 
deavouring to account for the origin of the world, and making 
the creation of the earth and heavens the beginning, as in 
the Mosaic account, or even going beyond that, as St. John 
does, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the Word was God,” the Maori who composed 
the tradition which embodies the thoughts of his race as to 
the origin of all things, begins with that beyond which there 
is no going, commencing with nothing, which produced 
something, which brought forth something more, and gene- 
rated a power of increasing. Spirit, being more subtle than 
matter, arose before it; and thought, being supposed to 
be more so than spirit, the commencement dates with its 
birth. 
There is a degree of mind perceptible in their traditions 
of the creation, which marks a far more advanced state than 
their present. Their ideas in some respects are not so puerile, 
as those even of the more civilized heathen nations of old, 
and without the light of inspiration, could not be expected 
to be more advanced. 
The first period may be styled the epoch of thought — 
Na te kune te pupuke From the conception the increase, 
Na te pupuke te hihiri From the increase the swelling, 
Na te hihiri te mahara From the swelling the thought, 
Na te mahara te hinengaro From the thought the remem- 
brance, 
Na te hinengaro te manako. From the remembrance the con- 
sciousness, the desire. 
The second period is that of night or darkness— 
Ka hua te wananga The word became fruitful ; 
Ka noho i a riko riko It dwelt with the feeble glimmer- 
ing ; 
Ka puta ki waho ko te po, It brought forth night : 
Ko te po nui, te po roa, The great night, the long night, 
Te po i tuturi, te po i pepeke, The lowest night, the loftiest night, 
To po uriuri, te po tangotango, The thick night, to be felt, 
