WHARE-KURA. 
181 
said that any prayers were offered up, it was to them they 
were made. 
The word karakia, which we use for prayer, formerly meant 
a spell, charm, or incantation : it may be derived from ka, 
to burn, showing the consuming power of the spell, and raki , 
to dry up, denoting its effects. I remember, many years 
ago, picking up in France a little book, published by autho- 
rity, entitled “ Every Man his own Physician,” which con- 
tained spiritual remedies, such as Ave Marias and Paternos- 
ters, for most of the diseases to which the body is subject. 
This is precisely the character of the Maori religion; they 
have spells suited for all circumstances — to conquer enemies, 
catch rats, snare birds, and even to bind the obstinate will 
of woman,* to find anything lost, to discover a stray dog, a 
concealed enemy, in fact, for all their wants. These karakias 
are extremely numerous ; a few may be given as examples. 
A spell for the pigeon, that its oil may be transparent and 
abundant when roasted : — 
Ka 
tahuna, ka tahuna, 
Te 
ahi tapu e 
i Tiki, 
Ka 
kai te ata 
tapu, 
Ho 
mai e Tiki he hinu, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai kuku, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai ruru, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai kaka, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai pitoitoi, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai perakaraka, 
Ka 
ki koe he 
wai tai, 
Ko 
te puna i 
whea ? 
Ko 
te puna i 
Rangiriri,| 
Ho 
mai kia ringihia, 
Light, light, 
The sacred fire, 0 Tiki, 
Let it be kindled in the sacred 
morn, 
Give oil, 0 Tiki, 
You say it is pigeon water, 
You say it is owl water, 
You say it is parrot water, 
You say it is pitoitoi water, 
You say it is pirakaraka water, 
You say it is salt water, 
The fountain where is it ? 
The fountain is Rangiriri, 
Give it, let it be poured out. 
* Atu ahu, or charm, to induce a stubborn woman to accept the person who 
is disliked by her as her husband : — Te umu ma te kahu e hawe ma te karoro 
e kawe tua wairangi Tuapo hewa manuwairitua manawa rawrekau, mihi mai 
tangi mai ki au ki tenei tangata kino tenei to tane ko au. This charm is so 
powerful as to compel the lady to come from any distance. The offering made 
to the gods was called “ manawa:” 
t Rangiriri is a celebrated fountain in the sea near Hawaiki, whence all fish 
originally came. Wai, water, poetically put for oil. 
