B987352101_R 156.pdf
- Texte
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ANCIENT TAHITI
,
'
:
BY
Teuira Henry
Bàsbd
Matériau Rëcordëd
on
by
J. M. Orsmond
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum
Bulletin 48
:
PUBLISHED BY THE MuSEuk' '
■,-■
'1928
■■'■.
JXXLK,
TEUIRA
tIENRY
(1847—1915)
Teuira Henry
Based
on
Materiai, Recorded
by
J. M. Orsmond
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum,
Bulletin 48
Pubeished
by THE
Muséum
HONOLUEU, HAWAII
1928
ib. .'
-
CONTENTS
Page
History and Geography of the Society Islands
3
3
4
Introduction
prophecy
Discovery of Tahiti
Early explorers of Tahiti
A
6
10
Wallis’ visit
10
Bougainville’s visit
16
Cook’s visit
Boenecha’s visit
Cook’s return
Boenechea’s return
17
19
ig
22
Langara’s visit
Cook’s last voyage
22
23
24
25
Watt’s visit
Bligh’s visit
Second and third return of the Bounty
Edward’s visit
Later visits
Flora of the Society Islands
Introduction
List of plants
Ancient divisions
neighbors
and
political
relationship of the
26
Society Islands and their
Introduction
Tahiti
Districts of Tahiti-nui
Isthmus of Taravao
Districts of Tai-a-rapu
Ancient subdivisions of Teahuupoo and Tautira
Moorea
Introduction
The upper flesh of the fish
The under flesh of the fish
The fin in the north
The outer border of the fish
The props of the fish
The fin in the south
Chant of Moorea
The leeward islands
Raiatea
Tahaa
Huahine
83
84
87
89
89
90
90
91
93
93
94
94
95
95
98
99
102
Tubai
104
104
Maupiti
Mapihaa, Manuae, and Temiroiniro
105
The Tuamotu Islands
List of islands
General information and history
Order of prestige of Tahiti, Moorea, and the Tuamotu Islands
Raiatea, position and
Comparison of names
,
Introduction
The marae
International marae
At Raiatea
Comparative folklore
Attempts to establish
109
113
115
117
117
119
119
H9
119
HQ
127
Hau-pahu-nùi
marae
106
106
name
Mangareva
Religion
National
6g
69
70
70
Porapora
^
29
30
33
33
33
marae
at Tahiti by Raiatea
(I)
128
128
131
Page
138
Last Tahitian national marae
Local marae
Marae Mahaiatea
139
139
141
144
144
145
or ancestral, marae
Marae of Tua-Tau
Family,
Social marae
Doctor’s marae
Cures
Canoë builders’ marae
Fishermen’s marae
Ruins of marae
Chant on marae
Marae attendants
The tutelar god
Priesthood
145
146
148
148
,
,
.
--
150
151
153
.
1S3
.
Drums
156
■
157
157
177
Religions ceremonies
Pai-atua and
First
fruits
Casting ofï
vaerea
a
god
Travelers’ prayers and
Launching the
canoë
178
.
offerings
178
.
180
182
182
.
Rites for children
The royal heir
Natal ceremonies for other children
Other ceremonies for royal heir
Human sacrifices
Mortal sins
Ideas of a future State
Belief in supernatural influences
Black art
.
,
187
187
196
198
.
.
200
203
203
Magicians and their agencies
Disenchanter
Effects of sorcery
203
2og
,
212
.
Fire walking
In Raiatea
In Fiji
In Rarotonga and New Zealand
In Japan and Tahaa
In Hawaii
The trance of Ariipaea-vahine
Accounts from Raiatea
A rescue
Pebbles thrown at Mana
Accounts from Moorea
214
.
214
.
216
.
217
217
219
.
.
.
220
.
223
223
224
224
225
229
229
.
.
.
.
Auguries
.
Social classes
.
Introduction
Arioi society
.
230
.
History
230
■
Eight orders
234
235
241
■
Practices
Revenge of Maraa
Royal généalogies
Pômare family in Tahiti
Branch in Raiatea
Branch in Huahine
.
247
251
252
■
■
.
side
her mother’s side.
Teururai’s genealogy on his mother’s
Genealogy of Tehaapapa II on
Tapoa dynasty of Porapora
Mai family of Porapora
247
■
256
-
257
-
.
.
,
Collateral branch of the Mai family
Ancient family of Marotetini of Porapora
(Il)
.
.
258
260
261
262
Page
High chiefs of Tahiti
Ancestors of the Pômare family
Chiefs of Pare
Tuamotuan and Tahitian chiefs connected
Another genealog}' pf the Pômare family
Genealogy of Maraffia of Haapiti, Moorea
Genealogy of high chiefs of Papara
Dirge to Queen Pômare IV
Greetings to King Pômare
The individual
Amusements
Occupations
Clothing
and
marriage
i
Headdress
Tattooing
Ceremonies and
Embalming
War
on
customs
for the sick and dead
268
268
270
272
273
274
275
280
281
285
287
289
295
297
297
298
300
land
301
Preliminary ceremonies
301
304
At battle
Naval battle
Resanctification of desecrated land
Terminology and
Introduction
Numbers
■
267
286
Warfare
Introduction
Weapons
Drilling
266
274
Infancy
Betrothal
265
265
Money
Weights and
manner
316
319
of reckoning
323
323
323
326
326
measures
Time
Colors and patterns
Chants and legends
Création chants
Création of the World
Another version of the création
Chaotic period
Comparative folklore on the création
Tuamotuan création chant
Tuamotuan account of Tane and Maui
Strife and réconciliation between heaven and earth
Généalogies of the gods
Birth of heavenly bodies
Birth of winds
327
335
336
336
336
339
340
344
347
349
353
355
359
Tane, the man-god
Roo, the messenger
Exchange of sexes between Atea and Faahotu
Birth of more gods
Birth of insects and advent of ghosts
Birth of turtle, fowl, and pig
Incarnations of gods and spirits....
Stone
Trees
Animais
Winds
Order finally established
Tumu or Taaroa exalts Tane
Birth of new lands
Création of man
364
364
369
372
374
380
380
382
382
382
383
392
395
398
399
(III)
402
Page
403
The handsome shark of Taaroa
Discontent of gods in darkness
Attempt to raise the sky
Birth of demigods
404
40S
40/
409
^
Raising of the sky of Rumia
After the sky was raised
Disorder dispelled
4^3
4^5
41°
4^0
420
Division of property
Man
as
an
origin of plants
plants
Miscellaneous
Coconut
Breadfruit
421
423
:
426
The first god’s house
Discovery of fire by friction
Stories of Maui
Maui, the high priest
Maui, the prophet
Noosing the
427
429
429
430
43i
;
Tahiti the fish
Tuamotuan
433
-
Heralding of the fish
Departure of the fish
Cutting the sinews of the fish
433
437
439
-
version
443
443
445
Tahiti
Migration of the gods to Moorea and
The deluge
445
Tahitian version
Raiatean version
44^
452
455
Temples after the deluge.’
Tane’s voyage and struggle with Atea
45^
Canoë of Tumu-nui
Ru and his sister Hina
Ru and Hina explore the earth
Sacred canoë song of Ru
Hina
Tahitian circuit of navigation
459
459
461
462
-
Comparative folklore
Voyages of Tumunui, his brothers, and
Voyages of Rata
468
468
473
wife
481
495
Tuamotuan version
Honoura
Tuamotuan version
S16
St6
S32
Mangaian version
a
534
famous tree
535
"Wanderings of Ono
Hiro
Son of Raamauriri
Hiro’s great canoë,
537
537
Hohoio
Song of Hiro
Hiro throughout Polynesia
Legend. of Tafai
Comparative folklore
Pele, comparative folklore
Huriitemonoi
The tuna of Lake Vaihiria
A variant
Legend of great
moo
;
546
550
552
552
565
Legend of Pai
Tepuaititeirauonini and Mairuru
Legend of Punaauia
Mootuaraha
Taruia of Tahiti
464
468
Rata
Tahitian version
Tuihiti and Hauvanaa
Ono fells
464
576
578
589
592
607
;
615
619
of Fautaua
,
,
(iv)
621
622
623
JOHN MUGGRIDGE ORSMOND
(i784[?]—1856)
PREFACE I
Tahiti is far famed yet too
little known. After a hasty glance, some
give descriptions of lands and their native peoples more for
pastime than for research. Certain it is that tlie picture of Tahiti in her
real form lias not yet been made.
She is seen in the flowery pages of
one aiithor and in the ardent graphie description of another, but she is
seen in polished robes, the interesting details of her hidden history not
yet having corne to light in the records of the learned.
The history of Tahiti should be based only on the traditional statements of its people.
Yet in oral traditions allowances must be made for
that diversity of description which people give concerning the same thing.
Obscurity attends the origin of ail things that relate to human imagination
and tradition, and to render heterogeneous details agreeable and instructive
to the reader is a task of no small magnitude; and this vrill be found
to be more especially the case where oral tradition and treacherous memory
were the only means employed by a people to save from oblivion the rec¬
ords of past âges—tlle religions views, the deeds, and customs of their
forefathers—and that with ail their weaknesses, prédilections, and mistakes.
But the judicious will approve of that irregularity which is indispensable
in the verbal details of varions persons, and will wonder that so much
order could be found among the descriptions given by them, with such
fabrications, such conceptions, and such relations. Yet will they not see
in the mists of oral tradition and heathenish deformity a finger pointing
to an âge more refined and better informed and enlightened by the lamp
travelers
of divine révélation ?
Peeling the great importance of crystallizing Tahitian literature in
original simplicity and style of rendering, wherein lies its greatest
charm, I hâve carefully collected the records as they fell from the lips
of priests and bards and other learned natives of both sexes, in doing which,
with pencii and paper in hand, I hâve been struck with the beauty of the
language and the richness of many of the words and figures of speech.
This folklore I hâve carefully revised with the aid of the best native
scholars of ail classes, and to it I hâve added the modem history of Tahiti
from authentic sources and from my own observation.
Hoping that my
Work will meet with the approbation of the great French Republic, I now
place it in her hands for publication under the care of her most esteemed
représentative. Commandant Lavaud.
J. M. Orsmond, 1848.
ali its
(I)
PREFACE II
It is
a
matter
of congratulation by
ail Polynesian
ethnologists that at
ancient religion
work should be
invaluable manuscript
of the last
century should hâve been preserved and that his granddaughter, Miss
Teuira Henry, should possess the spécial qualifications required to translate
and edit them.
In this work they hâve preserved the original traditions
of the Tahitian
in the very words in which they hâve been handed
down for many générations by their hereditary priests and bards.
Thus
they hâve done for the Society Islands what Sir George Grey had donc
for the Maoris of New Zealand and Rev. William Gill for the people of
Mangaia, but which has only partially been done for the Hawaiians. Here
student in another country will be able to listen, as it were, to the ancient
Tahitian priests unfolding to him the fundamental religions beliefs of
their
The language in which these legends and poems are expressed
is very archaic and resembles the Hawaiian much more closely than does
the modem dialect of Tahiti. There is a certain grandeur and poetry in
of these ancient chants, particularly in the account of the création,
day such a mass of original information on the
and mythology of Tahiti as is contained in the following
brought to light. It is fortunate that so much of the
records made by Rev. J. M. Orsmond during the early part
this late
race
a
race.
some
which is not
surpassed by that of any
other primitive people.
light is also thrown upon the early
Society Islands and other groups, and upon
peopling of Polynesia.
New
Ever since the discovery
island has been
descanted
Polynesian Researches,
account
communication between the
the difficult problem of the
of Tahiti by Wallis the romantic charm
by many writers. The Rev. William
on
of the
Ellis’s
published in 1831, has hitherto contained the best
Tahitians a century ago and of the introduc¬
of the condition of the
them.
book in existence which covers the ground occupied by this account of a most attractive and interesting country and people.
tion of
Christianity
among
There is, however, no
W. D. Alexander.
Honolulu.
(Il)
PREFACE III
The first introduction
by J. M. Orsmond, dated 1848, and the second
by W. D. Alexander show that work on the following pages was begun
over a
century ago. The Reverend J. M. Orsmond of the London Missionary Society, who exercised great activity in various islands of Pplynesia
from 1817 to 1856, died without
having had the satisfaction of publishing
work to which he had devoted
thirty years of research and study and
generously presented to the French Government in 1848. Unfortunately many efforts made since then in Paris to locate the manuscripts which were handed over to the Ministère des Colonies hâve been
a
which he
fruitless.
Miss Teuira
Henry, granddaughter of J. M. Orsmond, who for many
labored in Tahiti in charge of the mission schools and later in Hawaii
as teacher at the
Royal School of Plonolulu, then undertook to restore
this great work, using for that
purpose ail her grandfather’s personal
notes and original
manuscripts and completing it through her own min¬
ute researches.
She devoted practically her whole life to this
task, but
she also was unable to see its
publication, having died in January, 1915.
It is in accordance with Miss
Henry’s last wishes that her nephews
and nieces and other relatives are
having her manuscripts published in
their original State, through the
générons help of the Bernice Pauahi
Bishop Muséum of Honolulu, which they sincerely thank for enabling
them to carry out this sacred
duty.
years
Ed. Ahnnë.
Orsmond PIënry Warkër.
Papeete, Tahiti, April,
1923.
(m)
PREFACE IV
Society Islands that everything pertaining to
disappeared more completely than in any other
It has been saicl of the
the old native culture has
Polynesian group. Wallis, Cook, and Bougainville drew
the "World to Tahiti at a time when the other islands of
the attention of
Polynesia
were
barely known; it was the scene of the first efforts of the London Missionary
Society, and as usual, the trading vessel followed the missionary ship. At
a date when most of the islands of the eastern Pacific were still heathen
lands, the Society Islands presented the spectacle of a peaceable, Christian
community, sending ont native missionaries in ail directions on their task
of civilization. The resuit is that knowledge of the culture of this group
is almost entirely limited to what may be obtained from the records of those
whq
saw
its life
a
century or more ago.
A debt is due to the old
for their accounts
are
navigators and to those who sailed with them,
may be hoped for.
And more, perhaps, is
ail that
and Ellis—men who did
But the investigator in
the Polynesian field who attempts to reconstruct the ancient life of Tahiti
and the neighboring islands must add two more names to the list, and acknowledge his deep indebtedness to the Rev. J. M. Orsmond and to his granddaughter, Teuira Henry.
From an old manuscript written by the Rev. John Muggridge Orsmond
in 1849, and now in my possession, supplemented with information received
from living members of his family, it is possible to reconstruct a brief outline of some of the more important events in the life of this remarkable
man.
He was born about 1784. He was educated for the ministry at
Gosport, England, and on December 23, 1815 was ordained at the King
Street Chapel, Portsea, Hauts. He had then for some time felt strongly
drawn to the missionary field, particularly to the South Pacific, and when
the opportunity offered to go to Tahiti, he at once accepted.
From London,
in the year 1816, he took passage to Cork on a convict ship, and after the
usual expériences of such a voyage—a quickly suppressed revoit of the
convicts, a fire on board, a brief pursuit by Algerian corsairs—he arrived
at Sydney, where he and his first wife. Mary, took passage on the ship Fox
for Tahiti, finally reaching the island of Moorea in April, 1817.
He had
been fortunate on his passage ont from London in finding on board the
vessel several Tahitians who were returning to their homes, through whose
assistance he learned to sjDeak the Tahitian language with considérable
fluency. He appears to hâve completely mastered the language shortly
due the
not
pioneer missionaries like Nott, Williams,
the unique opportunity they enjoyed.
waste
after his arrivai.
(IV)
On
January-6, 1819, Rev. Orsmond lost by death both bis wife Mary and
He married bis second wife, Isabella, in New Soutb Wales,
their infant.
some
According to
time between 1820 and 1823.
a
tombstone in tbe local
Isabella died on December 7, 1854, at tbe âge of sixty years.
saw tbe people in transition, and bis early and complété mastery
of tbe language enabled bim to make fnll use of tbe cbance be bad imagina¬
tion enougb tq appreciate.
Cbief, priest, arioi, landbolder, and manahune—
be knew tbem ail, listened to what tbey bad to say and recorded words,
customs and legends wbile tbey were still fresb in memory.
Tbe early
Tabitian and Englisb Dictionary publisbed by tbe London Missionary So.ciety
was really in tbe main bis work, although it was said to bave been arranged
by tbe Rev. Jobn Davies. William EHis drew on Orsmond’s store of infor¬
mation largely.
Tbe universal esteem in wbicb be was beld by tbe natives
served to open readily many doors tbat were locked to otbers, and enabled
bim to préservé for tbe future priceless records of tbe past.
Tbe Rev. Orsmond died April 23, 1856, probably in bis 72nd year, wbile
en route to Sydney for bis. bealtb.
He was buried at sea.
cemetery,
Orsmond
Henry, tbe fourtb ebild and eldest daugbter of Isaac S. Henry
(Orsmond) Henry, was boni in Tahiti, January 24, 1847. Sbe
was tbus tbe granddaugbter of Rev. J. M. Orsmond and bis second wife
Isabella, and tbe granddaugbter of William Henry, missionary of tbe Duff,
and bis wife Sarab.
Sbe was educated at Mr. and Mrs. Howe’s Missionary
Sebool at Papeete, after wbicb sbe taugbt Frencb and Englisb in tbe Viennot
Sebool, Papeete, for nearly twenty years. Miss Henry was a fluent linguist
and bad made a profound study of tbe old Tabitian language. Sbe spent a
large part of ber time in completing and correcting tbe voluminous papers
of ber grandfatber wbicb bad been left to ber care.
Later Miss Henry
removed to Honolulu, wbere sbe taugbt in tbe primary scbools for over ten
years, receiving a First Class Primary Certificate witb bigb crédits for ber
Teuira
and Eliza
excellent work.
death at Paea,
Sbe tben returned to Tahiti, wbere sbe remained until ber
January
23, 1915.
During ber résidence in Plawaii, Miss Henry contributed numerous papers
Journal of tbe Polynesian Society of New Zealand, wbicb gained for
ber a wide and deserved réputation as a Tabitian scholar.
to
tbe
J. Frank Stimson.
Papeete, Tahiti, February 5, 1928.
(v)
PREFACE V
Society recomit that Rev. OrsJune 20, 1818, when he joined the Rev.
William Ellis in Huahine, and that in December of the same year he removed
to Raiatea.
On November 13, 1820, he transferred his missionary work to
Boraborad where he remained imtil requested (1824) by the missionaries to
take charge of the South Sea Academy at Afareaitu, Moorea, a school for
the children of missionaries and for the promising native children.
The records of the Eondon ÎVI issionar)^
mond remained in Moorea until
The
daughter of Moerenhout, U. S. Consul at Tahiti, and the young prince,
placed in his school.^ In 1831 he resigned his tutorship
moved to Bogue Town, Tahiti. In December, 1833, he started on a tour
Pômare III, were
and
of the out-stations in the
Marquesas.^
early missionaries and voyagers to the Society Islands bear
référencés to the ability of Rev. Orsmond and to his unceasing activities.
Even his most adverse critics pay tribute to his power as a leader and
to his service in teaching useful crafts to the natives.
He) is described as a
man of ruddy appearance, with driving energy, who by precept and example
endeavored to overcome the native’s natural love of ease and to inspire him
to accomplishments not only spiritual but material as well.
He enforced
tempérance, built houses and churches after the European manner, constructed roads and bridges.
To supply materials he did not hesitate to fell
the village breadfruit and coconut trees, as he felt that the bountiful food
supply so near at hand contributed to idleness.* In later years, upon a better
understanding of native character he seems to hâve tempered his methods.
In the harassed times that followed the French occupation of Tahiti,
Rev. Orsmond,. realizing that the English Government was not going to
interfère, opposed the actions of the missionaries in encouraging the natives
to resist the French," thus bringing upon himself the accusation of the
missionaries that he was aiding the French, which resulted in his dismissal
from the London Missionary Society, July 2, 1844.
He was subsequently
made Government pastor at Papeete under the French Protestant Mission.^’
That Rev. Orsmond found time in the midst of his busy and eventful
life to collect and record so much of Tahitian lore is a tribute to his energy
and to his interest in the welfare of the people among whom he worked.
As early as 1822 he recorded the Création Chant of Raiatea.
Between' 1824
and 1834 most of the traditions were recorded.
What became of the manuscript commended to Commandant Levaud, as related in Préfacé I, is
Accounts of
many
lîllis, William, Polynesian researclies, vol. 2. p. 317, London, 1839.
Arbousset, Th., Tahiti et les iles adjacentes, p. 145, Paris, 1867.
Sibree, James, The London Missionary Society, 4th ed., London, 1923.
^
Lesson, P., V’^oyage autour du monde, vol. 2, pp. 176-186, Bruixelles, 1839.
^Caillot, A. C. É., Historié de la Polynesie Orientale, Paris, pp. 217, 283, 1910.
®
Lovett, Richard, The history of the London Missionary Society, vol. 1, pp. 319, 331,
don, 1899.
^
2
^
(vi)
Lon¬
believed to hâve been burned among other public docu¬
1850, during the Second French Republic. Monsieur de
QuatrefagesF in bis mémorable work States that he (in about 1866) had
access to a part of the manuscript.
Translations of these references follow :
unknown.
ments
It
was
about
Tliese details, so remarkably précisé, I hâve borrowed from a manuscript kindly
intrusted to me by Monsieur le General Ribourt, to whom we owe the majority of the
documents collected during the administration [of the Protectorate Government of Ta¬
hiti] by Admirai Lavaud, and who took advantage of his sojourn in Tahiti to collect
the material for a monograph of this island and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, ai great
part of these manuscripts hâve been lost.
.
.
.
whicW Monsieur le General Ribourt has kindly let me see are ail
the more precious because several are in the very handwriting of Mr. Orsmond, that
English missionary of whom I hâve spoken and whom Monsieur Gaussin and Mr.
Moerenhout regard as being the European most versed in Polynesian tradition. It is
evidently from the same source that other information, written by a different hand, has
been borrowed.
The manuscripts from the hand of Mr. Orsmond hâve principally
in view a rapid tracing of the customs and characteristics of the natives.
The manuscripts
.
.
.
During her stay in Hawaii (1890-1905), Miss Henry is reported to hâve
unceasingly on this manuscript. Résidence in Flonolulu gave access
literature not available in Tahiti, eiiabling her to make comparative Poly¬
worked
to
nesian studies.
The privilège of presenting this valuable work has been afforded Bernice
Bishop Muséum through the generosity of the heirs of Miss Henry, as
represented by the late Orsmond H. Walker and Mr. Ed Ahnne, who hâve
presented the manuscript to the Muséum, asking only that the material so
painstakingly collected be made available by publication to stridents in Poly¬
nesian history and ethnology. The Muséum has agreed to publish the manu¬
script entire, deleting only a few pages which hâve already appeared in the
Polynesian Journal.
P.
As received, the
manuscript
was
a
collection of disconnected sections,
dealing with a particular subject. A few pages were missing. In
compiling this posthumous work, every effort has been made to retain the
original intact, only such éditorial changes as seem obviously necessary for
clarity being made—such changes as might well be expected the author would
make were she preparing it finally for the printer.
The order has been
changed, modem spécifie plant names hâve been supplied by Dr. Forest B. H.
each
Brown for obsolète ones, and in a few
erroneous in the
places corrections hâve been made
light of later knowledge. Ail comments not included in the original manuscript
appear as footnotes signed
“Editor.” It is évident that some of the native text, typed by one unfamiliar
with the language, was not proofread by the author.
Many inaccuracies
appear.
An attempt to correct obvions errors in the Tahitian has been made
of scientific statements
Quatrefages, A., de, Les Polynésiens et leurs migrations,
pp.
57,
182, Paris, 1866.
by the combinée! efforts of Dr. E. S. C. Handy, Mr. Kenneth P. Emory,
Mrs. Marguerite Emory, Mrs. Maeva Doty.
Dr. Handy comments that in
the translation of Tahitian place names and personal names, the aiithor has
given for many an obvions translation which may convey only one of many
possible meanings. In accordance with an understanding with the heirs of
the authors, the original notes upon which the manuscript was based vvill be
placed in Bishop Muséum, where they will be available to stridents.
EdiTor.
Honolulu, April,
1928.
(
VIII
)
Ancient Tahiti
By Teuira Henry
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS
INTRODUCTION
Lying in the deep blue sea of southeastern Polynesian and
between 7° SCy and 27° 38' S. and 130° and 156° W., are the
exteriding
romantic
of the French possessions in Oceania, which comprise the
Society Islands, most of the Tuamotus, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas,
island groups
and the Australsd
157° 20' W., are
commonly known as the Society Islands,
extending from southeast to northwest, their mountain peaks towering
high into the guardian clouds and their green islets standing out from
the silvery capped sea that breaks upon their protecting reefs.
On the
southeast side, between 17° 29' and 17° 47' S., and 151° 56" and 151° 30' W.
stands the island of Tahiti, composed of two peninsulas, which is famed for
lier grand, unrivalled beauty as “Queen of the Pacific,” and which nature
has happily crowned with a romantic circle of central peaks called The
Diadem.
Nine miles from her northwestern shore looms up the smaller
and less majestic but not less beautiful island of Mo’orea, one in history
with her.
These with the little high island of Meeti’a, about seventy miles
southeast of Tahiti, Mai’ao-iti, forty miles Southwest of Mo’orea, and the
cluster of islets of Tetiaroa, about thirty miles north of Tahiti, form the
windward group.
In the northwest, separated by a channel of ninety miles,
are the twin islands of Huahine-nui and Huahine-iti, encircled by one reef ;
beyond which stand Ra’iatea and Taha’a, also enclosed in one reef ; and
Porapora, Maupiti, the islets of Tupai or Motu-iti, Mapihaa, or Mapetia
(also called Mopelia or Lord Howe’s Island by foreigners), Manu’ae, or
Scilly Island, and Temiromiro, or Bellingshausen. These comprise the leeSituated between 16° 30' and 17° 47' S. and 148° and
the verdant twin groups now
ward group.
of
Attendant upon
than eighty
more
They extend in
a
Tahiti, the “Queen of the Pacific,” is her royal train
wondrous atolls and islets of the Tuamotu^Archipelago.
graceful line from the northwest to the southeast of
Most of these islands are mentioned in the legend about the birth of new lands (pp.
399), and the meaning of their names is given.
^
Tuamotu (Ocean-of-islets) is sometimes called Pa’u-motu (Shoal-of-islets).
^
347,-
Bernice P.
4
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Tahiti, between 14° and 24° S. and 136° and 151° W., with the waving
plumes and swordlike crests of the coco palms overhead, and beds of coral,
of brilliant hues, and pearl oysters encircling their shores. The low islands
of the Tuamotus, thickly disseminated through the center of the group,
were called “The Labyrinth” by Admirai Roggewein, who passed that way
in 1722. Fifty-six of these islands hâve been dependencies of Tahiti from
the time of King Pômare I, and were partly poprilated by the Tahitian
people.
A PROPHECY’
one of the last great gatherings of the Hau-pahu-nui, for
worship, before the arrivai of European ships, a strange thing
happened during our solemn festivity. Just at the close of the pa’i-atua
ceremony, there came a whirlwind which plucked ofï the head of a tall
spreading tamanu tree, named Paruru-mata’i-i-’a’ana (Screen-from-wind-ofaggravating-crime ), leaving the bare trunk standing. This was very
remarkable, as tamanu wood is very hard and close-grained. Awe struck
the hearts of ail présent.
The représentatives of each people looked at
those of the other in silence for some time, until at last a priest of Opoa
named Vaità (Smitten-water) exclaimed. B, homa, eaha ta 'outou e feruri
nei?
(Friends, upon what are you meditating?) Te feruri nei i te
tapa’O O teie ra’au i mohi nei; a’ita te ra’au nei i niotu mai te po au’iu’i
mai.
(We are wondering what the breaking of this tree may be ominous
At
Opoa, at
idolâtrons
®
In 1823, by two priests of Porapora,
which were also generally affirmed by the
For other versions see pp. 9, 430.
Auna-iti and Vai-au, were made these statements,
natives when the missionaries arrived among them.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
5
of ; such a
thing has not happened to our trees from the remotest âges),
people replied.
Then Vaità feeling inspired proceeded to tell the
meaning of this strange
the
event:
Te ite nei au, tei mua ia’u nei te
aura’a o teie nei peu maere rahi ! Tena
mai te fanau’a ’una’una na te Tumu, e
haere mai e hi’o i teie uru ra’au i
I
Taputapuatea nei.
E tino ’ê to ratou,
ho’e ana’e rà huru,
no te tumu mai, e e riro teie nei fenua
ia ratou. E mou teie ha’apaora’a tahito
nei, e e tae mai ho’i te manu mo’a o
te moana, e te fenua nei, e haere mai
e
e
tino ’e to tatou,
ta’iha’a
ha’api’i nei.
i
ta
teie
ra’au
i
motu
see
before
me
the
meaning of this
strange event!
There are coming the
glorious children of the Trunk (God),
who will see these trees here, in
Tapu¬
tapuatea.
In person, they differ from
us, yet they are the s'ame as we, from
the
Trunk, and they will
possess
this
land.
There will be an end to our
présent customs, and the sacred birds
of sea and land will corne to mourn
over
what this tree that is severed
teaches.
e
This unexpected sj^eech amazed the
priests and sages, and we enqttired
people wère to be found. Te haere mai nei na nTa i te ho’e
pahi ama ’ore (They are coming on a ship without an outrigger), was
Vaità’s reply. “We hâve seen ships that men hâve learned to build from
Hiro, but they always hâve outriggers or they would upset, and how can
what you say be true?” we said. Then a
high priest of Huahine, named
Tereroa, derided Vaità and told him he had gone back to childhood or was
insane; and two other priests of Opoa, named Hua-tere and Fa’aarahia,
reasoned with him against such a statement, and
finally the dignitaries ail
dispersed, none being convinced that Vaità spoke the truth. Soon King
where such
Tamatoa heard of the discussion and
and
sent
for Vaità to
corne
to his house
explain the matter to him; so he went willingly, and there he found
his brother priests and a great
throng who had assembled to hear him.
Vaità was received kindly by the
king, who however was doubtful of what
he said. Then in order to illustrate the subject,
Vaità, seeing a large umete
(wooden trough) at hand, asked the king to send some men with it and
place it balanced with stones in the sea, which was quickly donc, and there
the umete sat upon the waves with no
signs of upsetting amid the applauding shouts of the people.
But anger raged in the hearts of ail of us
priests, save Fa’aarahia, who,
.with the king, sided with the
majority of the people; and then we parted,
we priests
swearing vengeance upon him in the event of his prédiction
proving false. But we had not long to wait for its fulfillment.
There was also a priest of Ra’iatea named Teitei, who told
King
Tamatoa that there would
corne a time when the restrictions on food for
would cease, and they would be free to eat turtle and ail other
food sacred to the gods and men. This
prédiction was also received with
women
incredulity, but
land.
was
verified with the introduction of Christianity in the
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
6
DISCOVERY OF TAHITI
On the
divided.
subject of the discovery of Tahiti opinions
hâve long been
Some eminent writers bave attributed the honor to
the famous
Spanish navigator, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in 1606; others, to the
distinguished English navigator, Wallis, who visited the island in 1767.
An Englishman, James Wilson, Captain of the ship “Duff,” States,^ “As
the Spanish explorers make no mention of the island of Mo’orea, which
they would hâve seen, sailing as they say to the northwest of Tahiti, their
utter silence on that point involves the identity of the latter in doubt.”
Furthermore, EHis
States that Wallis discovered' Tahiti.
The islands
within the vicinity of Tahiti which the Spanish explorers discovered, they
named Conversion del San Pablo, Decena, Sagitaria, and Fugitiva.
(See
p. 8.)
Young Tahitians are taught that the discoverer was the English
Wallis.5
owing to careful investigation ainong Spanish and English authors
by the gallant Mr. X. Caillet, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, who made Tahiti
his home and was well acquainted with ail the Society and Tuamotu
islands, that this question has been satisfactorily solved and accepted in
favor of Wallis by modem Erench geographers.
He has kindly permitted me to quote from his article.®
It is
“These publications are
interesting from more than one standpoint, and they throw out the patriotic impartiality of their authors. English writers attribute to Quiros the
discovery of Tahiti, and the Spanish geographers render Wallis the honor
of this discovery; but the glory of Quiros does not remain the less
brilliant!”
He explains that the course that Quiros took has been difïicult to trace, as it was at a time when the art of navigation was in its
primitive stage, and latitude and longitude were not accurately marked.
Nautical charts, by Mercator, did not corne into use until the year 1639;
Halley’s octant did not appear until 1731; Napier’s logarithms, invented
in 1614 and perfected by Briggs, Gellibrand, and Gunter, came into use
in 1633; scientific docks, by Huygens, only date from 1667 and 1675;
and the chronometer, invented by John Harrison, came into notice in
1750. Eor these reasons it is évident why Mandana after having discov¬
ered the Solomon Islands in 1567 was unable to find them again on his
voyage in 1595. Caillet cites from his researches as follows:
Of his
■*
®
of information, Caillet says:
®
,
Wilson, James, A missionary voyage to tlie Soutliern Pacific Océan, I^ondon, 1799.
Kllis, William, Polynesian researches, 2 vols., London, 1829.
Picquenot, F. V., Géographie physique et politique des establissements Française de
1900.
Picquenot is a high French official and Officer
Journal officiel des etablissements Français de l’Oceanie,
published for the benefit of the French Navy.
Paris,
was
sources
l’Oceanie,
d’Academie.
Tahiti, May 29, 1884. The article
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
7
Duncan' says
that, turning to the northwest on the ninth of Febriiary,
1606, Quiros saw in the east, latitude 18° 40', land, which was named Santa
Polina, and on the tenth he discovered Tahiti, which he called Sagitaria.
Findlay in his South Pacific Directory, States that on the tenth of
Fehruary, 1606, the Spanish saw in rainy weather, a low island, the point
of which extended southeast and
island, Torres and Torquemeda
it is called
In
Sagitaria.
was
covered with
gave no name,
palm trees. To this
but in the list of Quiros
letter written from Manila
by Luis Vaes de Torres, who comships under Quiros, he States that that island was in
latitude 10° 30', that it was entirely low and
partly covered with water—
probably the island which they named San Pablo—and that from thence
they continued their course to the northwest, passing latitude 16° 30' and
a
manded
one
onwards to
of the
10°
14'.
But he does not mention the other three islands,
Decena, Sagitaria, and Fugitiva, noted by his countrymen.
Beltran y Rozpide wrote a critical
essay ® on the discovery by Quiros
of four islands in the Tuamotus, which were named San
Pablo, Decena,
Sagitaria, and Fugitiva, and which Beltran y Rozpide affirms geographers
hâve confounded with Tahiti of the Society Islands. His references
records of the voyage of Quiros in the
journal of the
are
the
expédition written by
Gonzales de Leza and the manuscript
by Luis de Belmonte, archivai secretary of Quiros. Rozpide says that after discovering several islands of
the Tuamotu Archipelago between
parallels 25° and 18° 30' S., Quiros
encountered on the tenth of
February, 1606, the first inhabited island,
to which he gave the name of La Conversion del
San Pablo.
The
Spanish were received kindly by the natives, and they lingered there two
days. On February 12, 13 and 14, respectively, they sighted three other
islands, which they named Decena, Sagitaria, and Fugitiva.
In his journal Gonzales de Leza
(under Quiros) says that the Spanish
saw on the
twelfth, lying five or six leagues north of San Pablo, an island
which appeared to be small and which
they avoided; this was Decena. At
noon on the
following day, about twenty leagues northwest of San Pablo,
they sighted Sagitaria, but could not approach it because of the wind which
varied between northeast and
northeast-by-east. At daybreak on the
fourteenth, five leagues east of them, appeared a large island, Fugitiva,
which in appearance resembled the others.
They could not tell whether
these three islands
Of
were
them, Belmonte
inhabited
notes that
or
not.
soon as those of their number who
visited the island of San Pablo had returned to their
ship, the captain
’
Sydney Herald, February 20, 1875, taken from the work called Universal
Biography, tome 36,
Hispana, and from other works on the ancient explorers.
Geog. Soc. o£ Madrid, Bull., Oct., 1882.
in the Bibliotheca
*
as
8
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
night so as to remain on the side of the
but his plans were overruled by the pilot,
who said it would be préférable to go before the wind, which varied
from east to northeast.
This they did. The following day, passing an
island that could not be 'approached, they named it Decena.
It was the
same during the two following days, with two others, the nearer one of
which they named Sagitaria, and the farther one Fugitiva.
They found
themselves in about latitude 14° at this juncture.
wished
to
heave to
island where the
In brief,
of
for the
people
were,
Caillet States that “this consciencious dissertation” is a ray
upon the course taken by Quiros from the tenth to the
light thrown
February, 1606; for it proves clearly that the four islands
by that navigator between parallels 18° and 14°’ S., are in the
Tuamotus. It fixes almost to a certainty their respective positions, and it
cites Hao as the island corresponding to that given by Belmonte and Leza
fourteenth of
seen
as
La Conversion ciel San Pablo.
He concludes
:
According to Terres, La Conversion del San Pablo, which the Spanish visited,
low island partiy covered with water. It therefore does not resemble the “Qtieen
the Islands' of Oceania.” They sighted the other islands within five or six leagues
is
of
of
their ship, and had any one of them resembled Tahiti they would hâve been struck
with the appearance of its lofty, fantastic mountains, rendering it so different from the
others of their discovery. But according to Leza, ail these islands, even to Fugitiva,
resemble each other.
In the Tuamotu Archipelago, to which belong the first islands
seen by Quiros, are diverse islands from Hao i8° to Rangiroa 15° S-, the situations
and nature of which are almost identical with those given by Leza and Belmonte, as
the four islands named San Pablo, Decena, Sagitaria, and Fugitiva, which are the
object of the learned essay by Beltran y Rozpide.
a
Moreover, we may also observe that the island named San Pablo had
prominent point extending southeast, which was covered with coconut
trees.
This is like Hao but does not agréé with the appearance of the
southeast coast of Tahiti, where stands the great green-clad headland of
Tai’arapu rising to an imposing height from the sea, without coconut
trees.
San Pablo had a sandy isthmus, which was submerged by the sea
at high tide, and they looked in vain in its vicinity for fresh water; the
isthmus of Taravao, uniting the two Tahitian peninsulas, stands fortyfive feet above the sea level from the proximity of its borders, its soil is
rich and luxuriant and not sandy, and it is well watered with clear rivulets
flowing into the sea on either side. They found no haven for their ship
and with difficulty landed their boat.
South of Taravao is a spacious
lock of beautiful bays with a .safe entrance through the friendly reef
outside; on the northern coast, to the right and left, are also safe harbors for ships, and boats and canoës hâve free access to the shpres of
either side.
They had to search for the inhabitants and found but few,
a
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
which
expérience of Wallis, Bougainville, Cook, and ail
explorers, who were soon surrounded by natives with canoës
not like the
was
the later
9
tliey approached the shores of Tahiti.
More décisive proof that Wallis vras the discoverer of Tahiti is given
by George Collingridge” as follows :
as
“No estara dem’as recordar que este descubrimiento realizado por el Ingles Wallis,
1767 est solo anterior en cinco anos al vieje de Boenechea.” (Descubrimiento de la
Oceania por los Espagnoles, page 75.)
The translation is : It will not be superfluous
to notice that this discovery by the Englishman Wallis, in 1767, is anterior only five
years to the voyage of Boenechea.
(Discovery of Oceania by the Spanish.“)
en
Finally, information concerning their first discoverer, which has been
found in the
handed down from parent to child until almost forgotten, is
records of the Tahitians themselves.
Their version follows :
(seer or prophet) named Pau’e (Much
well known in Tahiti, said: “Te haere mai nei te tamarii a
tetua'^^ 'una’nna na te ho’e va'a ama ’ore, 0 te vehi Ma mai te upo’o e tae
roa i te ’avae.”
(There are coming children of the glorious princess, by a
canoë without an outrigger, who are covered from head to foot.)
King
Pômare I, hearing him say so, enquired how a canoë without an outrigger
could hold its balance and not upset; so to illustrate his subject, Pau’e took
an ’umcte (wooden trough)
and set it afloat with a few stones placed in
it in a pool of water close by; then turning to the King he said, “What
will upset that ’uniete without an outrigger.
It is balanced by its breadth,
and so also is the canoë without an outrigger that is coming.”
Then the
spectators applauded, as the matter was satisfactorily explained.’^Three days afterwards Pau’e died, and a little later the “Dolphin”
arrived with Captain Wallis,’^’’ when the people exclaimed, “Tera mai te va’a
The ancient native hi’ohi’o
gone), who
was
e tera te tamari i a te tua ’una’una!”
(There is the canoë
outrigger of Pau’e, and there are the children of the glorious
princess!) As the “Dolphin” lay in Matavai Bay, facing the promontory
of Taharaa called by Wallis and Cook One-tree-hill,i^ her stern was compared to the appearance of the rock that projects from the outer side of the
tunnel-like cave of the extreme end of the bluff, a comparison that fixed
_the memory of the historié ship in the minds of the Tahitians for généra¬
ama
’ore
a
Pau’e,
without the
tions afterwards.
®
Collingridge of Plornsby, New South Wales, and a member of the Polynesian Society, îs a
Personal frieiid of Beltran y Rozpide, to whom he is indebted for much information found in original
Spanish manuscripts, documents, diaries of officers in command, and other authentic records preserved in Spain in the “Biblioteca de la Real Academia de la Historia.”
Translated by Marques, further cited.
Tetua is an ancient title équivalent to princess, shown in the Tahitian dictionary, and does
not mean the god, te atua, for which some people mistake it.
On page 5 is also a prédiction of a canoë without an outrigger, and another by Maui (page
430)» where the prédiction goes still further and describes a steam tug as a canoë without cordage.
Wallis is Uariti in Tahitian.
A solitary tree (p. 12) that stood among ferns upon the liill gave rise to this naine; it was
an
Erythrina, “a new kind” from what the navigators had seen in other lands.
Bernice P.
lo
Pau’e aiso said
e
e
e
e
“E
tae
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
mai te ho’e ari’i api, e
riro teie nei hau ia’na,
peu ê ana’e te tupu i teie nei fentia; e mo’e te tapa e te i’e i Tahiti nei,
ahu te ta’ata i te tahi atu mau ahu
papa’a” (There will corne a new
:
king to whom this
government will be
given, and
new
manners
will be
adopted in this land; the tapa and the cloth-beating mallet will go ont of
use in Tahiti, and the
people will wear different, foreign clothes).
These prophesies
fail to
are still recorded by the Tahitians, and
they cannot
impress the foreign mind with their unique and accurate descrip¬
tion of what afterwards
The
came
to pass.
which Quiros took, being made clear
by the Spanish themselves, shows that the Gambier group, which are high islands
lying in
the extreme southeast of the Tuamotu
Archipelago and in a southeasterly
direction from Tahiti, were not sighted
by Fernandez in 1572, as some
early writers hâve surmised. Records show that he took the same course
course
later taken
by Quiros through the Tuamotus. The honor of the discovery
naturally falls to its claimant, Captain Wilson of
the “Duff,” who sighted and coasted them on the
twenty-fourth of May,
1797. He named them after Admirai Lord Gambier, who had
greatly aided
of the Gambier Islands
the London
Missionary Society in their missionary expédition to Polytwo highest peaks of the
group, which are almost
equal in height, Duff’s Mountains, after his ship. The higher one, rising
nesia, and he named the
1,315 feet above
sea
level, still retains the
name
Mount Duff.
EARLY EXPLOREES OF TAHITP
Wallis’s Visit
Captain Wallis, commanding the ship “Dolphin,” in which Captain
as lieutenant, chanced to
approach Tahiti on the eastern
side, he first discovered (June 19, 1767) the island of Meetia, which is composed of volcanic rock and rises steeply 1,312 feet above the sea. According to his description, it resembles a high crowned hat from one point of
As
Cook then sailed
view, and
a
house roof from another.^
Passing onwards, he sighted Tahiti in the northwest with its two
towering peninsulas looming up like separate islands. Coasting Tai’arapu
the “Dolphin” was soon overtaken
by many canoës, bearing more than
eight hundred men. For almost with the speed of telegraphy the news
spread to the neighboring districts of the approach of the strange ship,
^
Basée! on
of their arrivai
material from
Tahiti.
in
the
works
of
early
explorers
of
the
Pacific,
giving
the
order
Wilson, James, A missionary voyage to the Southern Pacific Océan,
1799; Wallis,
Samuel, An account of a voyage around the world, London, 1773; and London,
researches of George
Collingridge.
2
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
11
prophet had told them was coming, which accounts for so
many canoës assembling in one place to meet them as they approached
the land.
Soon ail Tahiti was awakened to the event. After holding a
consultation at a little distance, the natives approached the ship, headed by
a man who held tip a banana shoot, which to them was an effiigy of their
own persons, and who called “Ta’ata, o mei’a roa” (Man long banana), and
after speaking for about a quarter of an hour he dropped it into the sea,
signifying that their intentions were friendly, and that the sea was sacred
to ail, for the Tahitians regarded it as a great moving marae or temple.
which their
On their part, the white men showed by signs that they reciprocated the
friendship and wished the natives to visit their ship. Soon a fine young
native ventured on board hy climbing up the mizzen chains and jumping out
of the shrouds on to the top of the awning, where he remained for a while
facing his hosts. They showed him trinkets and made other inducements
to encourage him to descend among them, which he finally did.
But he
would not accept anything until joined by a friend who followed him and
stood by his side. While they were becoming less shy, an amusing incident
took place.
Approaching them from behind, a he-goat butted the first
visitor, and when both looked round and saw a horned animal, new and
strange to them, standing on its hind legs ready for a second attack, in
terror they leaped over the bulwark of the ship and without looking back
swam ashore.
But they soon recovered themselves and returned to the ship,
where they were joined by many other natives, who scrambled over the
side, not knowing the proper entrance, and who, carrying banana shoots
in their hands for the
same
purpose as
before, threw them down upon the
making short addresses to the ship’s company. They became
interested in ail new things. Goats and sheep surprised them, but on seeing
hogs and fowls they made signs that they had such animais at home. They
soon began to take everything they could lay their hands on.
While a
young midshipman was talking by signs to one man, another snatched his
gold-laced cap from his head and then leaped over the bulwarks of the
ship into the sea and swam away with it to the shore.
deck after
Tahiti, signifying “it is Tahiti,” which a native
responding to the question, “What land is this?” these
explorers made a natural mistake in writing the name of the island
“Otaheiti,” which with the English pronunciation instead of the Latin
(adopted since then), closely resembles the real Tahitian name. This is
also true of most Tahitian words to which letters were first applied by
foreign writers.
From the
two
words,
o
would hâve said in
During the night, Captain Wallis succeeded in reaching the eastern
peninsula, and in the morning as he sailed along the
side of the greater
Bernice P.
12
coast
he
was
for food in
them.
sunken
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
again followed by
numerous
and
canoës
people; and traffic
exchange for trinkets, axes, etc., was soon established between
As the boats were
employed in sounding for an anchorage near the
reef along the northeastern coast, the
natives thinking they were
éncroaching attacked them from their canoës, endeavoring to drive them
away by pelting them with stones.
So a gun was discharged in the midst
of the canoës, and one maii was wounded
in the shoulder, which scattered
them for a short time.
The ship at last found
anchored and remained more than two
days. On
a
roadstead, where she
seeing the boats continue
to Sound towards the
north, the natives, watching them with a jealous
eye, became still more hostile and attacked them
again with stones. A
skirmish ensued, and the natives once more
repulsed with guns were terrorstricken on seeing one of their number killed and
another wounded.
Notwithstanding this disaster, friendly relations
restored, and the white
sities of the natives.
handles
their
was
men
had
to
Once when
sent up a
contend
a
and traffic
were
only with the pilfering
boat with
a
propennumber of barrels with
stream for water, a number of native
men
help in filling th'em; but they returned only two and carried
rest for
themselves.
these
soon
proffered
away the
This circumstance illustrâtes the coolness with
which
primitive people possessed themselves of anything foreign to them that
they desired. In their homes they generally trusted one another and were
habituai thieves ; but they
imagined that
from the abundance of white men’s
not
property.
Arriving
at
they could help themselves
Ha’apape in the north
since called Point
on the 23rd, Wallis doubled the
cape,
Venus, and in entering the beautiful harbor of Matavai
Bay, the “Dolphin” struck the treacherous, deep-sea rock called To’a-’o-Hiro
(Hiro’s-rock), where she remained stranded for about an hour and was
by many hundreds of canoës with curions spectators
anticipat-
surrounded
ing to see her wrecked. But a favorable land breeze
sprang up, and with
little damage she was soon safely anchored and sheltered
by land and
As a resuit of this incident, Hiro’s Rock is
now known on
maps as
Dolphin Rock. When the ship was moored abreast of the stream of
water to the left of Tahara’a, or One-tree-hill
(page lo), a lieutenant,
very
reef.
Furneaux, landed and erected upon the peaceful shore of the
bay a
formally taking possession of the island on behalf of
his king. George III, after whom he named it.
The bay was named Port
Royal.
named
British pennant, thus
After this ceremony the British drank the
king’s health with
water, the water coming from the cool stream.
Then
old men, spectators on
observed crouched in
rum
and
they perceived two
the opposite side of the stream, who seeing they were
an
imploring attitude.
After the British invitée! them
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
13
to their side
over
by friendly signs, one of the men, who had a long white
very timidly.
They treated him kindly and
on the shore and returned to the
ship, while many native
in the woods, were observing everything.
beard, ventured to comply
then left him
people,
unseen
When left alone, the old
man with the beard went up to the flagstaff,
boughs around it, and danced for some time. Then about a
men approached it in a
crouching attitude ; but on seeing the
flag move with the wind they scattered as if frightened, and after gazing
at it from a distance disappeared for a while.
They returned with two large
hogs, which they laid at the foot of the flagstaff, and danced for some
time, after which the old man first mentioned took the hogs to the ship,
presented them to Wallis, would accept nothing in exchange, and soon
returned to the shore.
