THE CAPTUKE OF MOKOIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 29, 28 June 1939, Page 2

THE CAPTUKE OF MOKOIA

THE DRIFTING CLOUD'S EXPLOITS HELP FOR THE ARAWA Three hundred or so years ago. somewhere about the early 1 GOO's a Tuhoe lady named Uonuku-Rauiri dwelt near Te Teko with her husband Maunga-rangi unfortunately for his peace of mind, happened to absent at the Rurima Islands when a oarty of Arawa visitors arrived at his home. Uenuku.s light fancy was caught by on-, of the visitors named Rangi-whakaekc.hau, and the flirta. tion became torrid. When it was time lor Rangi the heartbreaker to return to Rotorua he said to Ucnuku: <Tf your ch id be a 'female, name it for the flowing waters of the Rangitaiki, and if it be a male then name it alter the drifting clouds." When Ucnuku's time came the usual methods were adopted to ensure an easy delivery and the genea. logical descent of her liusbend from the first ancestors was recited. But it had no effect. The labour was pro, tracted and Ucnuku was near death, when she sa'd at last: ''Enough. Recite the descent of Rangi-whakaeke-hau.'- So the descent of Ra.ngi wa> included in the invocation and ' a child was born, but the old folk put their heads together and jeered, saying: "The child is illegitimate." A GREAT WARRIOR. That child was a male and it was named Rangi-tofio-rcrc* alter the drifting clouds. Like many other figures in Pakeha and Maori story and history the stain on h's name drove, him to great deeds, for the Driftine Clcud became a famed warrior and dealt out many hard knocks. He part in many fights among the clans of the district, but among his Ngati, Aw a fellows h: had many enemies, and, whether because of jealousy oi his prowess or .some arnogance in, his make up, many of his tribesmen sought to slay him. The Drifting Cloud seems to have lired of this and on his mother's advice decided to visit his father in Rotorua. With 140 of his tribesmen, bearing preserved foods as a present to Ran gi-wha,kaeke_hau, he set oft' for Rotorua, after rites had been pelformed over him to render him cou''. agcous and cleart-minded in the days ahead. MET A TANIWHA. His mother had warned him at Roto.iti he would find an ancestor oi li s and Rangi was prepared. Ine ancestor was a a huge ceptile named Kata-ore. which was in the habit of lying by the track side, with its distended jaws supported bv a rock. If travellers gave him food, they were suffered to go their ways, but if they neglected to do so. tnev themselves provided a meal for the. reptile. Rangi had a calabash of food ready at the end of a pole and who,' he came to his ancestral taniwha. he j fed him and was rllowcd to proceed. , Trave ling by T kitere the partv T at length arrived at the home of tht' Drifting Cloud Is where the people of the pa proceeded to welcome th in. Then the Drifting Cloud said to his party "All of you walk right into the house, and take the food you are bearing with you. Fear not." ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOUR. They entered the fort by the gateway but Rangi himself, ju ,t as our end friend Kahuki did at Ohiwa —clambered over the palisades and, .skirting the marae, crawled through the window space, which was a tapu part of a house. The people at the pa crowded round in wonder to look upon this impious but the appalling climax came when they saw nin>, seated on the sleeping place of Rangi. whakaeke-hau. The onlookers were shocked and amazed. There was trouble ahead, and probably a squat e meal would be made of the troublemaker, for never before had any person occupied that sacred .spot save their chief himself. Another shock came when the aud a cious Rangi called to his party to enter, the sleeping house and bring their burdens of food in with them— another gross violation of etiquette and tapu. Messengers sped to Rangiwhakaeke.hau with the ghastly news. party of travellers has entei ed your house, and has taken food into it" they said. "One of them has seated himself on your sleeping place. He has painted himself with you:* ochre.'*

' COOKED HEADS'' The infuriated householder return, cd home at once and ordered the visiLors to come forth. They refused, and Rangi-whakaeke-hau ordered his tribe to slay them out of r and. Hearing this, the Drifting Cloud called out that most insulting word ''Poko_ kohua!" Of a truth the ancient Maor i was a great leg-puller. His father was enraged at the use of this most insulting but before any action could be taken Rangi-te-ao-rere commenced to sing r, lullaby which his mother had composed and which she used to sing over him when he was a child. The song made reference to his parents, and though the Drifting Cloud could not remember much of it, ihe l'ttlc he ! could was sufficient. His father wa> startled and, recognising Mm as his son, called him to come forth. Then there was much wailing and greeting after the manner of the Maori. As was the custom the Drifting Cloud was next taken to the sacred place of the village and there the tohi rite was performed over him and the tapu removed. ARAWA IN TROUBLE. When night came all the people collected in the big house. In those days the Arawa were not very numerous, and a tr'be of the original people of New under their chief Kawa-arero who held Mokoia !■> land on Lake Rotorua. had <te_» i'eated the A raw a, in battle. So the Arawa said: "To-morrow we will go and attack Mokoia; then we shall see who the brave men are. For we are in sore straits here. We have been defeated by Ka<wa-arero s people. When we go in our canoes to attack the people of Mokoia they meet off shore. They wade out" into the lake, seize our canocs, drag them ashore and slay our men. We shall be destroyed by these islanders. We cannot avenge our defeat. They will consume us.'' The Drifting Cloud told the Arawa not to attack Mokoia next day and they took his advice. In the morning the warriors assembled on, the parade ground. There was one warrior Present who was a famous lighter. He came from Tauranga and no member of his tribes could sta.nd up to him, so that when the fighting men were assembled on the practice ground the feats of arms of the TauVanga warrior were much talked while the NgatLAwa from Te leko eulogised the skill and courage of Ra.igi-te-ao_ rere. The Tauranga man heard these remarks, and came forth, bearing his spear and challenging the warriors to meet him in single combat. The Arrwa knew his skill and they remain cd and the spearsman then challenged the Drifting Cloud, who had drifted thither from the Land of Awa. Rangi seized his taiaha and mcir the champion. He, parried r) fierce thrust of the spear, knocked it down with a blow of the taiaha, recovered arms and split the spearman's head. Then the Arawa rose to applaud. The bully was dead and his body was handed over to Rangi and his followers. It was dismembered, cooked and eaten. It proval a dear meal for Rangi when the fame of his exploit reached Tauranga. RANG IS OiTT'FER. That night, when the people had again the Drifting Cloud said to his father: "Pass your quarrel i over to me. You will simply be a , spectator.-' > His father asked: "How do you pro. ' pose to fight." Said Rangi: "I will fight from canoes." ' His father replied: ''You will as- | suredly be defeated. As you approach the island the people of Kawa-arero [ will wade out into the shallow waters j of the lake, seize the canocs, diag ! them to shore and slay you all." Then were heard derisive remarks from the Arawa who ridiculed the suggestion that Rangi, with his handful of 140 warriors, could take Mokoia A voice was heard: 'Will you aloiiw , effect this?'' ; "Yes" said the Drifting Cloud, "let the gods laugh at me, not men. \ou have fought and failed and therefore • should not laugh at others 'or trying'* . and he concluded with the boastful . Tuhoe proverb ''He iti na Tuhoe, e > kata te po" (A few of Tuhoe and • Hades shall laugh—Tuhoe can always give a good account of themselves ir. ' battle and a few can send many enemies down to the underworld).