102 
CUSTOMS RELATING TO THE DEAD. 
unsightly appearance to the pa. The reason assigned for 
burying in houses was, that the chief might still possess the 
power he had in life, and not seem to be deprived of any ot 
his rights by death. 
One sign of grief was cutting the forehead and face with a 
piece of obsidian, until the whole person was covered'with blood; 
this was always done by the wives of the dead. The tohunga, 
also, cut off the hair of the relatives, and cast it into the fire; 
and they eat fern root in the morning. Kainga i te ata te aruhi. 
When any friends arrive at a pa, it is customary for them 
to cry over all those who have died since they were last there. 
They weave a chaplet of green branches, or of a beautiful 
lycopodium;* one of the elder females of the party, who acts 
as chief mourner on the occasion, has a chaplet of dog’s hair 
round her temples, sometimes it is very tastefully made, of a 
kind of black sea-weed; they then present themselves before 
the house of the dead, and begin the cry in a low plaintive tone; 
the lady, who leads the ceremonies, throwing about her arms, 
and slowly raising her head and eyes to heaven, then casting 
them down again, and crossing her arms on her breast. Until 
a person is accustomed to these scenes, he can scarcely refrain 
from weeping too, it appears so very natural, and the wail seems 
to come from the very bottom of the soul. The virtues of the 
dead are repeated, and the following wail is used on such 
occasions: for a male— He - taku makawe hi. Alas, 
the covering or glory of my head, alas. For a female— Haere 
e hine e wai i te ara o tupuna, kia karanga nui mai kei o kui 
ha , kei o matua, hei karanga mai ki a koe. Go, O lady, pursue 
the path of your ancestors ; call loudly to your female and 
male ancestors, they summon you.f 
* lie pilii mo nga Tupapaku. 
Taku hei* he piripiri, 
Taku hei mokimoki, 
Taku hei tawiri 
Taku kati taramea, 
Te het o te pounamu, 
I haramai ai — e, 
I runga to Angai-ia-ana. 
A lament for the dead. 
My fragrant bundle the piripiri, 
My fragrant bundle the mokimoki. 
My fragrant bundle the tataka. 
My sweet juice of the taramea, 
The companion of the green-stone. 
Is gone—alas, to 
The Angai 
— e —. 
f This was called lie Pare or Taua. 
The hei was a little scent hag or bundle tied to a string and worn round the neck. 