These actions indicated feelings of awe, mingled
with défiance to the flag and conciliatory résistance to
foreign aggression,
of which they had suspicions.
threw green
dozen other
In the
night, after the chiefs and counselors had held a consultation,
they assembled the people of their district, formed a large torchlight pro¬
cession, and went heralded with drums and, conch trumpets and other
instruments of noise to bear away the flag on its staff. As
they occasionally
had pennants on canoës and on land to assert their
prestige, the natives had
by the British meant; hence the
hostility they manifested on the following days. Unwittingly they paid to
this Symbol of British power the highest honor that
they could hâve bestowed upon it by attaching it to the royal girdle of red and
yellow
feathers of the high chief, Amo (AVink) of Papara. Amo was then exercising sway over Ha’apape, the scene of action, as his wife, Purea, was
chiefess of that district. For years afterwards this
foreign relie remained
a choice addition to the ancient
insignia of a royal pedigree of direct descent
from the gods.
conceived
a
fair idea of what the ceremony
The following day, as the ship was warping nearer shore, the natives,
considering that the newcoiners were encroaching still more upon them,
renewed their hostilities and sought the aid of their
gods to drive them
away.
the
About three hundred
ship, and
war canoës
with two thousand
men
surrounded
(probably a priest) who sat upon an awning over a
ship holding in his hand a red and yellow feather
amulet, called an ’ura-tatae (executive-’ura-feathers). This amulet had been
consecrated to the gods and was regarded as a potent means of
bringing tbeir
aid to bear against the offenders, to whom he
presented it. Supposing this
to be an act of
friendship, the British kindly received the man and accepted
the charm. The man then suddenly left the ship and returned to the shore.
canoe^
®
a man
boarded the
Wallis, Samuel, An account of
a
voyage
around the world, pl. 21, London,
1773.
Bernice P.
14
There he threw down
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
coconut branch as a signal of success, and triumphant shouts rent the air while more war canoës pushed ofï to join the
others ; and to the surpidse of the British they found themselves pelted
with heavy stones, some weighing two pounds, adroitly hurled in slings,
with the resuit that several of the ship’s company, who fortunately were
soniewhat protected by awning and rigging, were badly hurt and bruised.
The British were obliged to bring the great gnns into action, and after being
thus repulsed several times the natives, scarcely yet daunted, and filled with
wonder at a people who had concentrated thunder and lightning at their
command, dispersed and fled inland over the hills.
a
morning a boat from the “Dolphin” was sent up
barrels to fill with water, and while the boatmen were
the river with
occupied with
them, there came from ail directions men creeping through the woods to
molest them.
They were seen from the ship and were also seen in time
by the boatmen, who at once left their barrels in the water and rowed out
into the sea for safety amid the shouts of the natives, who took possession
In the
some
of the barrels and would not return them to the boat.
So the boat returned
ship for safety. Soon the shore was alive with people, and in spite
of their former repuise, numerous war canoës approached, carrying bags of
stones for action; and ttpon the hills in the distance were seen women and
children seated to witness the conflict. Then the stone pelting commenced,
and as a canoë, upon which stood a warrior leader, was making for the
bows of the ship, a gun was fired upon it, breaking the hull in two.
Soon
a few more big guns were fired ofï, showing their power and how far they
could reach, which dispersed the multitude.
When ail was quiet, some
men were sent on shore to destroy as a punishment several of the canoës
that lay there, many of which were sixty feet long and three feet wide.
Thus ended decisively the struggle for mastery between the two parties.
Four natives unfortunately had been killed.
to
the
The
following day, the natives carried to the shore a conciliatory offering, which consisted of eleven large pigs, several rolls of cloth, and some
dogs with their fore legs tied above their heads. The natives beckoned to
the ship’s company to fetch the gifts fearing to take them on board them¬
selves.
Seeing the dogs hopping about on the sand and imagining that they
were some strange kind of animais, the British were induced soon to comply
with the invitation. They accepted the hogs and cloth but released the dogs,
not knowing what they could do with them.
Though they hâve long since
ceased to be used for that purpose, in those days dogs were eaten as a
delicacy by the Tahitians.
not
By this time the chief, Amo, had had enough of the foreigners and
knowing what next to expect retired to his own district, Papara, in
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
the South.
But Purea l'emained in her domains,
Wallis and his
15
hospitably receiving Captain
people and caring for their sick, whom she ordered to be
house.'* The roof of this house was covered
with thatch of fara, and the ground floor was bestrewn with long soft
grass, upon which lay mats, rolls of tapa, and comfortable bedding.
Soon
the white men were made very comfortable, Purea
insisting upon clothing
them in tapa and having every care taken of them.
They were treated with
massage with coconut oil and other native remedies, so that in a few
days they recovered their health and returned to the ship.
carried inland to the guest
From
an
in her hand
act
of
hospitality shown by Purea to Wallis, in which she held
banana leaf
she addressed him and
placed her district at
disposai, he supposed her to be queen of ail Tahiti, and interpreted the
Symbol to mean that she surrendered the island to him.® But the previous
conduct of the people shows clearly that Purea alone could not hâve
tamely
done this and similar ceremonies with later arrivais explain the
spirit of her
action.
Purea was seconded in her attentions to the visitors
by men of
influence in her realm, notably, Tupaia (Beaten) of Ra’iatea, her high
priest, who was exceedingly intelligent, and Hau (Peace), a petty chief of
the district.
When provisions became scarce at Matavai, Hau obtained
them for the ship from neighboring districts, and he also served as a
guide
in an exploring expédition into the interior of Tahiti, headed
by Mr. Gore,
a scientist of the
ship.
a
as
his
Of the morals of those handsome ancient
Tahitians, among whom Purea,
splendid type of her race, moved in queenly dignity, much has been said.
Sentiments of hospitality sanctioned their code of morals, which was not
improved by contact with most of these, their fellowmen of centuries of
enlightenment, nor by most of those who followed after them. But the
unwritten records of Polynesians concerning many of their “civilized”
European brethren who visited their shores, took advantage of their unsophistication to descend lower than their level, and then published slurs
against them, tell not only of the immorality of the foreigner but of his
injustice.
a
Captain Wallis requited the unlimited kindnesses and hospitality of
and among other things, he gave
gander, a goose, and a cat, which
being entirely new to them, were highly prized by her and coveted by
others. July 27, after a stay of a little more than five weeks, the
“Dolphin”
■
Purea and her aids, with many présents,
to Purea a looking-glass, some
turkeys, a
^
The house measured 327 feet long and 42 feet wide, 30 feet high along the center and 12
feet along the eves.
It had 14 large inner pillars supporting the ridgepole and 39 smaller ones
on
each side supporting the beains to which were attached the rafters that radiated from the
ridgepole,
°
op. cit.,
Op. cit., pl.
pl.
22.
22.
i6
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
sailed away.
On leaving Tahiti, Wallis passed Mo’orea, which he named
York, after the Duke of York.
B0UGAINVILI,k’S ViSiT
In the
following
year,
April
2,
1768, Tahiti
French explorer Bougainville,
commanding the
the storeship “La Flûte.”
On his
way
visited by the great
frigate “Boudeuse,” and
was
thither, he passed through the
Tuamotu Islands, which he named
Archipel Dangereux, the outlines of its
low islands being sometimes indistinct and
dangerous to pass. Fie discovered and
La
the
coasted the singularly formed atoll,
Flao, which he named
Flarpe owing to its harp shape and of which he says :®
“Is this land, so extraordinary, '
? Is it in ruins?” Such were
enquiries of one who for the first time beheld an exploded dôme of sub¬
marine volcanic action clad in verdure and inhabited.
“How
it
He continues to say;
peopled? Its inhabitants appeared to us to be tall and
proportioned.” This they were and still are.
In approaching Tahiti, Bougainville
sighted Meetia, which, from his
impressions of its appearance, he named Le Boudoir. Keeping ofï the
coast of Tai’arapu, he headed towards the east and anchored at
Hitia’a,. in
honor of which event, the passage into the harbor is named Passe de la
Boudeuse.
Owing to their expériences with the British, the Tahitians
kindly received Bougainville and his people. Many of the natives who had
not corne personally in contact with white men before now
gazed with
wonder at those they met, and the boldest of them handled their clothes
to see how they were made and their
persons to see if they were like
was
well
themselves.
The chief of Hitia’a, named ’Ere-ti
(Deprived-of-Dracaena), and his
people aided the French in landing and establishing themselves comfortably in sheds on the bank of a stream convenient for taking in water for
their ships, but not without
strictly stipulating a limited time for them to
remain there.
Soon regular traffic for provisions in exchange for foreign
goods was established.
The French
were charmed with the natives
; but they had to keep con¬
guard against thieves and, unfortunately, four native men were murdered mysteriously by some of the ship’s
company.
One was shot alone
in the woods, and three were stabbed with the sword. So the chief and his
staff went to Bougainville and exclaimed :
“O Friend, we are your friends, and yet
your people murder us !” This
went to the heart of the
good explorer, and after endeavoring in vain
to discover the culprits he used
stringent measures to prevent further
stant
°
Bougainville, I/. A., Voyage autour du monde,
Paris,
1771.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
abuses.
These sad
occurrences
did not afifect
an
17
attachment, which from
heart of Ahu-toru (Three-walls),
which resulted in his leaving home
and accompanying the explorer to France. Thus began a kindly sympathy
that has existed ever since between the French and the Tahitian people.
Being on the windward side of the island, and encountering stormy
weather, the ships lost several of their anchors in the coral rocks of the
harbor, which broke their cables. Bougainville was visited by several high
chiefs from different parts of the islands, their superior stature distinguishing them from the rest of the people. After obtaining an abundance of
provisions and returning kindnesses to their hosts and friends, the two ships
.set sail and left Tahiti April 14, after a visit of twelve days.
Like Wallis, Bougainville was struck with the beauty of the Tahitian
scenery; the lofty mountains ever varying the aspect of the landscape, rich
in natural productions and in a disorder—he observes—which art has never
succeeded in imitating. He named Tahiti Nouvelle Cythére, poetically con¬
necting her with the isles of Greece of ancient famé.
the commencement had sprung up in the
brother of the chief, for Bougainville and
CookT Visit
Bougainville left Tahiti, a révolution arose between the dis¬
Ha’apape in the north and Papara in the south, which
ended in the overthrow of the high personages, Amo and Purea, at Ha’a¬
pape by Teu, chief of Pare, and their retirement to Papara, which still
remained their domain, although it had also been invaded by their foes.
Then arose the star of ascendency of their formidable young rival, Tû, the
prince of Pare, still in his minority, -w'ho afterwards became King Pômare I
of Tahiti and its dependencies.
On April 12, 1769, Lieutenant Cook, commanding the “Endeavor,” returned to Tahiti for the purpose' of observing the transit of Venus on his
way in search of a new Southern continent which Quiros had begun the
previous cehtury. In going south through the Tuamotu Islands, he also
passed the island of Hao, or Harp of Bougainville, and named it Bow
Island. He anchored safely in Matavai Bay and was soon surrounded by
old and new acquaintances, among whom he was pleased to see the faithful
Hau, who again rendered the white men valued services, notably in appeasing the anger of the people caused by the death of one of their number in
a
fray owing to a theft which the man had committed.
A temporary observatory was made upon the long point at Ha’apape,
and at the same time a party was sent over to Mo’orea also to observe the
transit of Venus. A monument now stands at Ha’apape point, since then
called Point Venus, where the observatory stood.
Soon after
tricts of Pare and
i8
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Lieutenant Cook afterwards made a
survey of Tahiti, accompanied by
Mr. Banks, the naturalist of the
expédition, wlio later became Sir Joseph
Banks. Everywhere they were well
received, though pestered by thieves.
The ravages of the late war had
greatly impoverished the district of Ha’apape in the north and Papara in the south; but the district of
Teahu’upo’o,
land belonging to some of the victors in the late
struggle (under the high
Vehi-atua,'^ and his son of about thirteen years) was in a
flourishing condition, as was the whole of Taiarapu peninsula. These people
were proud of the
trophies they had won, among which were the turkey-cock
and the goose that
Captain Wallis had given to Purea.
At the close of this visit to
Tahiti, the harmony established between the
navigators and islanders was suddenly marred. Owing to two marines
having deserted the ship Cook rashly confined several of the leading
men, among whom was a prominent chief, named Tû-te-hà
(Standingfour), of North Tahiti, in order to force the people to restore to him his
chief,
men.
The infuriated natives retaliated
by
seizing some of the white men,
kept them had not Tû-te-hà coolly ordered their release and
the restoration of the deserters,
showing that lie and his companions were
being well treated. Then order and friendship were restored. On July 12,
after a stay of three months at the
island, the “Endeavor” departed.
Tupaia, previously the high priest of Purea, had lost his influence
in the district at her downfall.
He had gracefully adapted himself to
the ways and manners of
Europeans, and when they left he took leave of
his countrymen and
accompanied his new friends. Being a good navigator,
he ingeniously delineated a
rough chart, showing the positions of other
and would hâve
islands and the
course of the currents of the sea and
wind, and named
of the Polynesian islands. Owing to English spelling some of these
cannot be recognized; but others hâve been followed
up and identifled.
(See
page 280.)
At Ra’iatea some men of the Tupaia family are still good navi¬
gators and pilots.
Tupaia guided the ship to the islets of Teti’aroa and onwards to the
leeward islands, which Cook named the
Society Islands, in honor of the
Royal Geographical Society, by whose recommendation the expédition had
been organized.
They landed at Huahine, then at Ra’iatea, where, in sight
of Huahine, Taha’a, and
Porapora, the}' hoisted the Union Jack, taking
possession of the group in the naine of their sovereign. They found the
people of those islands much the same as the Tahitians.
Tupaia did not live long to enjoy his new life, for he died at Batavia on
the passage of the ship to
England; but in the grateful records of his
British friends his memory has been
perpetuated.
many
’
Vehiatua was chief of only one of
believed he ruled the entire peninsula.
seven
districts
in
Taiarapu.
(See
p.
86.)
The Britisîi
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
19
Unfortunately in this early stage of contact with the outside world, the
physical disorder that has been the means of undermining and
shortening the lives of many of these formerly healthy people, was developed
in Tahiti. But neither Bougainville nor Cook could trace its source.
virulent
BoSnechiîa’s Visit
Captain Don Domingo Boenechea was sent out on an exploring expédition by the authorities of Peru, in command of the “Aguila.”
Taking a westerly course from Callao he passed through the Tuamotus, and
arriving at Tahiti November 8 of the same year he anchored at Teahu’po’o
in Tai’arapu, where he remained ten days. He named Tahiti Isla
d’Amat,
in honor of the viceroy of Peru under whom he served.®
Four of the
ship’s company were sentenced to death and publicly shot there, and a fifth
escaped the same penalty by fleeing to the woods and remaining concealed
among the natives until the ship went away.
This man afterwards became
a member of the
family and counselor of the high chief, Vehiatua, and was
the first white man who settled in Tahiti. He adapted himself to the
ways
of the people, and the Spanish type is still imprinted upon the features of
In 1772,
descendants, chiefs of Teahu’po’o.
his
Cook’s SkcoND Voyagé
August 15, 1773) Tahiti was again visited by Cook, then captain of
ship “Resolution,” followed by the “Adventure,” which was commanded
by Captain Furneaux, the former lieutenant of the “Dolphin” under Wallis
who raised the British pennant at Matavai. They anchored at
Teahu’po’o,
in the same harbor that the Spanish had
occupied the previous year, but
moved on the lyth to the more sheltered harbor of
Vaitepiha in the district
of Tautira, in the north of Taiarapu, as the ships had been overtaken at
Teahu’po’o by a strong wind that drove the “Resolution” against the rocks
and endangered her safety. While at Taiarapu, Captain Cook met former
acquaintances, notably the young chief, Vehiatua, who had lost his father,
and an old friend, named Tûahu, who had accompanied Cook in
part of his
survey of Tahiti during his former visit. On seeing the map of the island
on this occasion, Tûahu
readily understood it, and pointed out the districts
by name.
On
the
This information was obtained also by Collingridge from an ancient
Spanish essay ent'itled
“Description of the islands of the Pacific Océan recently visited by order of his Majesty, by
Domingo de Boenechea, Captain of frigate, of the Royal Navy, and Commander of his
Majesty’s ship, ‘Santa Maria Magdalena’ (before named El Aguila) in the years 1772 and
1774,” (Translated).
Cf. Corney, Bolton Glanvill, The quest and occupation of Tahiti by emissarîes of Spain
during the years 1772 and 1776, Eondon (Hakluyt Soc,), 1913. Ed,
*
Don
^
Cf. op.
cif., vol,
i,
pp.
xxviii-xxxii.
Bernice P.
20
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
On the
23d of August, the ships sailed to Hitiaa, where they were
hospitably received by the chief, Eretî, and his people—Bougainville’s
friends—and they proceeded to Matavai Bay on the
25th. There the
chief, Tû, who was surrounded by a multitude gazing at the
ships, did not wait to receive the British, but fled over One-tree-hill
to his résidence at
Papaoa, the adjoining district, whither Captain Cook
went the following day to visit him, and was
only allowed to hold an inter¬
view with him across a brook.
The day afterward Tû was persuaded to
visit the ships, and he was
gradually drawn into sociability.
young
The districts of North Tahiti had
dévastations of
war,
quite recovered from the former
but old friends aided in supplying the ships with pro¬
not
visions from the great
neighboring district of Papenoo. On the first of
September, they took their departure, with expressions of much regret from
Tû. On this occasion Captain Cook was joined
by a young man of rank,
named Hiti-hiti (Edging), who was
pleased to hâve the opportunity of
visiting many lands, the ships frequently entering the Antarctic Circle in
search of a Southern continent, which then was the
principal object of the
voyage. In the “Adventure,” Captain Furneaux took with him to England
from Huahine, a young native man of the middle
class, named Ma’i (Sickness), who had been of great service to them in the islands and who readily
adapted himself to English manners and acquired a knowledge of the
language. There he remained more than three years, until Captain Cook’s
last voyage to Tahiti in 1777- He was
very kindly regarded and was paid
great attention by the nobility. He had the good fortune to meet with a
philanthropie gentleman, named Mr. Granville Sharp, who gave him religi¬
and moral
instructions, which went with conviction to the young man’s
heart, but scarcely affected his course in life. Mr. Sharp instructed him
in reading and writing, in which he became
quite skilled and was able to
apply the letters to' Tahitian words, being the first native to do so.
ons
After
exploring the Southern
passing and repassing the Antarctic
Captain Cook revisited
the ship “Resolution.”
his Tahitian friend Hiti-hiti, who gave glowing accounts
by whose advice Captain Cook had procured from the
quantity of ’ura or red and yellow feathers, which he
seas,
Circle in search of the supposed Southern continent,
Matavai Bay, April 22, of the following year, in
With him returned
of his travels and
Friendly Islands
found
He
to
be
a
a
most
valuable article of trade in Tahiti.
exchanged several visits and présents with Tû, then ruler of ail
Tahiti, whom he describes as a man of fine physique, tall in
stature, and of a timid nature. In his presence, his relatives and attendants
North
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
of both
21
always lowered their clothes from the shoulders down to their
highest royal respect, and the guests on being requested
to do the same conformed as nearly as
they could by baring their heads.
Among many présents, Captain Cook gave Tû a sword and showed him
sexes
waists in token of
how to buckle it to bis
time he
side, which at first seemed
to alarm him.
For
a
shy of visiting the ship, expressing himself ^'matau i te pupuhi”
(afraid of the gnns). The prince’s minister of state was his uncle, Ti’i,
who was an able adviser and exercised an influence for
good over his
nephew and the people, making peace hetween them and the British visitors
whenever friction arose, as it did occasionally,
chiefly on account of thefts.
Since Captain Cook’s last visit the devastated land had recovered its usual
prosperity. Of the varions animais that he had left for the natives, goats
and cats were thriving best. This sojourn was
prolonged to three weeks in
order to make some repairs on the ship.
was
Meanwhile the British and the
primitive islanders had reciprocal diver¬
Sometimes entertainments were given on shore at which Tahitian men
and women exhibited the dance called heiva
(amusement), accompanied
with drum and flûte and comic songs, in which
they improvised suitahle
sions.
words for their
foreign company, frequently mentioning the name Tute
In return the English seamen sang lively airs and danced to the
horn and bagpipe, which the native men soon imitated
fairly well. So the
white men were charmed with these people’s
simple manners and their
adaptiveness to their own.
(Cook).
Captain Cook
pape, Amo
had not a
he been at
with the
was visited by his old friends, the former rulers of Ha’aand Purea from Papara, who having no more daims on Matavai
pig or other token of friendship to présent to him. But had
Papara, their home, they still could hâve shown him hospitality
same
dignity
as
formerly.
During this time, a fleet of large war canoës numbering 214 and more
expected, assembled in the bay, and accompanying them were as many
smaller canoës to carry provisions and also to
bring away their warriors
who might be wounded or killed in battle. For the Tahitians were on their
way to invade the neighboring island of Aimeo or Mo’orea.
Judging from
the great number of men in the fleet,
Captain Cook computed the popula¬
tion of the whole island to be
calculation
more
than two hundred thousand—a moder-
according to navigators coming soon afterwards. Long since
population has diminished to a small fraction of that number.
This fleet exhibited a mock seafight, which
greatly interested the British,
who in turn entertained with fireworks.
The natives were delighted and
called the fireworks ahi-tiri
(fire-to-throw), which they are still called today.
ate
then the
Bernice P.
22
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
May 14 they parted amicably,
visit his friend at Ra’iatea.
the British taking Hiti-hiti
as a passenger
to
BoënEchDa’s RëTurn
On the 6th of
November, 1774, Boenechea again visited Tahiti with the
frigate “Aguila” and the packet-boat “Jupiter” and anchored at Piha’a
in Pneu, north Tai’arapu, a harbor which they called Santa Cruz.
He
brought with him two priests with two attendants, who remained as missionaries.
He also brought a wooden house having two rooms and loopholes in the walls for Windows, which they erected in the district.
Amid
préparations to return to South America, Boenechea died a few
He was buried with military honors on shore, and the
imposing religions rites greatly interested the natives. Over his grave was
erected a large wooden cross, upon which were inscribed his name and the
words: “Christus vincit, Carlos III Imperot 1774.” A few days later the
Spanish departed, taking with them four Tahitians, two of whom died soon
weeks
later.
afterwards at Lima.
The grave of
lined with canvas, and upon a red blanket
branches were strewn by the ship’s afïectionate
company.
Soon after the Spanish had retired from the grave, the natives,
who coveted the blanket, threw off the earth, stole the blanket, and left the
grave filled in as before.
But they had not long been in possession of
their treasure before many fleas came out—the first ever seen in Tahiti—
and they soon increased and spread throughout the land.
thrown
over
Boenechea
was
his coffin green
Langara’s Visit
The
following year, 1775, the same frigate, “Aguila,” commanded by
Cayetano de Langara, returned to Tahiti and again anchored in Santa
Cruz harbor at Pueu with provisions for the missionaries and accompanied
by the two surviving natives, who were glad to corne home and return to
their old habits.
The missionaries, regarding their work as a failure,
although the Tahitians had treated them kindly and respectfully, decided to
return by the “Aguila” to their own land.
A bull, a ram, some Spanish
swine, and some dogs were landed for the natives, who were much pleased
with them, and leaving the house and the grave in their hands, which
they carefully preserved long afterwards, the ship soon took her final
departure.
According to Collingridge, during the three voyages of the Spanish
already mentioned, they sighted twenty-two islands, ranging from the Tuamotus to the two Society groups, the latter of which they named lias CarolD.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
inas, in honor of their king, Carlos III.
23
They also fell into the
same
mis-
take that Wallis did from Purea’s courtesy in regard to Tahiti, supposing
that the chiefs of these islands formally accepted Spanish supremacy merely
by acts of hospitality usually shown to distinguished guests in those days by
the islanders.
CoOK’s LaST VOYAGlî
In 1777, on
Cook
their
once more
way to the northwest coast of North America,
visited Tahiti in the “Resolution”, accompanied by
Captain
Captain
at Vai-te-piha in
Clerke in the “Discovery.”
They anchored August 13
Tautira, and fotmd as chief a boy about twelve years of âge, named Vehiatua, in place of his brother Vehi-atua’’ who had died about two years
before.
There they were well received and after remaining several days
proceeded to Matavai, where they anchored August 24.
He found that Tû had taken
wife of high degree from Mo’orea, named
(Discovered), with a long regai name. (See p. 249.) She was a
most intelligent and able consort to him in gaining political
sway over the
islands. In the presence of Tû and Itea, as a token of highest royal respect,
according to native custom (p. 21), ail their subjects, including their
nearest relations, paid them homage
by lowering their clothes from
shoulders to waists, and at the approach of either of them the signal to
bare themselves was the cry “Te Ari’i, te Ari’i!” (The Sovereign, The Sovereign!) when they would be thus ready to meet them.
a
Itea®“
The friendly relations of the British with the rising Prince Tû remained
unbroken, and they were sorry to find that death had removed their former
friends, Purea and Tû’s uncle, Ti’i, the former minister of State. Ti’i had
been dead only four months, and his body, having been embalmed, was in a
State of préservation and exposed to view.^"
With much trouble, Captain
Cook had brought out from England an English bull, three cows, a horse,
a mare, and some
sheep, with the hope of doing a lasting service to his
hospitable island friends ; and he delivered them and some poultry into the
hands of Tû, who had in his possession the gander that Wallis had given to
Purea ten years before.
Some garden seeds were also planted on ground
cleared for the purpose, and from them were propagated capsicums and
pumpkins over the whole group. The Spanish bull had been brought from
Tai’arapu to Matavai on its way to Porapora, the king of that island having
sent an emissary, supposed to be under
inspiration, to procure it from Vehiatua.
Cook stopped the proceeding by placing the bull also in the
custody of Tû. The native of Huahine, named Ma’i, had returned from
®
Vehiatua is the official
name
of that line of chiefs.
Apparently Tu’s second wife, Tetuanuireiateraiatea, is here meant.—Ed.
Cook, James, Voyage to the Pacific Océan, pl. 26, London, 1784.
Berilice P.
24
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
England in the “Resolution”, and lie had much to tell his countrymen about
his visit to “Beretane”, as Britain lias always been known to the Tahitians.
During this visit of the British ships, intelligence was received froni
a renewal of the same political strife that had arisen in 1774,
Mo’orea of
when the
war
canoës
of Tahiti encountered the “Resolution” in Matavai
On this occasion, as had happened in other instances, Tû solicited
Captain Cook to put down the disturbance, which Cook still discreetly declined to do. In addition to seeing a fleet again equipped for war,
Captain Cook and some of his officers witnessed the terrible ceremony of
offering human sacrifices at Atehoru (Papeno’o).
The two ships quitted Matavai September 29, 1777, and for the first
time they then visited Ainieo (Mo’oixa).
On their arrivai, They anchored
in the beautiful bay of Paopao, which in honor of this circumstance has
been named Cook’s Bay, and thence they proceeded to Taareu or Opunohu
Bay, deeper than Paopao and even more beautiful. They were kindly
received by the high chief, Mahine, and his people and were charmed with
the beauties of the island.
Thence they proceeded to the leeward islands
and on the 8th of December, 1777, they set sail with the intention of searching for a northern passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, first taking a
northerly course and ariving at the Hawaiian group, which according to
Bay.
the aid of
Tahitian folk-lore
Havai’i).
was
called Ai-hi
(Bit-in-fishing), Havai’i-a (Burning-
Watts’ Visit
After the final
departure of Captain Cook, eleven years elapsed before
again by Europeans. Then a ship, called “Lady Penrhyn,” commanded by Lieutenant Watts, formerly of Cook’s expédition,
arrived on its way to New South Wales and July 10, 1788, anchored at
Matavai. Lieutenant Watts was inimediately recognized by a chief df the
district, named Moana (Deep), and by Prince Tû, who arrived four days
later from Taiarapu, bringing with liini a portrait of Captain Cook that had
been painted for hini at his request by Webber, the artist of the expédition
during their last visit to Tahiti.
An abundance of animal and vegetable food was supplied to the ship
in exchange for ii'oii and other useful things. Besides the natural products
of the land, pumpkins, capsicums, go^ts, and cats were offered in bartering.
Iron was eagerly sought after, and the ring of an anchor left at Hitia’a
twenty years before by Bougainville was produced by Tû, who requested to
hâve it forged into small adzes.
During the long absence of Europeans from Tahiti, Tû had greatly
extended his dominion over the land and was gaining a firm footing in
Tahiti
was
visited
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
Tai’arapu.
one
25
But he had met with great adversities in Mo’orea, whence on
came wlio laid waste Pare and Ha’apape, killing and
occasion invaders
away as trophies many of the cattle that had increased there. He
complained of the long absence of the English and begged Lieutenant
Watts to aid him in subjugating Mo’orea, which Watts, like.Captain Cook
on parallel occasions, could not consent to do.
Tû regretted the short stay
of the “Lady Penrhyn,” which after a fortnight left for Australia.
carrying
Bligh’s Visit
On the 26th of October,
of Lieutenant Watts,
there
1788, just three months after the departure
the ship “Bounty” of Pitcairn Island famé,
came
by Lieutenant Bligh, who had been sailing master under Capwas commissioned by King George to procure breadfruit plants to introduce into the British West Indies, at the request of
the enterprising men of those islands.
The English were cordially welcomed by the people at Matavai, and two
days later Tû and his wife, Itea,^®'' who were then residing at Taiarapu, arrived to do the honors of the district. They then had three children, a daughter, who was the eldest, and two sons, whose names are recorded in the genealogy of the royal family. ,(See p. 249.) The elder son, who afterwards became Pômare II, was then about six years of âge, and upon him ail
his father’s regai dignity was being concentrated.
In his presence, as well
as in'that of his parents, the subjects bared their bodies down to the waist.
Captain Bligh and some of his officers went to pay their respects to the
young prince at Pare, where they were allowed only to accost him across
a river, he and his sister and brother standing on one bank with their atten¬
dants and they on the other, for he had not yet been brought into contact
with the public, according to the custom for a Tahitian heir apparent in those
days. The British were requested to lower their clothes in the royal pres¬
ence, to which they responded by taking off their hats, as Cook and his
officers had donc in the presence of Tû and Itea.
Lieutenant Bligh made handsome présents in the name of the British
king to Prince Tû and told him that the most acceptable requital he could
make would be some breadfruit plants, and to this Tû at once agreed. In
speaking of his troubles with Mo’orea Tû showed a strong desire to avenge
himself on his opponents and was much pleased with a présent of two
muskets, a pair of pistols, and a good supply of ammunition, in the use of
which his wife, who was an exceptionally courageous woman, and Hitihiti,
who had travelled with Captain Cook during his third voyage from Tahiti,
became expert, rather than Tû himself.
Apparently Tu’s second wife, Tetuanuireiaiteraiatea, is meant.—Ed.
commanded
tain Cook and who
Apparently Tu’s second wife,
Tetuanuireiaiteraiatea, is meant.—I)d.
20
Bernice P.
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Owing to the rough weather the “Bounty” was moved on Christmas
day from Matavai Bay to the safe harbor of Pape’ete. There the
ship
took in about a thousand breadfruit
plants, to which were added some vi,
’ahia, ràtà, orà, tou, mati, ti, 'ape, and pia. Some natives had
gardens that
were in
good order, and some maize from the “Bounty” planted in them
matured before it left, for it took time to collect the
plants.
Several of the seamen,
becoming attached to the Tahitians, deserted
were pursued and
captured by some of the chiefs, who also exerted
themselves in keeping order among the
but
people, still prone to help themforeign goods.
Captain Cook’s portrait, the frame of which was damaged, was brought
to the ship to be
mended, and there it was carefully kept whife. she remained
in port.
Lieutenant Bligh inscribed upon the back of it the date of the
ship’s arrivai and for a long time it was the practice of commanders of
British ships of war who visited Tahiti to do the same.
What became of
the picture no one now knows.
After a stay of more than five
months, the “Bounty” set sail with the
plants April 4, 1789, Tû earnestly requesting Lieutenant Bligh to take him
and his consort with him to
Britain, which Hitihiti also desired. After
leaving Tahiti Lieutenant Bligh sailed to Namuka, in the Tongan or
Friendly group, a long low island with a lake of fresh water, where he
anchored on the 23rd of
April and where he introduced some plants,
instructing the natives by the aid of former friends who had travelled from
the Tongan group with Captain Cook how to raise
them. Some pineapples that Cook had planted there were in a flourishing condition. The
selves to
natives bartered
after
taking in
a
abundance of yams and coconuts with the
ship, and
supply of fresh water it sailed away on the 26th of April.
an
Second
Great
ture,
on
and
Third Return
oe
the
“Bounty”
was the
surprise of the Tahitians when two months after its departhe 6th of June, the ship “Bounty” returned to
Matavai, com-
by Fletcher Christian, the master’s mate, without Lieutenant Bligh
eighteen of his ship’s company, still having on board ail the Tahitian
plants, and requiring new provisions and water for their
voyage.
It was
manded
and
not
until
some
known to the
time afterwards that the
story of the
people of Tahiti.
The survival of Lieutenant
Bligh and his
men
mutiny became vaguely
in their
long dangerous
journey in a small leaky launch is a strong argument in favor of the
authenticity of statements in Polynesian folklore of the long voyages that
the islanders took
safer and
more
the Pacific Océan in large
spacious than Bligh’s little boat.
over
canoës,
which
were
far
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
27
setting adrift their commander and his company, the mutineers
a westerly direction, so as to mislead Bligh in regard to the
course they intended to take, and when out of sight they turned round and
v/ent to Tubuai, in the Austral group, about ninety leagues south of Tahiti.
.■\s this island was more isolated than Tahiti, they decided to make their
home there.
With this plan they returned to Tahiti to persuade some of
their former acquaintances to accompany them and also to procure stock
for the settlement they intended to make.
After
sailed off in
thought prudent by Lieutenant Watts of the “Lady Penrhyn” and also by Lieutenant Bligh not to make known the death of CapIt had been
them on his account,
might change their feelings towards them
and at some unexpected moment involve trouble similar to that of Captain
Cook in Hawaii.
Fletcher Christian and his men, taking advantage of
this circumstance, told the natives that they had met Captain Cook, who
had sent the ship back for ali the livestock that could be spared to propagate upon an island that Captain Bligh had discovered on his way to
the Tongan Islands. The natives gave credence to this fiction and soon vied
with each other in furnishing the most for Captain Cook, so that by the
i6th of June, they had collected four hundred fifty hogs, fifty goats, and
many fowls, dogs, and cats.
The bull and cow, which Captain Bligh had
committed to the care of Tû, were also given to them; but the bull died on
tain Cook to their Tahitian friends, who were kind to
as
the British feared the
news
the passage.
Eleven Tahitian
women
embarked with the mutineers, and after the
found that thirteen men, including Plitihiti,
When they were informed of the destina¬
tion of the ship and of the improbability of ever returning to Tahiti, they
did not niurmur but adhered faithfully to their new masters.
The muti¬
neers were at first hospitably received by the peuple of Tubuai and allowed
10 land.
Later, hostilities broke out, and they were driven off.
ship had gone to sea
had stowed themselves
it
was
on
board.
Swedish man-of-war, commanded
Tû and
Itea with their usual kindness.
In return, Captain Cox made them liberal
présents, among which were included firearms and ammunition and a handsaw, also a Union Jack, which was attached to the royal waist girdle of Tû
in the same manner as the pennant before appropriated by Amo of Papara.
A shrewd man named Brown was left in Tahiti by Captain Cox, and he
attached himself to Tû, who placed him in charge of his land in Taiarapu.
While this
was
happening at Tubuai,
a
by Captain J. H. Cox, arrived at Matavai and was received by
When the mutineers
were once more
at sea,
Christian, who had become
melancholy and confined himself much to his own cabin, proposed going to
some isolated, uninhabited island, where they might be safe from discovery.
28
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Some of the
men consented to cast their lot with
his; but as others objected
requested to be returned to Tahiti, the “Bounty” returned and on the
22nd of September, 1789, anchored a third and last time at Matavai.
Hitihiti and his followers were glad to return home to
stay. Sixteen of
the ship’s company then landed with a share of ammunition and other
sup¬
plies from the ship. They were kindly welcomed by their old friends in
North Tahiti, and lands were there given them on which to make their
homes.
Several of these men had not taken part in the
conspiracy, but
had been unable to stand by their captain and his officers in their
trouble,
and they had been obliged to remain on the
ship because of lack of room
in the boat with Captain
Bligh, a fact he had had nd opportunity of
knowing.
Suddenly one night the “Bounty” set sail with twenty-seven people on
and
board—nine white and six native men, eleven women, and one infant
Tahifian girl. Christian had read an account of the
discovery in 1767 by
Captain Cartaret, in H. M. S. “Swallow,” of a lonely uninhabited island,
which was named Pitcairn, and thither the
fugitives from justice went,
arriving
on
the 23rd of January, lygoM
Most of the mutineers and others who remained in Tahiti
and built
set to
work
good-sized schooner, which though made under difhculties had
the hearty coopération of the natives, who aided in
getting timber and
substituting nails and pitch by sewing the planks together with sennit and
plastering the seams over with sap from the breadfruit tree, after the manner of the old
pahi or Polynesian ship. The natives regarded as sacred the
white men’s tools and did not try to steal them,
being accustomed to hold
their own as property of the gods. At
length the schooner was completed,
with matting for sails, and it was
regarded as a great success by ail. It
served occasionally as a man-of-war in Prince Tû’s
fleet, and fourteen of
the white men ultimately aided him
greatly in subjugating ail Tahiti.
One of the mutineers, named Churchill, who had been master at arms
on the
“Bounty” and very active in the mutiny, became attached to the
high chief, Vehiatua, of south and east Taiarapu (p. 23), and he
became his taio or taua (friend, a
relationship similar to that between
Jonathan and David as described in the Scriptures), which according to
ancient native custom, entitled him to rank and
prestige in the land. He
was accompanied
by another mutineer named Thompson, one of the most
ignorant and brutal of the ship’s company, who soon played some tricks
upon him and they fell out. Shortly afterwards, Vehiatua died, and owing
to the tie of friendship held most sacred
by Tahitians his regai name
devolved upon Churchill, who was thus entitled to reniain in the land as
a
“
Young, R.
Oakland, 1894.
A.y
Mutiny
of
the
“Bounty”
and
story
of
Pitcairn
Island,
1790-1894,
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
personification.
his
29
This greatly excited the jealousy of Thompson, who
revenge and one day shot and killed
companion. On account of this violent deed, the subjects of Vehiatua
rose up and stoned Thompson to death.
Thus in their chosen Elysium,
tragically ended the lives of two of the mutineers, while fourteen yet
watched for
an
occasion to hâve his
his
remained.
The
naine
then reverted to
a
boy chief four
years
old who
as
his uncle,
Vehiatua, died childless, succeeded to the chieftainship. It has always
been the custom of Tahitians not to give two persons the same name at
the
same
the
time,
as
doing
so
would be considered
offense, like giving
this was the reason
a grave
présent to two persons living apart, and
same
that it did not behoove the little chieftain to assume the
Churchill lived.
But he showed the white
man
regai
name
while
ail the respect due to a
this form of ffiendship do
giving away to a stranger the inheritance of land and title, as
foreigners hâve erroneously supposed. Early in 1791, with the imposing
royal ceremonies of ancient times. Prince Tû assunied the sovereignty of
ail Tahiti, being backed by the Englishmen, whose arms the natives feared.
near
relation.
include
not
The privilèges derived from
Edwards’ Visit
23d of March, 1791, the British frigate “Pandora,” under CapEdwards, arrived at Matavai to reclaim the mutineers, after having
searched for them among the Fijian and Tongan islands, in conséquence
On the
tain
of their ruse.
(See p. 27.) King Tû and his people, with whom
mutineers had become affiliated, were now obliged to deliver them into
hands of
a
stronger power,
and after
a
the
the
little hiding and seeking in the
manly surrendering, the innocent and the guilty, yet untried,
were placed in one close apartment with but one opening for light and air
and chained to the floor, where no considération was shown them as human
beings, by the order of stern Captain Edwards, who also seized their
districts and
schooner.
For
a
month and
a
ing that time pathetic
native
women
half the
ship remained at Matavai, and daily dur-
scenes .were
who had become
enacted between the prisoners and
strongly attached to them and who in their
grief vainly implored mercy for them of the captain and officers.
of respectable family at Matavai had lived with a midshipman who had been active in the mutiny, and she had borne him a
child. His removal from her and his cruel lot so preyed upon her feelings
that she soon went into décliné, and died, leaving her baby to the care of
a sister, who cherished it as her own.
Four other children also were left
in sorrow to their mothers by those unfortunate men.
bitter
One young woman
Bernice P.
30
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Notwithstanding these sad circumstances, festivities
were
carried
on
until the 8th of
still chained in
command of
tralia
were
between the white
men
and amusements
and the natives
uninterruptedly
May, when the “Pandora” left Tahiti, keeping the prisoners
their prison and also taking
away the schooner under the
one of the officers.
The “Pandora” was wrecked near Aitsits way to England, and amid the confusion four of the
prisoners
drowned. One of these had suggested the
mutiny of the captain to
on
Christian, who had planned originally to abandon the ship. The ten surviving prisoners were saved in the ship’s boats, which travelled a thousand
miles before the shipwrecked men were rescued
by another ship, which
conveyed them to England. During the voyage the prisoners, who were
suffering from ill treatment, were set free and dealt with humanely.
After trial in
England, four of the prisoners were acquitted as having
mutiny and for a time were given medical treatment,
owing to some illegality connected with his indictment, one was discharged
and two were pardoned under
extenuating circumstances. The remaining
three were found guilty, and without
reprieve were hanged at Spithead.
taken
no
part in the
Eatër VlSlTS
At the close of the year 1791,
Captain Vancouver in H. M. S. “Discovery,” accompanied by Lieutenant Broughton in the brig “Chatham,”
visited Tahiti.
After losing sight of each other the “Chatham” arrived
at Matavai, their
place of rendezvous, on the 27th of December and was
joined by the “Discovery” three days later. Vancouver was received with
the usual kindness by the chiefs and
people of North Tahiti, exchanging
présents with them. King Tû, who was in Mo’orea at the time of his arrivai,
leturned to Matavai the following week with his
father-in-law, who was
very ill and who died a fortnight afterwards, an event which brought
Mo’orea more closely under the control of the
king. The English exhibited
fireworks to the great delight of the people and were
prevented from the
répétition of a display by some daring thefts committed by them. The
vessels left Tahiti
on
the 24th of
January,
1792.
Early in February of the same year, a British whaler, named
“Matilda,” commanded by Captain Weatherhead, touched at Tahiti for
refreshments, which were obtained satisfactorily. After a fortnight’s stay
the ship left, but was wrecked
upon a coral reef south-southeast of the
Tuamotus on the 25th of February.
The captain and crew escaped in
boats to Tahiti. Upon landing, they were
plundered by the natives of ail
that they had saved from off the ship, but were otherwise
hospitably treated.
There was much contention among the people for the goods, and when
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
31
king heard of the circumstance he piinished the offenders by laying
the
their lands.
Waste
the “Prince William Henry,” touched at Tahiti
following March, remaining only three days. Some of
the people formerly on the “Matilda” took passage in it to North America,
while others pre ferring to remain in Tahiti attached themselves as members tg different families of the land.
Of these, O’Connor, an Irishman,
and James Butcher, a Scotchman, became inmates of King Tû’s household,
and aided him in European warfare.
A small vessel, called
on
the 26th of the
yth of April, 1792, Lieutenant Bligh, who had been promoted
captain, returned to Tahiti on the same errand as before in
a ship nanied the “Providence,” attended
by a smaller vessel called the
“Assistance,” sailed by Lieutenant Portlock. Captain Bligh found the dis¬
tricts of North Tahiti in agitation against the king because of the chastisernent he had inflicted upon the people a few weeks previously.
By the
captain’s presence and influence, peace was restored and sealed by native
religions ceremonies, in which, to the distress of Captain Bligh, was included
the offering of human sacrifices.
With the kindly aid of the natives, a
second collection of breadfruit and otlier plants was made, and Captain
Bligh sailed away with them without trouble to the West Indies, accompanied by Hitihiti and a servant of the king to aid in taking care of the
plants on arriving there.^®
On the
to the rank of
February,
In
the British storeship “Daedalus,” commanded by
following Captain Vancouver
to Port Jackson.
The ship’s company were so charmed with Tahiti that
two of the crew deserted with the intention of
settling among the natives.
One of them was recovered, but the other, a Swede named Peter, was
1793,
Captain New, arrived
at Matavai, on her way
allowed to remain in Tahiti.
took his
One of the former settlers from the “Matilda”
departure from the island by the “Daedalus.”
On the
3d of March, 1797, for the first time in the records of Tahiti,
earthquake shocks were felt and were accompanied with a high
and a terrible storm, which greatly terrorized the inhabitants.
Early in
morning the first shock took place, which drove the people out of their
several
sea
the
houses in confusion. At noon another occurred, which made them throw
themselves prostrate upon the ground and cry out for mercy to their gods.
And at sunset a third shock caused many to hold night vigils, fearful that
some
awful
hove in
calamity was at hand. On the following day, the 4th, there
sight the London missionary ship “Duff,” to which the natives
attributed the
commotion and in
The first collection
the mutineers on Pitcairn.
of
plants,
on
conséquence
board
the
“Bounty,”
named it Te-rapu (Thewere
set
out
and
cultivated
by
Bernice P.
32
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
stirrer), a name they hâve always retained and hâve known it by no other.
good effect that the quake had upon the minds of the Tahitians towards
The
the missionaries and their work
was
great.
The list of visits from the outside world to
Tahiti, of authentic record,
discovery by Captain Wallis in 1767 to the arrivai of the British
missionaries in 1797i embracing a period of thirty years, may be regarded
as the préludé to its modem
history.
from its
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
33
FLORA OF THE SOCIETY AND TUAMOTU ISLANDS ^
INTRODUCTION
Much has been said of the
beauty of these tropical islands perpetually
cloud-capped mountain tops, with their
beautiful spreading trees draped and fringed with vines and parasites and
waving in the breezes their fragrant flowers, colorful berries and delicious
fruits, with their rocks softened in outline with moss and fern and the
ground carpeted with grass and fern and shrub, though without the many
wild flowers found in spring in the Temperate Zones.
clad in verdure from seashore to
vqgetables hâve been introduced with great sucTemperate Zones—
oranges, guavas, tamarinds, and garden vegetables by the English missionaries and since then other plants by the French government and private
landholders.
From Tahiti these plants hâve been distributed among dif¬
ferent islands and neighboring groups.
Numerous fruits and
cess
from the East and West Indies and also from the
LIST OF PLANTS
Tamarind
Foreigners believed that the great tamarind tree {Tamarindus indica)
formerly at Point Venus, was planted by Captain Cook; and one is known
to bave been planted by him at Papaoa, which tradition States soon dwindled
away and died.
But the tamarind tree first mentioned as well as the first
orange tree that produced fruit in Tahiti were planted by the Rev. Wm.
Flenry in his garden at Point Venus.
Meia
and
Fei
The
mainstay and staff of the people are the delicious fruits of the
(Musa), called in.Tahitian, mei’a and fe’i,
two distinct groups, to one of which belongs the giant Canna, which grows
in gardens and mountain sides, its cylindric trunk bearing from the center
broad leaves and weighty bunches of fruit.
various varieties of the banana
Following are the names of
of meïa—bananas and lowland
the thirty-four native horticultural varieties
plantains afi1l, aivao, apura, avae, eretoa,
haiva, haitea, haupa, huamano or huarau (plantain), huamene (plantain),
huarau-tioma (plantain, at Taapuna), mahori mamara or apiri, mei’a-maohi
^
*
Received in 1840 from the chiefs Anani and Moe of Taiarapu.
Received in 1840 from Moe and Anani, chiefs of Taiarapu.
Bernice P.
34
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(plantain), neinei
or taviriviri, neinei-parafatu, tapua or ovatavata or rori,
ohoro, oîoio, opaopa, ore’a (maiden plantain, of two or three forms),
paurutia, pipape, puroini or puroiva, piitepiite, rererai, tai’o’ute or taioura
(red plantain), tavahi-paparua, tavara (plantain, fruit splits easily), tuturita,
mei’a tiipafi, tamene or hai tea, liai 'o'a.
oa,
Unlike the banaira fruits
generally, which turn soft and assume délicate
yellow when ripe, neinei, neinei-parafatu, and tapua are tough and
adhéré to the skin until well squeezed and loosened with the hand, as their
names signify.
In ripening, their skins change from a darker to a lighter
shade of green, and they are almost alike in taste.
Introduced varieties are : mei’a-hamoa, dwarf or China banana ; mei’avaihi, Hawaiian long plantain; puroinî-papaa, a light-yellow species of the
indigenous puroini, which is of a rich salmon color; maria or rio, Brazilian
banana, very hardy and supplanting many others in the land, introduced
early in the fifties in Tahiti and in Honolulu by General Miller, the appleshades of
banana; rehu, from Honolulu; tara puatoro.
There
are
also other kinds not
definitely named.
Of these beautiful
trees, with fruit irumbering more than eighty in a bunch—some varieties,
hundreds—the plantain varieties and the rio grow the tallest, their trunks
averaging eighteen feet in length and two in circumference and their leaves
spreading out equally as long and about two feet in width. The China or
dwarf banana is the shortest, many being mature when the trunk is not
inuch over four feet high. The leaves of ail these varieties,
mostly of softgreen shades, change to bright-yellow when old, brown when dry.
The
newly unfurled leaves of one form of the maiden plantain has leaves tinged
with a délicate pink on the under side; the leaves of the tai’o’ute are of a
dusky-red. Ail mei’a bunches corne out in purple sheaths, which fall ofï
as their fruit
develops, and other groups south hâve a rare variety of plan¬
tain with light-green leaves striped with white. One Hawaiian banana
pro¬
duces fruit from the side of the trunk of the tree below the leaves.
