MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 March 1941, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

f HABITS AND HOUSES. (Recorded by J.H.S., ol Palmerston North, , for the “Times-Age.”) The finger, the hand, and the arm, as in the earliest days of the world, wero the only standards of Maori measurement, and strange to say it corresponds with the ancient cubit and fathom. The cubit (whatianga) is the length from the bend of the arm to the top of the middle finger. The fathom (maro) is the length of both arms stretched horizontally. Measures (tatai) by feet and paces (waewae and haere) like scales and weights were unknown. Flax baskets of one size measured its contents by numbers. All Maoris had a strong dislike to loneliness and idleness. Having few resources such as reading, writing. ; music, or smoking, they worked, ed, fished, travelled and talked in parties. regarding each diversion as a pleasure. Their village homes were near the sheltered bays of the sea, on the river banks, ot the borders’of lakes. Each village was a fort (pa) to protect them against the invasion of rival tribes with whom they had frequent causes of war (papa whawhai) for some obscure reasons. The cultivation (mara) was a community garden a short distance from the village. Until Cook brought pigs, no fences (taiepa) were neces-' sary. One may fancy that even the name was derived form our words “tie up." The sacred law of Tapu amply protected the mara from entry by any stranger or enemy. Each family had its own house, usually one apartment. The wooden frame painted red with one or two uprights supporting the' ridge pole (tahu), the roof (tuanui), and walls (pakitara) of dried raupo, both lined with white toi canes neatly laced together and ornamented with those dyed black. Ths> earthen floor is covered with mats or soft fern leaves. The verandah (rudke) faces the sun.