|
Volume 30 1921 > Volume 30, No. 120 > The Origin of the stars, p 259-261
|
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- 259
![]() THE ORIGIN OF THE STARS.
[The following was written by some unknown old man (old—because of the character of the writing), who was probably of the Ngati-Pāka tribe of Wairoa, Nuhaka and Te Mahia, on the East Coast of New Zealand, which may be judged by the dialect, and from the fact that the paper from which these notes are extracted, gives several genealogical descents to Ihaka Whanga, a very well-known chief of those parts in the latter half of the nineteenth century. This is one of the late Samuel Locke's papers, now with the Society. One would much like to have questioned the old man on the meanings he would have given to the name of the stars. My translation of his karakias is, I fear, only an approximation to the meaning of the original.] TRANSLATION.
On the death of Hine-ahu-one (woman-made-of-earth; the first woman), the wife of Tane-nui-a-rangi (Great Tane-of-heaven), he cohabited with his own daughter, Hine-titama. During their dwelling on one occasion Hine-titama said to Tāne, “Who is my father?” Tāne pointed to his thighs. Hine-titama was overcome (with shame) at this answer, and fled. Tāne proceeded in pursuit of her, in vain, he could not overtake her. So he remained (disconsolate) at his home. Hence it is that he brought forth the stars. There were four baskets (or receptacles) into which the stars were gathered, and their names are as follows: “Haruru,” “Taiaroa,” “Maemae,” and “Whiriwhiri.” When he placed the stars in these baskets the following karakia (or incantation) was recited:—
The following are the karakias of each basket:—
![]() That is the karakia for “Hururu.” The following is for “Maemae” and “Taiaroa”:—
The following is for “Whiriwhiri” basket:—
The reason why Tāne-nui-a-rangi carried the stars above, was in order to adorn the belly of his parent, Rangi-nui (The Sky-father), which stands above. These stars were gods of the Maori people; and this is the prayer we used to address to them:— Whangaia mai Puanga-nui-a-Tonga
- 261 I te ata, kia kai mai te Rangi-tapu He rangi aitu—e— Ko Puanga, ko te matahi takurua Ko te marua pipiri mai Ko te toru, Aroaro-Whanui Ko te wha, torotika whakarere Ko te rima, Wawa Ko te ono, Peke-tawhira Ko te whitu, Peke-hawani Ko te waru, Whiti-nga-kerekere Ko te iwa, ko Taumua Ko Tauroto, ko Tautukua Ko Tau-o-manga Ko Pakahi, ko Pakaha, Ko te rua ko Hui-te-rangiora 1 ![]() Ko Rongo-i-waho
Ko Manini-tua, ko Manini-aro, Tauranga-te-ruhi, ko Te Pahekeheke Ko Te Mania-rua, ko Te Pahekeheke Ko Tupuranga-te-Pō Taku kainga ko Hawaiki. The above is the karakia whangai, or feeding incantation of the stars. TRANSLATION.
Sacrifice to Great Puanga (Rigel) of the south
In the morning the sacred heavens may feed For it is a heaven of evil powers, Puanga who presides over the first (month of winter) The second month is the period of confinement (to the house) The third, named Aroaro-whanui (a star) The fourth is “straightness” abandoned The fifth is Wawa (? a star) The sixth is Peke-tawhiro (a star) The seventh is Peke-hawani (a star) The eighth is Whiti-nga-kerekere The ninth is Taumua, Together with Tauroto and Tau-tukua And Tau-a-manga With Pakahi and Pakaha The container is Hui-te-rangiora* Then Rongo-i-waho, With Manini-tua and Manini-ara Taurangi-te-ruhi and Rakau-tu-ka Mania-rua and Te Pahekeheke With Tupuranga-te-Pō My home is at Hawaiki. 1 Name of a cluster of stars, and also of a great navigator who visited the Antarctic and made many discoveries in the Pacific.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||