Mountain
plantains,
fe’i, include eighteen varieties :
or ’afara, fara-onohi, faraopu-roa, fei-haa (dwarf fei), fe’i ’ore’a (fruit tapering like the maiden
plantain), paru, piatoto, poutia (large round fruit), puputa (small tapering
fruit), rureva, rutu, tatia, u’ururu.
Although indigenous to the mountains and valley recesses, the fe’i grows
best on high or low soil. Its leaves are of a deep
bright-green, its stems
are
very brittle, and its sap makes a dark-purple ink.
The trunks of the
mei’a are green and brown, those of the fe’i, green and black. The brown
and black parts of the two groups are stripped ofï and used to make
pat¬
’A’
terns
or
ai’a, ’a’ata, ’aiori, ’aoha, arutu, fara-maire
in mats, hats, fans, etc.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
35
shape, the fruits of the Musa resemble cucumbers of various sizes
less angular and tapering towards the tips, those of plantain
being thickest and least tapering. The plants are propagated by the shoots,
none of the fruits having seeds except one or two varieties of
fe’i.
The fe’i bears bunches of fruit in green sheaths which stand upright
from the center of the plant, some with over two hundred fruits on one
stem.
The ripe fruit is bright yellow without and sulphur-colored inside,
is best for eating when cooked as vegetables, and is the most nutritions
In
but
are more or
of ail Tahitian fruits.
According to
bunches of fruit
legend, the mei’a of the lowlands formerly carried their
upright like the fe’i of the heights, but on one occasion
a
the two tribes went to
their
more
war
with each other and the mei'a
vigorous cousins.
Since then they hâve
down their heads in mortification.
beaten by
ceased to hold
were
never
Taro ®
To taro, or
varieties :
tie’e^ (Colocasia antiquorum), lielong twenty-nine cultivated
(small and full of fibrous roots), aniuea, area (at the Pari of
Taiarapu), auaa-hiva, eteete, haaia, hua-raro, iihi and purau-ura (red var¬
ieties), mairi, mauroa, naho, pape-ata, pehu-manmnanu, pehu-tea, poihere,
pu-tahi, tama-here, taro-hua-rau, ti’imoa, u’ute or ’ura (pink taro), vaiohuna, vai-purau and onoa (yellow taros), vava, veo-’oa, veo-tea; two
introduced varieties : taro raroto’a (brought by ancient navigators named
Matui and Heretao from Rarotonga) and ta’ro Niue (brought lately from
Savage Island or Niue).
Seven wild varieties are known : apura or mapura, taro-avaatia, taromapo, taro-matia, taro-ouraoura, taro-oteu, taro-paririhoro.
Taro, rightly named the “king of roots” by Robert Louis Stevenson,
is simply an immense Caladium with leaves of plain bluish-green. It thrives
best on marshy ground. Its solid tuberous root, averaging ten or twelve
inches in length and about eight in circumference around the center and
tapering towards the ends, develops under the soil and reaches its full
growth when the plant sends out bright-yellow flowers, composed of a
spadix and spathe. Young taro leaves are good as spinach, called pota;
and the stem of the inner young leaf, called fafa, is also edible.
The
Aa-vare
flowers and their
stems
are
eaten
likewise.
The tuber is
a
most
nutritions,
wholesome, pleasant food, acrid when raw. Most kinds are mealy, but
some hâve a tough texture.
Taro is propagated by the tops or by shoots,
This and subséquent lists were received
added.
^This form is no longer used in Tahiti.
^
were
from the chîefs Moe and Anani.
A few varieties
Bernice P.
36
called
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
When the shoots
moo.
left to mature around the mother
are
they produce small tubers, called pohiri.
Tradition States that taro
was
taken
plant
from Tahiti and introduced to
other lands, and from New Zealand cornes the statement ® that taro
brought there from Papetoai in Mo’orea.
many
was
Apë
(Alocasia macrorrhiza), akin to the taro, belong four cultivated
’ape-oa, haparu, maota, uahea, and one wild variety, puhi.
To ape
varieties
:
best in dry soil. The plants are large and handsome,
highly ornamental in gardens and hâve spreading, heart-shaped'^leaves which
in some varieties measure four feet in length and three in breadth, or more,
and stand upright on long graceful stems, ail dark-green, except maota,
the leaf (the smallest of the "ape) and stem of which hâve a maroon tinge.
The leaves make good rustic' umbrellas and parasols and covering for var¬
ions purposes. They are sometimes used to cover temporary buts.
This plant grows
The tuber of the ’ape, unlike the taro, develops mostly above ground, is
cylindric in form and measures about eight or twelve inches around. Those
that hâve grown for many years are eccentrically bent and twisted beneath
their heavy tops and some measure over six feet in length. ’Ape, especially
the wild variety, is coarser than taro, is very pungent when raw, but is
good wholesome food when well cooked.
Lately other kinds hâve been introduced to Tahiti, two from Hawaii—
with crape leaves of a maroon shade, and the other with leaves of
variegated green and white or entirely white.
one
Tl
The Tahitian varieties of ti
as
follows
(Cordyline terniinalis) number thirteen,
:
succulent, easily cooked and easy to crusli.
Small, tender leaves, whicli were much used for healing
purposes under the tutelar deity, Tama-teina, god of medicine.
Ti-huia.
Grows on sand and produces fikrous roots that cannot be eaten.
Ti-ma’opi. Bears a crumpled leaf.
Ti-opoe. Round roots that do not reach far into the ground; sweet and juicy.
Ti-paru. Roots that are not juicy but somewhat mealy when cooked.
Ti-rau-’aha.
Leaves shred easily.
Mateni.
Soft
Taratara-tau-’aroha.
Ti-rau-roa.
Leaves long.
Ti-tao.
A fine succulent
variety with hrittle variegated roots, which are easily
crushed—unlike ail the other varieties which
Ti-’ura.
were
°
are
white in the natural State.
species with young leaves and stems tinged with purple,
much sought after by the maidens of olden times for garlands.
A mountain
According to S. Percy Smitli's researches.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
A fine
Ti-’uti.
variety, formerly regarded
planted chiefly in the
Ti-vai-ra’au.
37
Roots
Ti-vauvau-mahi.
so
marae
as the most sacred of ail ti, and so
enclosures for the gods and religions uses.
large that can only be carried singly hy a strong man.
leaves, preferred to other kinds for lining a pit or
make fermented breadfruit (main) and for other wrapping
Broad
barrel in which to
purposes.
Of recent years,
several other beautiful varieties of ti hâve been introthem one with leaves of magenta, yellow, and green, which
brought from Rarotonga. Plants are easily propagated from branches.
duced,
was
among
The ti is
perhaps the most notable of ail Polynesian plants ; its long
glossy leaves of green or brilliant yellow were worn by orators and warriors
and enchanters in their official capacities.
They were and are still much
sought after for décorations and other purposes, and the juice of the root is
highly nutritions and pleasant as food.
The following lines in appréciation of the ti is found in Tahitian song
of former times
E Ti-’ura te Ti,
E faifai noa hia e
E marere hua e !
:
te
hui
tapairu
Na’u tena na Ti,
E Ti tanu e !
O a Ti, a pare i tai
O te tu’e mata o te
E manino te tai o te
A te vahiné e.
Te tu’u maira i to’na
In
e;
ahune
ravaai
e.
hoa iti e!
purple-tinged ti,
That is plucked by the waiting maids
Oh ! they will fly !
“That is my ti.
;
Ah, cultivated ti !”
Dig the ti, fence it in along the shore ;
It is the brow of plenty.
Oh, it smooths the watefs for fishing
Eor the woman ;
She will give some to lier dear friend.
Hawaii, strong spirits are distilled from the ti root by the natives,
they call o-kole-hao, and in the reign of King Pômare II, according
following,® some Hawaiians taught the Tahitians to manufacture the
which
to the
drink
na
It is the
;
:
By the Sandwich Islanders, who had arrived some years before, the natives
taught to distill ardent spirits from the saccharine ti root, which they
now practised to a great
extent; and exhibited, in a proportionate degree, ail the
demoralizing and debas'ing influences of drunkenness.
Whole districts frequently United to erect what might be termed a
public still.
It was a rude, unsightly machine, yet it answered but too well the
purpose for
which it was made.
It generally consisted of a large fragment of rock, hollowed
in a rough manner, and fixed firmly upon a solid
pile of stones, leaving a space
underneath for a fireplace.
The butt-end of a tree was' then hollowed out, and
placed upon the rough stone boiler for a cap. The baked ti root, called Cordylinc
terminalis, macerated in water, and already in a state of fermentation, was then
put into the hollow stone, and covered with the unwieldly cap.
The lire was
kindled underneath ; a hole was' made in the wooden cap of the still, into which
a long, small, bamboo
cane, placed in a trough of cold water, was inserted at one
end, and, when the process of distillation was commenced, the spirit flowed from
had been
Ellis, William, Polynesian researches, London, 1829.
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
38
other into
reçoive it.
the
a
calabash, coco-nut shell,
or
other vessel, placed underneath to
prepared, the men and boys of the district assembled
erected over the still, in order to drink the ava,
as they called
the spirit. The first that issued from the still being the strongest,
they called the ao ; it was carefully received and given to the chief : that subsequently procured, was drunk by the people in general. In this employment, they
were sometimes engaged for several days together, drinking the spirit as it issued
from the still, sinking into a State of indescribable wretchedness and often practising
When the materials
in
a
were
kind of temporary honse,
the most ferocious barbarities.
Umara
To the ’umara, or sweet potato
varieties in Tahiti
:
(Ipomoea batatas) belong six principal
mairi, hererai, poheretetei, rau-maire, re’a-mqa (yolk-of-
egg-yellow), ’umara vaihi (Hawaiian).
They date from ancient times when the people visited each other in their
canoës.
The natives daim that they hâve had ’umara from time immémorial
and that from Tahiti the
plants hâve been distributed to other groups. In
Hawaii, also, ’umara is indigenous and was exchanged for varieties from
Tahiti.
The Maoris ^ daim to hâve obtained their sweet potatoes from Tahiti,
which they also called Havai’i, after their émigration from there to New
Zealand, and in référencé to this, in old Maori story, it is said : "Hawaiki
te whenua e tupu noa mai te kunuira i roto i te rarauhe”
(Hawaiki is the
land where the kumara grows spontaneously amongst the fern).
ized this would be : “Havai’i te feniia e tupu noa mai te ’umara
Tahitian-
i roto i te
(Havai’i is the land where the umara grows spontaneously [or
fiourishes®] amongst the anuhe fern).
The Maoris further State that they obtained the ’umara from Pari-nuii-te-ra (Great-sunny-cliffs) which stand around Tahara’a Hill of Ha’apape,
North Tahiti, and could include Pare-nui-i-te-ra (Great-sunny-fortifica¬
tion), the poetic name of the adjacent district of Pare in North Tahiti to
this day for there, as in Ha’apape, the ’umara grows to perfection upon
the hilly soil where ferns are found.
The plants grow easily from young tops, several placed together like
hoquets in little hillocks prepared for them. When boiled and mixed with
milk expressed from grated coconut, the young tops make good food.
anuhe”
Patara
and
Uhi
The
a
patara {Dioscorea sp.) is a wild species of yam producing
mealy tuber not so sweet as the ’umara; it is a native of the valleys.
*
Smith, S. P., Hawaiki, the whence of the Maori: Poly. Soc., Jour., vol. 7, no. 4, 1898.
is préférable, because ’nmara needs- cultivation and does not produce tubers
“Flourishes”
when left to
run
wild.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
Many varieties of wild and cultivated
alata), grow in the Society Islands.
PlA
AND
39
called uhi
yams,
or
ufi
(Discorea
MaNIOTA
pia (Tacca pinnatifida) from which starch, also called pia, is made,
commonly called arrowroot by foreigners. It is a deciduous plant
and though it grows almost anywhere, its native sphere is in fertile ravines
and along shady mountain sides. Its leaves, which are
large and deeply
The
is
clift, somewhat resemble the leaf of the papaya (or papaw) tree and grow
singly upon a stem four or five feet long. The still longer stem of the
cluster of flowers produces a glossy white straw which can be made into
artificial flowers and wreaths, but is not edible until made into
starch, which
is a good food.
Starch from the roots of the manioc
or
cassava
{Manihot utilissima),
which grows well in Tahiti and is called there maniota, is like
pia.
is made by drying manioc starch with fire
beat, when it becomes
Tapioca
coarsely
a food.
granular, thus differing from ordinary starch; it is used only as
If the pulp of the manioc is well dried after the starch has been
strained
from it, it will last a long time and is
prepared for eating in many agreeable
ways. The great long roots, which are white and smooth when the thick
brown skin is peeled off, are good boiled or baked as a
vegetable. The
young tops are also good as greens in cooking. Pigs thrive on the manioc
root.
The plant is propagated by slips.
The pia-raroto’a is a fine specimen of Canna introduced from
Rarotonga.
It produces tubers, from which starch much like arrowroot is obtained
and
which
are
grows
high, and bears large dark-crimson flowers.
also baked and eaten
as
vegetables.
The plant is easily cultivated,
Uru
The large, handsome
uru, or breadfruit, tree has heavy
dark-green
foliage, which turns yellow ail the year round. In the bearing season its
spherical fruit, some as large as a person’s head, hang in ail stages of
development. The average size of the leaves, pinnately cleft to different
depths in different species, is about i6 inches by 12 inches. The leaves
are
much used for wrapping food in
cooking and for covering native
ovens.
Propagation is by roots and young shoots. The wood is red
and durable and highly prized, in olden times
being used for planks for
doors, house posts, and ridgepoles, for altars (fatarau), ornamental figures
{unu), in temples, and canoës. The sap is very adhesive when fresh and
was
formerly spread on trees by natives for catching birds. It was also
used as pitch with fine coconut fiber in
calking canOes.
Bernice P.
40
In the inflorescent
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
season
the young
fruit and long spikes of flowers
yellow sheaths that cover the budding leaves, and soon the fruit stands
out singly or in clusters, pea-green at first, later darker, turning light again
on maturing until white drops of sap ooze out and harden in the angular
seams in the skin, a stage called ’uru pî.
It then becomes ripe, being called
’uru-maoa, is yellow-green, and when cooked tastes like batter pudding.
If allowed to become riper, the fruit softens, a stage called ’ure pe, and
tastes like sweet pudding.
fin
The short stalk of the fruit is attached to
a
brownish-white pestle-
shaped heart, which is three to four inches long and is covered with
undeveloped, small brown seeds. The breadfruit season lasts three to four
months, but as the trees bear three crops a year and differente varieties
follow each other, fruit can be obtained during nine months of the year.
when peeled and closely stacked
barrel lined with the breadfruit leaves and well cov¬
ered, will ferment like bread, and when it is well kneaded is ready for use.
This is called ti’o’o or jnahi and will keep well for three or four months.
It is made into oblong cakes called ipo-ti’o’o, or ipo-mahi, wrapped in ti
or breadfruit leaves, and steamed in a native oven, when it has a pleasant
sour taste.
The Marquesans and some other Polynesians eat ti’o’o with
méat or fish, but the Tahitians prefer sweetening it with molasses or
brown sugar, or pounding it into a batter with ripe cooked breadfruit just
turning sweet, and with steamed taro, bananas, or fe’i mixed into a soft
consistency with water. This is called popoi and is served with fresh
water, milk or coconut water. Popoi is also often made without ti’o’o.
The choicest white native cloth, called pu’upu’u in Tahiti came from the
supple and profuse underbark of the young branches of the breadfruit tree,
pu’upu’u. The bark of other varieties of breadfruit is also used for cloth
in the islands where this industry is still carried on.
In ancien! times breadfruit was always called ’uru (head) until long,
long ago a king of Ra’iatea, named Mahoru, took that name, and it was
then called maiore; but gradually the name maiore wore out and ’uru again
The well-matured fruit, not yet sweet,
together in
became the
a
pit
or
common
name
of the fruit.
forty varieties : aipu’u, apiri or ati’ati, apo’oahu,
(has very large fruit), aravei (also has very large fruit), aume’e,
’avei (has very large fruit with rough skin), fara (at Papara, a fine kind
that has fruit in clusters of three or four), ha’ama (a mountain variety),
havana (has fine délicate fruit), havana pataitai (has fine and délicate
fruit), ma’aro’aro, maire, mamatea, manina, ’o’ir’i, otea, pae’a (has elongated
and very large fruit which corne in the last of the season and is not as
substantial as the other kinds), rapara (at Tema’e in Mo’orea and Tautira),
Of
araoro
uru
there
are
about
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
41
pa’i-fe’e, patea, pererau-ohua (at ’Arue), peti, ponafara, puero, pureru or
(the fruit cannot be roasted on coals, but is very good baked or
boiled), piita, pu’upu’u (the thick bark of which makes the best tapa, beautifully white), rare, rau-mae, taea, tatara, tao, tPatea, toarau, tohe-hava’e,
tohe-ti’apou, ’uru-hiiero (a kind in Ra’iatea that bas black edible seeds in
the fruit), ’uru-ma’ohi (the most common, and a very good kind),
aope
rare-autia.
To
The varieties of to
sugar-cane (Saccharum officinarum) indigenous to
Society Islands are ; to- a’eho (wild cane resembling a
reed, of a light-green color), to-irimotu (a purple cane with a brittle skin),
to-oura (a striped green, white, and purple cane), to-piavere (a grapecolored cane with a white bloom upon it like the grape ; soft and very
sweet), to’ofe (a great light greenish-drab cane resembling bamboo), to’o’opu (a very dark-purple cane), to-ra’au (a very hard kind of cane of
a
light-maroon color), to-tea or rutu (light greenish-yellow cane, very
sweet and juicy), to-’ute (dark red cane), to-haavai.
The juice of sugar-cane is pleasant to the taste and very nourishing.
The leaves of the plant make durable thatch for buts and sheds, and the
glossy bright, gold-colored stem of the beautiful downy blossom standing
high from the center of the crest of leaves is much sought after for hat
braids and other ornamental work, the light varieties of cane being
préférable to the dark.
the
soil of
or
the
A sprout can grow
from each joint of a cane that is eut into pièces,
plants are obtained for cultivation; shoots grow plentifully from the mother plants.
and it is thus that
Niu
OR
Haari
The principal varieties of niu, ha’ari,
ber about sixteen,
follows
or
coconut
(Cocos nucifera)
num-
ahuahu-puru (when half grown the husk
is edible, ha’ari-amu-’iri (a large coconut with a thin husk), ha’ari-apuru
(soft-husked), ha’ari aua (flat-bottomed coconut from which cups are
made), ha’ari-fafa-tea (stems of branches and leaves are pale-green and
nuts are light-green), ha’ari-haa (dwarf
coconut), ha’ari-hiri-rua (nut has
two large eyes, instead of one like the others, which
develop germs from
which twin trees can grow), ha’ari-’iri-’ava (husk stringent when green),
ha’ari-maaro (husk sweet and juicy when green), ha’ari-’oviri (stems of
branches and leaves dark-green, nuts green) ; ail the varieties except the
two green kinds hâve yellow stems and nuts of different shades; ha’arias
:
Bernice P.
42
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
paa-honu (nuts are shaded like tortoise shell and are made into cups before
they become quite matured), ha’ari-patiitii (good for water bottles), ha’aripuru-pea (cross-grained husk), ha’ari-puru or rau-aha (bas a long flexible
fiber from which the best sennit is made), ha’ari-’u’ura
(husk orangecolored), raita (or pororire, obsolète; the very small coconut).
The date and many
been opened up,
hâve
coconuts).
Names of the parts
other palms hâve been introduced since the islands
and they are ail called ha’ari papaa (foreign
of the coconut tree and nut
are :
tumu-ha’ari
pr
the coconut tree ; niau or iau, the coconut leaf ; faniu or
of the leaf ; a'a ha’ari, the flbrous covering of the part of
niii,
tafaniu, the stem
the coconut leaf
stem adhering to the tree; oroe-Iia’ari, the sheath of the blossom; raine,
the young buds; huniu, the blossom; tari ha’ari, the branching stalks of the
coconuts; poniu, the very young nut just forming; ouo, the young nut just
maturing; nia, the fresh nut just matured, full of water; omoto, the stage
losing its water in the nut growing thick ; opaa, the matured coconut ready
to grow; moroati, the matured coconut when it quite loses its water without growing; oao, the badly developed coconut; ope, a prematurely falling
coconut; apu-ha’ari, the shell of the coconut; puru-ha’ari, the husk of the
coconut; oata-ha’ari, the big hole or eye in the top of the coconut; mataha’ari, the two small eyes of the coconut; tohe-ha’ari, the bottom of the
coconut.
Just as the young coconut has reached the ouo stage, the young tender
shell, containing no méat, is edible, and the water is becoming sweet. In
the next stage, called nià, the méat is thin and tender, having very much
the appearance of the white of a soft-boiled egg, and can be eaten out
of the nut with a spoon; the water then is sweetest and best to drink.
After this, the coconut develops into the omoto, when the méat is thick
and firm and the water diminished and somewhat
this stage the husk gradually
old and mature, called opa’a,
The coconut
sharp to the taste.
begins to dry, until the nut is about a
when the water has a flat taste.
At
year
plant germinates beneath the membrane of only the big
eye of the coconut, and it gradually pushes its way up hornlike through
the fine soft coconut fiber at the top of the nut and then through the husk,
until it emerges and gradually expands into leaves, which are whole at
first and then divided.
At this stage the plant is called the hirau, and
■
attached to it within the
nut is a spongy substance, called the
uto, which
tap root to feed the young plant before it takes root. At first
it gradually absorbs the water and then the méat which softens into an
serves
as
a
oily substance, called para.
The uto is considered
a
delicacy and is eaten
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
fresh from the nut
a
or
baked.
The para,
43
also, while still accompanied with
being very sweet.
little of the water is eaten from the nut, often
strike out from the stump of the sprout, which has
they spread through and through the
husk, which protects them until they find their way out into the earth.
They will pin the nut to the ground and the tree will grow from it thus
if not planted properly.
At this stage the water and the méat of the
coconut are completely absorbed, and the uto gradually also becomes
absorbed by the plant. Then the coconut shell and husk decay into earth.
By etiolation, the uto plant spreads out délicate pink leaves, which last
for a short time, making an ornamental tub plant.
Coconut trees grow
luxuriantly on the fertile soil of the high islands and equally well on the
sand of the low atolls.
They commence to bear five or six years after
being planted; they bear well for over sixty years, and live on, bearing
less plentifully through a century, towering high above ail forest trees.
They hâve great vitality; a tree that by accident becomes hollow, and has
its trunk inhabited by rats and hennit crabs will continue to live, looking
The young roots
covered the hole of its exit, and
well but with fewer coconuts than sound trees.
good bearing tree has more than a hundred nuts in different stages
development at one time, and the average coconut produces about a
quart of water. But on the Island of Niu-fou, one of the Tongan Islands,
A
of
are
coconuts
that
measure
more
than two
feet in circumference,
from
meaning “new coconut.” At the Tuasait water instead of sweet, and it is
variety producing sweet water.
which the island dérivés its name,
motus is a variety that produces
often found
The
near
a
Polynesian climbs a coconut tree is novel. He
strips off three or four feet of the bark of the purau {Hibiscus tiliaceus),
ties it into a ring, which is called a tiaa (shoe), and into this places his
feet as if holding yarn. Then springing onto the tree he encircles it with
his arms, and drawing up his feet, holding close in the tiaa he moves
upwards, alternately using arms and feet, with movements similar to those
of a Caterpillar. In this way he fearlessly climbs the highest tree.
When
he arrives among the bunches of nuts, he taps the green ones with the
tips of his'fingers, an act called toto, to ascertain the stage they are in by
the Sound produced; having chosen the bunches to pick, he twists the nuts
off with his hands, or climbing above them treads them with his feet, in
either case dexterously sending them down upon the pointed end so as not
to break them in landing.
The matured omoto and dry opaa are hurled
down, as they will not break.
When the picking is done, a piece of hard wood resembling a crowbar, pointed at each end, called an o, is driven into the ground, and a
manner
in which
a
Bernice P.
44
coconut
is husked
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
by raising and bringing it down with force sidewise
touching the nut inside. Husking the coconut
the o, thus avoiding
is called o i te haari.
onto
USES
From leaf to root the coconut tree is useful to
man.
and yellow stages the matured leaves make attractive
spread out gracefully or twisted among other foliage.
also braided into thatch and screens for huts and sheds and
In their green
décorations when
They
are
varions other purposes.
The young leaves are
bleached and braided into durable baskets, called
according to their style and shape. They
make good fans, hats, and other useful things.
The very young, tender
leaves not yet exposed to the sun, are covered with a thin délicate coating,
which becomes the bright upper surface of the leaves as they unfold and
which can be drawn ofï between the thumb and finger.
The coatings are
white, very light, and semitransparent, and when a great many are placed
together upon the rib of a dry coconut leaf, form a beautiful plume, called
revareva, which is used as an ornament on the head and sometimes on
native capes and dresses. In the French Tahitian ballroom Parisian ladies
arairi, ’ete, and other
hâve
disdained to
not
names,
wear
the
revareva
floating gracefully from their dresses.
some
as
a
headdress
or
décoration
This ornament is not known in
islands where the coconut is cultivated.
The heart
or
puo of the coconut tree is edible in its raw State, and
The hard wood of the trunk, which bears a beau¬
makes delicious salad.
polish, is made into handsome walking sticks and formerly was used
long lances, called niu, tao, or maehae by warriors. It is also used for
tiful
for
posts and fences, in the framework of houses, and in many
heavy for planks or canoës.
the oroe or budding sheath containing the
but is too
other
ways,
bunch of white
milky-looking
liquid called “toddy,” which is agreeable to drink and good as leaven for
bread. This is procured by tying the end of the nut carefully and cutting
off the tip two or three inches deep, where a funnel is then placed, and
a bottle tied up against it to receive the juice.
Four buds can thus be
tapped upon one tree, and each bud will produce a pint a day. When
they dry up, new buds can be eut, and so the tree will continue to give
its sap away, a circumstance that prevents nuts from forming. When fermented, toddy makes a strong spirituous liquor.
The husk of the dry coconut is braided into sennit, called aha or nape.
It makes good brooms and brushes for painting or whitewashing, and
From
young
marble-like coconuts and flower buds is obtained the sweet
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
good mats.
was
It
was
formerly used for calking the planks of
made into sandals, called taama
used for
matured
45
or
tamda, for tender feet.
canoës
and
It is also
kindling lires, as it catches fire easily and retains it long; the
dry shell makes good charcoal and gives great beat as fuel.
Coconut shells
for various purposes
according to the size and
Large dry shells make good Vrater bottles, called aano or anoano,
and in the dry or still green stage they also make good bowls and cups,
called aua.
Very small coconuts, or raita, are used for gourd stoppers
called orei hue, and for bamboo stoppers, called orei-’ofe or ’ohe when the
big bamboo is used as a container.
serve
shape.
The milk of the
expressed from the grated nut is white and
t!;iick like cream. It is a good substitute for milk in strong tea or in coffee,
and in preparing food. Tahitians hâve always extracted oil from the milk
of the coconut, but until the English missionaries arrived they did not know
it would burn. The Rev. Mr. Bicknell was the first who used it for lamp
oil, and from him they learned to make lamps in coconut cups containing
oil and
a
coconut
little sand to hold the wick.
The wick
was
made of cotton
or
tapa twisted around a piece of the coconut-leaf rib and stood upright in the
sand, from the center of the cup.
Hair oil, called mono’i (ointment), is perfumed by kneading in a
trough or other holder sweet-scented flowers and leaves into coconut milk
and placing it in the sun, when the concentrated beat soon causes the oil to
drain off, while the scented oil (paru) attaches itself to the flowers and
leaves.
Sandalwood also is used.
It is grated into a dust finer than
sawdust, mixed well into the milk, and set the same way to make a very
choice oil, called monoi-alii (sandal-wood ointment), which is used for the
hair and is also a very soothing liniment for aches and pains. Most kinds
of mono’i make good liniment, as coconut has healing qualities. Also, the
bark and roots of the tree hâve médicinal properties.
Native doctors pré¬
paré over a fire décoctions of médicinal herbs and roots in coconut oil
for purgatives, many of which possess great virtue.
In former times the fractured human skull
shell in the nia stage,
was
mended with coconut
when it was of the same thickness as the skull, by
carefully removing the splinters of bone, smoothing the edge of the broken
part, nicely fitting in the shell, and then closing it over with the skin of
the scalp.
The bone of the skull gradually knitted itself round the shell,
which lasted through the remainder of a man’s lifetime and did not
inconvenience him.
Skulls thus mended hâve been seen and the settings
found satisfactory by scientists of note.
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
46
Mapê
Tahitian chestiiut (Inocarpus edulis) was formerly called
names signifying “kidney,” which
the nut resembles in shape. Different varieties of the mape are recognized
by the size and shape of the nuts, some being large and fiat and others
of smaller sizes and rounded in shape*, some having thick juicy husks and
thick shells and others only a thin skin and shell.
The mape or
ràtà,
as
it is named in old writings, both
the great forest trees are the mape, which
the river banks, where in places they
form continuons chains. In other places, entwined by the clinging fau and
sur rounded by trees of smaller growth, they stand in groups anci^here and
there are linked together with other trees by the great pohue or wild
ville (Convolvulaceae) extending up among their highest branches.
Grand and grâce fui among
are
generally found growing
near
dark-green foliage of thin oblong leaves, measuring about eight
by four, gives a dense shade. In springtime the tips of ail the
branches are covered with bunches of young amber-colored leaves, verging
gradually into creamy-white soft plumes, which become light-green and then
gradually deepen to dark-green. Soon afterwards the trees are frosted
over with fleecy thick clusters of small, white flowers, which fill the air with
a strong, sweet odor.
After they fall off, the mape nuts, with smooth
surface, develop, and when they mature, some kinds turning yellow, others
brown, and others light-green, they are called mape pa’ari. They are good
Their
inches
nutritions food either when roasted
eat many young
on
live coals
nuts while they hang upon
or
baked.
Rats and larvae
the trees.
fall, they are called mami and are somewhat
Soon the husks dry and the nüts begin
sprout, when they are called ro"a. In both these stages they are good to
When the matured nuts
barder than when first matured.
to
eat
when well baked.
of the tree is colorless as it collects upon the wounded bark,
gradually it assumes a bright-red hue on coming in contact with the
air. The wood of the tree is white and coarse and is used mostly for firewood and for making fences.
The straight branches make good axe
handles. After seven or eight years’ growth, the smooth trunk undergoes
a complété change; uneven projections form around it from the branches
to the roots, filling out and meeting in some places and leaving hollows in
others ; and these in turn take new forms, meeting and dividing year after
year, thus leaving gaps of ail shapes in the wood.
Gradually, eccentric
board-like buttresses grow and extend irregularly around the trunk of the
tree, forming natural partitions and enclosures several feet along the
ground and tapering upwards as high as four or five feet, some reaching
The sap
but
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
down into the bed of
river when close
enough and becoming the
dry ground afiford shelter from
inclemency of the weather to hogs and goats.
haunts of the water
the
the
47
tribes, while those
on
The very old mape tree has diversified
the branches, stem, and buttresses, upon
humps and protubérances upon
which great oaha (Asplénium
nidus), or bird’s-nest ferns, attach themselves, and from which hang gracefully long ribbon-like and tasseled epiphytes and the araifaa or mave, an
epiphyte with red berries like little strawberries in long sprays. Cool water
lodges in the numerous crevices, giving moisture to variously shaded moss,
smooth and spreading or soft and long over the dusky-shaded bark of
trunk and branches. Thus the tree stands unique in ail its sylvan beauty.
A legend is connected with the mape tree that stands in the district of
Paea, Tahiti.
A
man
happened
named
once to
Aitî, of the district of Mata’oae, was a clairvoyant. He
be looking at the tree when he exclaimed, “Aue tera
vahiné i te ’aroha e!”
(Oh, how pitiful is that woman!) Not seeing any
enquired what he meant, and he answered, ‘T see
a woman weeping over young twin children, there standing in the hollow
of that tree, holding them in her arms !”
And soon tidings came of a
certain woman in the district who had just expired after being delivered of
twin babes also dead.
So they concluded that the woman was bewailing
their untimely end.
woman
there his friends
Ataë
There
(Brythrina) in the Society Islands, the
a small spindling tree,
a long branching tree,
the trunks of some six feet in diameter and some completely hollow with an
aperture, serving as shelter for refugees from rain and inhabited by
are
’atae-oviri,
two
kinds of
atae
wild ’atae of the mountains, which is
and the great atae-tahatai of the seashore, which is
animais.
or
It is
a
deciduous tree.
As atae wood is very coarse
and spongy, it easily decays, but the bark
vitality, which renders the branches good for fence posts, and
some so
planted grow.
The bright-scarlet flowers of both kinds are alike, larger than other
varieties from other lands, with broad petals that turn backwards, when
open, clothing the tree, while the young triparted leaves are just budding,
then mingling with the light-green foliage, and falling off when the leaves
hâve matured to dark-green.
In turn, the leaves decorate the tree with
yellow as they fall off at the end of their allotted time. The sap of this
tree is very bitter.
The seeds are brown, but in Hawaii the indigenous
variety has red ones.
has great
Bernice P.
48
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
wherever seen, and
graphically in their ancient
The showy atae tree is conspicuous in the landscape
the distant New Zealand Maoris refer to it
so
history that S. Percy Smith of New Zealand recognized the tree at once
when he visited Tahiti and
saw
it in hloom.
Tamanu
(Callophyllmn inophyllum) is a useful tree of very
growth. It stands majestically in the valleys, on the plains, or along
the seaside, strongly resisting wind and storm ; graves of it shaded many of
the ancient marae and to this day are regarded as sacred relies of the
past. The appearance of the young tree with its laurel-shaped deaves and
its flowers can scarcely be distinguished from the mammee apple tree, so
well known to travellers in tropical lands, the latter having thicker leaves of
a darker green and bigger flowers but the same odor.
When young and fresh they are used medicinally. By steeping them in
cool water without bruising the stems, as the sap would spoil the efïect, they
make a soothing and healing wash for the eyes, and the natives use them
in steam baths for fevered persons, with good results.
The beautiful clusters or small white flowers, fllled with fine yellow
filaments, are sweet scented and last long upon the tree or when plucked.
The light-yellow kernel of the seed, encased in a round woody shell,
smoothly padded within, contains a greenish, thick, bitter oil, which is said
to be
worth £go per ton in India, as a precious liniment for ail
manner of complaints.
This oil is highly esteemed also by the islanders
for healing purposes and for the hair when mixed with coconut oil.
A
little lasts long as it is rich and strong scented.
Myriads of these valuable seeds, which might be used commercially, go to waste on the ground
and in the océan without being utilized in commerce.
The dark-brown bark of this tree is hard, thick, and jagged; and the
wood, durable and having beautiful undulating shades of bright-brown,
bears a high polish.
The tamanu
or
ati
slow
Ora
{Ficus prolixa), formerly also called aoa-aa-rau (aoaof-many-roots), is a kind of banyan tree found upon ail the high islands
of the Society group, but is not common. It flourishes upon moist but not
marshy soil. It is a deciduous tree, and has lance-shaped leaves about five
inches long and two wide and little purple figs the size of a pea.
This tree is grand in ail its changes.
When the leaves are ready to
fall off, they almost ail turn yellow at once, and the tree still looks clothed
The
ora
or
aoa
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
when its branches
laid bare.
are
Tbe
nmnerous yoiing
49
twigs look fresh and
tender, tbe sleek outer bark is clear-brown, and numerous pendulous roots
hang from tbe boughs like tasseled lines and drapery of shaded
reaching to tbe ground and forming new stems for tbe tree,
others remaining in mid air. The trunk looks like a mass of ropes. The
buds are covered with délicate, white sheaths, like young breadfruit leaves
and fruit, and soon produce pea-green leaves, which gradually deepen in
shade and cover tbe tree. An epiphyte called ’upa’upa-tumu-’ore (Playwithout-foundation) grows on tbe orâ.
of ail âges
brown,
some
as timber.
In former days tbe
twigs was made into tbe nice, brown native cloth that
was highly valued as bed covering.
The splendid ora cluster described by
Ellis® upon tbe brink of tbe sait lake of Maeva in Huahine, near tbe old
temple of tbe god Tane, still stands and extends itself, as does also one
upon tbe précipitons moist mountain side called Pu-aoa (aoa-clump).
The wood of tbe orâ tree is not used
bark of tbe young
who stepped into tbe moon contain
propagated upon tbe earth from
tbe moon, in confirmation of which is tbe following: Na Hina i aa i te
avae te aoa-aa-rau; ei tamaru tuturaa aha na Te-fatu.
Tei te avae te
tupuraa o te aoa-hei-avae.
(The aoa-with-numerous-roots belongs to Hina
who stepped into tbe moon; it is to give shade in beating out cloth for
Te-fatu. In tbe moon grows tbe aoa-of-the-halo-of-the-moon.)
And so it
came to pass that ora cloth on earth became tbe preferred wrapping of tbe
great idols of tbe marae; it was especially chosen for tbe god ’Oro.
Two stories in tbe legend of Hina
tbe statement that tbe
ora or aoa
tree was
Vi, Ahia, and Toroea
Brazilian plum (Spondias dulcis), is one
largest and tallest of tbe trees of tbe valley. Its trunk grows high
and straight, sending out limbs as it develops, and from it are made tbe
largest canoës, as tbe wood is light and buoyant. It is a deciduous tree
with bright-green pinnate leaves and small cream-colored flowers.
It bears
a luscious fruit tbe size of an orange, and tbe core, covered with flexible
spikes, bas -subdivisions containing tbe germs by which tbe plant is prop¬
agated.
The vi tree, pomme cythere, or
of tbe
(Etigenia malaccensis), commonly
jambo or mountain apple, in Tahiti called ’ahia-tea (white ahia)
’ahia-’ura (red ’ahia). The trees of both varieties are of middle size
bave tbe same appearance, bearing long ovate leaves; but tbe flowers
luscious pear-shaped fruit of tbe one are white, those of tbe other red.
There
are
two
varieties
of
ahia
called tbe
and
and
and
Ellis, William, Polynesian researches, vol. 1,
pp.
34-36, London, 1831.
Bernice P.
50
The flowers
are
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
filamentous, those of the red kind dark magenta, and the
deep-red bordering upon délicate pink. The wood is
fruit is shaded with
useful and durable.
The bark of the red ’ahia contains
which has not been utilized
the West Indies and
The
a
rich red sap,
dye in Tahiti, as it has in tropical America,
Hawaii, where the tree is also found.
as a
(Plectronia barbata) is a small tree of hard wood and someplant, bearing dusky-red berries that are pleasant
to the taste and dissolve in the mouth,
leaving a hard stone-like seed. Most
specimens of the tree grow upon hillsides, but some on low ground.
toroea
what resembles the coffee
Tutui
The
tutui, tiairi, or candlenut (Aleurites moluccana), now ' generally
Tahiti, is a good-sized tree, and though it grows well everywhere upon dry soil, its home is
chiefly upon the cool mountain sides
where its silvery leaves distinguish it from the
surrounding foliage. It is
a heterophyllous
plant, having large, palmate leaves when young, which
gradually change to smaller, ovate leaves as it matures.
called tiairi in
The nut, which is about the size of
a walnut, is rich and oily and
quantities ; many nuts threaded on the rib of a coconut leaf
form a taper that will burn like a candie, and this was the islanders’
lamp
in olden times—hence the Tahitian name tutui
(to light), English, candle¬
edible in small
The shell of the nut is brown and indented
nut.
the other.
on
bears
a
on
one
side
more
than
When seasoned in black mud, it becomes
jet black, and it
It is made into jewelry in Hawaii, where the tutui
high polish.
abounds and is called kukui.
The wood is
and
decays, when it becomes the haunt of land
growth of fungus, which is sometimes bought
food by the Chinese.
coarse
shells and also covered with
as
an
article of
soon
a
Rama
The
rama
(Ximenia americana) is a rare, creeping plant found
principally in Mo’orea; it has lanceolate leaves and bears a yellow fruit
the size of a green gage, and is fragrant, sweet, and
slightly astringent.
The seed is large, smooth, and round, and is rich and
agreeable to the
taste.
Pua Shrub
The pua
a
Tamaru-Haari
shrub (Solanum) resembles the eggplant, to which it is akin, but
yellow, the size and shape of a lime. It is good
its fruit is round and
as
and
preserve.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
51
The tamaru-ha’ari {Physalis sp.) is a small shrub with berries resembling cape-gooseberries and with ovate, smooth leaves. It grows upon
soil newly cleared and is frequently found among the shrubs of a coconut
grove—hence its name, which signifies “by the shade of the coconut.”
Toa
Of
there
the toa
ironwood
or
oe
AiTo
(Casuarina equisetifolia),
now
called ’aito,
varieties, the ’aito-hiri, from the deep-red sap of which, a
brown dye called hiri is made, and the ’aito-rau-ri’i (aito with small
leaves), which has less red sap of the same kind. The ’aito-hiri is a
coarse-leaved dwarf tree that grows on the hills ; the ’aito-rau-ri’i stands
stately and graceful among the large forest trees upon high and low
are
two
islands.
The ’aito is the emblem of the warrior, who bears its name, toa, or
’aito and the warrior
image of ’Oro and
god ’Oro.
war weapons
mallet.
From its hard wood were made the
and such articles as the tapa-beating
The bark is
ragged ; the wood, at first of a délicate salmon color,
gradually becomes black. The leaves are needle shaped and jointed, average
six inches in length and are about twice as coarse as horse hair.
They
hang tassel-like from the spreading boughs of the tree and in the wind
produce softly rising and falling sounds. From the tips of the leaves
corne out délicate little spikes of minute red flowers full of pollen, and
close to the branches are clusters of strobiles, the size of finger tips, the
various cells of which are United in honeycomb form and contain the seeds.
Owing to the name Vairaa-toa (Place-of-toa) being adopted by the
Pômare family about two centures ago, the name for the tree and warrior
was changed to ’aito and so adopted by ail the people of the group.
HuTu
The hutu {Barringtonia speciosa) is a large, beautiful tree, not unlike
giant magnolia. It has large, thick, glossy leaves of a rich-green color
and obova.te shape ; and its filamentous blossom, as large as a magnolia
flower, is white tipped with magenta and mounted with golden anthers
surrounded by wide white petals in a round, green calyx., It opens in the
evening, emitting a most agreeable fragrance, and falls ofï in the morning.
The seeds, large, green, and heart shaped, hang from the branches singly
or in bunches, and from them is derived
the name huHi,, which means
a
“heart.”
The leaves
side, others
on
are
some
trees in
turning
are
red tipped or plain yellow.
mai'ked with red along each
They make pretty tempo-
Bernice P.
52
rary
fans.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The leaves generally
are
native food and for other purposes.
These
much used for wrapping when cooking
grow on high or low land and on the low islands ; some
spread ont their branches from a short trunk about five feet in diameter
and other s shoot up tall and straight with a trunk about three feet in
diameter.
The wood is white, coarse, and buoyant, and makes good canoës.
The seed of the hutu is bitter and is a powerful narcotic, and when grated
and thrown into the sea among the fishes it will stupefy them so that they
will lie dormant and can be taken up by the hand by fisherman.
trees
MaTi, Roa, Aute, Rêva
The mati
(Ficus tinctoria, Ficus prolixa of Ellis) may be likèned to
It clings to rocks on the moist sides of mountains.
It sometimes is found standing isolated upon a large moist rock, with
its roots striking down and forming a little grove of itself.
The leaves
of this tree are wider than those of the orâ, and when ripe the little figs
are about the size of a
blackberry and of a shaded scarlet. The yellow
sap of these berries when mixed with crushed tou leaves forms a
scarlet dye that was much used for printing patterns upon native cloth ;
also to rouge the skin of the arioi or comedians when acting, to render
terrifying the face of the warrior, and to disguise the face of the evildoer.
The bark of the twigs produces a strong white thread, which when
twisted makes durable coarse nets for catching large fishes.
The roa (Pipturus argenteus), or romaha, as it was formerly called, is
valuable for its bark, which is unrivalled in strength. A twisted thread of
it is too strong for an ordinary man to break with the fingers, and of it
the finest fishing lines and nets are made.
But those of foreign manu¬
facture are fast superseding the old native lines and nets.
The aute plant (Broussonetia papyrifera), was commonly cultivated
from twigs planted in long rows upon high, rich soil, and from its bark
was made most of the strong brown cloth worn by Tahitians in olden times.
But although it is no longer used in the Society Islands, it is still culti¬
vated and used for cloth in Rurutu, Tubua’i, and many other islands of
the Pacific.
Foreign goods are gradually superseding ail native cloth. In
old times some plantations of ^aute were sacred to the service of the gods.
The reva or hutu-reva (Cerbera odollam), is an uncommon tree of
middle size, which grows best upon high, rich soil.
It has bright lanceshaped leaves, a sweet-scented white flower about the size of a nasturtium,
and an oblong seed covered with a thick fibrous husk, which is very
poisonous. The wood is white and fine and durable. Formerly this also
a
small
was
a
banyan tree.
sacred tree.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
53
PURAU
The purau,
hau, or fau tree {Hibiscus tiliaceus), is generally called
although the leaves are always called rau-fau and the flowers
puapua-fau; the name hau has gone ont of use.
purau,
The
principal varieties are : purau-ahue (straight and erect) ; purau(commonest kind) ; purau-ma-ohi (its big leaves are much used in
preparing food) ; purau- opi’opi (has frilly leaves and flowers) ; puraupapa (grows on rocks, and has no seeds) ; purau-toroir.e (has small
leaves). AH except purau-ahue lean; their trunks and limbs twist into
fantastic shapes and form curves, elbows, and humps when left to stand
alone, and their branches occasionally strike the ground and shoot up again
in the form of new trees.
But their natural tendency is to seek support
upon larger trees, intermingling their showy boughs with those of the
others and rising with them to a great height.
The leaves are reticulate
and mostly heartshape, dark green, and smooth; and their
large simple
flowers are of a délicate canary-yellow with blackish-red center, when
they
open in the morning, the yellow changing to a rich salmon shade towards
evening, when they open wide and fall ofif. The flowers hâve healing
qualities and are much used as a demulcent by the natives and also by
foreign doctors.
hiva
The bark of the young purau branches is smooth, becomes cracked
and full of
irregular seams as it matures, and has a grayish appearance.
The great stump of an old tree, formed of several stumps
amalganiated into
•one,
is gnarled and picturesque.
Its thick snappy bark collects moss and
plants—notably the beautiful little Orchid named mafatu (heart),
has oblanceolate leaves, a cluster of slender yellow flowers, and heart-
other air
which
•shaped seeds and stumps, from which it dérivés its
From the
name.
vigorous trunk grow up straight shoots twenty feet
which when stripped of their bark, steeped and then
washed in water, are white and are used to form the walls of the native
bird-cage houses or for crates in which to carry fruit or livestock. The
high
or
ever
more,
matured wood is shaded in circular lines of bluish-gray,
bordering into
black in the heart of the tree or limb and
changing into dark and light-
brown
it verges from the center.
It is tough, durable, valuable timber
building, that of the straight parau-ahua, making good boat oars
planks, as well as canoës and paddles.
as
for boat
and
If the bark is
in water
stripped off the tender long stems, soaked several days
to free it of its outer surface and cleanse it of
its slime,
and then bleached in the sun, it becomes white and is valuable fiber for
so
as
Bernice P.
54
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
fringes. In former days it was finely braided into
for the people.
Plants of the genus Hibiscus with velvety leaves and flowers resembling
those of the purau or fau are called fau but not purau.
cords, ropes, and
articles of clothing
AuARih, Tou, Vavai-ma"ohi
(Terminalia catappa, or umbrella tree), or autara’a,
commonly called, is an uncommon deciduous tree of middle size.
It has large obovate leaves, which turn red before falling, insignificant flowers
and edible nuts in thick husks, resembling small mape or native chestnuts.
The auari’i-roa
as
it is
now
The trunk of the tree shoots up
then branches out in the form
of
straight twelve or fifteen feet high, and
an inverted umbrella.
The wood, close
grained and with variegated brown shades, is valued by cabinet makers.
The tou {Cardia subcordata), is a large tree of the seashore.
Its
thick trunk rises about twelve feet high, and its branches spread out in
irregular form. Its dark-green leaves are heart shaped and of middle size.
The tou has a crape monopetalous flower the size of a small Convolvulus,
in Tahiti a rich salmon color, in some other groups orange-yellow ; it
bears a small, edible nut.
As the wood is hard and close grained and
beautifully marked with varions shades of brown in spots and streaks, it
also is much valued by cabinet makers.
The vavai-ma’ohi, or native cotton, is a vigorous plant that grows
about eighteen feet high and produces coarse cotton upon a center of
amalgamated seeds. In former times, it was cultivated and used in embalming the dead. By the early English missionaries it was used for lamp
tapers burned in coconut oil (p. 45), and woven into cloth and rugs. Cotton
of the best quality, with loose seeds, was introduced into the Society Islands
by William Stuart of Terre Eugene (Atimaono), and it has been noticed
that when allowed to grow wild, a plant now and then will degenerate and
resemble the native cotton.
Fara
the beautiful fara tree, screw pine or Pandanus,
the insulars, especially on the low islands, as it
Next to the coconut,
is most valuable
to
dwellings, mats for bed and clothing,
branching endogenous plant with a rich, oily sap.
The leaves, long linear-lanceshaped, and bluish-green, vary in length in
different species from four to more than six feet, and they are armed
with Sharp little thorns pointing upwards along the edges and along the
furnishes wood and thatch for their
and food to eat.
center
It is
of the back.
a
The leaves
are set
evenly,
one
within the other, in
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
spiral order around the cylindric stems.
leaf
scars
remain
and
at
tborns.
