THE HAU HAU GREED.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1534, 4 July 1873, Page 4

THE HAU HAU GREED.

A correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald who lately visited the Taupo district writes thus of the Hau Hauism as practised by the Urewera tribe : — lt would not do to leave Ruatahuna without some allusion to the religious services carried on there. The Ureweras are Hau Haus still in creed, but Hau Hauism among them, like so many other fanatical doctrines which have started, in the first instance, in the midst of blood-thirsty extravagances, has now toned down into a quiet and respectable, though highly heterodox form of monotheism. They are pure deists, rejecting entirely the New Testament and all its teachings in regard to the Messiah ; they rest their faith exclusively on what is taught in the Old with reference to the Jehovah of Ancient Israel. Like the Israelites, too, they observe the last day of the week instead of the first, and in fact, in everything, conform as nearly as their lights enable them to the Jewish doctrines and practice. Every day, morning and evening service is held. The whole hapu, assembled in the Wlmrepuni, chant together several verses culled from the Psalms and other of the poetical books of Scripture. Then one of their number gets up and repeats a short prayer, at the end of which he stretches out his hand, and cries in a loud voice " Glory." In this ejaculation all join. This concludes the proceedings. The whole , business only occupies about ten minutes. The natives are thoroughly well versed in the history of the Old Testament Kings and heroes, and are fond of quoting such narratives as that of Samuel hewing in pieces the captured King of the Amalekites, or Jael driving the nail into the temple of Sisera, as precedents which, as they maintain, justify the strongest measures into which they were hurried when their religious fanaticism was at its height.