ATENE, ON THE WANGANUI RIVER. 
CHAPTER XI. 
WAKAPAKOKO— IMAGES. 
The Maori could scarcely be said to be idolators, although 
they certainly had idols, yet they were not generally wor- 
shipped, but only used by the priests as adjuncts to their 
karakias. 
The WakapaJcolco, or images, thus used, were little more 
than wooden pegs with a distorted figure of the human head 
carved on the top ; these were about eighteen inches long, 
the other end was pointed so that they could be stuck in the 
ground. In respect to idolatry, the Maori differed from 
almost every other heathen people, in not having the images 
of their gods of gigantic size, by which it was thought the 
greater terror would be excited, from their superior strength 
thus denoted, distorted features and huge dimensions pour- 
traying their supposed powers ; but this was not so with 
the Maori, they seemed to have a more spiritual idea of their 
gods ; the only exception, a large human figure over the 
chief entrance of the Ohine Mutu pa at Rotorua, the door 
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