Para
is
found
regular
spaces
55
Upon the glossy brown
stems
indentations with small blunt
high and low ground. The principal Tahitian
fara-iri, common, much used for
mats; fara-paeore, a choice kind with very long thornless leaves, used for
fine mats and délicate work, without blossom or fruit
(the only kind
without thorns) ; fara-pe’ue, with long flexiljle leaves, much used in mat
making, from which it dérivés its name. Six principal varieties found in
the mountains are : fara-ai’ai, with strobiles
containing large endosperms,
the irame implying fara-to-eat; fara-ofaa (the nest
fara), which retains its
dry leaves, in which birds build their nests ; fara-pao’o, a large, thickgrowing kind; fara-papa, which grows on rocks; fara-uao, which was the
haunt of a mountain bird, uao, now extinct;
fara-vao, of the mountain
recess.
On the sandy soil near the sea are : fara-purepure, speckled brown
and black, a character noticeable when the leaf is dry; fara-uruhi, which
grows rank in close thickets along the seashore.
varieties
found
Fara leaves
on
are
on
low ground are :
very
durable, and thatch can be made from ail these
leaves of which are too long and slender.
varieties except paeore, the
The aerial roots, about two inches in diameter and
cylindric in form,
down obliquely ■— some more than two feet — from the trunk
stretch
of
the tree, which they support, as if on stilts.
The roots,
with dull thorns, which cause a resemblance to the barrels of
box,
studded
a
music
also from the upper trunk and even from the branches of the
tree, but do not ail reach the ground.
While young, their tender tips,
protected and kept moist by thatcblike caps, several witbin one another,
are edible wben
baked, containing a farinaceous nutriment not unlike a
watery yam, and are much appreciated by the inhabitants of the low
islands, where vegetables are scarce.
grow
The fara
species vary in height according to the régions where they
Upon low soil of the high islands and upon the islets and atolls,
they attain a height of twenty feet or more ; but those high up on the
mountains are so dwarfed that they can be stepped over.
grow.
The wood of the matured branches,
averaging six inches in dia¬
meter, is hard and straight grained, resembling coconut wood, and as it
bears a high polish, makes attractive walking sticks,
paper knives and other
articles.
The
of
trees
are
dioecious.
The staminate flowers, called hinano, consist
long bunches of fragrant white bracts, shaped and edged with little
thorns like the leaves, which cover white,
woolly stamens, thickly filled
with pollen and
lying close to the stem, as in the banana. The pistillate
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Bernice P.
56
protected by bracts—which are white at first
deepen to dark-green and brown as they mature, when the bracts dry
disappear.
flowers form strobiles—also
and
and
fara like the plant, are round, and some kinds
bigger than a man’s head. Each fruit contains several capsules in
which are the endosperms, edible and somewhat like barleycorn in shape,
but having the taste and appearance of the méat of the matured coconut.
The fara-’ai’ai is particularly noted for its endosperms, which are larger
than those of the other kinds, being about the size of pearl barley.
The strobile heads, called
are
attached to a round heart
yellow or red, according to
the species. When ripe, they émit a strong, sweet odor and havè a thick
juice, from which alcohol can be made. As they are pungent to the taste,
fruit of the Tahitian varieties is not eaten, but some kinds in the Tua¬
The stems of the fruit, which are fibrous, are
and
are
motu
white until matured, when
Islands
are
they
are
noted for their sweet luscious stems as
well
as
their fine
of the inhabitants.
When juice has been removed from the fara fruit, the fine fibrous part
remaining makes a good brush for shaving or painting. The inner surface
of the lower part of the leaf is torn off and used by Tahitians for enveloping tobacco for cigai'ettes ; some foreigners prefer it to paper.
endosperms, which form part of the staff of life
with red leaves, others with
speckled varions shades of bright-brown which when dry are
In the Tuamotu Islands are fara trees
leaves
braided to ornament the borders of mats.
Iëië,
or
Fara-Pëpë
or
fara-pepe (butterfly-fara, Freycinetia victoriperrea), is
by Tahitians with the fara, of which it appears much like a
creeping variety, having leaves that grow the same way, though
leie
fied
classismall
much
moist mountain sides
creeping up on rocks and high into the boughs of trees and sending down
long pencil-like roots, called ’ie’ie, from which beautiful wickerwork is
made by the natives.
smaller and not durable.
It flourishes upon cool
The infloresence, resembling that of the pistillate in some régions is
white, bright-purple in others, producing three or four spikes, which form
fruit, green at first, and yellow and juicy and fragrant when ripe; the
white infloresence ripens to light-yellow, the purple to bright-orange.
In
its early stage the infloresence is edible, without cooking, but the ripe
fruit is not; though it attracts butterflies and rats, which feast upon it—
hence the
name
fara-pepe.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Ahi
The ahi
and
57
Nonoia
(Santaluni) is scarce in the Society Islands. It
good-sized mountain tree. Its leaves are lanceolate, and green tinged
with red. The flower consista of' a calix with several pointed sepals, which
are variegated and tipped with red, and a circle of white stamens round a
low pistil. When the flowers fall off, they leave clusters of red, blunted
berries.
The natives grate the ahi into fine dust, then decoct the odor
with coconut oil, and use the product for the hair and also as a liniment.
( See p. 45.)
The nonoia is an inferior species of sandalwood, having less odor.
is
or
sandalwood
a
Apapë, AvA,
The apape tree
AND
(Panax tahitense),
Ava-Turatura
grows, on
hillsides; it has pea-green,
a dye that is perfected
pinnate leaves, which when well steamed produce
by steeping the dyed object in black mud.
plant {Piper methysticum), is commonly known in Polynesia for
intoxicating juice. It is a latifoliate plant with jointed branches.
The juice for drinking is expressed from the roots, which are first
reduced to a pulp and kneaded well in water.
It is not pleasant to the
taste, but the after efifects are soothing and refreshing when taken in
modération.
When taken to excess it produces white blotches over the
skin, which in former times were regarded as marks of aristocracy, as
ava was held sacred to gods and high chiefs.
It also has médicinal properties.
Formerly the juice was expressed by mastication—generally by
young girls—a process that renders the mouth very dry and frequently
breaks the teeth. But now generally the root is crushed by pounding, and
then it is kneaded with water, and the liquid is strained off and served
The
ava
its
to
drink.
(Plumbago seylanicaY^ greatly resembles the ava. It
properties, but is not intoxicating.
The ’ava-turatura
also has médicinal
FaiPai, Fpnia, Maamaa-tai
The faifai
(Serianthes myriadenia) is a large tree of the valleys. It
and formerly was used for palii (ship) building. (See
is made into canoës,
pp.
538, 608.)
{Homalanthus nufans) is a fine tree of the mountains. When
bark effervesces and yields a red dye, which was used
in coloring tapa.
The wood was made into boards on which to beat the
tapa. When green or dry the wood burns well.
The fenia
put into water its
This
may
be Piper
excelsiim.—î)d.
58
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The maamaa-tai
or aaia (Lepinîa
tahitensis), or maamaa-i-ra’au, as it
formerly called, owes its name to its seed, which resembles a starfish, having three or four radiations, each attached to a slender stalk United
into one stem. The seeds are about two inches from center to
point. The
tree is uncommon and grows in shady localities in
valleys. Its leaves are
was
lanceolate and dark green.
Mao, Mara, Miro
The
tree
mao
(Commersonia echinata ?, Melochia hispidaf) is a mountain
size, with light-green pinnate leaves and very small flowers
From its bark and roots is obtained a bright
brown-dÿe^ called
of medium
and seeds.
hiri.
The mara (Nauclea forsteriana) grows tall and slender, having ovate
bright-green leaves, clusters of filamentous flowers and blunted seeds.
or amae
(Thespesia populnca) is a fine tree with brightheart-shaped leaves and a yellow flower resembling that of the fau,
but not opening wide.
The fruit is hemispherical and about twice the
size of a walnut, consisting of a brittle shell in which are several septa, each
containing a single seed. (See p. 279.) The wood resembles rosewood
and is of much the same texture.
Formerly, this tree was held sacred.
The miro
green
Tahinu, Tafano, Tevë
The tahinu
(Tournefortia argentea) is
a fine timber tree that grows
high islands and at the Tuamotus. The wood is hard
and buoyant and is used for canoë building.
On the land in Pare, where
the town of Pape’ete now stands, was once a large forest of tahinu trees.
on
low soil
on
the
(Guettarda speciosa) is a slender tree that grows tall and
straight and is used for boat masts, the wood being very hard and strong.
The tafano
It is found in Ra’iatea and the Tuamotu Islands.
The
teve
(Amorphophallus campanulatus
or
Dracontum polyphyllum)
succulent, low, deciduous plant resembling the pia, and has bright
green lanceolate leaves upon stems of lighter green, speckled with white.
It has a large, handsome, maroon-shaded flower, which opens low in the
center of the plant and produces a strong unpleasant odor, which attracts
Aies; and it yields tubers, which are very bitter, but edible when cooked
is
a
passed through water several times. This plant is widely
Polynesian folklore as having served among other plants to prop
sky when Rû left it upon the hilltops.
and mashed and
famed in
the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
59
Toi, MAiAi-TiA-ROA-o-TË-ifAA, Nono, Toromëho
(Alphitonia sp.) is a fine tall tree that grows up in
It has lance-shaped leaves of a dingy-green, small flowers
seeds, and hard durable wood, which makes good canoës.
The
toi
valleys.
the
and
Resembling the toi wood is the mai’ai-ti’a-roa-o-te-fa’a, found in Ra’iatea,
canoës.
It is not classified by botanists.
and also used for
The
(Morinda citrifolia) is a small tree that has large cordate
peculiar, white fruit, shaped like large and small potatoes, upon
nono
leaves and
which little white stellate flowers form and leave numerous brown eyes,
under which
are
black seeds surrounded with
a
white juicy pulp, edible
passed through water. The leaf is used for wrapping fish in native
cooking, giving it a nice flavor. It has médicinal qualities ; it will take away
inflammation if laid upon an affected part of the body, and if kept on long
enough will raise a blister. The wood of the nono is close-grained and
yellow and bears a high polish. From the bark is obtained a bright-yellow
dye.
when
The toromëho
nut
{Fitchia tahitensis) is
a
plant that is abundant far up
valley of Maha’ena. It is sweet-scented and is used to perfume cocooil. It is softening for the hair, and healing for cuts.
in the
Othër Flowëring Plants
The
aute-maohi
{Hibiscus
rosa
sinensis) is
a
low plant.
It has
a
beautiful, deep-red flower, with single frilled petals overlapping each other,
turning backwards, and not closing when it withers at night. Another
indigenous ’aute resembles this one and has a pistil terminating in a small
rosette.
Many other showy varieties of ’aute hâve been introduced in these
islands.
The avaro tree (Premna tahitensis) grows to a middle size upon the
plains and is not common. It has light-green, ovate leaves; its wood is
hard and good.
The thick clusters of small whitish flowers and green
seeds are prized for their sweet odor and are woven into wreaths and
garlands. This tree was the emblem of the god whose naine it bears.
(See p. 382.)
apiri {Bodonaea viscosa) is a pretty résinons plant of variegated
and purple and brown that grows five or six feet high
among ferns upon sunny hills.
The leaves are lanceolate. The flowers,
small and light-yellow, sooh fall off, leaving large bunches ôf little inflated
pouches containing seeds, which are sweet-scented and make attractive
The
shades of green
décorations.
Bernice P.
6o
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
hahape {Cyrtandra biflora) is a small tree of the valleys and flourby shaded rivulets, where the sweet odor of its beautiful, simple,
waxlike flowers perfumes the air.
It has large succulent ovate leaves.
The
ishes
The motu’u
{Melastoma denticulatum) grows with the apiri upon sunny
dingy-green ovate leaves, clusters of white flowers tinged
with purple, and edible berries that when ripe open like flowers. The berries contain a black-purple pulp full of small seeds, from which purple ink
hills.
It has
be obtained.
can
The ofai
(Sesbania grandiflora) is
a
small tree with hard wood and
small, bipinnate, light green leaves. It has large bunches of papilibonaceous
flowers, varying in color from bright-red to light-yellow ; and its seeds are
in
long, slender, hard pods. As the plant requires cultivatiomut is not
growing wild.
The piti [not classified] is a small tree that flourishes upon good soil in
valleys and along hillsides. It has ovate leaves and bears clusters of small
seen
sweet-scented
cream
colored stellate flowers.
The poro
{Solanum) is a showy shrub with white flowers resembling
egg-plant, to which it is akin, and with cone-shaped berries the
a marble, which turn
yellow and then, red in ripening. The berries
sweet odor and are pretty in wreaths and garlands.
those of the
size of
hâve
a
The pua {Fagraea berteriana), a
the hill-sides but bears cultivation
handsome tree of middle size, grows
on low grouiid.
It has thick, glossy,
dark-green, obovate leaves, about the size of those of the magnolia, and
sweet-scented tiliaceous flowers, with single petals that curl outwards towards
the stem as they bloom. The flowers are cream-colored when they first open,
yellow afterwards, and last on the tree for several days. When they fall,
bright-orange berries form and remain for many weeks. The wood is lightbrown, close-grained, bears a high polish, and is much valued for furniture.
The first pua tree was said to hâve been brought to the earth by
the god Tane from his tenth heaven, and so it was held sacred to him, and
his image was always made out of its wood.
(See p. 102.)
on
The
rata
{Metrosdderos polymorpha) of Tahiti, lehua of Hawaii, rata
of New Zealand, and laka of some other islands is a tree of medium size
Society group, above medium
cold climate of New Zealand. It is
in the
plentifully.
The leaves
size in Hawaii, and immense in the
a
native of the
hills, where it
grows
obovate, bright-pink as they corne out and
grayish-green afterwards. Its flowers are filamentous, red or orange, and
bloom in handsome clusters, full of honey, which attract bees and other
insects. The wood is close-grained and solid, pink, and good for furniture
are
and other articles.
small and
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
The tafifi
(Jasminum didymnm)
mine, but has larger seeds.
and stands cultivation.
It
6i
much resembles the English jasin shady localities along hülsides
very
grows
The tiare-maohi
(native tiare, Gardénia tahitensis), as it is called, in
commonly spoken et as
tiare, is a beautiful plant that grows slowly to the height of a small tree
and lives to a considérable âge.
Its bark is smooth. Its strong, gnarled
branches are covered with large glossy, obovate leaves, and spangled with
snowy-white, waxy-looking stellate flowers, which hâve a sweet, délicate
fragrance. The flowers open in the evening and do not wither for several
days. There are two varieties of this plant, which look exactly alike; but
the flowers of one are shorter and hâve wider petals than those of the
other, and they produce seeds, which the other kind does not. The tiare
has always been regarded as the choicest of Tahitian flowers. When picked
in the bud, just ready to bloom, and wrapped closely in their own or other
leaves, they retain their odor and freshness for several days and become
more flexible to use in making wreaths and other ornaments.
In this way
they are also used for scenting monoi (hair oil), which becomes very
softening for the hair and skin. The young buds are also used for internai
and external native medicines.
The tiare grows from slips on good soil,
best on sandy soil, and the largest old plants are found as sweet memorials
of the past upon the islets or long sandy points around the high islands,
where the ancient kings and chiefs used to hâve their summer dwellings.
contradistinction to other flowers, which are ail
The
grows
tiare-ape-tahi, or one-sided tiare, is a remarkable plant that
around the famous mountain of Temahani in Ra’iatea, watered by
the cool dense clouds and mountain showers.
The buds
are
shorter and
tiare, which they resemble, and they open simultaneously with slight, exploding sounds when touched by the flrst rays
of the rising sun.
In opening, the stem splits up and the petals fly out
into a straight single row, looking much like a torn tiare.
The odor of
these flowers is slight, though sweet. Fruitless attempts hâve been made
to transplant the tiare-ape-tahi to other cool régions and gardens.
So
thinner than those of the
the
rare
flowers bloom and
’apetahi 'oe is
most
fade most of the time
unseen.
Ta’u tiare
old, poetic Ra’iatean terni expressing the highest and
appréciation of a darling child or loved one.
an
affectionate
little village by Temae Lake in Mo’orea, stands a mediumunique beauty. It has light-green foliage and bears long
sprays of yellow-shaded flowers, which though alluring to the sight, hâve an
unpleasant odor, the name pua-veoveo (Crataeva religiosa) meaning “flowerIn the pretty
sized tree of
of-rank-odor.”
Bernice P.
02
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Growing wild on low soil are many varieties of wild flowers resembling
snapdragon—mapua or puaioru. Some hâve large, light-yellow flow¬
ers; some, small flowers of a darker yellow, prettily striped with flne brown
the
the petals; others, dingy red; and others purple flowers.
The tohe-tupou (Geophila herbacea) is a beautiful little deciduous
creeper that carpets the groiind in the woods.
It has dark-green circular
leaves about the size of a cent, over which bloom pure-white stellate
flowers, somewhat resembling English jasmine blossoms, which in turn are
succeeded by spherical scarlet berries the size of a sweet pea. White dots
left by the flower tip the berries, giving theni the appearance of being
placed upside down, which the name, tope-tupou, implies
There are three species of native ginger : opuhi-ma’ohi (Amomurn
cevuga), re’amoruru (Zingiber), and re'a-ma’ohi (turmeric, of the genus
Curcuma). The ’opuM-ma'ohi is a native of the mountain recesses, where
it grows luxuriantly and lives long.
Its long ovate leaves hâve a very
sweet odor and are much used after being torn into shreds and dried, for
pillows and beds. Its flowers, yellow and red, corne out on heads with
scales similar to those of the artichoke, and are a rich maroon color down
around the stems of the plant. The root is not edible.
The re’amoruru is a deciduous plant that grows luxuriantly in ravines
and on shady hillsides. Though not so tall as the ’opuhi, it resembles it and
also has a sweet odor.
Its flowers are cream-colored on heads also like
the artichoke, green at flrst and becoming deep-red, with the scales full of
a
glutinous liquid, which is pleasant to drink when matured, having a
little of the taste of water flavored with ginger. The roots of this re’a are
Unes upon
also not edible.
The re’a-ma’ohi, known as
turmeric, from the roots of which curry-
powder is obtained, is a deciduous plant, growing in the same soil as the
re’a-moruru, which it looks much like. But its leaves are lighter green,
its flowers are white and larger, and it has no liquid secreted within the
scales of the head. The yellow roots of the plant hâve a pleasant aromatic
odor, and the rich juice expressed from them mixed with milk expi'essed
from the coconut makes delicious fresh curry.
The juice also makes a
bright saflfron-colored dye in its pure State,
water, becomes red.
which, when mixed with lye
Crpëpërs
The hoi
(Dioscorea bulbifera) is a creeper with dextrorsal leaves that
along the branches of low trees, bearing upon its stems
entwines itself
tubers of ail sizes like Irish potatoes,
from among which fall fine tassel-like
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
white sprays
of flowers. The tubers
by cooking and soaking in water.
are
bitter, but
63
can
be made edible
Hue
or gourds
{Lagenaria vulgaris) of various sizes and shapes bave
always been in these islands, and they require no description, as they are
from well-known plants, the various uses of which are also known.
The aroro is a small spherical gourd, the size of a medium-sized
orange,
and bas been used by Tahitians
exclusively as containers of coconut hair
oil.
The huehue
(Melotheria grayana)
and bas beautiful white and
the size of
of
a
gerkin.
The pipi or bean is
a
This
an
grows somewhat like a gerkin vine
purple passion flowers, and round edible fruit
indigenous vine that bas beautiful double flowers
shaded lavender and white color and bears beans that
plant
grows over stone walls and rocks exposed to
not uncommon in the district of Papetoa’i in Mo’orea.
are
the
not edible.
sun
and is
The pitipitio or black-eyed
Susan (Abnis precatorius) is a prickly
pinnate leaves, and it bears a prickly pod of beautiful, red
peas, each with a black spot where it is- attached to the shell.
These peas,
much used for ornaments by natives and foreigners, are also set in
jewelry.
vine with small
There are three principal kinds of Tahitian pohue: pohue-tea (white
pohue) and pohue-’ute (lavender-colored pohue), which are classified as
ipomea pes-caprae, and pohue-tahatai (seaside pohue), or Merremia turpethum. AU bave heart-shaped leaves.
The flowers of the pohue-tea are of fine satiny texture and corne out in
large clusters gracefully falling over the leaves of the vine. Those of the
pohue-’ute are somewhat larger, are more scattered in their bunches, and
are light-lavender
deepening into purple towards the center. These two
giant vines entwine themselves into the foliage of the highest trees of high
and low land, forming festooned curtains over branches and caves, and
draping précipices ; their capillary stems look like great serpents twisted
round the trunks of trees, partially coiled and suspended from the branches,
and clinging to the rocks.
While the young stems are still supple, they
contain clear cool water.
This can be obtained to drink by cutting off
about five feet of the stem and making nicks at intervals along one side
for air holes, when the water will run out of the lower end.
A slight
pleasant taste of sap from the stem is noticeable when it first touches the
tongue, but not from the water itself. The young tips of these pohue
vines
are
edible, boiled
scarcity of food.
or
steamed, and hâve been resorted to in times of
The pohue-tahatai has stiffer and
kinds, but its flowers
are very
coarser
leaves than the two other
much like those of the pohue-’ute, though
Bernice P. Bishop
64
Muséum—Bulletin 48
It bas a vigorous growth
by spray and bolds tbe sbifting sands.
smaller and thicker in texture.
where it is washed
along the seashore,
of Tahiti (Mucuna giganteu) is a vine
bears large bard brown beans tbat are not
edible, but as tbey bear a bigb polisb are used by jewelers for watcb cbarms
and bairpins and otber ornaments.
It is also found in tbe neigbboring
groups and, in Hawaii, at a bigb altitude, is a kind witb red, tbinner-
Tbe tutae-puaa or sea-bean
tbat grows close by tbe sea. It
walled seeds.
Fërns
Many beautiful ferns are found
striking are described below.
most
There
are
two
kinds of
amoa
in tbe Society Islands, some of
tbe
{Nephrolepis exaltata) : tbe 'amo’a-tea
(ligbt ’amo’a) and tbe ’amo’a-uri (dark ’amo’a), wbicb look alike to a
Tbey bave fine lacelike brancbing fronds of a ligbt-green
sbade, spreading out from long stems tbree or four feet bigb ; but tbe
’amo’a-tea bas smootb wbitisb-green stems, tbe ’amo’a-uri black stems tinged
casual observer.
fronds protected by a silky cbafï.
Tbe para (Marattia fraxinea) mucb resembles tbe ’amo’a, but bas a
root good to eat wben baked or roasted.
Tbese ferns are used medicinally
witb
purple and green and young
by tbe native people.
{Polypodium sp.), a stiff, strong fern, witb pectinate fronds
long wiry stem, is tbe most common native
fern.
It grows on billy soil in tbe zone beyond bigb trees, and it ranges
in beigbt from one to four or six feet, according to tbe quality of tbe soil.
It is beautiful and bolds its fresbness wben used in décorations.
Tbe anube
brancbing out fanlike from a
(Acrosticum aureum) grows in great clumps on marsby
tbe banks of dormant streams of water. It is a fine plant
witb long pinnated fronds, standing as bigb as eigbt feet in graceful,
slanting directions from tbe stump, and giving a dense sbade, wbicb ducks
and swine enjoy. Upon tbe back of tbe upper portion of tbe frond, extending two or tbree feet downwards, are closely stacked tbe spores, wbicb
bave a beautiful glossy brown surface. Tbe juice obtained from tbe young
and tender frond is very cool, and is strengtbening and softening for tbe
bair, being applied to tbe scalp and tben wasbed off. Tbis plant is also used
Tbe ’aoa fern
ground
or on
medicinally.
Tbe fare-rupe
same
manner as
(mountain-pigeon-bouse) {Pétris milneana) grows
tbe ’amo’a, but its
fronds are coarser, softer,
tbe bunters of tbe rupe
green.
Beneatb its sbelter
used to conceal tbemselves, holding
in tbe
and dark-
(mountain-pigeon)
to view a tame rupe
and imitating its
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
65
cry, like a nian shouting, “Ho! ho!”
Then tlie wild bird would gradually
approach the tame one, until it came into the range of the man’s hand
and was caught.
Tliere
{Polypodinm pusUdatum?), their
pinnatified fronds differing in length and shade from one another. A very
long dark-green kind grows luxuriantly on shady, rich soil ; and the other
kinds, which are lighter green, grow upon mossy trees and stones. They
grow in the woods and mountains.
As the varieties of this fern hâve a
pleasant odor, they are made into wreaths and garlands and used to perfume coconut hairoil. Very small leaflets of maire are called oro and are
tied into rosettes called by the same name. In Hawaii, the beautiful moun¬
tain creeper with long ovate leaves named Alyxia olivaeformis, which has
the same odor as maire, is called maile—a word that seems to be a con¬
necting link between the two groups of islands. A stellate variety of this
creeper in Tahiti, Alyxia stellata, is also associated with the maire fern.
are
several varieties of maire
The maire fern
was
used in sacred rites.
The mama’u (Cyathea sp.), formerly also called pnm,
tree
fern that grows on
is
an
élégant
the mountains of the Society Islands, but
more
plentifully in Hawaii. The young stems of the fronds are thickly covered
with a dark-yellow, silky chaff, which is much used for stuffing mattresses
and cushions and also for absorbent purposes.
Its fronds resemble those
of the 'amo’a, but are much thicker and coarser. The name, originally puni
and changed in modem times to pulu in Hawaiian, is another connecting
link between the two groups of islands.
metua-pua’a {Polypodinm nigrcscens) resembles the maire, but is
has no sweet odor. It also grows in
rich soil and on moss}’' trees, and near the sea.
It has médicinal qualities.
The juice extracted after pounding it into a pulp is a cool, soothing Uniment
for sprains and bruises.
The
stiffer and thicker in texture, and
The nahe
(Angiopteris evecta) is
an
esculent fern of sweet odor that
in moist soil in ravines and valleys. It has bipinnate fronds, which
in favorable localities attain a length of twelve feet or more and which
are attachée! to a round, rugged trunk, resembling a bed of oysters.
The
trunk, which is bitter, is edible when steeped in water and baked, but has
not been resorted to as food except in times of scarcity.
grows
principal varieties of Tahitian oaha or bird’s-nest ferns
(Asplénium nidus). One, growing in circular form like a hird’s nest and
attaining great size upon the mossy trunks of old trees and upon the
ground beneath their shade, has large oblanceolate leaves with spores in
oblique Unes from the central rib to the outer edges. The leaves are used
There
are
two
Bernice P.
66
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
by mountaineers for thatching buts and
wrapping food.
The other kind
with fronds growing in a pinnate manner,
forming a stem instead of a trunk, and its spores form little dots instead
of Unes. It is tender and brittle and lighter green than the larger variety.
of oaha creeps upon mossy trees
Cattle
like
both varieties.
The rimu-ahu
(Davallia gibberosa), or rimu fern, is a most délicate
rocks. It is ranked with moss (called rimu)
kind that grows upon mossy
by Tahitians. In former times it was printed upon
it into dye and laying it upon the cloth.
The tiatia-moua
{Davallia elegans) is
a
native cloth by dipping
hardy, glossy little fern which
clings to rocks and coconut stumps exposed to the sun.
kinds are found among rocks in shady places.
The rima, found on mossy rocks,
mostly in
caves,
and is called
stem, like fingers.
The raau-tafifi
(Adiantum),
a
beautiful
is
thick kind of
a
mountain sides
creeping
that resembles coarse
of loose pinnate fronds,
creeper
maidenhair, with fringy spores tipping the edges
on
more
(Adiantum) with close-set fronds thickly laden with spores,
rima (hand) because the fronds spread out from a central
maidenhair fern
is found
délicate
Also
up among
low trees.
Bamboo
(Schizostachyum sp.) has gradually become
superseded by 'ofe. The three principal native kinds are very hollow and
hâve thin wood.
They are : ’ofe-para, yellow bamboo ; ’ofe-’ura, pinkishbamboo, and ’ofe-tea, clear green bamboo.
The
The
name
’ohe for bamboo
’ofe-para, which
fishing rods
grows on
hillsides mostly, is
a
tough, slender kind
made; it is also used, among other ways, for
walls of native rustic houses. The ’ofe-’ura is also a small tough variety of
bamboo and is used in the same way as the ’ofe-para; in former times it
was planted on sacred ground for saci'ed purposes, and from it was made
the sharp knife for cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn babe.
The
’ofe-tea grows to an immense size in the valleys, the joints commonly measuring nine inches in circumference and thirty in length, but hardly more
frorn which
than
and
are
a quarter of an inch in thickness.
Out of
food carriers, little boxes, fish préserves,
this kind are made water
and innumerable articles.
length, logs of this bamboo are made into fences by lay¬
ing them horizontally upon one another at intervals between posts to which
they are tied with ieie roots. Such fences stay in good condition about two
years. Before the leaves corne out the young joints are removed to be used
for a beautiful white straw for hat making.
The young bamboo is first
Used their whole
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
67
down and
toughened by leaving it a day or two in the sun. Then the
separated, and each one is eut open when it soon expands until
it becomes flat; the outside surface is split ofï and together with the inner
soft surface, is thrown away.
From one joint are obtained five sheets of
white bamboo which are next steeped in lime juice and water and bleached
in the sun until they become free of sap and beautifully white.
Then the
straw is ready for use and not only is sold at good profit to local storekeepers but also exported.
eut
joints
are
The
islands.
strong woody bamboo has
recently been introduced into these
Rëiîds
The six
principal varieties of aeho, or reeds (Brianthus floridulus),
'aieho-pu-hiva, a tall kind that grows
in thick clumps and is used in thatch making; ’a’eho-rau-ri’i, which has
small narrow leaves and is veiy slender ; ’a’eho-tea, variegated aeho ; ’a’ehowhich
are
natives of the clifïs, are:
ti’ati’a-vao, which
’a’eho-ufene,
a
grows in the mountain recesses and is like the first kind;
bending, creeping kind; ’a’eho-’ura, a kind with pinkish
stems.
’A’eho
useful in many ways to the people and afford food for goats.
Beautiful straw for hats is obtained from the stem of the blossom.
are
Grasses
Of varions grasses
the following thirteen are the principal kinds in
nonoha, a long grass, which is good pasture for cattle, growing plentifully but short upon hills and long and luxuriantly upon marshy
ground, used in native house making; matie-maohi, native meadow grass;
matie-papaa, the spreading foreign lawn grass ; moenoe, which grows on
high and low ground, is good for pasture, and the long délicate stems of
its flowers make good straw for hats ; mo’n-taviri-ha’ari, the sword-grass
having long sharp-edged leaves and long strong stems to its clusters of
flowers, the stems being crushed into threadlike fibers, which ai-e used for
straining grated coconut—hence the dérivation of the name—and for straining purposes generally; mo’u-ra’u-po, a flexible grass that makes fine mats
and other braids ; mo’u-raii-ri’i, a long slender grass that when dried
becomes pinkish-brown, the leaves making pretty, durable hats ; mo’u-upo’onui, a low kind that has large, round heads of. flowers standing above the
leaves ; nanamu, a high, soft grass that grows on good shady soil and makes
good pasture; ’ofe’ofe, formerly called ’ohe’ohe, a spreading, brittle grass
with broad leaves like miniature bamboo, also good for pasture; opaero, the
Tahiti
;
aretu
or
Bernice P.
68
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
bullrush, the young leaves of which when takeii
and dried in the sun
pinkish like the mo’n-rau-ri’i, and are also used for hats; tama’oma’o, a very hardy, thick kind that grows in clumps, is used for feed for
horses, and the white rib of its long leaf is good for hat braiding; tamore,
a beautiful, spreading watergrass that grows upon dormant streams
and
pools, varigated maroon and white and very brittle, used medicinally by the
become
natives.
Mossks
The general Tahitian name for mosses and sponges and algae is rîmu,
are subdivided into three classes : rimu-fenua, land moss ; rimu-vai,
and these
fresh-water
moss
and
algae; rimu-tai, seaweeds and sponges.
qualified according to their respective localities.
greenish-gray tufted moss that grows upon the trunks
of old coconut trees ; rimu-fau is a long silky moss found in the hollows of
the fau trunk; rimu-’ofa’i is a short thick moss found upon moist stones
and rocks ; and so on, a great number of mosses could be named.
The land
mosses
Rimu-tmnu-ha’ari is
Sponges
coral reefs
are
some
are
a
called rimu-to’a-o-te-tai (moss-of-sea-rocks).
coarse
weed is called aihere
no
kinds
te tai.
are
found that
are not
Upon the
much utilized.
Sea-
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
69
ANCIENT
DIVISIONS AND POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP
THE SOCIETY ISLANDS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS
OF
INTRODUCTION
The
name
Hiti
Tahiti
(To-take-to-the-border), sometimes
shortened ' into
(Border), with its équivalents in different dialects, is known to most
Polynesians and has been adopted and appropriated by them in their
respective groups. From the remotest periods memories of the original
Tahiti of the Society group are
crystallized in their folklore, in parts
diverging from facts by a natural poetic tendency of the bards, but con¬
necting them as one people. Tahiti was also called Tahiti-nui (GreatTahiti), and was so known to other islanders in former times.
to
According to New Zealand and Hawaiian usage, the name is applied
Tahiti proper and also to any distant or
foreign land. To the Hawaiian,
Polapola is always identical with Porapora of the Society Islands and also
désignâtes the people coming from this group.
S. Percy Smith States 1 that with the Maoris of New Zealand the
ex¬
pression “Kei Tawhiti” (It is at Tahiti) is a common exclamation of
appréciation, signifying “beyond ail,” “admirable,” “excellent,” a compli¬
ment which he believes to hâve
originated from their former acquaintance
with Tahiti, whence so many tribes of that
people immigrated to
New Zealand.
The Maori
name
Tawhiti-nui-a-rua
,,
(Great-Tahiti-in-two),
applied to Tahiti, probably implies Tahiti in two peninsulas.
In the central groups of Polynesia, which hâve been in unbroken con¬
tact with the Society Islands, the name Tahiti has but one
significance,
referring only to the real Tahiti.
According to Tahitian folklore, there are many “Hiti,” or borders,
though they are now mostly forgotten: Taiarapu, the smaller peninsula
of Tahiti, was named Hiti-i-te-ara-pi’opi’o
Tahiti and Mo’orea were called Hiti-ni’a
(Border-of-the-winding-path)
(Upper-border)
Tahaa, Hiti-raro (Lower-border). Tahiti and Mo’orea
(Long-border), and Ma’areva (Mangareva or the Gambiers)
;
;
Ra’iatea and
were
was
Hiti-roa
Hiti-poto
(Short-border)*. In the Tuamotus is one island still called Hiti, which
formerly was also called Hiti-roa; and the adjacent island, Te-poto (Theshort), was named Hiti-poto in contradistinction to Hiti-roa; according
to the legend of Rata (p.
477), Moruroa bore the name of Hiti-tautaumai (Border-projecting-forwards) and Timoe
(Crescent Island), Hititautau-atu (Receding-border) ; Pitcairn Island was Hiti-au-rereva
(Borderof-passing-clouds), and an island that once stood north-northeast of it
^
Polynesian Soc. Jour., vol. 8,
p.
187, 1898.
Muséum—Bulletin 48
Bishop
Bernice P.
70
(Border-of-the-moon), long since sunk in the océan—an
legend vividly describes.
The discussion that follows dealing with the districts of the clans and
their chiefs, and hoiises of note of ancient times on Tahiti and Mo’orea,
is enlivened with poetry, narrations, and general information in the
original native form of teaching, from the lips of King Pômare II and
Tamera, often further cited. The prestige of the districts and their chiefs
is given by Moe’ata, of the royal family of Tahiti, who was chief of
was
Hiti-marama
event
the
Plitia’a for many years.
TAHITI
The: Districts of Tahiti-nui
(Great-Tahiti of the golden haze) is
Tahiti-nui mare’are’a
with many mountains and hills, forming beautiful valleys
numerable rivulets which feed deeper streams and lakes that
Ail these features
below.
of any place at home
tliem long to return.
are so
diversified
watered by in-
water the lands
beloved by the natives that the
will bring tears to the eyes of absent ones
mention
and make
peninsula of Tahiti are thirteen districts, and in Tai’arapu,
peninsula, there are six. The boundaries of tbe districts are
carefully observed, and the regai seats of the chiefs are distinguished by
prominent landmarks, which hâve always been regarded as indispensable
to the greatness of their owners, whose hereditary titles were attached to
them. As only the heights of the prominent mountains are given in Tahitian maps, the hills connected with the subject must be named without
In the greater
the smaller
measurements.
{te
The clan districts
va
a-mata einaa o
Tahitians in the following manner:
Hitia’a.
E moti
’Ea’ea,
Te
o
i Vai-o-va’u
Hitia’a te fenua.
mou’a
Mauru,
e o
ni’a,
i
Ta-hou-tira.
Te Tahua i
rare, o
Te ’outu i tai,
Te vai, o
te-ao.
Te
o
o
e
horo roa i
Te-vai-tohi,
Te-’iri’iri.
Pape-he’i.
Manini-haorea
e o
Maha-
Hitia’a
e o
Taputapu-atea.
recorded by the
East) is the land.
are Te-vai-tohi
(Riven-water, 4,S32 fe^t), Mauru (Bareness, 4,503 feet), and Ta-hou-tira (Renewed-mast, 3,981 feet).
The assembly ground is Te-’iri’iri (The
pebbles').
The point seaward is Pape-he’e (Gliding-waters).
The rivers are Manini-haorea [Manini
The mountains above
(fish) encircled] and Maha-te-ao (World-,
or quarters).
The temples' were Hitia’a and Tapu¬
tapu-atea ( Sacrifices-from-abroad).
in-four
marae, o
are
From Vai-o-va’u (Water-in-weeds) to
’Ea’ea (Deliberation), Hitia’a (Rising
or
o
Tahiti)
Henry—Ancieiit Tahiti
Te
ivi e
O
i tai : o Pu-tai-maru, (i PapeVai-to-are), Te-aau-raa, i Paaone,
Te-matoe-o-Hitiaa, e o Tapo-ra“ i Taiava
71
The harbors outside (within the reefs)
Pu-tai-maru (Easy-ocean-pool) at
Pape-ivi (Water-of-ghosts), and Vaiare:
pà’i’a.
to-are
Te motu i
a-rarù (oia o
Te-matoe-o-Hitia’a (Theeastern-crack),’® and Tapo-ra (Nowstrike), at Tai-pa’i’a (Ocean-slipping).
The islets are Opu-totara (Porcupinefish-stomach), Vari-a-raru (Mud-of-insects) called also Ari-o-raro (Wavesbelow) and Pu-uru (Forest-clump).
(Water-of-waves), Te-aau-raa
(The-sacred-reef), at Faaone (Sand-
extension),
tai, o Opu-totara, o VariAri-o-raro), e o Pû-uru.
O Teri’i-tua te ari’i.
Te papa i raro, o
Te fare-’arioi,
o
Teri’i-tua
the chief.
Fanauê.
The under chief
birth).
Pereue.
The
Na ’orometua, o Te-reva, o Mara,
Mara-uri, o Mara-tea, o Rau-’aha-tea
comedian
was
The arioi warrior
The school was
o
e
’Opu-a-tipa.
The teachers
Mara-uri
were
Mara
Pereue
was
Maro’ura.
Maha-te-ao
(The
was
world-in-four).
miosphere),
was
Fanaue (Strange-
house
(Night-vapor).
Te ’Aito ’Arioi, o Maro-’ura.
Te fare-’aira’a-upu, o Maha-te-ao.
o
(Sovereign-of-the-ocean)
Te-reva
(Nauclea
(The-atforsier),
(Dark-Nauclea),
Mara-tea
(Light-Nauclea), Rau-aha-tea"“ (LightNauclea-leaf), and Opu-a-tipa (Stomachof-flying-fish).
.
E fenua tu’u piri
vetahi tau piri :—•
A
putu ;
tahi,
Hitia’a;
o
teie
te
a
a
rua
toru,
te
marama
maha
a
i
ha’aputui
marama
ha’aputuputu ; a pae a ono marama i
ha’aputuputu ; a hitu, a varu te marama
i ha’aputuputu ; a iva e ahuru te ma¬
rama i ha’aputuputu ; a tû
mai, a fa’ati’ati’a, a vaiiho i vaho !
(1) ’O vai ia?
È te Tumu-nui e, o te tamari’i o te
vahiné
matamua
’o
te
Tumu
hua’ai, i fanau mai i te ao nei.
(2) Eaha te faofao ata?
’O te repo fenua ia ’aore i î
moana
atea
ia.
to’na
e
;
e
o
te
(3) Eaha te ra’au e peha te tumu
e peha te ’ama’a, e peha te
ohiu, e peha
te rau, e peha te ’iri, e peha te maea?
O te vahiné ia fanautama.
o
Hitia’a
are
(4) ’Eaha te tahu’a ’e tàtà i
Ha’apaiano’o?
’O te Maoa’e
e
o
te
Papaite ia.
te riu
was
a
land of riddles
of the riddles :
two moons' hâve
four moons hâve
some
;
here
One,
supervened;
three,
supervened ;
five, six moons hâve supervened ; seven,
eight moons hâve supervened ; nine and
ten moons hâve supervened ; corne
forth,
be propped, remain outside !
(1)
O
Who
are
they?
Tumu-nui, they
are the children of
Tumu’s first woman and her
posterity,
born into the world.
(2)
What are the clouds’ réservoirs?
are the ground which is never
full; and the vast océan.
(3) What tree is' it that duplicates
its trunk, duplicates its branches,
dupli¬
cates its shoots, duplicates its
leaves,
duplicates its outer bark and inner bark ?
It is a woman bearing children.
(4) Who are the workers that bail
up the waters of Ha’apaiano’o
(Confluent-water) ?
They are Maoa’e (northeast wind) and
Papaite (northwest wind).”
They
Thîs name was gîven because tlie harbor resembîes a
crack, the reef beîng open in the
South and shut in at the northern end by a shoal
extending to the reef from Papehe’e Point,
mentioned above.
This harbor is also called Passe de la Boudeuse, after
Bougaînville’s ship, which entered there.
Aha-tea is another name for the Mara-tea.
Old name for Papeno’o River.
22
These two winds bring rain which causes freshets.
Bernice P.
/2
High
the précipices
former days,
and apparently well preserved, and which cannot now be
in Pape’iha Valley at Hitia’a can be seen dotting
pigeon holes, in which lie bodies of people of
up
like
caves
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
wrapped in tapa
that can be reached only by extreme
giant, the bone of whose forehead
bears the imprint of an ancient tattoo mark.
In Hawaii at Kealakekiia
Bay are similar ancient cave tombs, whose inaccessibility is likewise mystiIn another place
reached.
is
a cave
exertion, and in it lies the skeleton of a
fying.
Mahaena -®
E mot! ’Ea’ea
haere
e
Maha’ena ia fenua.
roa
i Ana-pû, o
Te mou’a i ni’a, o Taia-mano;
reira te pare ra, o Taia-vete.
Poro-’ura.
Te tahua i raro, o
Fare-tai.
Te outu i tai, o
Te vai, o
Fa’a-rahi
Te marae, o
Te
ava
Te motii, o
ma
Ra’autatai.
o
Punua-
E horuera’a tei tai i
Maha’ena.
O Pû-ta’i-hani
Toa-tane
o
is’
Pu-ta’i-hani
(Close-swim-
The high chief was Ro’ura (Red-ant).
The under chiefs were ’Outu (Cape)
and Punua-ari’i
(Royal-side-pool).
To’o-iva (Group-
The messenger was
To’o-iva.
nine).
o
The arioi houses were Pou-mariorio
(Receding-pillars), Mara-ha’ava (Matured-Nauclea), and Ma’a-i-tere (Food-
that-floated).
The
Rau-pa’a.
e
outside
harbor
The islet is Ta-au-piri
e o
Taia-mano
pools) and Ra’autatai (Disenchantmentwand).
The
fare-’arioi, o Pou-mariorio,
Mara-ha’ava, e o Ma’a-i-tere.
arioi,
are
(Lovers’-trumpet-blast).
Na
Te aito
above
(Dread-of-many) ; there is the fortifica¬
tion Taia-vete (Dread-of-search).
The assembly ground below is Poro’ura (Red-herald).
The point outside is Fare-tai (House-
ming).
’Outu
o
hills
Ana-pu
(Long-ap-
The rivers are Fa’a-rahi (Great-valley)
and Fa’a-iti ( Small-valley).
The temples are Ra’i-ipu (Sky-with-
Ta-au-piri.“
tu’utu’u-ve’a,
The
to
seaward).
Fa’a-iti.
Pû-ta’i-hani.
O Ro’ura te ari’i.
Na papa i raro, o
ari’i.
Te
e o
Ra’i-ipû
i tai, o
tei
From ’Ea’ea
(Escape)
(Pool-cavern),
Maha’ena
peased) is the land.
chief
(Outer-leaf).
na
to’a
horuera’a. O Hina-rau-re’a te vahiné i
hau roa i taiia hortiera’a i tahito ra; ei
vahiné oia na Turi, atua ta’ata. No’na i
mairi ai te i’oa o Tou’ura-oi-’ore, no te
horue titi’aifaro.
comedian
was
Rau-pa’a
Out at Maha’ena is the sea for s'urfriding.
Pu-ta’i-hani
(Lovers’-trumpet-blast)
(Man-rock) are the rocks
Hina-rau-re’a (Gray-ofturmeric-leaf) was the most faraous
surf rider of that place; she was the
and Toa-tane
to
start
from.
wife of Turi the demigod.
To her was applied the nameTou’ura-
-oi-’ore (Sun-burned-swerving-not),
cause s'he rode straight.
Malia’ena, in the east,
be-
poetically called Ahu-*are (Baiîer-of-waves).
having been named after a young French officer who waa
and was buried there.
2^
This islet is called Ilot Nansouty,
killed in the battle of Maha’ena in 1846,
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Krom Maha’ena
73
succession of sunken
of the océan.
They
form an irregular submarine reef, over which roll terrifie breakers in
stormy weather and through which only island boatmen know the dangerto
Mahina
rocks and bars disseminated
(Point Venus) is
over
an
extensive
a
area
passages.
ous
Tïarei—From Ana-pû to Ara-hô-hô (Shouting-road, so-called from the whistling
noises of the surging sea as it spouts up through holes in the rocky coast), is the dis¬
trict of Ti’arei (formerly Tûrei, Communication), in the north-northeast.
The hills
above are Horo-rà (Now-run) with pare (fortification) of the same naine; the asserably
ground below, Tahua-i-te-’are (Floor-of-the-waves) ; the point outside, Ai-fà (Stalkeater) ; the river, Tara-tà (Incantation-to-beat) ; the marae, Ai-fà. The great passages
through the sunken rocks are, Ono-he’a (Famented-revenge), and Fa’a-ru-ma’i (Hasteninvalids), facing the localities of those names. The high chief was Manuà (Morebirds), the under chief, ’Aru (Wave). The arioi house was Mata-hira (Timid-glance),
and its chief comedian
was
’Upaparu (Fish).
place in this district called Mehiti (Border) was famous for manslayers, who were appointed to seek at certain times human victims for
’Oro. In connection with this, référencé to the noise caused by breaking
A
Turbo shells, in order to
ing Unes:
F mou’a iti teitei
Pû tara
na
ra
Pû-tara,
remove
i te ra’i i Mehiti.
E tu’e ma’ava ino i Tûrei,
No Mehiti va’a ino
tapa’au ;
Taparahi ta’ata te toro’a !
Humaha
the animal for eating,
are
the follow-
A high hill is Pu-tara (Sharp-one),
Cône sharp in the sky of Mehiti
(Border).
’Tis dangerous
Tûrei,
to beat the
Turbo at
Because of Mehiti of bad clan
With victims laden;
Manslaying is their profession !
Pape-no’o.—From Ara-hô-hô to Ta-pahi (Dividing) hill is Pape-no’o (Confluent
waters), formerly named Vavau, and then Ha’apai-a-no’o (Confluent force), in the
north. The mountain above is Puraha (Extending-welcorae) ; the assembly ground be¬
low, Pia (Arrowroot) ; the point outside, Fare-pa’à (Strong-house) ; the river, Papeno’o or Via-tû-oru (V’ater-standing-swollen), the largest river on the island, rapid
and often swollen with inland rains. The marae v?ere ’lvi-rau (Many-bones) and Tomaru (Thy-shadow).
The great canoë or boat passage in the sunken reef is Papeno’o,
facing the river of that name. The high chief was Tupua’i-o-te-ra’i ( Summit-of-thesky), the under chief, Vana’a (Orator). The messenger was Atiti-oroi (Turningroot). The arioi house was Te-ao-’e-reva (The-world-was-space), and its chief
•comedian was Va’a-iti-ma-te-to’i-i-te-piha-ia-teta (Little-clan-with-the-axe-of-the-rooraof-refuge).
Papeno’o is the greatest valley in Tahiti in the form
amphitheater of picturesque mountains, which are
the backgrounds of other valleys that close against them.
This valley
•once formed a district called Te-piha-ia-teta (The-room-of-refuge), under a
■chief called Teta, the hereditary title; and it formerly served as a city of
In the interior of
•of
a
vast
roora
with
an
Bernîce P.
74
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
refuge. Thither to escape pursuit fled political offenders and other refuThe following lines record the custom;
gees.
Ha’apai-a-no’o,
Te fenua
o
piha ia teta,
ma te toi,
te
Ha’apai-a-no’o is the
va’a iti
Te piha ia teta!
E taura’a niata’i
o
Ha’apai-a-no’o,
O Ha‘apai-a-no’o te fa’a e nui,
E piha tena no Tahiti.
E haere Tahiti i reira i te ati,
la Teta Ari’i,
Ora’tura i te imi ro’a,
Ora’tura i te tama’i.
Tei Ha’apai-a-no’o te ’uru ia
’iore.
A
of refuge,
clan of the
room
The land of the little
strong,
The room of refuge !
settling place for winds (strife) is
Ha’apai-a-no’o,
Ha’apai-a-no’o is the greatest valley,
room it is for Tahiti.
