Myths & Legends of the Polynesians by Johannes C. Andersen & Andersen F.N.Z

Author:Johannes C. Andersen & Andersen F.N.Z.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462907786
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Footnote

1 This, and the hula song on pp. 284-285, are from Nathaniel B. Emerson's excellent Unwritten Literature of Hawaii (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 1909).

CHAPTER X: THE SPIRIT WORLDS

Mata-ora and Niwa-reka

THERE appear to have been two kinds of nether-worlds; one to which mortals might go and return during life, one to which they went only after death. The Patu-pai-arehe, or people akin to them, were sometimes said to be denizens of a netherworld, which may mean no more than an unknown land, mysterious because unknown. Such a land was Raro-henga, where dwelt the Turehu, a race of fairies or supernatural beings related to the Patu-paiarehe.

As Mata-ora one day lay asleep upon earth a party of Turehu young women came upon him, and paused to look at him, for he was well-knit and of an attractive appearance. The chiefess among them was Niwa-reka, whose father, Ue-tonga, was said to be the grandson of Ruau-moko, god of earthquakes. When Mata-ora awoke he was as surprised at seeing the fairies as they had been at seeing him—they were fair-haired and fair-skinned, as was usual with those of the fairy tribes.

Mata-ora invited them into his house, but they would neither enter his house nor partake of the cooked food which he offered them; they were ignorant of the art of cooking, and deemed the food so prepared to be putrid; but they enjoyed the raw food he thereupon procured for them. When they had been satisfied Mata-ora took his maipi, a weapon like a taiaha (staff and two-edged, tongue-pointed weapon in one), but ending in a point instead of a carved head and tongue, and danced before them the dance known as tuone, wherein are displayed agility and command of the weapon. This he did for their entertainment; and when he sat down the Turehu arose and performed a posture-dance before Mata-ora as a return tuone. As they danced one of them came forward and danced before the others as a leader, while the others kept repeating her name, "Niwareka! Niwa-reka! " She was fair, and graceful; slimly built, with well-formed body. Their long, light-coloured hair hung to their waists, and they wore aprons of seaweed. As they moved hand in hand, sometimes posturing, sometimes tripping and skipping before him, they caused flutterings in the heart of Mata-ora, and his fancy turned to their graceful leader, to Niwa-reka.

She too was by her fancy led to Mata-ora, and for some time they dwelt happily together. One day, for some reason apparently known to no one but Mata-ora himself, in a moment of jealousy and anger he struck the unoffending Niwa-reka, and in surprise and dread she left him, returning to her home in Raro-henga.

Mata-ora was disconsolate; and in grief and dejection he went in search of her. He went to Tahua-roa, at far Irihia, coming to Pou-tere-rangi, where dwelt Ku-watawata, the guardian of the entrance to the spirit world; and of him Mata-ora inquired, "Have you seen a woman passing this way?" "What is the token?" inquired the guardian.

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