Songs of a Kaumatua by Margaret Orbell

Author:Margaret Orbell [Margaret Orbell and Mervyn McLean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781869406257
Publisher: Auckland University Press
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

SONGS ADDRESSED TO YOUNG PEOPLE

SONG 40

E tama, nāku koe i kimi (I sought you, my son)

Uenuku-rauiri lived long ago. She was a great-granddaughter of Tōroa, captain of Mātaatua, and as well she was descended from the early tāngata whenua, the people who were already there when Tōroa arrived from Hawaiki. One of her brothers was Tūhoe-pōtiki, from whom the iwi of Tūhoe take their name.

Uenuku left her home at Rūātoki to marry Maungarangi, a rangatira descended from the early tāngata whenua who lived at the Puketapu Pā, near Te Teko and close to the Rangitāiki river. With Maungarangi she had a son, Tāne-whare-rangi, who became an ancestor of Ngāti Awa. As well, however, she had an affair with Rangi-whakaeke-hau, a rangatira of Te Arawa who visited the pā with some companions while Maungarangi was away on a fishing trip.

Before Rangi-whakaeke-hau returned to his home at Rotorua, he told Uenuku how she must name the child she was expecting. If the baby was a girl, she was to be called after the flowing waters of the Rangitāiki. If it was a boy, he was to be called after the flying clouds.

Uenuku’s child was a boy, and she accordingly named him Rangi-te-ao-rere (Sky with flying clouds). And when Rangi-te-ao-rere had become a man and won fame as a warrior, he set out for Rotorua to find his father. His mother told him, ‘When you see the steam from the hot springs, you will know you are on the path that will take you to your father.’

In this situation Rangi-te-ao-rere could not directly give his name. Instead, he entered his father’s house unannounced and seated himself upon his tapu sleeping-place. Then, when Rangi-whakaeke-hau ran up and the outraged people were about to kill him, he began to sing the oriori that Uenuku had composed and sung to him when he was a little boy.

His startled father asked if he were Rangi-te-ao-rere. He replied, ‘You yourself said that, if your child was a male, he should be called after the flying clouds.’

His father at once took him to the sacred water (wai tapu) and performed over him the tohi ritual, which recognised their relationship and dedicated him to his future life.

The young man remained at Rotorua with his father’s people. He became an important military leader and the founder of Ngāti Rangi-te-ao-rere, a hapū of Te Arawa.

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