Tahiti goes thither in trouble,
To King-Teta,
A
ma’a
And escapes the searcher,
And escapes from battle.
At Ha’apai-a-no’o breadfruit is
for rats (so plentiful).
food
Ha’apape.—From Ta-pahi to Ra’i-a-manu (Sky-of-birds), at the foot of Taha-ra’a
(The-setting) hill, is Ha’a-pape (Working-water) or Ma-hina (With-gray), which was
first named U-po-ru (Close-in-night-haste), in the north.
The mountain above is Oro-hena or Oro-fena (First-dorsal-fin) (7,237 feet high).
This is the highest mountain in Tahiti ; it is an extinct, cone-shaped crater which rises
center of the island and terminâtes in two gentle risings,
between which lies a lake. Here live red-feathered ducks, the plumes of which were
much sought after for the gods and kings in former times, when men called pi’î-mato
(rock-clingers) could ascend its précipitons sides. The assembly ground below is
Fa’a-ria (Vale-of-visions) ; the point outside, Te-au-roa (Long-handle, Coolds Point
Venus) ; the river, Vai-popoo (Hallow-waterbed), deep in many parts. The marae
were Fau-pua (Blooming-hibiscus) and Fare-roP
(House-of-beds). The harbors out¬
side are Maa-honu (Some-turtle), facing the land of Ahonu on the east of Point Venus,
and Mata-vai (Face-of-water), Bay on the west, which is sheltered with a broken reef.
inside of which is a dangerous rock, known in legend as Te-to’a-o-Hiro (Hiro’s rock.
Dolphin Rock of Wallis). The islets to the east of the point are named: Motua’u
(Bill-fish-islet), Te-horu (Asthma), and Tahuna-tee’a (Hiding-place-reached), connected with the reef. The high chief was Ti’ipa (Fort-idol), and the under chiefs
were Tutoia (Slightly-wounded), and Te-rito-o-te-ra’i
(The-growth-of-the-sky). The
messenger was Fa’aara-hia (Awakened), the arioi house was Atita (Agitation), and
its chief comedian was Ti’a-au (Island).
majestically almost in the
Of the school at
and in the story of
record of its time :
Ha’apape, mentioned in the legend of Hiro (p. 537)
the arrivai of ’Oro in Tahiti (p. 121), is the following
Tei Uporu te tiara’a fare ’aira’a upu
ana-vaha-rau “ a te hui ari’i, o Tapuata-i-te-ra’i ; tera na orometua vahiné, o
Toa-te-manava
no
Ra’iatea,
e o
Mu-reo,
’aufau no Papeari i Tahiti-nei;
tera te ’orometua tamaiti, ’o Hiro, ’o te
ite noa i te upu no te fa’aro’oro’o noa
ra’a ’tu i rapae’au i te fare, ’aore a ’oia
firifiri
At Uporu is the school of savants of
royal familles, named Tapu-ata-i-te-ra’i
(Sacred-cloud-in-the-sky) ; there are the
women teachers, Toa-te-manava (Bravehearted) of Ra’iatea, and Mu-reo (Murmur-of-voices), reciter of heraldry, of
Papeari in Tahiti ; there was’ the boy
teacher, Hiro (Jester), who knew the
25
The marae of Purea, the high chiefess and wîfe of Amo, mistaken by the early explorera
for queen of ail Tahiti.
^^Ana-vaha-rau means cave of many openings, signifying great knowledge, or savant.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
i fa’aôhia i te pupu pipi i roto i taua
fare ra, e o te hau roa’tura ia i te ’ite.
E ti’a i
taua ha’api’iraa ra te tamari’i
hui ari’i no Tahiti nei e no Ra’iatea
e te au mai ; e ti’a atoa i te haapi’iraa no
Opoa i Ra’iatea te mau pipi no Tahiti te
a
te
haapi’i ra’a.
75
recitations from listening to them from
outside of the house before he was admitted into the class of pupils in the
school, when he became
highest merit.
a
scholar of the
That school is attended bythe children
of the royal families of Tahiti and Ra’i¬
atea and other kindred people ;
and to
the school of Opoa in Ra’iatea also go
forth pupils of Tahiti to learn.
Along the windward side of Point Venus are high hills of shifting
resembling the waves of the sea. These are formed
by the force of the strong trade winds, but are said here to bave been
made by Hiro H
sands with undulations
Fenua mou’a rua o Uporu ; o te one
i ahu hia e Hiro i tahatai ra, o tahi ia
huru mou’a, e o ’Orohena i uta ra o
te rua ia huru.
Uporu is a land of two kinds of
mountains; the sand heaped up by Hiro
along the seashore is one kind, and
’Orohena, inland, is the second kind.
At the head of Matavai Valley is a stupendous mass of basaltic rock
towering over the river at its base. Veins of this formation standing vertically among the clififs are not uncommon in Tahiti and the leeward islands
—one
of many kinds of rock throughout the group of interest to
geologists.
Te-pori-o-nu’u.—From Ra’i-a-manu at Tahara’a hill to Paofa’i (Enclosure-forpicking), extending from north to north-northwest, is Te-pori-o-nu’u (The-fatness-ofhosts), with subdivisions' of ’Arüe (Fraise) and Pare (Fortification). The mountain
above is Mahue (Pushed-up) ; the assembly ground below, Vai-rotà (Gatheringwaters) ; the water, Pû-’o’ro (Gurgling-group), formed of springs inland; the point
outside, Ahu-roa (Long-wall). The marae were Tara-ho’i (Thorn-returning) and,
Rai-a-manu, at Rai-a-manu, the boundary just mentioned.
The harbor outside is Ua (Open) commonly known as Taunoa Harbor, named
after the place of the same name. This passage faces the picturesque circle of peaks
called The Diadem crowning the summit of Mount Mai’ao (Bird’s-claw), an extinct
crater (4,362 feet high), above the valley of Fau-tau’a (Confederate-chiefs).
The
harbor connects with the beautiful and spacious port of the town of Pape’ete (Gushingwater), the capital of Tahiti and the emporium of the French possessions in east Polynesia. This port, the best of many good harbors in Tahiti, was also called Tipae-ru’i
(Night-landing) after the beautiful valley of that name, facing the passage.
The islets are Motu-’ana’ana (Broken-coral-islet) on the eastern side and
Motu-uta (Islet-inside) in the west, sheltered by the reef near the passage of
Pape’ete.
The pretty little town of Pape’ete, lies upon two districts, and clad in green
foliage and facing the islet of Motu-uta it nestles in a horseshoe bay. In the background are picturesque hills, relieved by magnificent mountains, the highest of which
is the Ao-ra’i (Sky-world) (6,673 feet high).
This town dérivés its
name
Pape-’ete, which gushes from
2"^
Also mentioned in the
from
a
a source
fine central stream of water named Vai-’ete
or
at the foot of a hill behind the Government
legend of Hiro (p. 537)-
Bernice P.
76
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
House ; ’ete, or ’ete’ete in old Tahitian, signifies commotion, a shock, or gushing in
this sense. ’Ete also means basket.
The high chief was Tû-nui-a’e-i-te-atua (Stability-greater-than-the-gods), or
Tû-nui-e-a’a-i-te-atua
(Great-stability-who-settles-the-gods) of the Pômare dynasty,
whose home is Papa’oa in ’Arue. The under chiefs' were Ari’i-peu (Artful-chief) of
Arue and Ari’i-Paea (Sovereign-elect) of Pare. The chief messenger was Turuhe-
(Drowsy-greatness). The arioi house was Na-nu’u (The-hosts). The schools
(Dark-billow), ’Utu-mea (Red-lip), and Fare-fatu (House-of-masters).
The principal teacher was Matau (Habitude).
In adulation of the home of Pômare in Teporionuu, are the following lines :
mana
were
Và-uri
Tara-ho’i ta’i poto,
Tara-ho’i te ta’i onaona,
O
Tara-ho’i of brief cry;
Tai-a-iig’i of obstinate cry,
Tara-ho’i,
maro
It is persistent
’Eiaha ’oe e hi’o i reira !
E nana’ihere Papa’oa,
E ui tena e tae mai ai.
Look not thou
Ahu-toru te ’ai’a tupuna o te
Taraho’i,
Ari’i
it !
Papa’oa is worth its hundreds,
Hardy must you be to corne hither.
o
O Ahu-toru tupatupa.
E rave i te ma’a mo’a i reira,
E fa’ahoi ’i mûri e ’ai.
E màro Tara-ho’i,
E ore e tu’u,
E ore e ho’i i te ua
Taraho’i nui i te vai
E
vero
Pa’a’ina
O mato
ia,
o
o marama
te
rua
e
te mata’i.
tôtô,
ia i ni’a,
a
tai i tahuna
nui te muhu
ea^
o
Pare,
Tôa roa i te huhu ta’oto’oto.
O toa haratô i huhà ha’ape’epe’e,
O honu iti e na hoa tapairu,
O ta’i mai i te po’o i Fara-tea,
O to tupuna o Tia-Mâûi
O Pû-’o’oro i te vai tai
To vai haumaru.
Tara-ho’i,
rea.
upon
Ahu-toru
(Three-walls, a marae of
three steps) is the ancestral héritage of
the king of Tara-ho’i,
It is Ahu-toru of reputable aspect.
There they take sacred food.
And return behind to eat it.
Persistent is Tara-ho’i,
It yields not,
It recedes' not in rain and wind.
Great Tara-ho’i, of knocking waters,
That
is, in
And
the
above.
passes
it.
storms
roaring
Cliffs with great
Pare,
with the
sea
that
murmuring
moon
encomcaves
has
bumble-bee.
Pain-inflicting warriors fleet of lirabs,
Little turtle and waiting maids,“
Outside of Fara-tea (Light-fara) cove,
Attained by the napping
Your ancestor is Tia-Maui
prayer)
(Stand-by-
;
Pu-’o’oro of joyous' singing
Is your cooling water.
Te-H’a-roa.—The little
group of Te-ti’a-roa (The-distant-standing), famous for
consista chiefly of five islands named Rima-tû (Standing-hand),
One-hoa (Flashing-sand), Motu-rua (Double-islet), Hoa-tere (Travelling-friend), and
Rei-ona (Breezy-neck). These are connected by a protecting reef, in the northwest
of which is a shallow entrance that admits into the lagoon only canoës and small boats.
Te-ti’a-roa is an attachment of the District of Pare and formed part of the possessions
of the Pômare family, who placed it in the keeping of faithful retainers, mostly from
the Tuamotus, who brought to them their produce in exchange for breadfruit and
other Tahitian food.
In former times it was a pleasant resort of the royal family,
who occasionally enjoyed rest and quiétude there and indulged in the art of
haapori (fattening), which was practised by the féminine members of the family for
the purpos’e of beautifying their persons.
During political disturbances, the king
sometimes placed his treasures in safe-keeping at Te-ti’a-roa; and there in times of
peace, Pômare I sometimes held his heathen orgies while Tahiti was becoming Chris^
coconuts
and fish,
The waiting maids of the turtle means fishes.
Maui (Frayer), so-called after Maui, the first
priest.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
tianized. But this historié little héritage was sold by the family and now
ruins’ of old marae and stone-covered graves remain as records of the past.”
77
only the
Pa’a’a.—From Paofai, the west end of Pape’ete, to Fana-tea (White-bow) is
Fa’a’a (To burn) in the northwest.
The mountain above is Fau-iti (Small-fau) ;
the assembly ground below, Tau-a’a (Root-period) ; the point
outside, Pu-fau (Fauclump) ; the river is Tipae-ru’i, formerly called Tau-pô (synonj-m for Nightlanding). The marae was Ahu-ra’i (Wall-of-the-sky). The harbor outside was
called Tipae-ru'i (Night-landing), now named Papeete Harbor; and the
islet, Motutahiri (Fan-islet). The high chief was Te-ari’i-vae-tua
(Prince-dividing-the-ocean) ;
under chief, Te-pâ’u
(The-splash). The messenger or orator was Tau-vini
(Alighted-whistling). The arioi house was Pea-fau (Crossed-fau-sticks,) and its chief
comedian was Pa’â (Strong).
The school was Tau-va’a (Some-canoes), and the
the
was Tau-va’a.
The following two legends are from this région :
Fa’a’a is a very hilly district, and upon the hills clouds descend and settle at night.
According to a legend there were once two men called Tû-ata (Cloud-standers), who
died of cold up in those mists. Wearing only the maro (loin-girdle), they had travelled ail around Tahiti, had slept out in the open air on points' and in
valleys, one
teacher
lying against the other to
proffered hospitalities until
little warmth, and had defied the cold and refused
last they perished up on the cold hills of Fa’a’a.
There was once a man narned Merue-reoreo (Great-haste-the-boaster), who
cleared some land and after hurriedly planting mttc (paper mulberry) slips
upside
down upon it, made himself a nice farc-potc’e (oval-shaped house) into which to
put
the tapa that he expected the plants to produce. Then he built a pig pen and shut it
up tinoccupied.
Finally Merue went on a prolonged visit to Ra’iatea, where he
boasted that he had a fine house filled with tapa and that he had plenty of pigs.
Meanwhile, his relaives set out mite slips in proper order upon his land, made the
tapa in due time, and placed it in his house; they also put pigs' in the pen and kept
his place in good order. So at last, due to the kind aid of his Tahitian relatives, his
great boastings became truths, and when he returned home with some Ra’iatean
friends, he was the real possessor of ail those things, and grandly entertained his
admiring guests. Ever afterward “Te parmi mau a Merue” (the truths of Merue)
get a
at
a byword at Fa’a’a.
Te-’oro-pa’a.—This district is comprised of Mano-tahi (One-thousand), Mano-rua
(Two-thousand)—also called Pù-na-’au-ia"' (The trumpet-is-mine) and Pa’ea“ (Wallof-escape).
From Fana-tea (White-bow) hill to Vai-ehuehu (Disturbed-water) is Mano-tahi
in the west. The mountain above is ‘Oro-henà, or ’Oro-fenà, (First-dorsal-fin), forming a background in common with Ha’apape in the north. (See p. 74.) .The
assembly ground below is ’Oro-peru (Retreating-warrior) ; the point outside, Pû-na’au-ia; the river, Vai-taio (Friendship-water). The marae were Pû-na-’au-ia and
Ra’i-tua (Ocean-sky). The passages (for canoës or small boats) are Tua-ta-miro
(Océan-with-caution), Ava-ava-manini
(Entrance-for-manini-fish), and Nu’u-roa
became
(Long-fleet). The high chief was Te-atua-nui-e-maru-i-te-ra’i (Great-god-who-overshadows-the-sky) ; and the under chief, Pohue-tea (Light-convolvulus). The mes¬
senger or orator was
Tama-ia-Atea (Son-of-Vast-expanse) ; the arioi house was
Te-tai-tapu (The-sea-of-sacrifices), and its chief comedian was' Pua-haha (Bulkyflower). The school was Pû-na-’au-ia and its teacher was Te-iho-ari’i (The-royalessence).
The following incident illustrâtes the jealousy with which the natives regarded the
boundaries of their districts
In 1904 it passed into the hands of Dr. Williams, of Pape'ete.
For the origin of the name Pu-na-’an*ia, see p. 502.
Pa is an old name for fort and fence, now applied only to a fort; patu means a stone wall;
and auGj a fence, both of which are also old words.
38Told by an old native of Pii-na’au-ia to Mrs. Samuel Henry.
(1)’A-ou’a
Bernice P.
78
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Fa’a’a and Pû-na-’au-ia once had a dispute about the boundary
Fa’a’a s'aid that the proper boundary was' in a
named Puhi (Eel), a ra’atira (gentleman) of
Pû-na-’au-ia, strongly contended that the proper boundary was on Fanatea Hill.
Then the two men of Fa’a’a, out of bravado, went into the little dell and began to
clear and plant the ground ; but when Puhi heard of it, he became exasperated, put
on his working maro, went to the two men and slew them, saying as he did so :
“Ua avatea, ua viriviri te puhi i te ’iri’iri i Fanatea!"
(It is noon time, the eel is
twisting upon the pebbles of Fanatea.) Then he carried their bodies to the marae of
Pû-na-’au-ia as sacrifices to the god, and thus ended the dispute forever.
Mano-nia.—From Vai-ehuehu (Disturbed-water) to Vai-niania (Swerving-water)
at Pâ-roa (Long-fence) in the south-southwest.
This section lias three divisions—
The people of
between the two districts ; the chief of
little dell” at Pû-na-’au-ia; but a man
(Jump), (2) Na-ta’o-e-hà (The-four-spears), and (3) Mara’a
(Lifted).
(1) From Vai-ehuehu to Rua-o-te-toa (Cavern-of-the-rock) is ’A’ou’a. The moun¬
tain above is Tanono (With-Morinda) ; the assembly ground below Faofao (Stony) ;
the point outside, Fare-papa (Rock-house) ; the river, Vai-ta-ho’e (Water-united) ; the
Marae-ta’ata ; and the harbor outside, Ava-rua (Two-passages), the entrances,
Pâ’ea and Mara’a passages. The high chief was Te-vahi-tua-i-pâ-tea (Sea-dividing-at-
marae,
The messengers or orators were
(Royal-sunrise) and Paita (Great-rage). The arioi house was Fare-roa
(Long-house), and its chief comedians were Hita (Impulse) and Uri (Dark). Ruao-te-toa, mentioned above as a boundary of this district, is a submarine cavem in
the reef close to the shore, which is regarded as the home of a large image called a
ti’i (fetcher) of the old-time gods and which was placed there when heathenism was
abolished. It is stated in good faith by the natives at Teoropa’a that from there on
some quiet moonlight nights a great phantom image cornes on shore in the midst of a
whiriwind, accompanied with loud whistling, before which the bushes bend low. It
crosses the public road to the inner side, then jumps with a whizzing sound
and
vanishes in the air. Strange to say, this story has been affirmed to me by an educated
man as his own expérience before he had heard about the phenomenon.
Also on some
nights in this neighborhood, which is rocky, it is said that apparitions of French soldiers who died in battle with the natives at Pa’ea are seen hovering about in full
white-wall), and the under chief, To’ofa (The-chief).
Te-râ-hiti-ari’i
uniform.
(2) From Rua-o-te-to’a to Te-oi‘o-o-te-pua-tea
(The-rosette-of-the-white-flower) is
Na-ta’o-e-hà.“ The mountain above is Mahu-ta’a ( Severed-mist, 4,942 feet high) ; the
assembly ground below, Taruru-’amo’a (Bundle-in-Nephrolepis-fern) ; the points outside,
( Wall-of-escape) and ’Utu-’ai-mahu-rau (Cape-eating-mists). The rivers are
(Pandanus-river) and Vai-ra’a (Sacred-water). The marae was ’Utu-’aimahurau, on the point of the same name, and the passage for canoës or boats is To’ofàroa (Tall chief).
The high chief was Te-vahi-tua-i-patea (Sea-dividing-at-white-wall)
and the under chief was Te-to’ofà (The-chief). The messengers or orators were Fa’ahiro (Be-cunning) and Titihi-rape (Beam-peg). The chief comedian was Hita (Im¬
pulse), and the comedians of this subdivision united with those of the following one
Pà-’ea
Vai-atu
at the
arioi houses there named.
(3) From Te-oro-o-te-pua-tea to Vainiania (Swerving-water) is Mara’a. The
mountain above is Ivi-rairai (Slender-bone) (Si5S6 feet high) ; the assembly ground
below, Te-parau-a-hui (Word-of-the-assembly) ; the points outside are Mara’a-tau
(Season-lifted) and Tû-fara-ri’i (Stand-small-pandanus) ;
the water, Puna-tea
(White-spring). The marae was Tuitui (Requiems). The passage for canoës and
boats is Tàhuna-a-mà-ra’i (Heat-clear-sky).
The high chief was Te-vahi-tua-i-Patea
(Sea-dividing-at-White-wall) and the under chief, Te-to’ofa (The-chief). The mes¬
sengers were
were
^
Fa’a-hiro (Be-cunning) and Titiha-rape (Beam-peg). The arioi houses
(The-sun-with-yellow-rays), which was burned,“ and Apiri-te-
Te-râ-tore-re’a
On land now owned by Mr. Goupil of Outu-maoro (Long-cape).
Formerly the mountaineers of this district wore skirts of ’arno’a.
See story of the revenge of Mara’a (p. 241).
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
79
(Spin-closely), built afterwards in a new place; and its chief comedian was
(Impulse).
At Mara’a, at the foot of a hill
facing the public road, is a cave over a deep
pool of water which présents an optical illusion. The cave has an arched roof,
which appears to be shallow and to slant
gradually backwards, and when a stone is
thrown in it appears to fall into the center of .the
pool ; but on entering the recess
of the cave, it is found to be
extensive, the roof being highest towards the middle
and the people on the outside being so far
away that their words in ordinary conver¬
’ohu
Hita
sation cannot be heard.
cave
Also the
thrown goes far in.
From the roof of the
mos's, and in the rainy season waterdrops reflect
stone
hang wild maidenhair fern and
rainbow hues in the rays of the afternoon
SONG OF
sun.
Pa'ëA
E ti’i rà O vai tù nui
E pa i te ’ava rau ri’i,
Fa’ati’a i te pû ma te pahu,
A pa
Te
i teWa i ni’a
o
Let the great standing river
Wall in its small-leafed ava,
Tell it with the trumpet and drum,
Wall in the ava upon Mount Mahu-
Mahu-ta’a.
ta’a.
O rain of the rocks,
Conceal perhaps thy fishes
That go to the deep of the long
bonito ! ”
Go for parrakeets”® to Ra’iatea,
To distinguish the handsome warrior,
to’a ri’i e,
A puni pftha i to i’a
E ta’a i te pae tua o te ’atu roa !
ua
a
A haere i te manu ’ura i Ra’iatea,
A ta’a ’i te matauiui o toà,
E poe “ i te tiare i
A mahu i te ’ura i
Tupai,
Raroto’a,
Wearing the gardénia of Tupai,
Blended with
tonga,
A manihinihi i te aravao.
O ’Utu’ai nui ’o’opu
vere
!
Tia
vere
feathers
of
Raro-
Deal kindly with the mountaineers'.
’Tis great, black ’Utu’ai (Cape-eating)
[mist]
Of the wall of the yellow sea,"
Of the land that Hiro splashed.
When the parrakeet gods are caught
I te patu tai rea,
I te fenua i pâ’u hia e Hiro.
A piri te atua ura i te tapau e,
Tia
lira
with gum “
Beware ! Beware !
!
Pa-para.—From Vai-niania to Te-avaro (The-Premna) is Papara (Wall-ofripeness), in the South, comprising three subdivisions:
(i) The mountain above is Te-ara-tapu (The-sacred-road) ; the ass'embly
ground below, Hutu-maru (Shady-Barringtonia) ; the point outside, Tau’e (Differentseason) ; the river below, Vai-poea (Scummyvwater). The marae were Mata-’oa
(Glad-face) and Mata-rehu (Face-of-ashes) ; the passage for boats and canoës is
Tô-piro (Drawing-odor) ; the high chief was Teri’i-rere (Flying-prince) ; also named
’Aro-mai-te-ra’i (War-from-the-sky) ; and the under chiefs were Tati (Résistance)
and Ari’i-faataia (Intimidating-prince)
The messengers or orators were Haia-toti
(Bound-victim) and Haia-tota (Crushed-victim), of whom it was said : “Aore teie
tau orero e faaherehere, vahi ha’ari noa ta roua
parau” (These two orators are upsparing, like the breaking of the coconut are their words.) The arioi house was Te■
(Two-parties-meeting), and its
rehe
chief comedian
was
Mata’a
(Cheerfulness), for
The bonito eats small fishes that go in schools out in the océan.
Parrakeets’ feathers are here meant.
To poe flo'wers is to place them over the ears, a favorite custom of the
natives, and the
low islands of Tnbai are famous for fine tiare.
As it breaks over the point at ’Utu’ai in Pa’ea, the sea reflects the
yellow rays of the sun
in some positions.
”
Catching little birds with
gum
Both of these ranks of chiefs
is
a
were
method
of the
common
saine
in
family,
Polynesia.
an
elder and
a
younger
brandi.
Bernice P.
8o
all Papara.
was
The school
was
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Fare-e’e (Strange-houses), for ail Papara, and its teacher
Tio-tahu’a (Oyster-artisan).
(2) The mountain above is Te-maeva-tutui (The-attack-b3f-burning) ; the
assembly ground below, Tuturu-ma’a-’iore (Food-dropping-for-rats) ; the point outside, Mantinu (Benumbed) ; and the river, Vai-a’au (Reef-bound-water).
The
marae was
Outu-rau (Many-points).. The passage for boats and canoës is Te’a-iti
(Small-arrow)
Te-ava-iti (Small-passage).
or
The high chief and the under chiefs for this and the
same as in the first subdivision of the district,
The arioi
the following subdivision :
third subdivisions were the
house was in common with
This subdivision was formerly named A-’Oropaa (Of-strong-warrior). The
above is Mou’a-tamaiti
(Boy-mountain) ; the assembly ground below.
(Tiger-shell) ; the points outside, Maha’i-atea (Extensive-mitigation) and
Manomano (Thousand-thousand) ; the rivers, Fari’i-’orè-(No-container) and Vai-poea
(Dormant-water) ; the marae, Maha’i-atea (Expansive-mitigation).
The passage for boats and canoës is Fa’a-re’are’a (Make-joyful), said to hâve
been opened after the flood by Rua-hatu, the Tahitian Neptune.
(See p. 140.)
(3)
mountain
Poreho
(Sprig-with-long-blossom). Up in a high
which has been the family vault of the high
chiefs, Teri’i-rere and Tati. Up to recent date the bodies of members of the family
hâve been carried there by faithful old-time retainers, who hâve stated thatincantations
The arioi house was Titi-pua-roa
mountain of Papara is a great cavern
made the work light
and
easy.
Following is an archaic war song (pehe-tama’i) referring to the ancient history
of these districts, which evidently dates from a time when the dauntless warriors of
the Oropa’as were subjugating different parts of Tahiti and which seems to throw
light upon this part of Papara being named ’A-’Oropa’a (Of-strong-warrior) :
Te Rua-i-tupua te
Rua-i-tahito ra!
Mai te tai maira vau.
Mai te mahu fenua,
Te-tou nohora’a aroha e !
E hoatu anei ia Rua-i-tupua tahito
la Vai-toru?
E to’u fenua maita’i e,
Papara to’u fenua ia mau.
Toa ivaiva
Ua fatata i tau ma te ono.
Ho atu anei ia Rua-i-tupua tahito,
la Vai-toru?
Papara to’u fenua ia mau.
Te ruma nei ra Oropa’a e !
Mai ta’na mou’a tapu ra’atira
Mai tete te ruma.
Te ta’i nei te fanau’a ’oura ri’i marae
E
tere
Hiro,
Pati fenua ia
e
fete
e
(Source-of-old) !
oe.
!
Rua-
From the sea hâve I corne,
From the misty land,"
The Cordia, O résidence beloved !
To Rua-i-tupua of old shall
Vai-toru (three-waters)“ be given?
O my good land,
Papara is the land Fil
Raging warrior,
The time of vengeance
To Rua-i-tupua of old
Vai-toru be given?
hold.
approaches.
shall
Papara is the land Fil hold.
O ’tis lowering over Oropa’a !
From its mountain sacred to gentlemen
Clamor is broodin.g.
The little shrimps “ of the marae are
crying.
As the sweep
break.
fêta,
Tû râ, e oroi, pûa.
Te manu mou’a ri’i.
Papa tane te fenua e mau e
Rua-i-tupua ( Source-of-growth)
i-tahito
of Hiro*’ cornes the out-
Thou wilt make them leap upon the
land.
Stand, turn, blown away,
Shall the mountain birds *’ be.
Rock the man shall be in possession!
Source-of-growth was an appellation of Ta’aroa, invoked by the warrior in
The misty land refers to Utu-’ai-mahu-rau (Point-eating-many-mists) of Mara’a
The three-waters mean the three Paparas.
The little shrimps mean the people of little power.
Hiro, god of thieves, took people by surprise.
This is another figure of speech meaning people.
this song.
in Te-’Oro-pa’a,
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
The
8i
’A-’Oropa’a has long been dropped, and the three subdivisions were
Papara under the chieftainship of Tati, whose Seat of government
was there.
Papara and ail the Southern districts of Tahiti as far as the Isthmus of
Taravao are called Te-teva-i-uta (The-mainland-plain), and ail the districts of
Taiarapu are called Te-teva-i-tai (The-ultra-plain) from the belief that they were
United in the fish before its sinews were eut, according to the legend.
(See p. 433.)
name
United into
one
The following is
a song
of Papara, referring also to ’Oropa’a
O Papara e moe ra i te ahinavai !
O Papara nui ia ’Oro hua re’a
O te vai ia Tai-au ;
Taai
E
na
manu
i te horo i paepae
vau
nei,
E Teva i te ua, e
Mamari iti
A tuu i te
no
e
Teva,
Teva i
Oro hua
iriiri.
te mamari
rea.
pehe ai
Tei Papara te tupura’a o toa,
vanaa
e
No te toa manahune
O ’Oropa’a, toa i Fenua-ura,
O mere o te u a i Anâ,
O Rua-roa, o Papara
O te Maoa’e tua nane ;
O Papara hoi te tauira i te poti’i
O Papara e moe ra i te ahinavai !
:
’Tis Papara veiled in white mist!”
’Tis great Papara of ‘Oro of yellow
body “
Who is witlî Tai-au
Oro’s adoptive father)
(Agreeable-sea,
Travel, running to the pebble paving
of the marae.
I am a bird, a Teva,
A Tevan in the rain,
shade,
a
Teva in the
The little s'hade of ’Oro of the yellow
body.
Let the heralds sing
’Tis Papara that produces warriors,
The plebeian warriors
For Ôropa’a, warriors for Red-Iand‘'
Of Orion’s belt close by Betelgeuse,
Of the summer solstice ; ’tis Papara
Of the trade wind with rippling sea ;
’Tis Papara fostering the girls,“®
Papara veiled in white mist !
Ati-ma-onoT—From Te’avaro River
to Pâ-mati (Wall-of-Ficwi tinctoria) is AtiThe mountain above is Mo’a-roa (Entirelysacred) ; the assembly ground below, Paepae-teitei (High-paving) ; the point outside,
Papa-reva (Deep-rock) ; the river, Te-’avaro (The-Premna). The marae was Farepu’a (Eimestone-house). The passage for small boats and canoës is Te-ava-ra’a
(The-sacred-passage). The high chief was Te-ari’i-fa’atau (Phlegmatic-prince), and
the under chief, Tere-iti-a-uiui (Small-old-timed-errand).
The messenger or orator
was' Tau-atea
(Expansive-period). The arioi house was Te-hira’a-rupo (Fishingplace-of-the-rupo-fish), and its chief comedian was Te-rupo (The-rupo).
ma-ono
(Tribe-of-six) in the South.
Pape-’uriri.—In the south from Pa-mati to Te-rua-mo’o ('The-cave-of-the-lizards)
district called Pape-uriri or Vai-uriri (Gray-plover), also Mataiea (Strange-wind).
The mountain above is Pua-ràtà (Metrosideros-flower) ; the assembly ground, Ai-urua
(Eating-cavalla-fish) ; the point outside, Oti’a-roa (Long-boundary) ; the river Vaihiria (Water-gushing-forth), which cornes from a beautifui inland lake of that name;
the marae was Outu-roa (Long-point). The harbors outside connected with each other
are Te-ahifa
(The-sea-serpent) and Rauti-rare (Soft-ti-leaf) and the islets outside
are
Motu-one (Sand-islet). Ma-peti (Cleansed), and Pû-uru
(Close-clump). The
high chief was Te-iho-atua (Thc-god’s-essence), and the under chief was Rare-’ahu
(Cloth-house).
is
a
This is a poetic expression resembling that of “Tahiti of the golden haze.”
’Oro’s image was covered with yellow feathers at Papara.
See the account of the birth of ’Oro.
North Tahiti, land of the ’Oropa’aa, is the prominent red clay hill of Tahara’a, or One-tree
hill of Wallis and Cook.
The girls herc means the weak in times of trouble.
Ati-ma-ono has become private property and is also named Terre Eugénie.
Bernice P.
82
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The messenger or orator was
Haia (Body-slain-in-battle).
The arioi hous'e
(Pearl-separated), and its chief comedian was Tiatia (Boasting).
Following is a song of the district;
Arai-teva
O Vaiuriri nui
a
tere
i maoha,
Maoha to ma’a.
O Mataiea riri vave,
o te ahu parepare,
Tatai a nui o manu,
O Vai’irriri i te nia noa i te ’ai’a.
Mo’opuna
’Tis' great
splendently,"
Vaiuriri that moved
was
re-
Splendid is thy food.
’Tis Mataiea the hasty tempered,
Offspring of the fortified walls,
Of the shore of the host of birds,
’Tis Vaiuriri in which is the Heritage.
river of Vaihiria has to be crossed a great many times
ascending to the head of the valley, where lies the beautiful lake
A'^aihiria. This lake is about half a mile in diameter and has little bays
whence issue rivulets, coming from a semicircle of low gr&en-clad
hills, which are watered by high blue mountains that pour down cascades
fresh from their cloud-capped summits. The rugged declivity which forms
the outer side of the lake appears to be made of broken fragments of a
great avalanche that came from a mountain standing perpendicularly to
the right, some évidences of which are that many great detached rocks
lie ail around, some forming islets on the outer border of the lake. And
far down the hillside to the right, bestrewn above and below with heaps
of sharp broken rocks, is a great, dark chasm called Te-ra’i-tû-pô (Thesky-standing-in-darkness), the extent of which has not been explored.
Another evidence has been found to the left of the road where the water
The winding
in
distance undergound, and sounds as though
The current in this direction once formed
a Whirlpool
that was dangerous to approach, but the passage is now
obstructed by débris and wood from the surrounding trees.
The lake is very deep and owing to little flow of water overland has
a scum upon the surface close to the brink.
The landscape is nature’s
garden. Fine trees are there and an abundance of good food, such as fei
(mountain-plantains) growing thickly upon the mountain sides, tô ’a’eho
(wild sugar-cane) growing with apura (wild taro) in the little bays; and
tree ferns and moss grâce and soften the beauty of it ail.
The scene is
enlivened by wild ducks that start out of their hiding places and swim
with their young upon the calm water, scarcely frightened by the unusual
presence of human beings.
In good weather pleasure parties visit the
lake and camp Ijeside it, using buts covered with fehi leaves. Rafts of the
buoyant fehi trunks are made and paddled over the water; swimming is
another récréation.®®
The scene, especially by moonlight, is enchanting
and is long remembered by a visitor.
escapes
from the lake for
some
rushing through loose stones.
eut
Moved
(p. 439).
An eel
resplendently refers to the moving away of the land after the throat
peciiHar to this lake is described (p. 615).
of the fîsh was
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
83
abyss and a little farther ont is an ancient pare
(fortification) of stones standing in ruins. On the inner side of the lake
is a mountain pass leading down into Papeno’o Valley on the opposite
side of the island, which mountaineers find easy to traverse. More rugged
passes also connect Punauia and other deep valleys with this center.
In
a
line with the
Pape-ari.—From Te-rua-mo’o to Màtà (Beginning) is Papeari or Vai-ari (Billowy-river) in the southeast. The mountain above is Puraha (Open-to-receive) ; the
assembly ground, Fà-roa (L,ong-stalk) ; the point outside, Tau-noa (Just-alighting) ;
the river, Umi-nui-ma-varu (Great-ten-fathoms-with-eight) ; the marae was Fare-pu’a
(House-of-limestone) ; the harbor outside is Te-inara-uri (The-dark-mara [fish] ), con¬
necting with that of Te-hura-ia-matu’u (The-dance-put-forth) or Hotu-matu’u (Raging-forth), which is very rough and faces the Isthmus of Taravao. The high chief
was Mahea-nu’u (Paleness-of-hosts').
The messenger or orator was Pa-ne’e (Fathercrawling). The arioi house was Fare-’ute (House-of-song), and its chief comedian
was
Ti’a-pou (Stand-by-post).
Following is
a song
of the district:
O Vaiari iti a muna e !
muna ia te ma’a,
Vaiari iti a muna e !
Ua rau te ara i te fenua e,
E fenua poto i te ’Aua’a.
O dear Vaiari of enchantment !
Thy food then
E
was
enchantment,
Dear Vaiari of enchantment!
Many
are
the paths in thy land.
Near are the lands at the ’Aua’a (Butfor-that [straitl ).
I shall fathom the ’Aua’a ;
It measures a few fathoms across ;
E a’a vau i te ’Aua’a,
Ta’i tahi rea ia a’a a’e;
E ha’a faura’o a ta’a e atu ai
O Vaiari iti i te ’e’a rau !
By
a conveyance
is left behind
Dear Vaiari of many paths !
Thp Isthmus
ot
Taravao
Papeari and Hitia’a in the west, the open sea in the north, Tai-’arapu, the lesser peninsula, in the east, and the loch of Te-’aua’a in the
South, is the Isthmus of Taravao (Corner-plain), which was neutral ground
in olden times and frequently the scene of strife and bloodshed between
the people of the two peninsulas. “Taravao nui ari’i ’ore” (Great Taravao
without a king) it is called (p. 88). The isthmus is 2 miles wide, 45
feet high across the center, and rises still higher toward the graduai slopes
With
of the mountains
on
either side.
The French hâve built
a
fort there in
commanding position, and hâve made a good road, which soldiers hâve
a fine avenue by planting orange, lemon, and lime trees.
Some
of the trees hâve been grafted with one another, thus producing a pleasing
effect. Attractive homes and fine coconut plantations are on Taravao. The
beautiful loch of Te-’aua’a^® affords good anchorage for ships.
a
made into
The enchantment refers to t'he tiine of the cutting of the fish (p. 439).
Named Port Phaeton after a French ship-of-war by that name, which anchored there in
early fifties to take the hydrography of the harbor under command of De Bovis.
the
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Bernice P.
84
Thë Districts ot Tai-a-Rapu
(Orderlywwall) to Pare’aito (Casuarina-house), is
(Dashing-rock), in the Southwest of Tai’arapu (Disturbed-sea). The hill
above is Fa’a-rei (Uplift), standing alone on a plain ; the as'sembly ground is Tô-’erefau (Drawn-without-a-chief) ; the point, Pou-riro (Pillar-taken) ; the river, Ao-mà
(Clean-world).
The marae was Pou-riro (Pillar-taken). The harbor is Te-puta (The aperture).
The high chief was Moe-te-râ-uri (Sleep-of-darkened-sun), and the under chiefs were
Tane-ra’i (Sky-man) and Tû-tea (Standing-white). The messengers or orators’ were
Tavi (Rustling) and Tirahate (Stopped-by-invocation). The arioi were United with
those of the district of Mata’oae, also under the chief Moe-te-râ-uri.
To’a^hotu.—From Te-ihi-pâ
To’ahotu
The evil record of To’ahotu is
as
fices !
A bad
E fenua ’ino,
Fenua fao, e fenua tapu,
’E’ita e fa’aherehere i te ari’i,
rave,
Opapa,
rave
ua
opapa
;
’Tis’ Toahotu, recoursed to
O To’ahotu ti’ira’a tapu !
Ua
follows
for sacri¬
land,
Land of black art, land of sacrifices.
It spares not princes,
When it takes, it takes to keep,
roa,
Triuinphant
Vairaô !
over
Vairaô !
Pâ-’ute (Red-wall) is Vairaô (Now-stay-there),
Vai-uru (Enchanted-watef), in the Southwest. The
mountain above is Ma’atea“ ( White-sling) ; the assembly ground, Poti’i (Girl) ; the
point outside, Ahu-rau (Many-walls) ; the river, Vai-rutu (Water-of-the-rutu [a plan¬
tain] ). The marae was Nu’u-tere (Moving-host). The harbor is Tapu’ae-raha (Extended-footstep).“
The high chief was Te-aha-huri-fenua (The-prayer-that-overturned-the-land), and
the under chiefs were Vai-rora (Extending-water) and Vivi-rau (Many-front-ranks).
Vai-ra-ô.—From Fare-’aito
to
formerly also called Pape-uru
or
The messenger or orator was
Fa’afana (Guardian).
The arioi house
was
Tava-ni’a
chief arioi was Tû-mata-riri (Stand-with-angry-face).
The school was Te-vana’a-a’e-hae (The-herald-rising-fiercely), and its teacher was
Hae-te’Oa-Tahuea (Fierceness-of-the-’Oa-of-Tahuea).“
(Upper-cloth-bark),
and its
SONG OF VAIR.'VO
Fa’a
rua
rahi ta’iripû te
Na-ni’a iho na Ma’atea,
I pa’ipa’i e Hamuri,
Totoro a’era i poutini,
I te ’utuafare o te toa !
I hitimahuta to’u ara,
I te rau tou i te tamaru
A pe’e
mai
e
mata’i
e
ava
A fa’ati’a i te tira, e
O Tapu’ae-raha i te
This hill
U.)
was
many
pillars,
Of the home of the warrior !
o
Tane
!
Tapu’ae raha, te
great double valley of concentrated
breezes!
Over (mount) Ma’atea (White-sling).
Corne gusts and Hamuri (Trade-wind),
O
Creeping round
Oh, I
ra,
E faa’i rà e ta’ai,;
Te ta’i mai ra te mata’i i Toa-roa
I
!
nei
e
tira,
haere ;
!
With
was
startled in awakening,
leaves'
shade.“
of the
Cordia
in
Tane’s
As they fell !
Now fill up (the sails) and travel;
The wind is whistling at Toa-roa (LongAt
rock),
harbor of Tapu’ae-raha
tended-footstep) !
(Ex-
bird Manu-i-te-a’a (Bird-of-roots).
(See
the
Erect the masts, masts
To pass through Tapu’ae-raha;
said to hâve been overturned by the
The extended footstep means the wide stride o£ Maui when he noosed the sun at Vairaô.
The ’Oa was the mucl god that assiimed the appearance of a man in Ra’iatea (p. 548).
The shade or night of Tane, god of beaiity.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Ei
tutua tira ei tetere
Ei tau fenua
a
a
va’a.
Let there be many masts
canoë.
Along
tere,
A tere i mata’i ’oe, e fa’aî i te’ie
I te hi’u O te tira.
Te fenua i mua i umea mai,
my
shofes
you must
to
sait the
sail,
Sail in the wind that filhs the sails
In the trail of the masts.
The lancls before [us] that were drawn
apart,
O Vaiari iti a mima e,
O Vaiuriri nui a tere i mahoa,
O
85
Are, Vaiari of enchantnient,
Great Papeuriri that moved off resplendently,
[And] Great Papara of 'Oro of yellow
body.
Exhausted quite, soon fatigued,
Papara nui ia Oro hua re’a.
Ua matata ia noa, rohirohi vave,
Fa’aea noa ihora te pu’e tahu’a
I ti’atere to’na aroha.
E ’Oputu te manu na’na i Kipa,
Then rested the artisans”
Whose émotions overcame them.
The albatross' was the bird that proudly
tunied,
I hipa ti’a a tai,
Ua ao mai nei i te aroha,
O ta’u fenua ra, o Vai-uru.
O Ma’atea te mou’a,
Tahua o Poti’i, te aha ri’i
That proudly turned out to sea.
And returned in love,
For my land, Vai-uru (Enchanted-water).
Ma’atea is the hill,
I Nu’utere
Are
o
The assembly ground is Poti’i, the little
Moe-te-rà-uri Ari’i.
prayers
at
Nu’utere [marae] of King Moe-
( Sleep-of-darkened-sun).
Oh, I hâve bathed in the sea of Vai-uru,
When the sea was rolled by the wind of
Chieftains of long coast.
Ua hopu i te tai au i Vai-uru e,
O vehia tua i te mata’i a
Te to’ofà i taha roa.
Tatou e noho à
I te hutu manu noa,
Ta heê mai i te are.
Let
te-ra-uri
us
dwell
In the spray of
And ride upon
on
the birds,
the waves.
In this district there is a spring called Vai-ru’ia
(Darkened-water), from which
ît is affirmed by people living that Te-mehara, goddess of wisdom, whose marae was
close by, emerged on certain moonlight nights, and bathed and combed her
long,
glossy tresses.
On such occasions women sought her favor and held conversation
with her from the brink.
Long after Tahiti was Christianized, Mrs. Nuu Hills said
that her grand-aunt, Pùrua (Two-pools), of Vaira’ô, held regular communion with
Te-mehara as they sat together upon a- sraonth stone slab bj' the spring.
But at
length the old woman’s son, Fà-te-ata (Cloud-appearing), who was a zealous Chris¬
tian convert, being determined to break up their
intercourse, disturbed the stones
around the spring, carried away the slab, which he buried beneath the
public road,
and thus ended the vis'its with the
goddess.
Ma-ta’o-ae.—From Pâ’ute to Tai’ari’ari (Sea-in-waves) is Mata’oae (With-bid•ding), in the south. The mountain above is Pou-o-mata (Pillar-of-beginning) ; the
assembly ground, Ta’a-iva (Separate-sight) ; the point outside, Hiti-’a’a (Border-of
roots) ; the river, Te-a-rehu (Burned-to-ashes). The marae was Mata-hi-hae (Eyesflashing-with-rage). The harbor is Te-ava-iti (The-little-passage). The high chief
was
Moe-te-râ-uri (Sleep-of-darkened-sun), and the under chiefs were Tane-ra’i
(Sky-man), Tane-tû-fenua (Man-standing-on-land), and Tû-tea (Standing-white).
The messengers or orators were Tavi-hau-roa (Greatest-rustling) and Tira-hate
(Stopped-by-invocation). The arioi house was Matiti (Pendant), and its chief
comedians were Fleiva-’ino (Bad-play) and ’Upa’upa-’ino (Bad-music).
The school
was
Fare-ti’i (House-of-fetchers), and its teacher was the priest Pou-’ou-ma-fenua
( Post-barked-to-the-ground).
,
The artisans who
eut the
sinews of the fish (p. 439).
Bernice P.
86
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
SONG O]? MATAOAË
Tuti’i fa’efa’ea o Mata’oae,
Mata’oae nui ia aifenua ! '
O Mata’oae te atua hiva e riri
Te ai O Mata’oae te mea ro’o
E au’ati te ma’a roa,
E au rima o ma’a poto,
E noha ta’i vinivini
O Pouou-ma-fenua,
I
Mata’oae nui
noa,
rahi;
aifenua !
Fickle ancestor is Mata’oae.
Great land-grasping Mata’oae !
’Tis Mata’oae of hasty gods of clans.
The eating at Mata’oae is proverbial ;
The under attrition is the long vegetable,
The upper attrition is the short vegetable.
A sage who wept bitterly was'
Pouou-ma-fenua (Post - barked - to - theOf
ground),“
great-land-grasping Mata’oae.
Te-ahu-upo’o.—From Tai’ari’ari to Ra-pa’e (Receding-sun) is
Te-ahu-upo’o,
gen-
(The-wall-of-heads), formerly called Mata-hi-hae
(Eyes-flashing-with-rage), in the southeast. The mountain above is Te-ahu (Thewall) ; the ass'embly ground, Uru-maru (Shady-grove) ; the points outside, Fare-nuiatea (Great-expansive-house) and Fare-mahora (Lawn-house) ; the rivers, Vai-hirohiro (Winding-river) and Vai-a-’ai’a (Water-of-heritage). The marae was Mata-hihae. The harbors are Hava’e (Sea-egg) and Vai-’au (Swimming-water), United into
erally shortened to Te-ahu-’poo“
Vehi-atua-iTe-atua-nui-ha’awere Tavi
(Rustling) and Tira-hate (Stopped-by-invocation). The arioi houses were Tahu-naahuru (Kindle-the-ten) and Te-pu’u-maru (The-shady-peak), and its chief comedian
Te-ra’a-roa (The-quite-sacred). The school was Fare-orometua-nui (House-ofgreat-teacher), and its teacher was Te-ahu-marua (Fallen-wall).
one."” The high chief was Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa (The-chief-supreme) or
te-mata’i (Wrapping-the-god-in-the-wind), and the under chief was
maru-ra’i (The-great-god-who-shaded-the-sky). The messengers or orators
was
At the foot of a hill in this district is a dark cave in which is a deep pool of
clear, cold water, called Vai-poiri' (Dark-water). On entering the cave people hâve
the custom of beating coconut leaves at the opening, in order, they sajq to s’end in
the light.
In the midst of the water is a table stone upon which bathers sit, and
from which they plunge to swim. The effect of a bath in this water never exposed
to the Sun is a drowsiness which has been attributed to legendary causes from time
immémorial. Many are the stories sad and pleasant connected with the cave. Here
in days gone by, a foe was sometimes decoyed and then slain by an enemy awaiting
him ; or a fugitive was concealed by a friend, who set him free as' soon as danger
was
passed.
people slain
name Teahuupo’o was derived from a wall of heads taken from
battle between the districts of North and South Tai’arapu.
One party contended that the other did not observe the proper boundary line between Tautira
Matahihae.
So when the matter was settled by strife and bloodshed, the victorious
Southern s'ide decapitated their slain foes and at Râpa’e made a wall of
for the boundary line.
In that battle fell the warrior giant Tuatau of
cave
marae
of Pa’ea (p. 78). His head Was discovered in the wall and
his two sons, who also found his great spear and carried both
to
Tautira.—From Râpa’e to Te-re’a-iti (Little-Tumeric) is Tautira
The
in
a
and
their heads
the
and
stolen by
relies home
Pa’ea.
(Set-mast),
formerly also called Fatu-tira (Master-of-masts'), Paiumara’a-o-te-râ (Climbing-placeof-the-sun), and Paiumara’a-o-te-atua (Climbing-place-of-the-gods), in the east. The
mountain above is Tahua-reva (Floor-in-space) ; the assembly ground is Ti’ara’a-oPere
the volcano] ) ; the
the following fine stream of water.
basins United together. The marae
(Saving-prayer) under Ta’aroa’s sway, and Taputapuatea (Sacrifices-
(Standing-place-of-Pere [Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of
point outside is Tautira, a long wide point with
The river is Vai-ta-piha (Water-in-rooms), two
were
Pure-ora
See st'ory (p. 440).
