MAORI SUPERSTITION.

West Coast Times, Issue 303, 12 September 1866, Page 5 (Supplement)

MAORI SUPERSTITION.

Some months ago a Maori named Piripi, or Philip, came from the Northern Island, on a self-constituted mission, for the extinction of tapu. Before giving an account of his doings, it may be necessary to explain what is meant by tapu. Tapu was a system invented by the chiefs to preserve their dignity and property in a community where all freemen were considered equal, and all property held in common. Every Maori believed himself possessed by one or more demons, but only a few knew the charms and spells by which to control these familiar spirits — a knowledge they took care to keep secret from all but their .own families — and thereby insured to them an influence aud position they could not' otherwise have maintained. Every part of a chief's body was sacred, but his head the most so, being the residence of his demons. Everything that touched a' chief's body became tapu, and any person who violated its sacredness died immediately, unless he possessed charms . more potent than those of the rangatira whose tapu he had violated. Tapu could only be removed from person to place by one whose demons were superior in number and power to those whose influence, he wished to destro)'. To destroy the tapu, it was necessary to defile the person or place with cooked food, which all the demons held in abomination. Before the northern Maoris were baptised, they broke off their connection with familiar spirits, by allowing cooked food to be eaten out of baskets placed* on their heads. The Natives in this island neglected to tio this, and now attribute the mortality among them ' to the malice of the demons wno still possess them* and render them tapu, in spite of themselves. They believe that many have lost their lives from using other people's caps and pipes, and from 1 passing by old rained hotfces, or over old burying grounds,' or places where divining fires were lighted. Piripi, after visiting Otago and Southland, was invited by Horomona Pohio to remove the tapu from Arowhenua. On his arrival, he called the entire Maori population of the place together, and after a careful inspection, declared that he could see the demons inside Tamaiharoa and several others. With the unanimous consent of all present, he began the / process of expelling these said spirits, and removing the tapu from the neighborhood. First, he visited all the tapu places, taking a stick from one, and a tuft of grass from another ; from the lagoon in front of Mr Woollcombe's — a favorite haunt of demons, who had caused the death of many an unsuspecting passer-by — he too : some water. With these materials he cooked food, which all the Maoris partook of, without distinction of age or sex. Being obliged to leave suddenly, Piripi deputed T^maiharoa" to complete the emancipation of his tribe from the power of their familiar spirits. After conning over his instructions for-.some weeks, the deputy exorcist at last summoned the people before him. Having ranged them in. a circle, he ordered Rawiri to cut the nails and a lock of , the hair off everyi one present, and to place them in a plate held for the purpose by Horomona Pohio. Each person's hand was then pricked, and his or her nail parings, together with the lock of hair, smeared with blood. The contents of the plate were then thrown into a boiler full of tea, the contents, of which were afterwards served round. This ridiculous ceremony was supposed to have the effect of rendering the evil spirits utterly powerless for the future, and all who joined in it are congratulating themselves on the removal of one great cause of mortality amongst them. — Tiniaru Herald.