MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1939, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

——♦ MAORI ORIGIN. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) The origin of the Maori race and the centuries of his connection with the Southern Seas and Aotea roa are now questions of wide interest. In a simple manner I will attempt a brief summary.

Language and mythology are now said to be the youngest studies of comparative history as evidence of origin, of which there were three main branches: First—Chinese and Siamese. Second—Tartars and Laplanders. Third —Semitic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, who were known as "Aryans.’' The word Arya means “well born,” and they regarded all others as savages. Two thousand years B.C. they conquered Europe, and their culture spread through Greece, Italy and India. Their superstition or worship was of “Naga” the Serpent. It is significant that the Maori lived in terror of the harmless little “ngarara” (lizards) of New Zealand.

Authorities state: (1) The Maori is an Aryan; (2) His language and theirs are of a pastoral and wandering people, and in both, each syllable ends in a vowel; (3) The Maori language is easily recognised as a corruption of Greek and Latin; (4) It has preserved the memory of animals, weapons, and implements the sight of which the Maori has lost for countless centuries: (5) He probably left India and has been in New Zealand about 3,000 years. In considering the numerous comparisons which we propose to offer as proof of a common origin between the ancient Sancrit and the Maori, we should remember that the vowels must be pronounced as in French, thus “Mere” like Mary, “Kali” as Kahtee, “Patua” as pah too ah, “Ae” as eye; also that the NG and the K are used alternatively in different dialects of the North and South in this way, tangata takata, kainga kaika, Waitangi Waitaki, etc., etc.

The Maori tongue was only written for the first time 100 years ago, and we must thank the missionaries, who preserved its beauty.