For history of the name, see p. 241.
These two united harbors are called
taking t’he hydrography
of the place.
Port Beaumanoir after a government
brig, which was
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
87
from-abroad), after ’Oro came to Tahiti. The islets close together are Tiare-iti
(Small-gardenia), Fenua-ino (Bad-land), and Ai-hutu (Eater-of-Barringtonia). The
harbors are Vai-urua (Enchanted-water), Vai-o-nifa
(Water-of-nifa [fish] ), and
Te-’afa (The-crack) in Tautira Bay. The high chief was
Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa (Thechief-supreme), the same as in Teahtiupo’o; and the under chief was Te-atua-nui-
ha’amaru-ra’i (The-great-god-who-shaded-the-sky).
Tavî (Rustling) and Tira-hete
(Lower-wall), and its chief
The mes'sengers or
The arioi house
(Mast-for-invocation).
comedian
was
Te-ra’a-roa
orators
was
(The-qiiite-sacred).
were
Pa-raro
The grand précipitons Southern coast, known as the Pari
(Cliffs), is without a
reef, and the winds and sea hâve free play. Up the steep mountainside of a
place
called Anuhi (Sliding-off) is the FIoro-nui-a-Pai-i-te-Ruea
(The-great-ascent-of-Paiinto-the-Mist)" culminating in the peak of Fare-tua (Sea-house), 3,188 feet high.
Ancient SuBDttasiONS
Teahuupoo
oe
.and
Tautira
In primitive times the districts of
Teahuupo’o and Tautira were subdivided and
ruled over by petty chiefs, arïi-ri’i, and
beginning with Teahuupo’o in the south they
were subject to the
high chiefs in the following manner :
From Tai-’ari’ari (Sea-in-waves) to
Ofa’i-papa (Stratum-rock) was Tahiti-’ea
(Escaped-Tahiti), and from Ofaipapa to Uru-maire (Maire-breadfruit-grove) was
Apu-a’a (Shell-of-roots), both under Chief Fare-atae
(Coralladendron-house).
From Urumaire to Fara-’ura (Red-fara) was Tu-aiva
(Standing-in-darkness),
Fara-’ura to Vahine-taraire
(Woman-of-effectual-prayers) was Atipou (Tribeof-pillars), both under Te-tû-manu-a-te-Fatu
and from
(Standing-secure-in-the-Lord).
From Vahine-taraire to Vai-piere
(Water-splashing) was Maomao-reva (Deepseaweed), embracing two subdivisions’, Ati-tautu-raro
(Lower-domesticated-tribe) and
Ati-tautu-roto (Inner-domesticated-tribe), under
Te-tû-manua-a-te-Fatu
( T ribe-of-pillars ).
From Vai-piere to Ta-pena
(By-omens)
and
Ati-pou
Râ-hero
(Sun-obscured-and-shining),
in three subdivisions; Ati-tama-tea
(Tribe-of-blonde-child), Hotu-tua’ana (Birth-ofelder-brother or sister), and Hotu-teina
under
Te-tû-manua-a-te-Fatu.
was
(Birth-of-younger-brother
From Tapena to Ati-viri
(Foremost-tribe) in Tautira
Tane (Man), Itia (Still-small), Ta’aroa-i-te-fa’a
Mahu-ra’i (Sky-mist), Ati-tupua’i
named
were
or
sister), also
the
subdivisions
(Severed-in-the-valley),
(Tribe-of-summit), Topa-tai (Drop-seaward), Ati’Oro (Tribe-of-’Oro), Ati-ie-nia-ave
(Tribe-with-train), and Ati-viri (Foremost-tribe).
These subdivisions were called Fenua-ai-hua-ra’au
(Land-eating-small-wood), signi-
fying that they were tributary to a conquering power ruling over them, a condition
which they were subjected after conquest by the chiefs of the
South when they
erected a Wall of heads (pp. 86, 314). Upon these subdivisions
were placed chiefs
and marae from the south, according to the custom of
conquerors.
to
i-tai
After Ati-viri
came
Flo’ata-uri
(Mirth-rendering-purple), comprising Flo’ata-uri-
(Flo’ata-uri-seaward), Ho’ata-uri-i-uta (Ho’ata-uri-inland), A-te-to’ofà (Of-thechiefs), Moa-’ura (Red-fowl), and Ati-oro-i-oro-i-te-pua-tea (Tribe-of-rosette-wearers-with-rosettes-in-white-flowers), over which ruled Te-’ie’ie {Preycinetia).
From the outer border of Ati-oro-i-oro-i-te-pua-tea to
Vai-paea (Water-of-escape)
were the two districts of Rua-hua
(Retreat-for-the-weak) and Tapoa-uri (Dark-firstslain-warrior), subdivisions which were also called Ati-hau (Peaceful-tribe) and Atinua
(Tribe-above), respectfully, under Fa’a-ara-hia (Awakened).
See legend of Pai
(p. 578).
Bernice P.
88
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(Hooked-point)
From Vai-paea to ’Outu-roua
Metua-’aro ( Lost-parent ).
Ma’a-tea (White-sling), under
was
(Barringtonia-root) was Fa’a-hotu (Be-fruitful)
(Man-of-showers).
to Vai-pâ-rà-tà (Water-fenced-with-Metrosideros) was Vai-arava
(Water-of-petty-chiefs), under Te-matua (The-vigorous).
Pueu.—From Te-re’a-iti adjoining Vai-pà-râtà to Vai-mahanahana (Warm-water)
is Pueu (White-Jumbo) or Anuhi (Slip-out), in the north. The mountain above is
Tara-to’i (Axe-peak) ; the assembly ground, Te-one-uri (Dark-sand) ; the point, Fara’ari (Fara-of-the-waves) ; the river, Vai-turumu (Murmuring-water). The marae was
Tahiti-aea (Tahiti-joined). There are two harbors named Rau-tea (White-leaf) or
To’a-tea (White-rock) or Taha-roa (Long-side), and Umauma (Pinching) or To’a-pû
(Mid-ocean-rock) or Titau (Aim) or Hania (Upper-covering). The high chief was
Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa (The-chief-suprême), and the under chief s were Te-’tua-nui-maraetaata (The-great-god-of-marae-of-men, or of human sacrifices), Tane-ua-poto (Manof-short-shower), Tematahiapo (The eldest), and Te-matua-nui (Great-vigor). The
messenger or orator was Piha’a (Spring).
The arioi houses were Fa-iti (Little-fish),
Fare-naonao (Mosquito-house), and Taha-roa (Long-side) ; and the chief comedian
From
Outu-roua to A’a-hutu
Tane-ua-poto
From Fa’a-hutu
under
was
Tuturu-ma’a (Dropper-of-food).
A-faahiti.—From Vai-mahanahana
northwest
little guif
boundary
the
the
of Te-hihi-pà (Perminkles-walled-in) in the southeast, which is also the
of the district of Toahotu, first named on Tai’arapu, in the district of
(Make-a-border). It is in the northeast and borders on the peninsula and
of
the
isthmus,
adjoining
to Vai-o-va’u
(Water-in-weeds)
the district of Hitia’a, and thence
in
to
Afa’ahiti
the isthmus.
The mountain above is Vai-ori-hi (Rambling-gushing-water) ; the
assembly ground, Paruru-mata’i (Screen-from-wind) ; the point outside, Marumaru-
(Shade-of-the-gods) ; the is'let outside, Motu-nono
(Gushing-water).
atua
is
Vai-hi
The
marae
Umauma, of
was
Marumaru-atua
niany naines,
(Morinda-Islet), and the river
(Shade-of-the-gods). From
the
harbor of
in Pueu, there is a sunken reef extending about
three
along the coast of Afa’ahiti and the bay in the north of the isthmus to Putaimaru, or Papeivi Harbor, in Hitia’a ; it has many inlets for boats or canoës.
The
high chief was Moe-aru (Sleep-in-the-woods), and the under chief was Rati
(Comely). The drioi houses were Na-nu’u (The-hosts) and Paruru-mehau (Screenfrom-wind), and its' chief comedian was Hua-atua (Pattern-of-the-gods).
miles
SONG OF
E fenua tera, e fenua terera’a no’u e
O Taravao nui ia nu’u’tu na raro e,
To farapai e te ara.
Te patia ri’i mata’oi’oi.
Te huira’a mapua i te vai maru,
Tara’a i te tuna tapahi noa.
O matai tupuna te taro
Pota ao nunui i te aia.
Toia va’a tei vaiova’u
O aru hotu
I te amara e rurura’a tini,
I te tupe iti i te ara o te ava.
This refers to the mode
!
AFa'aHITI
O, that is land, my land that moved !
There
is
great
below,
Taravao that moved
By émulation and adoration.
In
piercing with sharpened (tools).
water weed lies thick in the shady
The
river,
Where the eel is cleaved
An heirloom is the taro
With broad leaf, of the
asunder.**
héritage.
Launch the canoë Vaiova’u
Of the breaking waves
Over the numerous tiger shells,
Over the numerous little cockles of the
passage.
of chopping eels to catch them as they
swim.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Over the long-eyed little crabs
of the
s'hore,
The Tridacna in the white sand of the
I te ohiti mata-roroa i tahatai e,
Pahua i te
E honu,
I
tea
one
o
te
a’au,
fai i te aero haavinivini
To’a-pû i te parau ri’i here.
e
Pô na Afa’ahiti,
Tai haruru i te
ava
fa’ahaha,
E Vorara’a-moa ri’i
Te fa’aro’ohia mai i uta.
Tei Afa’ahiti te i’a ma’a
I tû ti’a i te anuanua.
Opu pa’ia i te tai e pô,
I Motu-nono i te fe’e onohi
’Ai urà i te fe’i fa’ari’ari,
I te tô farara, i te poti, i te
Puna tea
e
na
hui tapairu.
noa
89
;
’ai’a
reef,
The turtle and rayfish with stinging tail,
At
Toa-pu (Mid-ocean-rock) with the
dear little pearls.
When night falls on Afa’ahiti,
While the sea rolls in its shifting course,
The little cockcrowings
Are heard from inland.
At Afa’ahiti are fishes spreading [fins]
That resemble the rainbow.
Satisfied is the appetite at night,
At Motu-nono of the crouching octopus ;
Then there eat the tapering plantain,
The leaning sugar-cane, and purple taro
of the héritage
With clear spring and the waiting maids.
highest mountains of Tai’arapu are Niu (Sky-omen), rising 4,3SS feet
boundary between the districts of Pueu, Tautira, Teahu’poo,
the district of Teahu’poo, Rooniu (Ominous-wind), almost
rivalling Niu, being 4,342 feet high.
The
and forming a central
and Mata’oae; and in
MOOREA
Introduction
Extending 31 miles in circumference, nine miles northwest of
Tahiti, is the beautiful and luxuriant Island of Mo’orea (Offshoot), also
named Aimeo, or Aimeho (Eating-in-retreat ; it was formerly the retreat
of Tahitian fugitive warriors).
It is poetically named Aimeo i te rara
varu (Aimeo of eight radiations), as eight mountain ranges dissect it into
eight natural divisions, and it was also sometimes called Fe’e (Octopus).
Mo’orea was formerly also called Tahiti-iti (Little-Tahiti), before this name
was applied to Tai’arapu in Tahiti-nui.
As Tahiti-iti (Little-Tahiti), the
counterpart of Great-Tahiti the fish, it has been divided from time immémo¬
rial in the following manner :
Three districts named Ma’a-tea (White-sling), the most southerly dis¬
trict of Mo’orea, Haumi (Dew), and A-fare-aitu (Belonging-to-house-ofgods), the adjoining districts southeast, are called Te-’i’o-i-ni’a (The-upperhesh) ; Vai-’are or Pape-’are (Water-of-waves) and Te-’avaro (The Premna
[tree]) in the east are Te-’io-i-raro (The-under-flesh) ; Te-’aha-roa (Thelong-cord) in the north is Te-pehau-i-to’erau (The-fin-in-the-north) ; ’Atimaha (Tribe-of-four) in the south is the Pehau-i-to’a (The-fin-in-thesouth) ; and the districts of Moru’u (Land-mark-tied) and Ha’apiti (Northeast-wind) in the west are the turn (props) of Mo’orea or Little-Tahiti;
Pape-to’ai (Straight-river) in the northwest is the Hiti-i-rapae (Outerborder).
Bernice P.
90
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Thë Upper FeESh
oe THE
Fish (te-i o-i-nia)
Ma’a-tea.—From Pâ-roa
(Long-fort) to Te-rua-upo’o (Pit-of-heads) is Ma’a-tea
The mountain above is Te-mou’a-iti-o-Ro’o (The-littlemountain-of-fame) ; the asseinbly ground, Ti-’ura (Red-ti) ; the point outside, Tû-ofao (Stand-foundation-stone) or Tû-pau
(Standing-chief) ; the river, Mahae-rua
(Severed-in-two). The marae was Nu’u-pure (Praying-host), a national marae.
The harbor is Ti’a-pito (Adjusting-link).
The high chief was Te-ari’i-mana (The
great-prince), and the under chiefs were Papa-uru (Enchanted-rock) and Te-tù-ae-
(White-sling), in the South.
aha
in
( Standing-over-slain-in-sennit).
Hanmi.—Froin
the
Te-rua-upo’o
to Matau-varu (Eight-fishhooks) is Haunii (Dew),
The mountain above is Pu’u-tapairu (Waiting-maid-peak) ; the
southeast.
assembly ground, Tahi-’ura (One-parrakeet) ; the point- outside, Outu-taata (Pointof-people) ; the river, Puni-ava (Sheltering-passage). The marae was Ta’ero (Inebriate). The harbor is Ta’a-tira (Fallen-from-mast). The high chiefs were Ma’i-rau
(Many-s'icknesses) and Ta’ero (Inebriate), and the under chiefs were Hopu’u
(Lumpy) and Mere (Orion’s Belt).
A-fare-aitu.—From Matau-varu to Manino (Smooth) is A-fare-aitu (Of-houseof-gods) in the southeast, formerly called Fare-ari’i (Royal house) of Mo’orea. The
mountain above is A-ra’au (Of-the-woods) ; the assembly ground below, Te-iriiri-pû’uru-tahi (The-pebbles-of-one-breadfruit-clump) ; the point outside, U-marea (Againstparrot-fish) ; the river, Pû-to’a (Rocky-pool) or Vai-toa (Rocky-river). The marae
was
Umarea (Against-parrot-fish), a national marae. The harbor outside is Tupapa’u-rau (Many-ghosts), and the islet is Motu-ahi (Clam-island). The high chief
was Te-pa’u-ari’i (Regal-splash), and the under chiefs were Ti’a-hani
(Stand-to-love)
and To’i (Adz). The arioi house was Tau-mata-’ura (Red-eye-shade), and its chief
comedian
was
Omama’o
(Thrush).
The Under Feesit
oe the
Fish (te-io-i-raro)
Pape-’are.—From Manino to Fara-mo’o (Fara-of-lizards) is Vai-’are or Pape(Water-of-waves), in the east. The mountain above is Mou’a-puta“ (Piercedmountain), 2,591 feet high; the assembly ground, Vai’are or Pape-’are (Water-ofwaves); the coast is the Bay of Pape-’are; and the river is Pape-’are. The marae
was Mara’e-te-fano
(Mara’e-that-flew). The harbor is Vai’are or Pape’are, safe for
ships. The islet is Motu Pohue (Convolvulus-islet). The. high chief was Tû-tapu
(Sacred-standing), and the under chiefs were Puta (Pierced) and Rau-pua (Beslaria/on/oKa-leaf).
Te-’avaro.—From Faramo’o to To’a-’ura™ (Red-rock), now called To’a-tea Palerock), is' Te-avaro (The-Premna), in the northeast. The mountain above is Ou-tûana
(Turn-to-stand-in-cave) ; the assembly ground is Arue (Praise) ; the point out¬
side, Pae-tou (Cordia-side), the river by it is Pae-tou. The marae was Pae-tou.
The harbor is a continuation of Pape’are. The high chief was Marama (Moon),
and the under chiefs were Uira (Lightning) and Pehe (Song).
’are
At the Paetou
is
a stonc erected to
represent two dolls which had been
Russian navigator to a high chiefes's of Ha’apiti named
Te-vartia-hara-ê” (The-spirit of strange-deviation).
She long held the dolls sacred
for fetish worship as representing two deceased women of the family named ’Omito
(Grudge) and Haputua (Drawn-away). The dolls had eyes that opened and closed,
marae
given in early days by
This mountain
is needle shaped
legend of Pai (p. 589).
The
name
To’a-’ura
by the royal family.
71
Te-varua-hara-e
Ninito Sumner.
a
was
was
changed
with
to
an
open
eye,
the
romance
of wliîcli
To’a-tea, because the word ’tira
was
is given in the
adopted in
naines
great-grandmother of the late high cliiefesses, Ari’ita’imaî Salmon and
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
91
thought that they assumed the likenesses' of the persons they represented
At length, when the aged lady embraced Christianity,
not wishing to incur the displeasure of ’Omito and Haputua, she encased the dotls
in bamboo joints and had them buried in a sequestered spot, invoking them to re¬
main in peace and only to linger around their effigies in stone at the marae, with ail
the other relies of the past.
It is' said they were well pleased to do this. In recent
years, some young members of the family had the temerity to take one of the stones
and throw it into the sea close by, just outside of the coral bank of the seasicle
shoal.
But these young people affirm that they were so haunted at night by the
enraged spirit that they soon replaced the stone ; and ever s'ince it has remained
and it
and
was
in touch with them.
were
untouched.
The Fin
Te-aha-roa.—From
in
north-northeast
to
the
North
north
of
the
island
is
Te-aha-roa
Te-ma’e, Maha-repa, Paraoro, Paopao, Piha-’ena, Vai-here
and Uru-fara.
(1) From To’atea to Rua-neneva (Source-of-giddiness) is Te-ma’e
(The-tiger-shell). The picturesque background of Tema’e hills has no prominent
mountain.
The point in the eastern extremity is’ Te’a-vivo (Whizzing-dart), or
Fa’au-pô (Night-braving), outside of which the sea is often very rough and dangerous to pass.
The point in the western extremity is Ti’a’ia (In-touch), which has
a safe entrance for boats and canoës, called Ava-iti
(Small-passage). The assembly
ground is Tema’e, facing which is a long plain of white sand that borders upon a bay
extending from point to point. The river is Tema’e, which feeds a long beautiful
in
seven
subdivisions:
lake that connects with the
and abounds in fish of sait and fresh water,
famous
A little east of this water and of a
similar nature is a small lake named Vare’a (Asleep). Verdure s'urrounds it, and its
peaceful waters are sometimes enlivened by wild ducks, which sportsmen hunt. The
marae was Ti’a’ia (In touch).
The high chief was Ta’aroa-ari’i (King-Ta’aroa), and
the under chiefs were Te-tumu (The-foundation) and Te-ti’a-au (Agreeable-standing).
The sea outside of the point Fa’au-po mentioned above is called Aru-fe’efe’e
(Inflated-breakers). Two strong currents from within the channel between
the two islands, Tahiti and Mo’orea, meet there, and it is most dangerous to pass in
stormy weather, when boats or canoës are sometimes engulfed. Many stories ai'e connected with this place concerning phantom boats and canoës s'aid to be seen sometimes
by modem travelers in the tempest mist. From the boats are heard the cries of
women and children, amid the
resolute voices of sturdy men saying, "Mau, mau,
mau!" (Hold, hold, hold)—the Tahitian mariners’ manner of tirging each other on
in plying the oar or paddle under difficulties and amid dangers.
These assertions',
made in good faith by the natives and affirmed by white people, are remindful of European and American sailors’ stories of phantom ships sometimes seen along danger¬
among
ous
which
are
sea
fine ’ava, of the salmon
genus.
coasts.
(2) From Rua-neneva to Te-’aua-pua’a (Enclosure-of-pigs) is Maha-repa (Fouredges), so named perhaps from the appearance of the sharp-edged mountains in the
background. The mountain above is Te’a-ra’i (Ski'-dart), 2,542 feet high; the assembly
ground was Te-one-’ai’ai (Sand-undermined). There is no prominent point by the
assembly ground. The river is Pape-’ahi (Clam-water). The marae was Ahu’are
(Wiall-of-waves), central to ail the subdivisions. The harbor is ’lri-honu (Tortoiseshell). The high chief was Ta’aroa-ari’i (King Ta’aroa), and the under chiefs were
Tauhiro (Round-stone) and Maemae-a-rohi (Frown-of-courage).
The arioi house
was Te-one-’ai’ai
(Sand-undermined).
(3) From ’Aua-pua’a to Apapa (Layers) is Paraoro (Cloth-smoothing). The
mountains above are the Paraoro Range.
The assembly ground was Paraoro. The
coast is' the eastern border of Paopao (Hollowed-out), or Cook’s Bay, where Captain
Bernice P.
92
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Cook anchored, east of the peninsula of North Mo’orea.
The river is Paraoro,
the passage outside is Te-ava-roa (Long-passage), the entrance to Cook’s Bay.
and
The
high chiefs were Ta’aroa-ari’i (King-Ta’aroa) and Te-hu’a-ihi (Wisdom-spray), and
the under chiefs were Te-upo’o-ihi (Wise-head) and ’O’ua (Jump).
(4) From Apapa, south of the bay, to Vai-pipiha (Spring-water) in the north,
is Paopao (Hollowed-out), which forms the opposite or western side of Cook’s Bay.
The mountain above is Rotui
( Soul-dispatching), 2,722 feet high ; the assembly
ground, Paopao; the coast, Paopao; the water, Vai-pipiha (Spring-water) ; the harbor,
Paopao, or Cook’s Bay, safe for ships'. The high chief was Ta’aroa-ari’i (KingTa’aroa), and the under chief was Maheu (Revealing).
(s) From Vai-pipiha (Spring-water) to Vai-pahu (Water-Iock) is Piha-’ena (Expeditious-room), the northern border of the peninsula from east to west. The hills
above, of varied shapes and peaks, form a chain gradually rising through the center
of the peninsula and terminating with Rotui. This mountain is majestic with cloudcapped crest, steep ravines, projecting rocks, and pierced peaks. It resembles a great
castle, having buttresses, wings with Gothic Windows, and the detail of even layers
of great stone blocks in its formation, which appear to hâve been
placed by giant hands.
The assembly ground, the point, and the river were called Piha’ena. A reef
extending to the shore at each end encloses a harbor with shallow passages, through
which only boats and canoës can enter.
The high chief was Ta’aroa-ari’i (Uniqueking), and the under chief was Te-tû-ae-a’a (Stander-on-roots). Their dominion
extended to Vai-here, bordering on which stood the chief’s marae.
(6) From Vaipahu in the north to ’Apu’u (Hilly-risings) in the south is Vaihere or Pape-here (Water-beloved), forming the western side of the peninsula and
the eastern side of the Bay of Opu-nohu (Nohu-fish-pauch), or Tareu
(Sheltered).
The mountain above is Rotui ; the assembly ground, the points, and river were ail
called Vai-here. The marae of the two districts United was Marae-te-uta
(Templethe-carrier). The harbor facing Vai-here is ’Opu-nohu or Tareu (Safe-for-ships).
From ’Apu’u to Te-uru-tuia-i-te-au
(The-head-pierced-by-the-billfish) is ’Opunohu," intercepting the seventh division of Te’aharoa and uniting with Paopao behind
Mount Rotui.
It forms a great central plain, which geologists say is a marvelous
overlooking the two bays from the south. It was formerly one with
Ha’apiti. It lias level and undulating ground extending to the inland mountains,
which form an amphitheater facing Mount Rotui and the two bays, and from this
radiate the eight dividing chains' of the island, whose high and low fantastic peaks
and pinnacles of romande grandeur are capped by clouds. ’Opunohu is well watered.
A deep stream flows into the Harbor of ’Opunohu, or Tareu, and many rivulets
wend their way through the rising and falling ground.
It lias' also a minerai
spring with water of some virtue. Its subdivisions are Hue (Gourd), Tahu-mate (Invoked-to-death), Pina’i (Echo), Poa (Scale), Hitihiti (Border), ’A’araeo (Nowfathom-to-there), and Te-uru-tuia-i-te-a’u (The-head-pierced-by-the-billfisli), of which
it was said, “Bi tari i Ha’apiti na Marama” (They are a bunch of
Ha-apiti belonging
to Marama [Moon, the high chief] ).
Ha’apiti is only separated from ’Opunohu by
a low ridge of the central mountain
barrier, over which is a pass connecting the two
extinct crater,
sides of the island.
The highest peaks of the mountains which surround ’Opunohu
feet,
on
are Rotui, 2,722
the peninsula in the north; Tohi-ve’a (Hot-spade), 3,975 feet, the highest
See mention of Rotui in the legend of Tafa’i (p. 564).
73
Over fifty years ago ’Opunohu was purchased from the natives by some English
capitalists,
who made of it a coconut plantation under the supervision of Mr. Brodien, the Swedish consul of
Tahiti and Mo’orea. It was afterwards the property of Mr. Alfred W. Hort, a Tahiti merchant,
who raised cattle upon it and also cultivated part of the soil.
Dr. Micheli, an Italian who once
served in the army of Garibaldi, became the next owner.
And finally, as a coincident, ’Opunohu
has become the property of the Salmon and Brander familles, who inherit the titular
high chieftain
name, Marama, of the district of Haapiti, the late Mrs. Darsie, formerly Mrs. Brander, nee
Salmon,
having borne the title as chiefess of that district until her death.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
93
mountain
on the island, in the southeast; dose
by Tohi-ve’a is Putuputura’a (Assembling), i,8oo feet; Mou’a-roa (Long-mountain), needle shaped, 2,945 fed, and Atiati
(Endrded), 2,473 fed, both standing in the south ; and Ti-’ura (Red-ti), 2,469 feet,
in the Southwest.
Bprdering upon the shore at the head of ’Opunohu Bay are two great stones that
hâve stood there for âges, which are called Na-’otare
(The-orphans). According to
a legend, two orphan brothers rode thither
upon the waves' from some distant land
and there became petrified.
(7)
From Te-uru-tuia-i-te-au
to
Te-ahu-o-te-a’e
(The-wall-of-the-slain) is Uru-
fara (Fara-grove), the last subdivision of Te’aharoa.
The mountain above is
Mato-tea (White-rock), 2,515 feet high; the assembly ground, Urufara. The coast is
the western side of ’Opunohu or Tareu. The river and the marae were called
Urufara. The high chief was Ta'aroarii (King-Ta’aroa), and the under chiefs were
Miha (Gliding-wave) and Marei (Snare).
Thiî Outer Border
oe the
Fish
From Te-ahu-a-te-a’e to Afa’a-letea
(Pale-phantom-spring)”is Pape-to’ai (StraightFa’a-to’ai (Straight-valley), in the north-northwest, where the Government
représentative formerly resided. The mountain above is Te-ra’i-maoa (The-dear-sky) ;
the assembly ground, Tarava (Extended) ; the point outside,
Taputapuatea ; and the
waters are Ma’a-o-te-honu (Food-of-turtles) and Vai-’ai’a or
Pape-’ai'a (Water-of-theheritage). The marae was Taputapuatea.'®
The harbor is a continuation of Tareu, entered by the Tareu or ’Opunohu Pas¬
sage.
The high chiefs were Taua-roa (Long-war) and Taura’a-atua (Alighting-ofthe-gods), and the under chiefs were Ti’i-hiva (Clan-fetcher), Amaru (Shade), and
Manea (Uoof). The arioi house was ’Uramea (Pink), and its chief comedian was
river),
or
Taura’a-atua
(Alighting-of-the-gods).
The Props
oe
tpië
Fish
Va-rari (beginning the prop of the fish).—From Afa’a-tetea to Maenu (Dishevelled) is Varari (Wet-recess), in the northwest. The mountain above is Tatiri
(Throw) ; the assembly ground. Pa-hoa
(Friends’-enclosure), the point outside
Nu’u-rua (Two-armies) ; the river, Tai-a-miti (Outward-sea) ; the marae, Nu’u-i'ua
(Two-armies), a national marae still standing. The harbor for small vessels is
Tao-taha (Slanting-s'pear), extending along the western coast.
The islets are
’lri-’oa
(Plank-of-the-speckled-rail), Motu-iti
( Small-islet),
Fare-one
(Sandhouse) or Tahua-nui-o-anâ (Great-floor-of-aster), and Tarehu (With-ashes). The
high chief was Pu-nua-i-te-ra’i-atua (Trumpet-above-in-the-sky-of-gods). The arioi
house was Te-atae-pua (The-blooming-Erythrina), and its chief comedian was Tohe’ura
(Red-foundation).
Mo-ru’u.—From Maenu
to Ruarei
(Source-of-necks) is Mo-ru’u (Landmarktied), in the west. The mountain above is Ti-’ura (Red-ti) ; the assembly ground,
Pehau (Fin) ; the point outside, Vai-otaha
(Water-of-the-man-of-war-bird) ; the
river, Vai-ou’a (Plunging-water) ; the marae, Vai-otaha. The high chief was Te-
a'u-ta’aia
(The-billfish-tied).
Ha’apiti.—From Rua-rei (Souce-of-necks) to ’Oio (Gull) is Ha’apiti (Northeast-wind), in the Southwest. The mountain above is Tahu-ara (Flighway-invocation) ; the assembly ground, Fara-tea (Light-fara) ; " the point outside, Maraete-horo (Marae-that-ran) ; the
river, Pivai-’ura (Red-water-splash) ; the marae,
See page
130.
Chief Taura’a-atna was the comedian.
Some ripe fara strobiles are yellow and
fara) and fara-ua (red fara), respectively.
some
are
red, and they
are
named fara-tea
(light
Bernice P.
94
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The harbor outside is Te-ava-iti
Marae-te-horo.
(The-small-passage)
or
Te-ava-
(The-cut-passage). The high chief was Marama (Moon). The arioi house was
Te-au-rouru (Like-hair), and its chief comedian was Te-au-rouru. Of this district it
is said “O Ha’apiti i te tia’i aitu" (Ha’apiti that waited for the gods), because of the
belief that the gods first alighted there on arriving from Ra’iatea.
There was at Ha’apiti a marae set upon a hill, called Marae-tapu-horo (Maraeto-run-to-for-vows). It was the custom for people who desired certain blessings to
endeavor to run up there without stopping, and if they succeeded in doing so they
were entitled to partake of the sacred
food from the marae and obtain the desired
motu
blessing..
(Canoe-bow) ends' the prop of the fish and
in the South. The mountain above is ’Ati-ati (En-
’O’io.—The little district of ’O’io
with Ati-maha, the fin
circled), 2,473 feet high; the
unités
assembly ground, Te-hà-’a-rupe (The-mountain-pigeon-
prominent point. The river is Te-ha’a-rupe ; the marae, ’O’io.
The harbor outside is Mata’u-vau (I-am-afraid).
The high chief was Te-au-tai’a
(Liking-to-fish).
valley).
There is
no
The Fin
in
the
South
Ati-maha.—From ’O’io to Pà-roa (Long-wall) is Ati-maha.
The mountain above
(Returning-to-the-sky) ; the assembly ground, Fare-lou (House-ofCordia) ; the point outside, Tû-area (Standing-in-space) ; the river, Pae-tohe (Foundation-s'ide) ; and the harbor for small vessels is Fa’auru-pô (Night-landing). The
high chief was Mahine (Daughter), and the under chief was Tupu (Growth).
Though ail the old landmarks and subdivisions of Mo’orea are still observed and
loved by the people, the land is now blended, officially, into four districts, in the
is
Hohoi’i-ra’i
following
manner :
Papetoai, extending from ’Opunohu to ’Afa’a-tetea, in the north-northwest.
2.
Ha’apiti, from Varari in the northwest to Maatea in the South.
3.
Afareaitu, from Haumi to Papeare, in the east.
4.
Te’avaro-Te’aharoa, from Te’avaro in the northeast to Piha’ena in the north.
Many of the old chieftain familles of these islands hâve died out, and other persons hâve been put in their places, only one chief now being nominated for each
1.
district.
Chant
’O ’Aimeo i te
Te fenua i
rara
(mountain ranges),
The land where dwelt
pa’i hia
King Raa-poto
duration).
Opo’o-tû tauà
e !
’O Matiti te marae,
Matiti
marae,
the river,
( Water-of-the-heritage)
is
Flowing gently, flowing swiftly,
Flowing in the woods amid
shouting, O !
Thy octopus " [cornes],
’O Mave iti, o Mave rahi,
Mave i te ’uru tuouo e !
Tau fe’e ro’oa
To the black stone pavement.
’I paepae-ara.
Mr.
(Growth-of-verdure) is the
Vai-’ai’a
Vai-’ai’a te pape,
From
(Sacredness-of-short-
Fa’ato’ai is the land, O,
Of the warrior chiefs !
’O Fa’ato’ai te fenua e,
Papeto’ai.
Mo'orea^®
’Tis ’Aimeo of eight radiations'
varu
F te Ari’ii Ra’a-poto.
’O
oe
Pliillip
The octopus means
Henrj’’,
son
of the Rev. William Henry,
the people of ’Aimeo of eight radiations.
who lived many years at
Henr^}—Ancient Tahiti
’I te fare muhu area,
Te fare orerorero-ra’a
’E ru’uru’u opu,
’E mà’a na te toà.
To’eraii i te aria roa
Na iii’a mai i te uri
a
95
To the house of occasional
o
ings',
te hui toà
murmur-
The house of warriors’ parliament
Where the abdomen is girded,
Where the food is for the warriors.
North wind from distant régions
Cornes upon the shades of Sacredness
Ra’a.
(the god).
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS
Raiatua
The leeward islands
were
nexed to France in 1888.
Ra’iatea,
or
discovered
ancient Havai’i, is
over
by Cook in 1769, and
one
were an-
hundred miles northwest of
Tahiti, 16° 45' S., 153° 52' W. Its loftiest mountain rises 3388 feet.
Opoa,^ in the southeast of Ra’iatea, ranks as first of nine districts ; but
owing to the good harbors and entrances, Utu-roa, in the northeast, has
become the capital and also the résidence of the Vice-Governor of ail
the western group.
The mountain above, at Opoa, is
Te-a’e-tapu
The assembly ground was Mata-ti’i-tahua-roa
floor)
water
;
the point outside Mata-hira-i-te-rai
Vai-tiare (Gardenia-water: a small
(Prevading-sacredness).
(Face-of-the-fetchers-of-long(Face-flinching-at-the-sky) ; the
sacred
pool); the international
Taputapu-atea (Sacriiices-from-abroad), the home of the god Oro ;
the islet ’O’ohi-a-riri
(Turn-angry) ; the harbor outside Te-ava-moa (Thesacred-harbor) ; the high chief the king of ail the land, Tama-toa
(Warrior-child) ; the arioi houses Na-nuu (The hosts), Fare-’ohe (Houseof-bamboo), Fare-mei’a (Banana-house), and Tairoiro (Resentful). The
chief arioi were Te-râ-manini
(The-setting-sun) and Airiha (Décliné).
marae
Opoa was the original home of the comedians, and it
knowledge.
was
the seat of ail
The districts that follow
first in
prestige:
Opoa in prestige are four on the eastern side
(1) Faurepa (Marae-prayers) was the district, Te-pà-
hau-a-i-tai-pare (The-peaceful-enclosure-in-seaward-fort) the high chief.
(2) A-vera (Cooked-with-heat) was the district, Te-upo’o-nui (The-greathead) the high chief. (3) Tu-fenua-roa ( Stand-on-long-land) was the dis¬
trict, Te-hinu (Oil) the high chief. (4) Tu-fenua-poto ( Stand-on-shortland) was the district, Pani (Closure) the high chief.
'
The
of districts and chiefs
obtained from Tataura of Uturoa, by
obtained from French geographical
marae and arioi houses are from the
manuscript by Mr.
Orsmond. Stories relating to some of the islands hâve the author’s' names
attached.
“
Opoa is mentioned in the chapter on the International Marae as having been the
emporium of the “Friendly alliance” of some of the Polynesian
groups (p. 119).
Mrs.
G.
names
were
Brodien; positions of the islands
Works; and
names
of the
were
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin
C)6
On the western side are four
to’a
(Rocky-water)
was
48
districts second in prestige:
(5) Te-vai-
the district, Mehao (Wind) the high
chief.
(6) Tu-inaraa (Stand-to-bear-up) was the district, Tai-ra’au (Verdant-seaward) was the high chief. (7) Va-ia (Torrent-of-fish) was the district,
(Children) the high chief. (8) Hotu-pu’u (Bearing-lumps) was
Puhi-ava the high chief. The aiiaha (orator) of the royal
house was Te-ira-mata-tu-fenua-roa (The-spot-on-the-eye-fixed-on-distantland). The auaha (orator) of ail the people was Taero-i-te-po-ai-roa (Mercury-of-the-long-night), and his title was Te maha 0 Raiatea nui e vau
(The orator of the eight of great Ra’iatea) in presenting himself to the
king or queen, whose regai power always came from Opoa—a district consequently not included with the others. The faatere hait (prime minister)
Tamari’i
the district,
was
Tamari’i, Chief of Vaia.
is the range of moun[The-heat-(home)-of-the-paroquet], which is
the lower part, and Te-mehani-ave-ari’i (The-heat-of-the-train-of-kings),
rising into the highest peaks on the island; the former containing the
crater mentioned in the “Création chant” (p. 338) as the entrance into the
Po, the home of the gods Tumu-nui and Rua-tupua-nui, who took promi¬
nent parts in the works of création, and whose abode was by the Vai-tu-po
(River-standing-in-darkness). Down in a level part of this crater can be
seen from the brink a shallow pool of water called Apoo-hihi-ura (Poolof-red-periwinkles) or Vai-toti-tota, the latter name signifying the sound
of a stone thrown into the crater as it rebounds before disappearing below
A modem description of Te-mehani-’ura, verifying allusions to it in
folklore, has been given by Edward T. Perkins.^
With two companions lie ascended throngh Tepua Valley, which faces the historié
Running through the center of North Ra’iatea,
tains called Te-mehani-’ura
on the eastern side of Ra’iatea.
He describes the place as follows :
passing several small streams, some of which had worn deep channels in
the rock, we reached the vicinity of the cave. The side of the mountain seemed one
mass of porous rock (volcanic) scantily covered with creeping végétation. . . .
“The famous cave was apparently nothing more than a deep fis'sure in the rock
about 30 feet long, 15 broad, and 80 feet deep by measurement.
A small stream that
had worn a deep channel shot over the ledge at its upper extremity, and fell in a
shower upon the loose shingle at the bottom.
The most favorable point for observa¬
tion is from the lower side, or towards the sea ; but owing to its depth and jutting
points, a small portion only of the bed is' discernible.”
A rope was let down, and Mr. Perkins descended to the lowest part, 80 feet
Te-ava-rua Harbor
“After
below.
He continues :
“The area of the bottom was considerably greater than that of the mouth,
to the receding of the sides.
These were basaltic, and for about 30
massive boulders piled, up in curvilinear rows, and partaking of the trappean
At the upper end a dark pas'sage led downwards and with a
the descent. He goes on to say :
owing
feet consisted of
formation.”
torch he commenced
”
Na Motu, Those
ian Historical Society.
islets, 1854.
A
copy
of the book is in the library of the
Hawai
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
97
“No stronger évidence of the volcanic origin of the island would be
required
the appearance of this fissure, which was in
every respect similar to those
noticed in the immédiate vicinity of
Kilauea, with the exception that the others bore
traces of more recent igneous action.
The cavern consisted of a number of low,
irregular passages', branching ont in varions directions and inclining seaward, with a
rapid or abrupt descent. I took the principal one, sometimes walking, and again
crouching almost to the earth, until it terminated in a chasm.
I found it was
but little more than lo feet deep, after which there was a continuation
of the gloomy
vault ; the descent was easy by the irregularity of the sides. But here the
path was
obstructed by massive rocks.
I groped along, making another des'cent similar to
the first.
Since entering this subterranean vault, I had heard a faint Sound as of
than
...
...
percolating ainong loose rocks, which as I advanced gradually increased, until
it seemed rushing above and around, while its'
roaring through the narrow pas¬
water
now
sages was
almost deafening.
The atmosphère
was
damp and chilling.”
Standing by the pool of water, Apoo-hihi-ura, is a stunted fara clump
concerning which is the following legend generally told by the
of great âge,
guides who accompany visitors to Te-mehani :
There
islands.
eel in
was a man front Tahiti named Tii who took a
trip to the Leeward
At the little island of Ma-pihaa
(With-spring) lie found a
young
spring called Faatoro-i-manava (Send-forth-affection), which he
caught as a pet and kept alive in water in a Tridacna shell. Taking also
a small fara
plant he went to Mau-piti (Hold-two). Then he placed his
eel in a bamboo joint with water and continued his travels fill he arrived
at
a
Ra’iatea.
Here he searched for
a sequestered
place in which to place his eel
finally obtained permission to take them to the pool in
Te-mehani. He regarded them as his children, calling the eel his son,
Nana-i-Tahiti (L,ook-to-Tahiti), and the fara his daughter,
Tupai-tupai-i-
and
fara
and
te-fara-roa (Beat-beat-the-long-fara).
Tii remained a year or two at Ra’iatea and
visited his pets, which grew and flourished.
during that time frequently
Finally he took leave of them,
saying of the eel to the fara tree “To tuane iti’e" (See to thy dear
brother) ; and to the eel he said, “Bi ona orua e to tuahine iti e” (Remain
here with your dear sister).
And he returned to Tahiti, leaving them
strongly attached to each other.
Tii sometimes returned to Ra’iatea to
the land he knew the eel
But
was
evil
safe upon
see
seeing
his pets,
sea
and in approaching
birds hovering over the
day some eel fishers, named Hi-rama-oiro (Fisherwith-flaming-torch) and Hi-rama-tutui (Fisher-with-candle-nut-torch), were
attracted to Te-mehani by the birds,
saying that there must be fish there;
and lo, when they looked down into the pool
they saw the great eel lying
crater.
on
an
there with his head
So
they put bait
out
strong shell fishhook with a long thick line
pool, and it was not long before the poor eel was
But in being drawn up, it clung to the fara, which extended
and let it down into the
caught.
from under the fara tree.
on to a
Bernice P.
98
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
protecting limbs to hold it, till the tree became terribly shaken and was
danger of being drawn up bodily with the eel. In order to save its sister
the eel then relaxed its hold when it was taken ont and killed by the two men.
So ended the happy life of the poor eel, and the fara tree still stands as a
proof of the story.
When Tii returned again to Ra’iatea he knew from a long distance
that his eel was taken, as he saw no sea birds hovering around the crater.
When he learned the sad story, he wept and pined away and finally died
of grief.
Some long cracks along the lava rock from the mouth of the
crater are said to be the impress of the fishing^line.
its
in
Te-mehani-ave-arii has several open
of them
ever
say once existed a great ferocious monster, which no one
but of which there were frequent proofs in newly disturbed
people
saw,
winding craters, and in the largest
earth and ferns around the crater.
a king named Tai-è (Odd-cry), who
by his people for his tyranny, went up with a party of his
subjects determined to explore the crater and ascertain what kind of cré¬
ature dwelt there.
He had a long strong rope, and being the bravest
man in the party, attached himself to one end of it, telling his men to hold
the other and to pull him up quickly when he gave the signal by jerking
a
small rope attached to the upper end of the big one and hanging
by his side.
With this understanding, while the men held on, the king descended
and disappeared in the labyrinth below. Soon he violently jerked the signal
rope, but no heed was paid, and he continued doing so for some time,
till gradually the pulling ceased.
After waiting still longer the treacherous attendants drew up their king, whom they found with his flesh devoured
from his bones. They carried home what remained of him, saying as they
did so, "Ua ora râ te fenua i tcie nei ari’i ino” (The land is now free of this
bad king), which was ever afterwards regarded as a terrible warning to
other kings against despotism.
On
was
one
occasion, it happened that
much hated
Tahaa
Uporu is enclosed within the same reef with Ra’iatea
separated from it by a strait from two to three miles wide. Its highest
mountain is 1925 feet above sea level.
Taha’a
or
ancient
and
Taha’a-nui-ma-Ra’iatea
was
divided into four districts
as
follows
:
1.
Hau-
(Bad-rule) was the district, Te’iri’i-faao-tua (King-entering-behind),
high chief. 2. Iri-pau (Stranded-on-shoal) was the district, Te-papa
(The-rock) the high chief. 3. Ruutia (Bind-the-loins) was tlie district.
ino
the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
99
Te ’ri’i-faatau
(Dilatory-king) the high chief. 4. Nitia (Foundation-laid)
district, Utaa-rii (Small-burdens) the high chief.
The national marae was Apu-i'oa
(Long-wall), the home of the god
Tane. The a7'ioi houses were Tapu-te-mu
(Murmuring-convention) and
Tua-o-te-uira (Back-of-lightning) at Vai-to-are
(Water-of-waves). The
the
was
chief ai'ioi
was Muta-ha’a
(Tow-muttering).
These two moimtainous and beautiful islands.
Ra’iatea and Taha’a, with
deeply indented with bays, and ornamented with many islets, large
small, hâve ten harbors : i. Te-ava-rua (Double-passage), at Uturoa,
the capital, northeast of Ra’iatea, which has the best
anchorage for ships
coasts
and
and extends into the strait between the two islands.
2. Iri-ru ( Stranded-inhaste), east. 3. Te-ava-moa (The-sacred-harbor), at Opoa, southeast.
4. Naonao (Mosquitoes), south.
5. Puna-e-roa (Source-entirely-strange),
6. Toa-maro
Southwest.
8.
west.
(Dry-rock), west. 7. Tiano (Desolated), north(Many-great-rocks), northwest. 9. Paipai (SeaTahaa.
10. Toa-hotu (Rock-of-breakers).
From the
Rau-toa-nui
blubber), west of
north of Taha’a to the two entrances east and west, the reef is
unbroken,
and
although this island forms naturally
yet in former times it
pora,
was a
a part of the dominion of Ra’iatea
bone of contention between Ra’iatea and Pora-
soinetimes belonging to
one
side, sometimes
to the other.
HuahinP
About twenty miles east of Ra’iatea and
Taba’a, and eighty miles north¬
Tahiti, 16° 47' S., and 153° 20' W., lies Pluahine, unique in its
beauty, in two natural divisions, called Huahine-nui (Great-Huahine),
north, and Huahine-iti (Little-Huahine), south, which are United in a
beautiful strait by a narrow submarine isthmus,
partially showing above
water at low tide.
Ancient poetic lines refer to this island : “Huahine
west of
te
ti’ara’a
te mata
to’erau; Huahme hu’ahu’a
te ’aru; Marama pùpù
(Huahine standing in the face of the north
wind ; Huahine in the spray of the waves ; in
moon-light over broken shells ;
obstinacy is their diversion!) The Huahineans are proverbial for their
obstinaey, which was part of their portion given by Prince Maro-te-tini of
Rotuma in forming the friendly alliance.^
Much of Huahine-nui is beautifully bordered
by lagoons, formed by
outer strips of low land connected with reefs here and there and
densely
0
fatifati, màrô
o
te heiva!”
wooded like the mainland.
water
called Fauna-iti
and is famous for
tlie
sea
'
See
is
p.
high,
119.
or
In the north of this island is
a
lake of brackish
(Small-head), which belongs to the royal family
its ava (a species of salmon) and other fine fish. When
in the rainy season, it flows into a large sait lake named
Bcrnicc P.
100
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(Great-head), which is connected by a narrow
Fauna-nui
body of water.
The following legend^ reveals how the
the outer
ceived their
channel with
districts of Huabine-nui re-
names :
Tû-tapu (Stand-to-pledge), a king of Ra’iatea at a very remote period,
a daughter named Hutu-hiva (Splash-of-clans), who as a resuit of inspirational révélation was sent on a voyage in a great sacred druni to meet
ber future husband at Huahine.
She traveled safely, coiled up uncomfortably in this way, and was borne upon the crest pf a wave on to the shore
of To’erau-roa (Distant-north), where stands the- warriors’ marae of that
name.
As she emerged from the drum she found herself crippled with
numbness in ail her limbs, for which reason the point was afterwards called
Manunu (Benumbed).
It was not long before two warrior princes, named Tû (Stability)
had
(The-great-world-overshadowed), approached her
the lagoon to their home at
Maeva; and in due time, she became the wife of Te-ao-nui-maruia, of the
first dynasty that reigned in lîuahine, called Te-pà’u-i-hau-roa (The-excelTe-ao-nui-inaruia
and
from the
marae
and bore her kindly across
lent-waist-cloth).
after whom the ten districts of Huahine-nui are
A-tu-pii (Stand-to-call) in whose district is included
the subdivision of A-turu-a-nu’u (Supporting-army), Atiti-ao (Firmnessof-the-world), Miru (Gloom), A-turu-a-nuu (Prop-to-niove), Fare-ihi
(House-of-wisdom), Fare-tou (Cordia-house), Taura-i-mua (Cord-before),
Taura-i-muri (Cord-behind), E-ama ( An-outrigger ), Atea (Vast-expanse).
These names were also given to the respective social marae of the districts
they embrace.
The names of the four districts of Huahine-iti,** which are dependencies
of Huahine-nui, are: Maro-e (Strange-obstinacy) having a background of
three remarkable mountain peaks called Mou’a-toru (Mountain-in-three),
Te-fare-ri’i (The-three-small-houses), Parea (Towering), Plaapu (Re¬
course). The capital of Huahine is Fare-nui-atea (Great-spacious-house) —
generally shortened to Fare—in the western district, A-tu-pii, in Huahinenui. Above Fare tower the two highest central mountains of the island,
Turi (Deaf), 2,230 feet, and Mato-ereere (Black-rock), 1,901 feet. The
harbor is Peihi (Gained-wisdom). The highest mountain in Pluahine-iti is
Ma-ufene (With-cramming), 1,495 f^et.
The national marae of Huahine-nui were Faao-aitu (Entering-of-thegods), upon the hill of Mata’i-re’a (Joyous-breeze), another name also comShe bore him ten
named,
as
sons,
follows:
Received from Tataura by the aid of Mrs, Brodien.
Received from Teihoari’i a Pô ara, a member of a
Huahine-iti.
'
'
high chieftain family of
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
monly giveii to the
Huahine-iti
was
marae
Anini
101
itself, and Toerau-roa.
The national
(Dizzy)J
marae
of
The arioi houses were; Te-rua-o-te-mata’i (Source-of-wind), Ti-va’u
(Eight-ti), and Para-raau (Yellowness-of-trees). The chief arioi was Atae
(Erythrina).
Following is a record of the fall of the first dynasty:^
Many years after the royal line of Te-pa'u-i-hau-roa had been reigning
peacefully over the land, there arose a warrior prince distantly related to it
named Pua-ra’i (Flower-of-the-sky), whose influence became so
great in
the land that lie had many
to establish him as their king.
followers who decided to make the attempt
Finally this rival prince sent to Ra’iatea for
his tau’a (bosoni-friend) named Pa-he-ro’o
(Enclosure-of-famous-caterpillar), who was a noted warrior, to corne to his aid. Pahero’o was very tall
and ungainly in appearance.
He had remarkably large ears and long legs,
which in his own land no one noticed; but on arriving at Maeva he soon
found himself the cause of much ridicule among the young women whom
he met.
A pool of spring water in which he happened to see himself
reflected” made him understand the
cause
nothing.
of
so
much mirth ; but he said
The warriors prepared themselves for the décisive blow; and Puara’i
sent his friend Pahero’o to
represent him with other members of the family,
leaning stones (ofai-tnrui) up in the marae of Mataire’a, where
they went preparatory to going to war to partake of sacred pork from
the hands of the priests.
But the priests seeing a stranger in the place
of Puara’i passed him by unserved, as it was contrary to custom thus to
who had
substitute
without
for another, and Pahero’o returned to his friend
having had his share of the repast. The kneeling stone is still
one
person
as the Ofai’i-turui-o-Pahero'o
(The-leaning-stone-of-Pahero’o).
Soon the uprising took place, and Pahero’o proved himself to be the
most valiant of ail the warriors in pursuing the conservative
party out of
shown
Maeva, over the hills and across the strait in canoës, and at last overtaking
conquering them on the other side of the island. He had an immense
’omore (wooden spear) which few other men could wield; and there is still
shown at Maeva a marshy spot over which on that occasion he used the
spear as a pathway. Finally the old dynasty of Te-pa’u-i-hau-roa gave place
and
to
the
new
one,
named Te-hau-mo’o-rere
(The-government-of-the-flying-
scion), which is the royal house at the présent time.
Pâhero’o became
’For more about these marae see pp. 119-156.
Received from the late Huahine scholar, Raiti, grandson of
“
re-
Tua-roa-nui-i-ae-pau
(Great-long-back-resting-in-peace), the last high priest of Maeva, whose ancestral
was Oro-hahaa
(Warrior-working) at Maeva.
marae
*
The pool to this' day is called Te-hioraa-o-Pahero’o
(The-mirror-of-Pahero’o).
Bcrnice P. Bishop
102
admired for his valor
and women despite bis iinprepossessing appearance.
following war song^” contains a prophecy that during this révolu¬
nowned in Ra'iatea and
by
Muscitui—Bulletin 48
men
The
Huahine
as a
great hero,
tion became fulfilled:
E tapiria i te pua hau-ou ”
E ta’aia i te aha o Vai-tarae,
Hold close to the flower of the pledge of peace,
Tie with the sennitof Vai-tarae (Water-
la mau te ’iato o to va’a,
A ro’ohia ’oe e te mata’i,
Te Fa’a-rua roa ia Mere.
No te outu i To’erau-roa,
Tahirihiria na i te tahua
O Tama-pua,
Make fast the
Tahiripaoa te mata’i
No te tara i pi’iura.
E fatifati
na
te nuanua
Mou’a-tapu,’’’’
O
la ta’aia
la tu’ia
e
e
te more o
te ava-roa o
of-weeds; land),
outrigger props of your canoë,
Lest you be overtaken by the wind,
The North-wind from distant tOrion’s Belt],
From Cape of To’erau'=roa,
Fanning the assembly ground
Of Tama-pua (Limestone-child ; at Maeva),
Tempestuous is the wind
From the raging corner.
When the strength is broken
From Mou’a-tapu (Sacred-mountain),
When it is traversed by warriors unprepared of
iti
Ti-rave,
E riro atu ai te mou’a
Tù-’opa
I te tahi ari’i ê atu.
Ti-rave
was
the home of Pua-ra’i, the
sacred long stone
battle
a
hurled
by
Ti-rave
When it is' struck with the long stone
Then will the mountain belong
To some other king.
of Tu-opa,
conquering prince, and in the
named Tute-amiomio (Repeated-force)
was
priest named Tii-oea (Stand-to-strike) of Tû-’opa (Stand-toroyal champion of the king, whom it killed. Upon the
fulfilment of the prophecy the king’s adhérents were struck with terror,
and the cause of the old dynasty was lost forever.
topple)
a
upon a
PORAPORA
(BoRABORA)
154° W. stands the picturesque little island of Poraancient Vavau. It lies about ten miles northwest of Taha'a and is
encircled by a reef decked with numerous woody islets and long strips of
In 16° 30' S. and
pora, or
passage—in the west—called Te-ava-nui (The-greatpassage), which leads into a magnificent harbor having spacious anchorage
for ships of ail sizes and extending north and south of the island.
Here
deep bays offer charming scenery. From southeast to north is a beautiful
lagoon only navigable to boats and canoës.
Porapora has eight districts: i. Nunua (Carefully-nursed), the home
of the royal family, in the west, wherein is Vai-tape (Remuant-water), the
capital of Porapora. The high chief was Haapoua (Put-down).
land.
It has but
one
Given by the scholar Raiti :
“The Fragraea berteriana which the god Tane brought down from his sky.
A famous hill on Huahine-nui, also named Mou’a-te-roro’o, which was' likened
to
Te-a’e-tapu at Opoa.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
In the
backgroiind is
a
which clouds float; it is
a
fantastic and scraggy basaltic mountain, about
shattered
crater
of
long deep fissure flanks it and extends beyond
mountain
is
named
towering above
of
the
103
Tai-manu
an
on
extinct
volcano, and a
the Southern side. The
(Sea-of-birds) and is 2,378 feet high,
gently sloping bills ranging from it. To the east
numerous
Tai-manu, like two steps,,are Mount Paia and another hill, completing
background of the pretty village.
The assembly ground is Vai-tape
(Remnant-water), the river is Vai-tape,
point is Pare-rua or Fare-piti (Two-houses), whereon stood the national
marae of Farerua, built by the nation for
Te-fatu, the prince from Rotuma,
the
also named
Te-one-ha’a-i-apapa-i-te-ra’i (The-working-sand-that-built-up-the-
sky), and the Porapora princess named Toa-huri-papa (Rock-overturningstratum-rock), whom he married. This marae was the cradle of the inter¬
national alliance, called the Flau-faatau-aroha
(Government-of-friendly-alliance). (See p. 119.)
The point of Farerua is
peninsula that faces the passage into the
very natural landing place for the Etranger, the prince
Rotuma. The arîoi house of Porapora was on the same
peninsula and
harbor and
of
was
on a
a
named Fare-rua. The chief arioi was Puna-ru’u
(Fishing-ground).
the South of the district of Nunue is a
prodigious coconut tree, 265
In
feet
high, four times higher than the average tall coconut tree, and its âge is
not recorded ; but a still taller tree is in the north.
( See below in the fifth
district.) 2. Ati-vahia (Severed-circumference). About a mile from the
mainland, opposite Nunue and within the same reef, is the hilly island of
Too-pua (Fagaraea hlock). A small detachment in the south, called Toopuaiti (Small-Toopua), divided from
Toopua by a narrow strait, contains tbe
district of Ati-vahia. Upon the Southern shore of the
bigger island stands
the mushroom-shaped rock, named Tumu-iti.^‘
was
In the shoal northwest of
Toopua is Motu-tapu (Covenant-islet), so
friendly alliance of the Hau-faatau-aroha was established ;
the high chief of Toopua was Mare
(Cough). 3. The Southern extremity
of Porapora is the district of Ati-ti’a
(Enclosed-with-reason), the high
chief of which was Teri’i-i-te-po-ta’ota’o
(King-of-utter-darkness). 4. In
named after the
the east is the district of Anau
the
high chief of which
was
northeast is the district of
a
Te-vai-tapu (Sacred-water). In this région is
feet high, exceeding the height of the one in the south
The high chief of Te-vai-tapu was Te-poi (The covering).
coconut tree
by
40
”
feet.
See
(Reciprocal-yearning-of-parent-and-child),
(Retained-friendship). 5. In the
Vai-taio
305
note in the
“Création chant” (p. 338).
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
104
Iti-aa^® (Few-parrakeets),
(Of-plebeians), the high chief of which was
Putoi (Under-shelter).
7. On a central plain bordered by a semicircle
of mountains of the districts of Nunue, Anau, and Tevaitapu, is the dis¬
trict of Tii-poto. The high chief of this district was Te-hui-ari’i (The-royalrace). 8. Bordering Tiipoto on the west is the ancient district of Faanui
(Great-valley), the seat and cradle of Porapora’s remotest royalty, the
marae named Faa-nui being the spot where her kings and queens were invested with the royal insignia of their race.
6. From north to northwest is the district of
A-manahune
also called
Facing this district is the deep beautiful bay of'Faanui.
of Faanui
it
was
Te-maui-ari’i (The-prayer-for-kings).
Porapora dérivés its name, which means “first
was
the first island that sprang up
The high chief
born,” from the belief that
after the création of Havai’i (Ra’iatea).
(See p. 571.) It was always noted as a land of brave warriors; hence its
poetic names Porapora-i-te-hoe-mamu, meaning “firstborn-of-silent-paddle,”
and Porapora-i-te-nuu-ta-rua, meaning “firstborn-of-the-fleet-that-strikesboth-ways.”
Tubai
Included in this little dominion is Tubai,
islets in 18°
islets
are
consisting of
15' S., 154° 8' W., about ten miles north
connected with
a
circular reef forming
a
a group
of low
of Porapora. These
lagoon; they
are
famous
fishing grounds and though well covered with verdure, Tubai is
permanently inhabited. It is mentioned at the end of the legend of
Tafa’i (p. 562) as being the abode of the famous volcano goddess Pere
(Hawaiian Pele) and her attendants in their roamings south.
for their
not
Maupiti
Maupiti or Maurua or Sir Charles Sanders Island is a small island with
of hills rising to the height of 250 meters, in 16° 26' 30" S., 154”
32' W., about twenty-five miles west of Porapora.
From time immémorial this island was independent until it became
United with Porapora under the last reigning family of that island.
Maupiti has nine districts: 1. Te-fare-ari’i (The royal house), the high
a
range
2. Te-mataeinaa (The-district),
Tetua-raa (The-sacred-princess). 3. Vaiea
(Refuge-water), the high chief of which was Tetua-ririi (The-small-princess). 4. Tetei (Emerging-above-water), the high chief of which was Te-
chief of which
the
was
Taero (Inebriate).
high chief of which
was
Iti-aa means “few parrakeets.” Porapora has
keets with red, yellow, purple, and green feathers.
“
always beeii famous for its parra-
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
105
(The-fissure). 5. Vai-tia (Remain-standing), the high chief of
A-puhi (Of-eel). 6. Faanoa (Make-common), the high chief
of which was Tua-rae
(Great-forehead). 7. Taa-toi (Severed-with-axe),
the high chief of which was Mateha
(With-the-four). 8. A-tipi (Ciit-withknife), the high chief of which was Ope-i-te-arau-roa (Ward-off-the-longwave). 9. Huru-manu (Bird-feather), the high chief of which was Manutahi (First-bird).
There are three central hills on Maupiti: Ffutu-paraoa
(Drooping-Barringtonia), Ffutu-tavae-roa (Barringtonia-of-long-parrakeet),
and Uru-faatia
(Standing-forest).
mavae
which
was
The assembly ground for ail the districts United is Rere-aitu
(Flight-of-
gods), the point outside Vai-ahu (Remain-walled), the river Ma-puna-toerau
(Big-north-spring), the marae Vai-ahu (Remain-walled)—the only
national one on the island. The
royal abode is Tarava-nui-a-umera (Greatconstellation-to-praise) of Te-arii-maeva-rua (Sovereign-twice-hailed), the
Porapora queen. The only passage through the encircling reef is Ono-i-au
(Sword-fish-that-swims), between two islets in the south-southeast. As
the water is shallow and
small vessels
can
a
strong, sweeping current
enter the harbor in calm weather.
passes
through, only
Maupiti is famous for its stone of a grayish color, which the natives
formerly prized for making into adzes and varions other implements of
primitive use.
Mapihaa, Manuae,
and
Temiromiro
Lying Southwest of Maupiti, 16° 52' S., 156° 20' W., is Mapihaa or
Mapetia or Lord Howe Island, a small, high island enclosed in a
reef with one entrance for boats. It is
only occasionally inhabited by the
ancient
natives.
Manuae,
16° 31'
or Scilly Island, is a lagoon noted for its good
pearl fisheries,
S-, 157° 5' W., lying northwest of Mapihaa.
Te-miro-miro, or Bellinghausen, formerly named Papa-iti, is a low
by a reef which has guano strata that may prove to be
rich.
Maha’i of Raivavae (p. 454) States that this island was named
Te-miro-miro (The-Thespesia-trees) very long ago by a
Porapora sovereign,
island encircled
Queen Uru-ma-rai-hau (Forest-of-clear-peaceful-sky), who visited it in a
ship (pahi) built of miro (Thespesia) wood, which was named Are-miro
(Wave-of-Thespesia). She called the island Te-miro-miro (giving the
Word the plural form) in honor of ail the
people of her company and thus
commemorated their visit.
Bernice P.
io6
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
THE TUAMOTU ISLANDS
List op Islands®^
Of the
those
numerous
given below
Mata-liiva
chief
are
islands of the Tuamotus;
the most important.®-
consisting mostly of atolls,
(Face-of-company), or Lazareff, 8 miles long and s wide : The high
(A-few-warriors), and the marae, Metua-i-te-râ (Parent-in-
is A-tahi-toa-ri’i
the-sun).
The island of Makatea, Ma’atea in Tahitian (Wliite-sling), formerly named
Papa-tea (White-rock), Ile de la Récréation of Roggewein, $ miles by 4 miles: The
high chief is Ta-m’i-apo-fatu (By-night-receiving-master) ; and the marae, TapnHina (Hina’s-pledge). This
borders disclosing numerous
island, rising
230
feet above
sea
level, with précipitons
stands conspicuous and hides its accompanying train of low islands. Upon its surface is good soil, densely wooded, producing coconut, breadfruit, and many fine trees peculiar to Tuamotuan soil, that
make good timber.
Some years ago Captain Bonnet, a retired French officer in
Tahiti, found that the island abounded in phosphate rock, and in 1908 it was opened
to commerce for agricultural purposes.®^
deep
caverns,
The island of Tika-hau (Peaceful-landing), or Krusenstern, 12 by 8 miles: The
high chief is Tû-ma-Ta’aroa (Tû-with-Ta’aroa), and the marae, Vai-moho (Chancewater).
The island of Rangi-roa, Ra’i-roa in Tahitian (Long-sky), Vliegen, Deans, or
Naisa, 42 by 20 miles, second in size in the group : The high chief is Tute-houa
(Heated-foot-run), and the marae, Hitia’a (East).
(Ocean-wave) or Rurick, 15 by 15 miles:
(Entwined), and the marae, Ahu-roa (Long-wall).
The island of Aru-tua
chief is Torohia
The high
The island of Kau-kura, ’Au-’ura in Tahitian (Red-vapor), 26 by 10 miles: The
high chief is Te-à-vi’u (Burned-crisp), and the marae, Kotuku-rere, ’Otu’u-rere in
Tahitian
(Flying-stork).
The island of Ni’au (Coconut-frond) or Fa’aau (Agréé), Greg, 7 by S miles.
The high chief is Piri-tua (Attached-to-the-back), and the marae, Tai-noka, Tai-no’a
in Tahitian (A creeping plant).
Apa-tai in Tahitian (Divided-seaward) or Hagemeister,
The assembly ground is Pakapaka, Patapata in Tahitian (Spotted) ;
The island of Apa-taki,
by 17 miles:
the high chief,
coconut-tree).
20
Te-pu-ava
(The-harbor-trumpet)
;
and the marae, Nîu-tahi (One
or To-a’u (Drag-billfish)
or Elizabeth, 20 by 10 miles:
assembly ground is Pagoi (Résistance) ; the high chief, Te-mataki-Havai’iki
The island of Tô-va’ti
The
In the
Tuamotuan dialect g and k hâve
been added to the Tahitian alphabet.
Some of the spécifications about the islands were obtained in 1893 by Mrs. Walker from
the Tuamotuan scholar Taroi; others in 1908, more complété, from François Donat Rimarau of
Pape’ete, at the request of his cousin Madame Butteaud of Pape’ete. Other historié information
was obtained
from three Tuamotuan scholars, Marei-nui-a-tapu-rangi (Great'-marae-of-the-heavenly-
pledge), Tau-arii-o-atea
(Royal-address-abroad) and Vahine-itî-marere-nui-a-Tapu-rangi (Tittlewoman-of-extensive-flying of sky-pledge)—the first two well-known men of good family, the latter
a woman of note in her land. '
The dimensions of the islands and some of their foreign names
M'ere supplied by F. T. Picquenot Ccited in his geography of the islands), and other foreign names
were supplied by W. T. Brigham of Honolulu in his “Index to the Pacific Islands.”
By the Pacific Phosphate Company, under the supervision of Mr. Arundel, for many years
well known in the business in the Pacific.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
(The-wind-from-Havai’i)
Ture-moke
;
the
(Law-graspiug).
water,
Te-vai-hi
(Gushing-water)
107
;
and
the
marae,
The island of Faka-rava, Fa’arava in Tahitian
(Make-dark), Wittengenstein,
formerly called Havai’i, 32 by 13 miles, is the largest in the group and is in two
divisions under the high chief Tangaroa (Ta’aroa in
Tahitian) ; bold rocks and
craggy peaks are along its borders.
The divisions are :
Te-tamanu (The-Calophyllum), of which the assembly ground is Nuku-hau-marô
(Army-of-great-persistence) ; the water, Vai-o-kura (Water-in-red-bed), and the marae,
Nana-hao-tanga-roa (Aspiring-greatness-attained), of which Ta’aroa
gods.
Te-aha-tea
(The-light-colored-sennit),
and Tû
were
the
of which the assembly ground is Maratara
(Prickly-mara-fish) ; the. water, Flare-i-ragi ( Aspiratioii-skyward) ; and the marae,
Kotuku-rere (Flying-stork).At this island there is also a marae named
Taputapu-atea,
of which ’Oro
was
the god.
The island of Anà (Aster), Chain Island, or Todos los
Santos, 18 by 9 miles;
assembly ground is Nuku-rua (Two-armies) ; the water, Vai-ava (Passagewater) ; the high chief, Tua-mea (Many-things) ; the marae, Mata-ho (CommencingThe
to-shout).
This
little
cluster
noted for its verdant and flourishing condition until
tèrrible cyclone, contrary to the usual course, swept over it
in full force in passing north and west, the sea
drowning hundreds of inhabitants,
carrying off and sinking trading vessels, most of the trees, houses of wood and stone,
and the soil, even the graves of the people, and
leaving in most places only bare
February, 1906, when
was
a
rocks.
The island of Aratika (Road), Carlshow of Kotzebue, 20
by 13 miles: The
assembly ground is Tahua-manu (Floor-of-birds) ; the water, Pû-nau (Thy-water) ;
the high chief, Tama-nui (Great-child) ; the
marae, One-ura (Red-sand).
The island of Fa’a’ite (Show), or Milloradowitch, 16 by
13 miles:
The assembly
ground is Vai-hau (Remain-peaceful) ; the water, Vai-marere (Disappearing water) ;
the high chief, Tane-te-fau-kura (Man-the-ura-chief ) ; the
marae, Mata-e-ho (Commence-to-shout), of which Tane was the god.
•
The islands of Taka-poto (Short-separation), ii by
S miles, and Taka-roa
(Long-separation), 12 by 15 miles: The high chief is Tu-hà-riua or Tû-fà-riua
(Stand-appearing-filled), and the marae, Matiti-maru (The-shady-pendant), in Taka-roa.
The island of Tahanea (Siding) or Tchitschag, 27 by 12 miles: The
assembly
ground is Papa-roa (Long-stratum-rock) ; the water, Va-na-mua (Foremost-space) ;
the high chief, Rua-apa-hapa (Lopsided-source) ; and the
marae, Rangi-hoa (Heavenof-friends).
The island of Kau-e-hî (Alight-to-fish), 13 by 13 miles: The
assembly ground
Fanga-tapu (Make-sacred) ; the water, Te-vai-puna (The-spring-water) ; the -high
chief. Papa (Stratum-rock) ; and the marae, Vai-moho (Chance-water).
is
The island of Rà-raka (Tame-sun) or Wilkes island, 14 by 9 miles: The
assembly ground is Mata-hai (Small-beginning) ; the water, Te-vai-nui (The-greatwater), the high chief, Honohona-tai (Seaward-line) ; and the marae, One-make
(Deathly-sand).
The island of Tai-aro (Seaward fight) or King, 3 by 3 miles: The
assembly
ground is Maro-tau-e-tara-te-maro-here (Hanging-girdle-undoing-the-favorite-girdle) ;
the water, Hopu-ariki (Royal-bath) ; the
high chief, Tau-ae’a (Season-of-humanofferings) ; and the marae, Ragi-maeva (Moving-sky).
Bernice P.
io8
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The assembly
the high chief,
Tupua’i-fare-ika (Suminit-of-fish-
The island of Katiu (Young-coconut) or Sacken, 20 by g miles:
ground is Mahina (With-gray) ; the water, Pape-to’a (Rocky-water) ;
(Great-corner-stone)
Tihi-nui
hous'e).
;
and
the marae,
The island of Motu-tunga (Island-of-eels) or. Adventure, 9 by 6 miles:
The
assembly ground is Ku-po-ru (Stand-night-in-haste) ; the water, Puna-ragi (Expandedwater) ; the high chief, Te-fa-takotako (The-comine-darkness) ; and the marae, Vaiahu
(Standing-walled).
The island of Tua-naki (Tied-back) or Keid, 5 by 4 miles:
The assembly
ground is E’a-tû-motu (Road-on-island) ; the water, Te-vai-tumu (The-foundationwater) ; the high chief, Mahuta (Flight) ; and the marae, Pae-rato-rohi (Side-drawnwith-energy).
v
The island of Makemo (Slipping-out), Phillips, or Koutousoff, 37 by 10 miles':
The assembly ground is Te-pu’a-roa-i-makemo
; the
water, Mokorea (Ofïshoot) ; the high chief, Vaku-ari’i (Princely-bearing) ; and the
marae
are Maramarama-i-tc-atea
(Eight-abroad) of which Oro was the god, and
Tama-te-fau-here (Child-chief-warrior-beloved).
(The-long-limestone-of-Makemo)
The island of Hara-iki (Small-deviation) or Croker, 4 by 4 miles: The assembly
ground is Tokotoko (Rapping) ; the water, Puna-ragi (Expanded-water) ; the high
chief, Tau-rere (Period-of-flying) ; and the marae, Metua-i-te-rangi , (Parent-inheaven).
The island of Maru-tea (Clear-shade) or Furneaux, 20 by 10 miles:
The
assembly ground is Te-rû-naga (The-haste-of-fold) ; the water Vai-pao (Water-cleft) ;
the high chief, Rua-tama; and the marae, Pu’a-tau-humu (Eimestone-threatening-death).
or Holt, 16 by 7 miles: The assembly ground is
pandanus), the water, Tà-tu-vai-tapu (Strike-standing-insacred-water), the high chief, Tû-ata (Standing-in-clouds), and the marae, Ma-ofa
The island of Taenga
Te-fara-vivo (Resounding
(Arrivai)
(Wfth-refuge).
(Three-necks) or Bird, 4 by 4 miles: The ass'embly
Patiti-i-te-ragi-haea (Spray-the-changing-expanse) ; the water, Orai-tama
(Flinching-of-child) ; the high chief, Marere (Flying) ; and the marae, Toko-na-iThe island of Rei-toru
ground is
te-ragi ( Knock-at-the-expanse).
The island of Nihi-rû (Hasty-beauty), 10 by S miles: The assembly
(Extended-sand) ; the water, Te-fare-toga (The-rock-house) ; the
One-roa
Mahi-nui
(Great-clan)
;
and the
The island of Hiku-eru
marae,
ground is
high chief,
Fara-togo-ao (Fara-drawing-the-world).
10 by S miles: The assembly grounds
(Seven-diggings),
Te-moko-hiku-eru (The-boxing-at-seven-diggings) and Te-mahae-o-more-te-aura’a
(Tearing-fallen-leaves-that-suit) ; the water, Ora-i-kama (Life-in-child) ; the high
chief, Marere (Disappearance) ; and the marae, Pou-tupu (Growing-post).
The island of Raroia (Leaning) or Barclay of Tolly, 27 by ii miles: The as¬
sembly ground is Te-rua-patiri (The-source-of-thunder) ; the water, Vai-reia (Water-
are
caught)
;
the high chief, Maru-ate
pet-upon-the-waves).
(Clear-shade)
;
and the marae, Pû-tû-aru (Trum-
(Hanging-girdles), 11 by 8 miles: The assembly ground
(Encompassed-borders) ; the water, Te-rangi-pû-nau (The-sky-of-desired-pool) ; the high chief, Te-aro (The-face, or front) ; and the marae, Heke-ua
( Rain-appearing).
The island of Maro-kau
is Orere-anoa
The island of Ta-kume
ground is Fare-fare-matagi
(Beat-pulling)
or
4 by 4 miles: The assembly
the water, Vai-tohua (Water-
Wolkonsky,
(House-harboring-wind)
;
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
predicted)
house).
;
the high chief, Va-roa-nui (Very-long-recess)
109
;
the
marae,
Fare-ura (Red-
^The island of Reka-reka (Dredged) or Good Hope, 10 by 6 miles: The assembly
ground is Te-one-ma-hina (Sand-with-gray) ; the water, Te-toro-omo (Extendingin) ; the high chief, Ta’o-rau (Many-biddings) ; and the marae, Peau-ura (Red-side).
The island of
miles:
Te-poto (The-short)
or
Mau-rua (Hold-two)
or
Eliza,
10
by
4
The assembly ground is Toruru, (Assembly) ; the water, Te-vai-heru (Water-
cleared) ; the high chief, Hiva-roa (Long-fleet)
of-’Oro).
;
and the
Motu-o-Koro (Island-
marae,
The island of Hao-rangi (Encircling-sky), or simply Hao (Encircling), Bow
Island, or Ea-harpe, 25 by 10 miles; The assembly ground is Te-pito-tauira-tea
(Umbilicus-turned-white) ; the water, Vai-iti-reo-rura (Little-water-with-commandingvoice) ; the high chief, Muna-nui (Great-talisman) ; and the marae, Pou-reva (Des'cent-f rom-space).
Fangatau (Keep-back) or Araktcheff, S by 5 miles : The high chief
(The-thatch-section), and the marae is ’Apa’apa-i-te-rangi (Division-in-
The island of
is
Te-hono
the-sky).
The island of A-manu
(Float-away)
or
Moller,
4
by
4
miles:
The assembly
ground is Oro-mania (Oro-calm) ; the water, Te-vai-kopuna (Water-basin) ; the high
chief, Te-ari’i-te-rupe-hara-tau (The-sovereign-mountain-pigeon-deviating-as-it-alights) ;
and the marae,
To-tara-mahiti (Thy-prayer-to-extricate).
Gênerai, Information
and
History
The Products of these islands are coconuts, and pearl shells, in the
animal of which sometimes
On
some
are
found beautiful
pearls.
of the islets which form the beautiful
lagoons of the
group
(stratum rock) extensive caverns, some of
below sea level, and thus furnish additional
proof of volcanic activity. In the chain of islets that form Anâ (Aster)
are some of the most remarkable caverns;
they are Pereue (Night-vapor)
and Te-ua-’ura (Red-rain) in the islet of Tu’uhora (Extend-clemency),
Eaua (Réceptacle) in Te-mata-hoa (Eace-of-friend), famous for having
been the hiding place of some native men who murdered a Erench gen¬
darme, and Pape-ua-re’are’a (Red-rain-water) and Arai (Mediator) in
Te-marie (Silence).
found within solid papa
which lead to unknown depths
are
The chief gods of these islands were
Tangaroa, Ta’aroa in Tahitian
(Unique-one), Tû (Stability), Tane (Man) and Atea (Vast-expanse) ;
next to them was held in dread and worshiped as a secondary god, Ti’i, the
malicious first man.
Like the Tahitians, even the most intelligent and
educated Tuamotuan scholars still hâve a superstitions awe of their
gods, which prevents them from naming them in connection with the marae,
for they say the gods were varua ino (evil spirits), once all-powerful in
these islands and perhaps still able to do harm if offended. Therefore if
pressed the natives will purposely sometimes give the wrong names.
Bernice P.
IIO
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
From the Tuamotuan scholars, Marei-nui-a-tapu-rangi (Great-snare-of-
the-heavenly-pledge) and Tau-ari’i-o-atea (Royal-address-abroad),
following information :
the
In former times
cornes
over the chiefs and people of these
Society Group. Originally there were
two of them, Te-peva (Supremacy), the greater king, and Tû-fariua (Standturned), between whom the islands were divided as follows :
islands in the
sovereigns ruled
saine manner as
in the
E moti O Taha-titi, i to’a i Fakarava,
haere roa i Hao i hiti’a, o Te-peva te
Ari’i.
Na’na ana’e te mau fenua i ropu,
i ni’a e i raro.
Tei Fa’aite toiia fa’aeara’a Te-porioeha tona ava.
e
E moti
oia
Taka-roa,
fenua
na
e
Manihi,
poto, o
ari’i.
e
haere
te ava,
i Ahe,
roa
Taka-roa, Taka-
Ahe,
o
O Matiti-maru, te marae,
roa
oeha
was
hà ; o
e o
From Taha-titi (Side-peg) bordering
the West, Fakarava to Hao in the
east, Te-'peva was king.
AU the cen¬
tral islands, iip and down were his.
At Fa’aite®* was' his home.
Te-porion
Tûfariua
e o
tei ni’a i Taka-roa.
te
Te-ava-
These islands in the north
are
(The
-
fatness
his harbor.
-
of
-
the-fishing-net)
From Taka-roa (Long-separation)
Ahe
four
to
(an exclamation), comprising the
Taka-roa,
Taka-poto
(Slide) or
Wilson, and Ahe, Tu-fariua was king.
Matiti-maru (Shady-pennant) is the
marae, and Te-ava-roa
(Long-harbor)
is the harbor, on the Island of Taka-roa.
islands
:
( Short-separation),
of commercial
Manihi
importance.
West of Fakarava, the eight islands, Ni’ati, Toa’tt Apataki, Kaukura,
Arutua, Rangiroa, Tikahati, Makatea, and Matahiva, were independent little
kingdoms ; the scattered uninhabited islands lying south and east, being of
no importance and seldom
visited, were not counted with the districts of
the chiefs.
Not long after King Pômare I had become monarch of ail
Tahiti and Mo’orea, it occurred to King Tû-fariua that he would seize
the eight independent islands and add them to his little dominions in the
north. This he was preparing to do when Pômare with masterly diplomacy
armexed ail the Tuamotuan group to his own kingdom and thus put an
end to the strife among them.
Having a hereditary prestige in the group,
being a descendant of their kings, and being nearly related to Piti-mau’a
(Two-mountains)—the wife of the high chief, Tangaroa of Fakarava—
Pômare sought for and obtained a political meeting at Papa’oa, where he
and his statesmen met those of the Tuamotu Islands.
It was agreed
that he should extend his empire over them, while the two former kings
retained their titles and dominions under him and ail the chiefs retained
their
positions unchanged.
As
a
pledge in confirmation of this
tion, King Tû-fariua planted his spear, named Rongo
in the
manner
^
conven¬
(Ro’o [Famé]),
ground at the feet of King Pômare, indicating agreement ; in like
Te-peva planted his, named Te-uto-i-Ma’ava (The-coconut-plant-
See page 107 for the other définitions of the Island of Fa’aite.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
of-Ma’ava
[Operculum] )
111
and Pômare planted his, named Tû-pô-rii’i
maii then drew iip his spear, and the new
order of things was promulgated with
great satisfaction on ail sides. At
the reqiiest of Pômare, it was also
agreed that cannibalism, which was
extensively practised in the Tuaniotus, shoiild be prohibited; but it took
(Stability-of-midnight).
tinie to stop
it altogether.
Pômare sent
his
;
Each
as
représentatives to his
after
(Prince-apart).
Vaira’atoa
islands two
new
faniily, whom he named Vaira’a-toa
members of
himself, and Ari'i-Paea
appointed viceroy over the dominion of Tû-fa-riua in
eight independent islands in the west; they were
was
the north, and over the
specified iiiider him and his
O
E moti i Taha-titi e Matahiva, e va’u,
Pômare Vaira’a-toa te ari’i na vaho
roa.
i
siiccessors
Tana
Tahua,
Ari’i Paea’s
was
said:
viceroyalty extended
bark) at Fanau in Kau-kura.
His harbor is Te-momi-ta-here-taura
( Swallow-with-noose).
over
I Anâ te nohoraa o Pômare Ari’i
Paea.
Tana Tahua, o Ngaehe i Tu’uhora.
Tana Ava, o Katia.
In
peva
presenting their tribute of food
would
Teie
te ma’a na te Ari’i, na Te-peva,
moti i Taha-titi, e haere roa i Plao.
Tû nui, Pômare tara e, a tû e a a tù
àte Ari’i na vaho roa, Pômare Ari’i
Paea,
a motu te
Tahua i raro,
i ni’a iho,
unu
a
mau
!
the
oti’a
o
o
e
te
oti’a.
Nuku-hau-marôrô Te
Ua ti’a ia,
Te-peva.
kingdom of Te-peva.
Of
Anâ is the résidence of Pômare Ari’i
Paea. His assembly ground is Adjustment at Tu’u-hora.
His harbor is Katia
(Girdle).
to Ari’i
say;
■a
manner :
His assembly ground is Pu-rourou-teiri-haea (Center - united - with-stripped-
Eanau i Kau-kura.
Ta’na Ava, o Te-momi-ta-here-taura.
him it
following
From Taha-titi to Matahiva (Face-ofcompany), eight [islands], Pômare Vai¬
ra’atoa is king suprême.
Pu-rourou-te-iri-haea,
o
in the
Paea, the subjects of Te-
Here is food from King Te-peva,
from Taha-titi extending, to Hao. Tù
nui,
stand,
mare
Pômare flourishing, continue to
to stand on, King suprême, Pô¬
Ari’i Paea, from boundary to
boundary.
The assembly ground is Nuku-haumaroro
(Army-of-great-persistance) (at
Fakarava) : The carved ornament chief
upon it is Te-peva.
So be it, take hold !
In the same way the people of Tû-fariua and the other
eight islands
presented their food. Thus were the two groups peaceftilly United, and
silice the French hâve governed the islands a French résident lias
represented the Tahitian Government there,
formerly making Anâ his headquarters and now residing at Fakarava.
Bernice P.
112
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Of the great rocky atoll, Fakarava, which the natives afifirm is
ploded mountain, the following is an ancient chant:
Havai’i (Fakarava) great
The gun stands' inland.
The Sun stands sea-ward,
Havai’i nui a nae’a !
A tû te Râ uta,
Tû te Râ tai.
Te henua ia o te taehae.
A rehia ’ana’ana tua mea,
an ex-
attained !
It is the land of savages.
na pute vai e.
O Havai’i.
Havai’i ra, nu’u mau atua,
O Vavau ra, e nu’u mau ta’ata;
Havai’i tautau atu,
Havai’i tautau mai,
Havai’i tautau i ni’a.
A nae’a Havai’i
A pari ’ite toto o Atea.
A tai
Encompassed with much brighthess.
Outside the pools of vrater.
Is Havai’i.
Havai’i, the home of gods,
Vavau,“ the home of men;
Havai’i, ’ leaning out-wards',
Havai’i leâning inwards.
Havai’i leaning above.
reached.
Charge her vrith the blood of Atea.
When Flavai’i is
Notwithstanding the destructive cyclones and tidal waves which occasionally visit these océan gardens, the inhahitants still adhéré to their
homes there, to which they like to return after seeking refuge in Tahiti
or
elsewhere during stormy weather.
According to tradition, some of
the desolate atolls on the eastern side hâve only gradually become so,
probably owing to the course that the tempests and tides hâve taken. The
following stories are about these islands:®®
(World Prize) or Clermont-Tonnere (14 by 5
formerly luxuriant, abounding in taro and ape (arums), and
it was the home of a peaceful people unacquainted with warfare, until
some warriors headed by Te-o-marama (Garden-of-the-moon) and Ra-vera
(Burning-sun) came from Tata-koto (Resounding-beat) (11 miles by 1
mile) and Nuku-tavake (Advancing-fleet) (8 by 5 miles), respectively—^two
flourishing islands. The warriors, armed with spears, landed in great
war canoës and were. kindly received by the unsuspecting inhabitants of
Re-ao.
Soon the visitors chose a place of encampment in the interior
of the island, where without asking permission they planted themselves
and lived on the fat of the land; finally, thinking that they could easily
take possession of the island and make the people their slaves, they showed
themselves hostile.
But there arose to the emergency a giant chief named
Tai-huka (Bounding-sea), noted for his great head and dauntless bearing.
He mustered a band of valiant men, who made ironwood spears and soon
so well adapted themselves to the war tactics that they saw practised by
their foes that they routed them in battle and caused them to take to their
The Island of Re-ao
miles)
was
canoës
and return to their
own
dominions.
The Vavau here referred to cannot be identified.
Received from Mr. Donat Rimarau.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
113
The giant,
Tai-hiika, lived happily with his people long afterwards
as a warrior
by a chief named Te-kono-heka (Sent-tolament), who maintained the dignity of his people by cruising among the
and
was
sncceeded
islands with his men, formidable in
canoës.
On one occasion they
Serle Island, 9 by 4 miles, now
tributary to the Gambiers, where they fought with the inhabitants, subjugated them, and there remained several months, when they suddenly become
homesick and returned to their own
island, leaving the rightful
laiided at Puka-ruha
owners
(Worn-prick)
war
or
of Puka-ruha to retain their homes in
peace.
Ail the
of this island lie in
an easterly direction from north to
Now in ruins, they were formerly
about 6 feet high and 60
long. Shut in little chambers excavated in
the piles of stones are found fetishes of human
skulls, hair, and teeth
marae
South; there
are
noue
in the west.
wrapped in matting. Three of the marae in the south are Te-pito (The
navel), Vae-rota (Orderly-division), and Te-tupu (The-growth). Ail the
Tuamotuan royal marae were built low,
having no steps like those of
Tahiti, but their great stone altars for human sacrifices were the same.
The
customs of the
Society Islands.
They
Tuamotuan people hâve been the
same
as
in the
fine, hardy, loyal-hearted race, and from
them Pômare I chose many of his
bodyguards. They bave their romances
of the tender passions, and
they hâve strong émotions, as their legends
show.
When prompted by desperation to commit
suicide, they resort to
throwing themselves down from a high tree, taking the deadly poisonous
gaul of the huehue (globe-fish) or drowning themselves outside of the
reef. They hâve learned to be shrewd in business,
having learned and
sometimes adopted the “tricks in the trade” which white men hâve
too
often practised upon them.
Like the Tahitians they hâve been fearless
navigators, taking long voyages in their large canoës (pahi), with the
same
knowledge of geography and astronomy. Prominent among their
navigators was a great chief named Màha-’tura (Satisfied-then).
ORDER
OF
are
a
PRESTIGE OF TAHITI,
MOOREA, AND
THE
TUAMOTUS
From the time that Tahiti and Mo’orea and the Tuamotus
into
were
United
kingdom under King Pômare I, the people hâve strictly adhered
to the same order of
prestige in their districts in assembling for national
gatherings, such as yearly festivities and royal marriages or funerals.
Taking as a center, Arue, the seat and cradle of the monarchy, Pômare
one
thus distributed the districts:
Teporionu’u, embracing ’Arue and Pare in North Tahiti,
was
the fore-
Bernice P.
114
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
procession, next to which carne Te’aharoa, from North
they were his mainstay and most loyal
support in time of trouble; of them Pômare said; “B rua i Teporionu’u, e
0110
i Te’aharoa, e va’u Teporionu’u.”
(There are two [districts] in
Teporionu’u, and six in Te’aharoa, Teporionu’u is eight [strong]). Continuing from the west, there followed in unbroken succession Te Fana (or
Fa’a’a), Mano Tahi, Mano Rua, and Te Teva i uta, ending the districts
of the greater peninsula.
Next came Te Teva i Tai, comprising ail the
districts of Tai’arapu, commencing with To’ahotu in the south and ending
rank in
most
Tahiti eastward to the isthmus, as
with Afa’ahiti in the north.
the districts of Mo’orea; Papetoa’i first, Afareaitu
the districts of the eastern side; then the western dis¬
ail called Ha’apiti; and lastly Te’aharoa.
Afterwards
came
next, followed by
tricts,
now
Finally, the people of the Tuamotuan Islands filled in the rear: Anâ
(Aster-behind) first, Anâ Tau-aro (Aster-before) second, and
Tau-tua
Anâ i te Uhu-taramea
(Aster-of-the-parrot-fish-and-star-fish), meaning ail
the other atolls and islets, last.
people of each district came in procession, they were headed by
high chief or chiefess escorted by the under chiefs and accompanied
by a standard bearer holding high the national flag, upon which was imprinted the name of the district represented; occasionally more than one
flag appeared, representing a plurality of districts under one high chief.
King Pômare, surrounded by his court and the people of Teporionu’u,
met them with great dignity, upon the assembly ground at Arue generally,
and commencing with Te’aharoa the following is a sample of the addresses made by the orators of the districts as they presented themselves
As the
their
before him
;
E Pômare Ari’i i Taraho’i, Tû nuie-a’a-i te atua i te ra’i ma te ata, Teri’i
e tui i te ra’i.
Teri’i Hiiioi-atua, i te
tautua i te ra’i, i ra’i a naunau, Te-niuroa e ti’a i hiti, te vî e tupu i te moaiia,
Te-Ari’i-nui i 'Tahiti !
O King Pômare of Tarahoi,” Tû (Stability-who-settles-the-gods-of-the-cioudyskies) the king who pierces the sky,
King Hinoi-atua (Silent-with-the-gods),
of the numerous skies, of the beloved
skies ; Te-niu-roa (The-tall-coconut-tree)
ta’ata o Te’aha¬
tei Taraho’i nei, tei mua i
great-king of Tahiti !
Here are thy people of the six dis¬
tricts in Te’aharoa, here at Taraho’i,
Teie mai nei to pu’e
roa, e ono,
to aro.
And
that
the
that stands on the border, Te-vi (Thevî-tree) that grows in mid-ocean,** the-
in
thy
presence.
king’s orator responded appropriately to
each
company
came.
®^Taraho’î, the national marae of his district, at Papa’oa, ’Arue.
The-tall-coconut-tree, the vi-tree, and so on are figurative sobriquets
greatness acquired.
indicating Pomare’s
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
115
The practice of this
imposing pageantry, with modifications according
circumstances, at Pape’ete under Queeii Pômare, was characteristic
of the people and did not cease to be a cnstom
up to the end of the
monarchy, the French ruiers being warmly included by the natives with
the Tahitian sovereigns.
Perhaps no assemblage was more brilliant than
that given in Pape’ete in June,
1869, in honor of Prince Alfred, under
the direction of Queen Pômare, and Governor De la
Roncière, just then
succeeded by Governor de Joulard, when the British
prince received ail
the honors of a prince impérial and of a son of the Tahitian
queen.
to
HAVAII, OR RAIATEA, ITS POSITION AND NAME
The
nesia.
and it is
V
Havai’i with its
équivalent forms is known throughout Polylargest island in the Hawaiian group,
pronounced like the Tahitian Havai’i, the w being accepted as
name
Hawai’i is the
name
in the Hawaiian dialect.
of the
This island is known in Tahitian folklore
as
Havai’i-â
(Burning-PIavai’i), from its volcano, which was formerly always brightly burning.
The island of Fakarava in the Tuamotus was
once called Plavaiki, the k
replacing the inverted apostrophe of the Tahitian.
The Samoans hâve their Savai’i; the Marquesans and New Zealand Maoris,
Havaiki; the Rarotongans, Avaiki; the Tongans, Plabai. According to
S. Percy Smith, the name given in Rarotongan folklore to the
Society
Islands is ’Avaiki-mua (Windward Plavai’i) ; to the Samoan,
Fijian, and
Tongan groups ’Avaiki-raro (Leeward Havai’i) ; and to New Zealand
’Avaiki-ta’uta’u (Burning Havai’i)—showing their ancient knowledge of
ail these
Mr.
named
places.
Smith also
States
that
a
very
learned chief of New Zealand,
Taare-Wetere-te-Kahu, in describing the original Havaiki of Maori
tradition
pictured it
‘‘tua-ivhenua” (extensive land), in Atia (India), in
a
very extensive area of level country, bounded
inland by very high mountains, which were
perpetually capped with snow.
Through this expansive country flowed a great river called Tohinga
(cleansing by immersion), a word that plays an important part in Maori
tradition. This description of land points to India, the mountains
perhaps
to the Himalaya
range, and the river to the Ganges, in which to this day
which
was
to be
as a
found
the Hindoos bathe to cleanse themselves of their sins.
The Maoris hâve
probably retained this old tradition pure from their most ancient tribes,
owing to their isolation from more modem blendings, while it has become
lost to the central Polynesians.®®
Smith, S. P., Hawaiki, the original home of the Maori,
Op. cit., p. 58.
55-57,
London,
1910.
Bcrnice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
116
Tohinga is the ceremony of immersion
giving, and cleansing from sin and impurities, or re¬
and pledges named tapu (sacred) ; but to their kindred
To the New Zealand Maoris,
in
a
river, of
leasing from
name
vows
océan became the sacred emblem of
immersion for ail the above purposes except name giving.
Polyiiesians the broad
Havai’i
purification by
was of undisputed prestige among
is still the proudest island in ail the
(Invoked-space-that-filled)
the islands in ancient times and
Society group, being the center of their history, their religion, and their
heraldry. Pormerly, as is shown in pure archaic records by its ancient
bards, which are corroborated by its sister island groups, Havai’i exercised
a political and moral
sway as the emporium of ail the Maori tribes of
Polynesia.
Dividing Havai’i equally in two by a meridian, ail the islands on its
side were named Te-ao-uri (Dark-land), those on the west Te-ao-
eastern
shortened into Uri (Dark), for east
Havai’i; and in the course of time
they were blended together, and Uri-e-Tea (Dark-and-light) became a new
name for the whole island, which was gradually corrupted by some into
lore-tea (White-rat). The name Ra’iatea (Clear-sky) was of last adoption,
(Light-land) ; these names were
Havai’i, and Tea (Light), for west
tea
following is its history.®^
and the
long after the Flood and after royal familles from Opoa had
Tahiti, there was a high chief of Papara, named
Atea, who was the proprietor of the marae named Maha’i-atea (Expansivemitigation). He went to Uri-e-tea, where he married a princess of Opoa
Not
established themselves in
named Ra’i
(Sky).
The wife became prégnant,
warrior,
was
of his wife he said
e
pathetically :
la fanau ra to taua
faarue ia’u i te i’oa
te mea ra e e
nui-atea ;
ae ia.
e
When our child is boni,
clude me from naming it.
tamarii e, eiaha
i nia iho. Mai
daughter,
potii, e topa ia oe ia Raitamaiti ra, o Atea noa
To this the wife
name
expansive-sky)
let the
name
;
was
and should it be
be simply Atea.
agreed, and the child that came, being a
and father conjointly.
slain in battle, and he was
do not exIf it be a
her Rai-nui-atea (Great-
named Rai-nui-atea, after her mother
Chief Atea
valiant
in taking leave
and meanwhile the husband, being a
called off by some of his clans to battle; so
girl,
a son,
was
cleeply mourned by the
princess and ail the royal family of Opoa, so that eventually
the name was transmitted from the child to the land, when it was contracted into Rai-atea (Expansive-sky).
bereaved
As
explained bj" Mrs. John Platt, tu’au
(chieftainess) of that island.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
117
COMPARISON OF NAMES
The
sea
called
Society
of the
group
Moana-a-marama
divided by the meridian just described
(Sea-of-the-moon), on the eastern side
Ra’iatea, and Moana-urifa (Sea-of-rank-odor), on the western side.
was
of
In the
closing chant of the legend of Honoura®^ Te-ao-tea (Whiteland) and Te-ao-uri (Dark-land) are spoken of as One-tea (Whitesand) and One-uri (Dark-sand), showing that those names were Tahitian
synonyms for the same places, and were applied to them according to
taste.
In Fornander’s work^^
latter
Deluge, also referring to Tahiti (Kahiki)
O ka ale hakoikoi,
I kahiki,
A hiki a ola,
No riei make ia oe la
in
a
of the
song
:
e
In Kahiki (Tahiti).
Salvation cornes
From this death by
Lono.
(Roo, Famé).
you,
O
Eono
An altar for you, O Eono.
O,
O,
O,
O,
O,
O,
Eono of the night,
of the thunder,
of the lightning,
of the heavy rain,
of the terrible, divine face,
Lono, O, Lono with the restless eyes.
Ah, fly to the northern sea (dark sea).
Ah, fly to the Southern sea,
To the eastern sea,
A lele oe i ke kai uli,
A lele oe i ke kona,
I kai koolau,
I One-uli, i One-kea,
Eono
Eono
Eono
Lono
To One-uli
(Dark-sand),
(White-sand),
I mahina uli, I mahina kea.
name
are
Oh, the overwhelining billows.
E kaukau nou e Eono,
E Eono i-ka-Po,
E Eono i-ka Hekili,
E Eono i-ka-ETwila,
E Eono i-ka-Ua-loko,
E Eono i-ka-Oili maka akua nei la,
E Eono, e Eona, raaka-hia-lele ;
The Maori
names
to One-kea
To the dark moon, to the bright
moon.
of the northern island of New Zealand is Te-ao-tea-roa
(Tong-white-land), and it is called so also in the Tahitian chant of the
circuit of navigation (p. 464). The Maoris also called it Te;-ika-a-Maui
(The-fish-of-Maui).
The Pacific Océan they call
Te-moana-nui-o-Kiwa, which in Rarotongan
is shortened into Te-moana-o-Kiva.
MANGAREVA
Lying 23° to 23° 14' S. and 137° 25' W., somewhat detached from the
Tuamotuan division of the archipelago, is the Dominion of
Manga-reva
(Fruit-of-Cerbera), or the Gambier Islands, hilly and barren, the highest
peak, Mount Duff, rising 1,315 feet above the sea. The islands hâve
good entrances to a fine lagoon, in which are valuable pearl fisheries, and
See GilL W. W., Polynesian Soc., Jour., vol. 4,
pp.
Fornander, Abrahatn, The Polynesian race, vol. i,
257-94,
p.
93,
1895.
lyonclon, 1878.
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin
118
their
capital is Riki-tea (Small-white).
since i88i.
This little group
The following
famé.
Upon
48
They also belonged to the French
bas also bad its warriors and navigators of
interesting legend cornes from there:®^^
ancient
point called Tamanu (Callophyllum), at Mangareva, there is a
Tapae-ture (Landing-law) that is noted for its rocking stone
lava rock, named Togotago in imitation of its motion. Upon this
a
hill named
of black
was built a great canoë (pahi), of ancient famé, called Tô-rara-nuku
(Launched-among-the-woods), by warrior navigators named Pô-a-tû-tô
(Night-to-stand-to-draw), the leader, who was a noted wizard, Tôraga-nui
(Great-laimching), second in command, and Ta-poko (Make-short), who
bad traveled most abroad and was appointed pilot of the expédition for
which they were preparing. When the bull of the canoë was finished, Pô-atû-tô magically caused it to fly up on to the rocking stone, from whence it
descended on to a great level stone called Te-avaava-rora (The-inlet) ; then
it flew on to another stone called Po’o-nui ( Great-slap ), on the islet named
Akena (Of-that), and from thence it departed to the islet called Ao-rere
( Flying-world or Flying-Heron), the modem name of which is Aka-maru
(Shady-cloud) ; and there it remained. Then they rigged the canoë,
loaded it with provisions and water for the voyage, manned it with more
warriors, taking plenty of spears for self-protection, and set ont to visit
lands of which they had learned so miich from their ancestors. They visited
many islands and were entertained kindly by the inhabitants; they stopped
at Rapanui (Easter Island), where they were allowed by the chiefs to
encamp upon the hills, and there they made eight pa, or enclosures, in
which they erected huts, and sojourned peaceably many months.
They
eventually returned safely home.
hill
of
Finally in the outer border, to the southeast and outside of the Tropic
Capricorn, the lirait of the Gambiers, are three small islands, which are
British
neers
possessions: Pitcairn, the home of the descendants of the
ship “Bounty,” and Elizabeth or Henderson Ducie and
of the
both uninhabited.
Received from Mr. Donat Rimarau.
muti-
Oeno,
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
119
RELIGION
INTRODUCTION
The people of the
Society Islands were very religious. They invoked
gods in every undertaking, whether war, fishing, house-building,
canoe-making or the like. Each occupation had its attendant priests, called
tahu’a (authors), and attendants, who ofhciated at the
many marae built
for worship of the tutelar
gods.
their
THE MARAE"
There
were
three classes of
marae
al, the national, and the local;
family,
of
public importance ; the internation¬
also five classes of domestic
marae:
the
ancestral marae, the social, the doctors’, the canoe-builders’, and
the fishermen’s marae.
The marae were built of stone without
and
or
cernent
made very high, in parallelogram pyramidal
form, or low and
square, according to the desire of those who erected them.
The stones of
these structures were considered
very sacred and to them are still attached
were
many
superstitions.
Internationa!, Marae^
AT RAIATEA
The great international
southeastern side of
marae
named
Taputapu-atea
at
Opoa,
on
the
Ra’iatea, is the most ancient of ail royal marae in the
Society group (pp. 131-38, 363)- It is said to hâve been erected by highest
royalty in the remotest period of the island’s history. It was of widespread
famé and was resorted to
by many people of eastern Polynesia as the seat
of knowledge and
religion and for Moloch worship. To its royal household the higl\est chie fs throughout the
groups are still proud to trace their
origin.
This
of
antiquity, now in ruins, stands in an easterly and
little inland, upon a spacious cape bounded by the
beautiful bai^s of Toa-hiva
(Rock-of-fleets) on the north and Hoto-pu’u
(Notchy-spear) on the south. In the background are verdant valleys. The
temple is shrouded by a dense forest of ancient marae trees, the ’aito predominating. In the rear of the marae and lying in the saine direction with
it is a low range of hills
extending from the central mountains of the
island and terminating in a crest of three domelike hillocks that form a
monument
westerly direction,
triangle.
a
They overlook the unchanged landscape and the
sea
locked in by
Based on information received in 1833 from Tamera and Pati’i.
2
Given by Mrs. John Platt, Tti’au (chieftainess) of
Uturoa, Ra’iatea. Corroborations from
Rarotongan and New Zealand Maori history were collected by Mr. S. P. Smith of New Zealand.
^
Bernice P.
120
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
an ancient barrier reef, in which is the passage Te-ava-moa
(The-sacredpassage), where in times of Opoa’s ancient glory, great canoës from far
and
near
entered.
extremity of the cape, flanking the seais a long low marae, now somewhat dilapi-
Beneath the aito trees at the
side and the sacred passage,
dated, made of coral slabs. Taura’a-a-tapu (Landing-place-for-sacrifices)
is its name, and it formed the outer border of Taputapu-atea, where sacri¬
were brought from abroad were deposited on their arrivai.
Upon
paving of the groimd on the inner side, within a stone’s throw from this
marae, stands the fanions white stone. pillar, nine feet high, five feet broad,
fices that
the
and
one
foot thick, called
Te-papa-tea-ia-ru’ea (The-white-rock-of-invest-
ment), beneath each corner of which, tradition States, was placée! a live
man, whose spirit was supposed ever to stand firmly to his post as guards-
Te-papa-o-na-maha (Therock-of-the-four). On to this pillar a prince or princess of the ’ura girdle,
seated on a great stool, was raised when proclaimed sovereign, in the prés¬
ence of a multitude, on the day of the regai inauguration ceremony.
The
great inner marae is in a direct line from these precincts.
Ail the cape was consecrated to ’Oro.
The marae houses (p. 133)
were built on the grandest scale ; great was the sacred canoë named Anuanua
(Rainbow), upon which the image of ’Oro travelled; numerous were
his war canoës lying in grand array along the shores of either bay, where
spacious accommodation was afïorded for the great double canoës of his
man.
On this accoimt the stone
guests.
Taputapu-atea^
international
was not
marae.
At
a
was
also called
so called, and it was not always an
remote period, before ’Oro was boni at
always
very
Opoa, it was the national marae of Havai’i (Ra’iatea), named in full, Tinirau-hui-mata-te-papa-o-Feoro (Fruitful-niyriads-who-engraved-the-rocks-ofFeoro), but it was briefly called Féoro, and to it were attached eight
memorial stones which represented eight kings who had reigned over the
land, and which became eight symbols of the royal insignia of the kings
and queens in long succession afterwards. The stones were named, Te-’iva
(Somberness), Feufeu (Reserve), Nuna’a-e-hau (Peaceful-multitude), Te-
(The-cloud-of-Stability), Manava-taia (Conscience), Ffuia-i-te-ra’i
(Piercer-of-the-sky), Paie-o-te-fau-rua (Supporter-of-twice-chief^), and
ata-o-Tu
Te-ra’i-pua-tata (The-sky-with-aurora). (See p. 193.)
When ’Oro, god of war, was born of Ta’aroa and Hina-tii-a-uta, at
Opoa, his father gave him Opoa with the marae, Feoro, as his home. ,So
he
soon
waxed very great,
and the people of ail the land and beyond the
®
This account was given to Mrs. Platt by
of the last old scholars capable of giving it.
^
The meaning of fan is high chief, the
chief.
her grandfather, Tai-noa
(Sea-of-sweet-odor), one
addition of ma signifies doubly high, or highest
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
shores of Havai’i
air.
The
name
acknowledged him
was changed
Feoro
war-bird) which, in addition
of ail
marae
shadow
the
suprême
to Vai-’otaha
to their local names,
god of tlie earth and
(Water-of-the-man-of-
became the clérical
dedicated to ’Oro, becaiise the man-of-war bird
(pp. 387-88), and the
priest at Opoa
and also
as
121
nurse
was
water meant
human blood.
was
name
’Oro’s
’Oro’s
high
named Tiri (Throw-out), meaning extension of power
of the
god.
The
image of ’Oro in this marae was woven with fine sennit into the
shape of a man, two or three feet long, and covered with red and yellow
plumage. It wore a girdie of red feathers. The title ’Oro-maro-’ura
(Warrior-of-the-red-girdle) was given to it, associating ’Oro in his earthly
capacity with the highest royalty.
At the ancient royal marae of Fa’a-nui
(Great-valley) in Porapora
(pp. 359-60) kings, called the arii marotea (royalty of the yellow girdie),
received the maro-tea (yellow-girdle of
parrakeet feathers) instead of the
maro-ura
(red-feather-girdle) of the kings of Opoa. Another name for
this marae, Vai-’Otaha, indicates that the
royal scions of the house of
Porapora, from Opoa, took their chief corner stone from the parent marae
while it was so named. Over it was
placed Oro-maro-tea (Warrior-of-theyellow-[or light-colored]-girdie), his image being woven in the likeness of
that at Opoa but covered with yellow feathers instead of red.
To
Taputapu-atea, the national marae of Ra’iatea, were taken most of
were decapitated as they lay dead or wounded
upon the battlefield. The heads were cleaned and closely stacked in rows in
the crevices and nooks of the marae, where contrasted with the
background
of stones, they produced a
terrifying sight. Bleached with âge, these skulls
lay sacred upon the marae, untouched by native or white residents, until
recently, when tourists deemed it not bad manners to repay their native
guides by laying on a desecrating hand and carrying them away. Ail those
the heads of warriors, who
that reniained hâve therefore been secreted
by the natives.
Rarotonga is an offshoot of Tahiti, and intercourse between the two
peoples has always existed. When the royal family of Rarotonga became
numerous, they decided to strengthen their ties with the
royal house of
Opoa. So a prince named Poiriri (Shades-of-night) took a marae stone
and accompanied by two princesses, Te-unii-tai-ahu
(The image-on-walledsea) and Te-unii-tai-marae (The-image-on-marae-sea), and a retinue becoming their rank, sailed to the southwestern coast of Havai’i. They landed
at a point named Tai-nu’u
(Moving-sea), where they were kindly received
and allowed to establish themselves and build their marae. These
high personages intermarried with the royal family of Opoa and thus Consolidated
Bernice P.
122
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
relationship between the royal bouses of Rarotonga and the
Society Islands. Since then other matrimonial ties bave been formed.
Some time after Prince Poiriri’s trip there came to Porapora (Vavau)
from Rotuma, northwest of the Tongan group, a prince named Te-fatu
(The-lord), a god’s name, which only the highest of Polynesians ever dared
assume, and which brought this prince great authority upon land from the
god Te-fatu, lord of the océan. He was allowed to land with his marae
stone and was received into the royal house of Porapora, where he married
a princess named Te-’ura (Redness), in conséquence of which a new royal
marae was erected.
As the stone brought from-Rotuma was used as the
chief corner stone, the royal marae of Rotuma and Porapora were
blended, and the new marae was named Fare-rua (Double-house).
It
became the second great national temple of Porapora. The regai names to
which this marae entitled the reigning family were Tari-’oe (Travelledthou), from the husband, and Te-’iva® (Somberness), from the wife; the
official name of the high priest was Pu-tara (Cluster-of-thorns).
forever the
Following is an ancient historié
the words of the old scholars :
Te-fatu ia Te-ura i Pora¬
fanau ta raua tamari’i, o Maro-tetini e o Te-vae-a-ra’i.
A haere o
Te-fatu e te tamaiti, o Maro-te-tini, i
Taha’a
(’Uporu), a tu’u ta Taha’a
vahi, e uira, e auri, e ato’a, e a-taurearea.
A haere i Ra’iatea (Havai’i)
a tu’u i
ta Ra’iatea, e tore, e havaemata-pe, e urua-puru ; e moe te heiva.
A haere i Huahine, a tu’u i ta Huahine, e fau-tu, e fau-aha, e uri, hotu_,
a nui ;
e maro te heiva.
Ho’i attira i
Porapora, a tu’u i ta Porapora, e au,
e rori, e u’u e ’oti’oti i te tara fare o
Havai’i ; e hoe te heiva.
noho
A
pora,
record known in the entire group, in
Te-fatu took to wife Te-’ura at Pora¬
and the children they begat were
(Persistent-myriads) and
Te-vae-a-ra’i (Divider-of-the-sky). Tefatu and his son, Maro-te-tini, went to
Taha’a (’Uporu) and gave to Taha’a
lightning, saplings', athlètes, and everlasting-Iuxuriance.,
They
went
to
Ra’iatea (Havai’i) and gave to Ra’iatea
the oval sea-urchin and the globular
sea-urchin with small spines, the sodden
cavalli fish ; and sleep was their diver¬
pora,
Maro-te-tini
They went to Huahine and gave
Huahine straight hibiscus and hibis¬
cus'
with fissures, to shade, blossom
and become great ; and argument was
their diversion. Then they returned to
sion.
to
Porapora and
sea
snail, the
to Porapora the
cucumber, and the
gave
sea
mussel to eut ofî the end of the
of Havai’i
and paddling was
diversion.
house
their
they continued their course, creating friendly feelings with the
peoples of Te-ao-uri and Te-ao-tea, of which are recorded, Hua¬
hine, Tahiti, and dependencies, Mai’ao, and the Australs—then named
Te-ao-uri o te fa’a tau aroha (Dark-land of the friendly alliance) ; and
Rotuma, Tahaa, and Porapora, with the smaller adjacent islands, and downAnd
so
kindred
®
The ancestral name Te’iva from Opoa being adopted at Porapora
tionship between the royal families.
«
To eut ofï the end of the house of Havai’i means to be independent
shows the close rela¬
of them.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
123
wards to
Rarotonga, extending finally to Te-ao-tea-roa o te Maori'^ (Thelong-light-land of the Maori), or New Zealand, which were named Te-aotea O te fa’a tau aroha (Light-land of the
friendly alliance). In commém¬
oration of this event were sung the following words :
Na ni’a Te-ao-uri,
Na rare Te-ao-tea,
E tô roa te manu e
E hi’o i te hiti o te râ !
E mo’otua no Piho i te maro
E hume i
to maro
E hoe
heiva.
Porapora i te hoe
te
Above is Te-ao-uri,
Below is Te-ao-tea,
Ail
As
taino’a,
encompassed by the birds
they look towards’ the east !
Grandson of Piho (Splash-and-shout)
of the seaweed
taino’a.
Gird
girdle,®
thy girdle of seaweed.
Porapora of the silent paddle,”
Paddling is thy diversion.
mamu,
on
These allied island
kingdoms formed a Convention for their priests,
to meet periodically at Opoa for great religious
observances and international deliberations. The
appointed time was exactly
reckoned by numbering the year and naming the season, the lunar
month,
and the day of the month. Te-ao-uri chose a
primate, called a’o (counsellor) or ti’a (intercessor), whom they named Pa’oa-uri (Dark-Turbo’^®) ;
and Te-ao-tea (Light-land) chose their primate, whom
they named Pa’oatea (Light-Turbo).
They were appointed guardians of the alliance, called
Tia’i-hau-atea (Keepers-of-expanded-government), at Opoa, where
they
dwelt as guests of the royal family.
Then the name of the marae became
scholars, and warriors
Tapu-tapu-atea (Sacrifices-from-abroad).
So it became the
custom from
a
(according
remote time until
about the year 1350
to the calculations of S. Percy Smith), for these groups to send
représentatives with offerings to ’Oro in great double canoës, distinguished
as
te-va’a-roa-o-te-mata’i
(the-long-canoes-in-the-wind), from which
streamed
long pennants of their respective colors, dark and light. Each
two great deep-toned drums, called ta’i-moana
(sounding-at-sea),
and a great conch-shell trumpet, called pû-ta’i-i-te-aeha
(trumpet sounding
over the sea from horizon to
horizon), with which they kept track of each
other at sea and signalled, and when
approaching the sacred goal triumphantly announced themselves.
The time of such a gathering was one of awful
solemnity to those on
land and sea.
The old and infirm, and women and children, with their
domestic animais, retired to places far inland prepared for them; all was
still along the shore, even the sea and éléments, which, tradition States,
were hushed in unison for the
festivity of the gods.
had
one or
Te-ao-tea-roa may mean “the distant light land” as well as
“long,” and is claimed as belonging to the Maori (native) to distinguish it from the lands west, not included in Te-ao-tea of
the alliance.
*
This is a poetic name applied to the offspring of the Rotuma royal line connected with
Porapora,
*
enemy
The
as
they
came
tlirough the
sea.
intrepid warriors of Porapora
unawares.
The Turbo is
now
called ma’oa
were
more
noted for mufîling their paddles in approaching
commonly than pa’oa.
an
Bernice P.
124
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Upon approaching the sacred passage of Te-ava-moa, just at daybreak,
canoës United in procession, and out from the horizon, as if by magic,
they came in double file, each representing a separate kingdom. To the
north were those of Te-ao-tea, to the south those of Te-ao-uri, approaching
side by side, the measured strokes of the pàddles harmonizing with the
Sound of the drum and occasional blasts of the trumpet.
In grand array
appeared the numerous voyagers of high degree according to their different
ranks, ail unarmed and unaccompanied by women or children.
the
connecting each double canoë was a floor, covering
containing idols, drums, trumpet shells, and other treasures
for the gods and people of Ra’iatea; and upon the floor were placed in a
row sacrifices from abroad, which consisted of human victims brought for
Across the bows
the chambers
and just slain, and great fishes newly caught from fishing
grounds of the neighboring islands. There were placed upon the floor,
parallel with the canoë, alternately a man and a cavalli fish, a man and a
shark, a man and a turtle, and finally a man closed in the line. Behind
this grim spectacle stood two or three priests in sacerdotal attire, which
consisted of a plain loin girdle, a shoulder cape reaching down to the waist
and tipped with fringe, wide or narrow according to their grades, and a
that purpose
fitting closely to the head—ail made of finely braided purau
Seated at the paddles were the navigators and warrior
chiefs in gay girdles and capes of tapa and helmets of varions shapes, and
wise men in plain girdles, capes, and turbans of brown or white tapa.
circular cap
,bark bleached white.
terribly earnest procession arrived, the canoës were quietly drawn
along the shore, and the guests were met at the receiving marae by an
imposing procession of the dignitaries and warriors of the land grandly
attired, and also unarmed, headed by the king, the two primates, Paoa-uri
and Paoa-tea, and the priests of the realm, who greeted them in low,
solemn tones.
Then everybody alike set to work silently disposing of the
sacrifices just arrived, combined with others of the same mixed kind prepared by the inhabitants of the land. They strung them through the heads
with sennit, an act called tu’i-aha, and then suspended them upon the
boughs of the trees of the seaside and inwards, the fish diversifying the
ghastly spectacle of the human bodies, a décoration called ra’a nu’u a ’OroAs this
up
mata-oa
(sacredness of the host of Warrior-of-long-face).ii
After this the
priests of ’Oro chanted :
ra i te ia vavae roroa na ’oe,
ta’u ari’i, e ’Oro-mata-’oa !
A ’ai i
te i’a O te tai na ’oe, e ta’u ari’i, e
’Oro-tauà! Manava ’outou e te nu’u
A ’ai
e
called
appellation was in reference to the
“long-legged fish.”
This
Now
eat
of
’Oro-mata-’oa ! O
thy long-legged fish,
my
king. Eat of thy
fish of the sea, my king, ’Oro-tauà
(Fighting-warrior)
;.
Welcome to you,
distorted features of the poor human victims here
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
atua, i te tairurura’a mai ia ’Oronei
i to’na ’utuafare, ei ’iituafare no te mau
ato’a.
Maeva te atua !
atua
125
O host of gods, in coming here to
’Oro in his home ; the home of ail tlie
gods. Hail to the gods !
Upon the roacl that led up to the inner marae were then laid as rollers,
called ra’o, the hodies of slain men, and over them were drawn the canoës
still containing idols and precious
things, ail présent deeming it an honor to
aid in the arduous work.
Soon the canoës were systematically drawn up
heneath the spreading trees,
extending from shore to shore of the two
hays, those of Te-ao-tea keeping northwards, and the others southwards of
the point.
While the mystic rites were
being performed that day by the priests
at the marae at Opoa, no lire was kindled and no food was eaten.
When
ail those who were not of the clergy had retired to the
fare-opu-nui (houseof-august-stomachs) and to the farc-tara-toa (house-of-all-wisdom), the
priests from abroad carefully took their idols, closely covered in choice tapa
and gay feathers, with offerings for ’Oro in his home, and
accompanied the
priests of the land, also carrying gifts, up into the marae. The presiding
high priest, the primates, and other high priests entered the inner sanctum;
the greater body of priests took places
according to their respective ranks
upon the walls and outer borders of the marae.
Then was performed the
most sacred of ail their sacerdotal
rites, the pai-atua (assembly-of-gods),
when it would hâve meant death for any of the
laity to hâve approached or
looked
on.
After this
exchange of civilities of the gods, the idols were again care¬
fully covered and replaced in their respective chambers, the image of ’Oro
being returned to the fare-ia-manaha (house-of-sacred-treasures), and then
mortal beings could breathe freely at Taputapu-atea.
The clergy finally went into the front
courtyard of the marae, where
before daylight had been laid out upon the numerous altars the best food
that land and sea could produce, and
invoking ail the gods visiting to partake of ’Oro’s hospitality,
they partook of the sacred repast with the utmost
reverence and retired to
join the other devotees, who in the same way broke
their fast on sumptuous fare with their hosts, the
opu-nui, outside of the
sacred grounds. Then nightfall came and shrouded in darkness the
scene,
still terrible with the suspended and
prostrate hodies of the dead, which
were intended to be
pleasing to the gods.
Early the following day, the “long-legged fish” of ’Oro, but not the
sea
fishes,
served
as
were
taken down and buried with the mutilated hodies that had
rollers for the canoës;
they
were
placed in sitting postures in
their graves, heneath the trees, and were
supposed to render
the home of ’Oro. This ceremony was called
more
ha’apou (getting down).
These rites
arc
described
on
p.
157.
sacred
The
Bernice P.
126
relatives of such victims
burial
or
strations
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
were
not allowed to
reclaim their dead for home
indulge in grief for them, as it was believed that such démon¬
would incur the great displeasure of ’Oro and bring down conto
suming vengeance upon them and ail theirs. Thus were painfully marked
periods of religions and social gathering between those widespread
the
insulars.
days the devotees remained upon the sacred grounds, acquiring and exchanging knowledge at the fare-tara-to’a (house-of-all-wisdom),
while observing the utmost décorum and retiring outside the marae grounds
to eat their meals.
Then they withdrew to the settlement of Opoa to
enjoy respite and public feasting, giving and receiving présents. The peuple
who had fled to the woods also returned home ; and the visitors were
For
some
hospitably entertained until they wished to take their departure, when sometimes they took with them from Ra’iatea some of their kinsfolk of either
sex who wished to accompany them, there being no restrictions observed
in going away.
At
were
last, during
one
ended and the
of these conventions, after the religions observances
peuple were feasting, a quarrel arose between the
primate named Paoa-tea and a responsible high chief of Te-ao-uri, named
Te-po-rou-a-ra’i-ari’i (The-short-night-of-royal-sky), who grew fierce and
slew Paoa-tea unknown to anybody else.
When he was missed, another
high chief of Te-ao-tea, named Te-mauri-aid’i (Royal-trance), enquired of
Te-po-rou-a-ra'i-ari’i what had become of Paoa-tea. U a polie ia’u
(I hâve killed him), was the startling answer. Then Te-mauri-ari’i became
enraged, and before he could be prevented rushed forth and struck the
primate, Paoa-uri, who fell senseless to the ground. He was carried away
as dead by his countrymen, who, however, succeeded in resuscitating him
and bore him away to his own land, somewhere in the southeast, while the
people of Te-ao-tea believed him to be dead and felt themselves avenged.
Great anger and confusion between the two sides followed, and there might
hâve been more bloodshed had not the people of Te-ao-tea at once taken
to their canoës and fled.
They rushed precipitately forward into the bay
of Toa-hiva (Rock-of-clans), and not looking to the right towards the
sacred harbor (Te-ava-moa) by which they had recently entered with
much pagan dignity, they fled in a northerly direction.
They passed
through the double passage called Te-ava-rua (The-two-passages), in the
middle of which is an islet covered with high trees.
Against the reef on
the northern side is another islet.
Thus ended the friendly alliance which long
islands.
The people of the east also returned
that time
only Ra’iatea and Tahiti continued to
had United
many
kindred
after
exchange the Taputapu-atea
to their homes, and
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
12J
rites, meeting alternately at Opoa, Ra’iatea, and at Tautira, Tahiti, for at
Tautira also was a great
royal marae named Taputapu-atea, from the
old parent marae of
Opoa. This
of the nineteenth
centnry,
State of affairs existed until the
when Christianity
was
ushered in.
beginning
COMPARATIVIÎ POLKLORË
The researches of S.
atea
is still
Percy Smith show that the history of TaputapuRarotonga and New Zealand. In
Ra’iatea is called Rangiatea, and the word Tara-’to’a
(All-
fresh in the folklore of
both these lands
wisdom) is called Tara-ti’a.
Concerning the quarrel between
State
that the two
priests
went to
Tangi-moana (Sounding-at-sea)
both killed.
Williams^®
States
Paoa-uri and Paoa-tea the Rarotongans
Rangiatea
big drum named
Opoa, where they were
folklore they also say that
to présent a
to the god ’Oro at
that in their
formerly Rarotonga was part of Ra’iatea and that it drifted away to its
présent position in conséquence of the priests’
crime—perhaps confusing the
story with the legend of Tahiti, a fish.
The New Zealand Maoris retain the
name marae with its uses
unchanged
Tahitian, and referring to Taputapu-atea they say that it was “A
marae at Hawaiki, belonging to the warrior
chiefs, to the great
from the
great
chiefs of the sacrecl cuit, used for their invocations in time
of war.
That
marae was a
temple and the name included both temple and marae. It was
where the deliberations of the
people were held and was a place of great
mana.
Hense is our saying, He kakano i riiirui ia mai i
Rangiatea (We
are seed scattered from
Rangiatea). The church at Okati, West Coast,
Wellington, was named Rauparaha, in memory of our island home in
Hawaiki, for it was a sacred island to our ancestors.” At that place, they
also say, was a zvhare-tarati’a
ledge and learned
else.
Their
use
prayers and
of the two
évolution of the
name
(fare-tara-’toa) where they acquired know¬
invocations which they could obtain nowhere
names
Hawaiki and
Rangiatea shows that the
from Havai’i to Ra’iatea was known to the ancient
Their history also States that their canoë that fled
New Zealand Maoris.
from Opoa was named
Te-ao-tea, a very appropriate name, and that its
Turi of Tahitian and Ra’iatean
legend, who became a great
ancestor of Taranaki and several other tribes of
the West Coast of the
North Island of New Zealand. These tribes hâve
crystallized the historié
commander
event
was
in song as
follows
:
Williams, Rev. John, Missionary Enterprises, New York, 1837.
128
Bernice P.
Tenei
ano
nga
whakatauki
o
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
These are the sayings of ancient
times
’Twas Rongorongo launched “Aotea,”
mua
Toia e Rongorongo “Aotea”,
Ka tere ki te moana,
Ko te hara ki Awarua
I whiti mai ai i Hawaiki.
When slie floated on the sea.
Becatise of the sin of Awarua
Tkey crossed
from Hawaiki.
over
The second line rendered into Tahitian would be
:
“Tohia
e
roro
’o
‘Aotea’’'
(Launched for prayer chanting was “Aotea”) which perhaps it
originally signified. Moreover the sin of Awarua (Ava-rua, Double-harbor)
is frequently referred to in their records.
With such vivid descriptive
power do they tell of a great atae (prythrina sp.) tree that they
saw
full of red blossoms on the shore bf Ra’iatea when passing
out through Te-ava-rua that Mr. Smith at once recognized the tree, which
was in
bloom when he visited Tahiti.
From an aged teacher named
Tamarua-’Orometua of Rarotonga, Mr. Smith learned also that the Ao-tea
canoë
commanded by Turi touched at Rarotonga on its way to New
Zealand.
Thus, by oral traditions of tribes widely separated, faithfully handed
génération to génération for over five and a half centuries, is
revealed accidentally the history of the appellations of the groups Te-ao-uri
down from
and Te-ao-tea.
HAU-PAHU-NUI
dispersion of Te-ao-uri and Te-ao-te’a, an alliance was made
kingdoms of Tahiti, Huahine, Ra’iatea, and Maupiti for
aid in maintaining their independence when invaded by the warlike people
of Porapora and other islands. On such occasions they adhered to this agreement.
But in time of civil war no interférence occurred, though sometimes
help was received from personal relatives and friends among the allies. This
alliance was called the Hau-pahu-nui (Government-of-the-great-drum), and
it remained in full force until French rule was permanently established in
Tahiti in 1847. Afterwards it gradually slackened, and finally ceased.
After the
between the little
Attëmpts
to
Estabtish Marae
Tane, god of beauty, ruled
AT
Tahiti
by
peiësts from
in Tahiti for
Raiatëa
long period
gods of the catalogue, the chief deities presiding over the
royal marae being Tû, Ra’a, Ro’o-te-roro’o, Fatutiri, Ma’u’u, Tipa, Punuamoe-vai, and Te-meharo. Tane and Rua-hatu l'eigned suprême in Mo’oi'ea ;
Ta’aroa, Tù, Atea, and Tane were gods of the Tuamotus ; Ta’aroa at
Pô’ura in Mai’ao; Tane at Màta’irea in Fluahine-nui ; ’Oro at Anini in
FTuahine-iti ; Rua-hatu at Tahue’a in Ra’iatea (a marae now forgotten, see
over
supi'eme
a
the many
The tradition given in the fourth and fifth paragraphs is from Peue, chieftain of Fautau’a,
Tahiti; that which follows is from the priests Tamera and Pati’i, who passed over the first tradition,
though it is mentioned in the inauguration chant of the kings of Ra’iatea, p. iS8.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
129
454) ; and ’Oro at Opoa in Ra’iatea; Tane at Ahu-roa in Tahaa; ’Oro
Vai-’o-taha, and Ra’a at Fare-rua in Porapora; Tû and Ta’aroa at Vaiahu
page
at
Maupiti.
Ta'aroa, Tû, Tane, Atea^^ ^nd other gods of the Tahitian category,
with their équivalent names, had also their shrines in the other islands of
Te-ao-tea; and in New Zealand Tane was god of the forests and the
in
source
of animal
To Tane
He
life, and Ta’aroa dominated
were
god of
occasionally offered
a
over
the
océan.
few human sacrifices in Tahiti.
peace until he developed a taste for human flesh, and
then he became warlike in a small degree, his rival
god in war being
Hiro; these two headed the conflicting forces for war in primitive times.
be
was
a
Since the legend of Tahiti being a fish from Ra’iatea was believed to
historié fact (a belief that has not yet died out among the native
a
people), the priests of Ra’iatea claimed Tahiti for ’Oro after he had been
at Opoa.
established
reign of Tamatoa I there came to Tahiti a high priest of ’Oro,
Tupua-nui-te-fa’aonoono (Persistent-great-growth), accompanied by
his two brothers, Te-tupu-amiha (Steady-growth) and Te-haruru
(Thenoise), who were priests under him, and also a sister, Toa-te-manava
(Brave-hearted), who was a learned scholar. They brought with them a
stone from Taputapu’atea
(Sacrifices-from-abroad) at Opoa, to set up in
a marae in Tahiti.
Their great canoë, Pa-tarava (Extended-fort), was
In the
named
for
built
the
occasion
(Fanned-by-birds).
It
on
the
builders’
marae,
named
Tahiri-a-manu
well laced and ornamented with sacred sennit,
so that it was said to be
possessed with great power or magnetism (mana).
The visitors also brought becoming gifts to présent to the Tahitian gods
and chiefs, such as poe-mata-uini (pearls), ahuara (soft, fine mats),
’oro’oro hiirnhurti ’otaha (bunches of man-of-war bird feathers), ’ttra (parrakeet’s feathers), and fau fringe.
was
While
they were preparing to take their présents for the gods to the
Tû-marama (Stability-of-the-moon), of the god Tû, represented
by the meho birds, or rails (p. 385), the marae that faced the
passage of Pape’ete by which they had entered, the warriors of Te-oropa’a
perceived the canoë moored out in the shoal and were about to seize it
when the sister of the priest loudl)'- invoked the aid of ’Oro to deliver
marae,
them out of the warriors’ hands.
In
an
instant the canoë, with its owners,
caught up into the clouds and borne speedily by a strong wind to
Opoa, where they told their story to the king, who went with them to
the great marae and presented the ofïerings from the canoë to ’Oro in
gratitude for the god’s act of deliverance.
was
Ateâ
means
“light”
as
well
as
“vast-expanse.’"
Bernice P.
130
Finally ’Oro’s zealots
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Tahiti, and they went to Tai’arapu,
point called Ta’ata-tua (Man-ofthe-sea) at the marae called Te-ahu-o-rua-tama (Wall-of-the-source-offair-child), chief of the fire gods, and there they presented their gifts
and religions homage.
They wei'e well rèceived with ail due ceremonies,
set out for
the head of the fish, and landed at the
and allowed to set up
their cornerstone, called Tupu-i-mata-roa (Growthhome in the east for ’Oro. As ali Tahiti and Mo’orea
of-long-face), for a
regarded this as a natural sequence in the history of Tahiti, the fish,
they peacefully United in building a great national marae for ’Oro, which
they named Taputapu-atea. The incarnation mf the god in it was a small
log of toa or alto (also meaning warrior), about six feet long, which was
decked in sennit and red, yellow, and black feathers to
give it ail the
original attributes of the terrible god. Soon, during the usual solemnities
of the occasion, came a strong
southwesterly wind, on which ’Oro rode
with flashes of lightning.
He entered into the image, which was then
called ’Oro-rahi-to’o-toa
Tahiti commenced.
The sister,
(Great-’Oro-of-the-toa-image), and thus
Toa-te-manava,
where she established
a
was
his hold
on
kindly received at ’Uporu (Ha’apape),
aristocracy of Tahiti and taught
school for the
them the folklore of the mother land, Ra’iatea.
Thus encouraged, the priests of ’Oro went to the
body of Tahiti, the
fish, with a sacred stone from the marae they had just made. They landed
at ’Utu-’ai-mahu-rau
(Cape-eating-many-mists), at Pa’ea, then called Atahata
Ata-huru
or
There they
building their
(Fleecy-clouds)
were
marae,
allowed to take possession and
which
was
were
called ’Utu-’ai-mahu-rau.
(’Oro-of-the-bird-feathered-body) became
woven
also aided in
’Oro-hu’a-manu
master there; the image was
Opoa and covered with red, yellow, and black
image at Tautira.
the size of that at
feathers from the
Gradually,
the priests of the new order increased, new marae to
body were erected ail around Tahiti, and finally
Pepeto’ai in Mo’orea had its 'fiaputapu-atea, which was originally Tepua-tea ( White-flower) (p. 453): The change of the name was occasioned by a marriage which took
place between a high chief of the
Manea family in Papeto’ai and a princess of Opoa. The
princess brought
her marae stone from the original
Taputapu-atea, and she and her husband
’Oro
in
the
as
feather
named it Tûra’a-ma-rafea
(Kneeling [stone] of-two-meetings).
So named because tlie billows rise high at this
wind forms into fine mists ahvays hanging over the shore.
point
and
throw
up
This stone
spray
that
the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
raised the
marae
from
a
social to
a
national
Taputapu-atea of ail Mo’oread'^
grade,
Meanwhile many princes and princesses of the
intermarried with the familles of the high chiefs of
of which
131
that it became the
so
royal house of Opoa
Tahiti, in
conséquence
royal marae were erected to ’Oro and some to other gods.
The many restrictions and ceremonies that resulted became a burden to
the people, until at last they bitterly cried :
i
more
Toti, Total
te
marae
E papahia Tahiti i
!
Bowed down, forsooth 1
mua
be Tahiti before the
marae
Crushed will
!
Before ’Oro’s forces in war, those of Tane and Hiro
generally fell, so
Taputapu-atea at Tautira became a réceptacle for decapitated heads
like that at Opoa; and Taputapu-atea in Mo’orea was a receiving place
for heads whence they were carried to Tautira. These marae trophies hâve
been hidden away from foreign desecration.
that
National Marae
When
national
branch
planted upon the assembly ground of the royal house,
H patia (ti stuck in), to show that religions restrictions were put upon
pigs and fowls and ail the produce of the land and upon the fishing
grounds. The best of everything was to be cultivated and mature for
the time of building, and the restriction lasted for two or three years.
When the time to work arrived, the people entered a most solemn period.
A puhapara’a, or encampment, was made in the woods for the laborers,
of ti
was
a
or
taken and
royal
marae was to
be built in
district,
a
a
who withdrew from their familles to consecrate themselves to their work;
and other encampments, called fare-hua, were made far inland for the old
and infirm, for the women and children, and for domestic animais, so
that their voices could not reach the appointed place, and that they might
enjoy freedom.
no
fires
were
No living créature was allowed to approach the new site,
kindled along the neighboring shores, where people even
spoke in hushed voices.
No able-bodied
man
of the realm
the chief and ail classes deemed it
Some
were
which
were
food
an
was
idle
on
such
honor to aid in
an
so
occasion, for
sacred
a
work.
providers and cooks for the respective encampments,
well looked after.
Others collected stones from land and
sea
accordlng to the directions of an artisan, who was called the tahu a-marae,
and they shaped the irregular stones into blocks and slabs with hard
stone implements, leaving the round stones in their natural State to fit
A little octogan church first built of coral limestone by the Rev. Mr. Platt of the London
Missionary Society, and recently rebuilt under the supervision of the Rev. Monsieur Brun of the
Paris Missionary Society, now stands upon the site of this marae, and to the right of it, about
six feet above ground and one foot square, is the famous kneeling stone.
Bernice P.
132
in between the others.
friends of the
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
This work took many months, and relatives or
sovereign from other little kingdoms sometimes lent their
god ’Oro were distinguished from ail others
by stones that were shaped like turtles’ heads and set at regular distances
along the sides of the construction.
Marae dedicated to the
aid.
When ail the stones
collected, the ground for the marae was
sprinkled well by the priests with sea water to make it
holy. A long stone was taken from sorne other grand marae, as the
’ofa’i-faoa (chief-corner-stone), a man was slain and placed in the hole
dug to receive the stone—his spirit supposedly remaining to guard the
marae—and the erect stone was planted firmly upon the corpse, while the
priest prayed to the tutelar god in the following manner ;
were
cleared and then
Tahi t’ia mai
nei
pure
e
!
te atua e,
i ta matou
Inaha, te pûpû hia ’tu nei e matou, na
va’a mataeina’a o teie nei hau, i teie
fenua, ei vahi mo’a
marae
e
Teie
matou
na
’oe, ei ti’ara’a
ei ti’ara’a fare no ’oe.
te ’ta’ata ei tapu ha’amo’a na
i mua i to’oe ei aro, e te
teie te ’Ofa’i-faoa mo’a no te
’utuafare ta matou e ha’a no ’oe e no
te nu’u atua e haere mai ia ’oe nei ei
manihini na ’oe, e te atua e !
’O ta
matou teie pure, a tahiti’a mai e te
Atua e !
Atua e,
Hearken unto
Prayer
!
Behold,
we
us
O
god, in this
the clans
our
of this king-
dom présent to thee this land, to become
sacred to thee, upon which to
build a temple and houses for thee.
Here is a man as a pledge of con¬
sécration from us in th}’’ presence, O
god, here is the sacred ’Ofa’i-faoa
(chief-corner-stone) of the home we
shall
make
for
thee
and
the
host
of
gods who will corne to visit thee as
thy guests', O god ! This is our prayer,
hearken unto us, O god !
corresponding stone, which was called the ti’a-va (standplaced at the opposite corner, and these two stones were
called the tihi-marae (horns of the marae), which answered the same purpose as the horns of the Jewish temple.
Another
towering)
was
After the
performance of the terrible consécration ceremony by moonlight, the people silently carried out the stones collected and reverently
placed them in heaps around the place prepared, according to the directions
of the presiding artisan.
Some immense pièces of stratified rock, twelve
to eighteen inches thick, about twelve feet long, and nine feet broad were
used, as well as large rocks of other kinds, which the priests and workmen
declared were made light in their hands by the gods, so great was their
enthusiasm in the work.
If built upon
low ground or upon a terrace on the side of a headland,
shape of the royal marae was a parellelogram. If built upon the
summit of a prominent hill, it was square and formed a crest of a single
steep wall, divided into two departments, one for the marae proper, the
the
other
marae
for
the
were
outer
court.
The
either checkered steps
walls, called ahu, which formed the
with various kinds of stones closely
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
133
against each other in pyramidal form, or great perpendicular slabs
only in the front. These walls were adjusted
to a nicety to form the
angles of the four corners in a straight line
with each other, and inside of them were
piled stones of ail sizes closely
packed with earth. This solid mass was called the puo (heart) of the
marae.
The first layer of the pyramidal marae was called the niu
(foundation). Some marae had but two steps, others had three, and others
ten.
The steps were from four to six feet wide and
up them the priests
and other worshipers were obliged to climb when
they were required periodically to visit the summit. It was not made easy to ascend an édifice of
the gods. The end of the marae with the two tihi was called the ahu-mna
(front-hall), and it was more elevated and more sacred than the other end,
which was called the opani (closure) or rau-poto
(short-side). The two
set
of stratified rock with
steps
sides were called rau-roa (long-sides).
The wall of the summit formée! a bulwark about five feet in
height in
order to shut out from view ail that was held most sacred there. The floor
of this enclosure was carefully paved with
flagstones and was called the
paepae; the four inner
surrounded the
marae
corners were
called the
tau-peho.
within the walls of the aua-teni
The ground that
(exalted-enclosure)
also paved with flagstones and called a paepae.
Upon the paving of the summit towards the front of the marae was an
enclosure about six feet long and four wide, the ava’a-rahi
(great-enclosure), in which was placed the image of the tutelar god when it was carried
into the marae in its little ark.
(See p. 136.), Beneath a flagstone in
this enclosure was a repository in which were placed its discarded roverings, which were regarded as too sacred to be taken elsewhere.
The ava’a-rahi, being the réceptacle of the god’s image, was called the
vahi-mo’a-roa (most-holy-part) of the marae, reminiscent of the
holy
of holies in the Jewish temple. The space between it and the front wall
was also considered extremely
holy; and in the corner of the wall to the
right of this space was a small chamber of stone slabs, called the ava’a-iti
(small-enclosure). In here was kept an image of a whale, shadow of the
^od Ta’aroa, made of the sacred puupuu (breadfruit) wood that grew on
marae ground.
It was charred black with sacred lire, made by burning
wood of the sacred atae (Brythrim sp.) trees
upon marae ground, which
gave the image the appearance of black stone.
With it, but uncharred, was
another image made of the same kind of wood,
representing the handsomeblue-shark of Ta’aroa.
This little ava’a was also called the fare-toroa
(house-of-the-tropic-birds), because wooden images of tropic birds were
was
placed around it to guard the vahi-mo’a-roa.
At the other end of the most-holy-part, towards the center of the
was a space where the drums were
placed for religions ceremonies.
marae,
Next
Bernice P.
134
to them
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
of low stone pillars called the vaira’a-tapa’au (holdersThe tapa’au were small figures of men made of braided
coconut leaves, representing in effigy the priests praying before the vahimo’a-roa.
These pillars and figures combined were called the aho (life)
was
a
row
oi~th&-tapa’au).
of the
marae.
Extending from the right and left of the front steps and from the
called
vahi-mo’a-roa to the center of the marae, behind the aho, a place
the pu-marae, were set planks six or seven feet high, about ten
inches
free-hand engravings of
varions designs.
Termiiiating the top were carvings of gods and other
figures divided off with three or four open spaces about a foot deep, some
of which were fork-like.
These planks were painted over with red ocher
and were called the unu-marae (marae carvings). They served as holders
on which to attach the property of the
gods. (See pa’i-atua, p. 157.) The
planks represented the ana mua, ana roto, ana mûri, and ail the other great
stars of the heavens,^ which may indicate that they were substitutes gradually adopted for candies burning upon the altar.
wide, and two inches thick,
upon
which
were
These red unu, with numerous little figures of gods and goddesses
grinning and staring at the property of the gods placed among them, were
considered most imposing and their constant presence upon the marae was
called ra’a-unu (sacredness of the unu), ra’a-ti’iti’i (sacredness of the
fetchers, of a good kind), and hui-tapairu (host of waiting maids).^
In the midst of the
unu were stood, side
by side, two stones three or
high, one representing a king and the other a queen, called the
pû-maro-ura (center for the ’ura feather girdle), upon one or two of
which, as the case might be, the new sovereign was seated in concluding
the ceremonies of his or her inauguration.
(See p. 188.)
four feet
Next to the unu stood two stone slabs about four feet high, called
’ofa’i-tuturirala (kneeling stones), or ’ofa’i-turu’ira’a (leaning stones),
against which the king and chief next in rank to him kneeled, crouched,
or leaned to pray, each one
adhering to his own side. When a queen
reigned, the king’s slab remained unoccupied in her stead. Behind the
chief’s kneeling stones were others of the same kind for the officiating
priests, called tahu’apure. Behind them, at the closure of the marae, upon
the pavement without kneeling stones and upon the steps and down upon
the paving of the courtyard, patu-ha’amorira’a (paving for worship), prayed
the lay brethren, who formed the congrégation, opure (worshipers).
For
them to hâve ventured to go farther forward would hâve been considered
a
desecration to the
marae.
See the Création Chant (p. 336) and the chapter on the Birth of Heavenly Bodies (p. 359).
The last appellation suggests the Hebrew custora of having, “women which assembled at the
door of the tabernacle.”
Exodus 38:8.
^
"
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
135
In orcler. to render the great édifice
prominent and imposing, the pav(long side) of the marae, flanking the seashore or highwa)'-, was kept bare; hence the following saying: “Te aJm marae nei i te
tahatai ’ra i te arati’a e auae ia, te
papa’i noa niaira a tau è a Iiiti noa ’tu.”
(The ahu, platform, of the marae to the seashore or the
highway is a jawbone, challenging on forever and ever.)
ing of the
rau-roa
Behind the great stone slabs
forming the wall of the inner side of a
marae or beneath the pavings
surrounding it were here and there
royal
secret
vaults that
were excavated and
closely paved by faithful servants of
chiefs, in which temporarily to place their dead—in time of peace for a
year or two, in timest of disquietude for a few
days after the performance
of the religions rites for the dead. The bodies were removed
by the same
faithful hands to hidden caves in the mountains of the
district, in which
mats were spread, ornaments and other
precious possessions of the chiefs
were placed.
the
Near the inner side of the
marae were set
closely and firmly in the
ground slender stones rising about two feet high, which represented the
bygone rulers of the realm. They were called ofai-manava-ari’i
(stoneThe first were set parallel to the marae,
placed in an outward direction, gradually
memorials-of-kings [or queens]).
and others that followed
were
forming a small square. Several squares were thus sometimes formed
showing the antiquity of the marae. Unfortunatley most of these stones
hâve been overlooked and allowed to
disappear in the falling away of the
old landmarks.
Upon the paving close in front of the
for human sacrifices; and farther out
made of polished wood,
great fiat stone altar
altars of different dimensions
marae was a
were
attractively placed with posts tastily carved. There
long and four to five feet wide,
called fata-rau (diversified altars),
upon which were placed for the gods
whole hogs and great fishes, vegetables, and coconuts.
And there were
small, low altars, square and standing upon four posts, oblong and
supported by two posts, and round standing upon one post, called fata-’ai’ai
(altars for small eating), upon which were placed dainty morsels for the
gods. Beneath each post of the altars was buried a small stone, covered
were
with
great altars from six to twelve feet
a
leaf
or
sacred altar.
two
of the most sacred
niiro, which
Farther out, in front of the marae,
was
called the iho of the
was a good-sized house, called the
fare-ia-manaha (house of sacred treasures), where the keepers of the
marae dwelt, and in which were
kept the images of the gods, the sacred
apparel, the drums, and other most sacred appendages. Here also sacred
objects for the marae ceremonies were made. (See p. 133.)
136
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
In
erecting
a
fare-ia-manaha,
a man was
slain and buried beneath the
niiddle posts, supposedly to insure the stability
houses no human victims were required.
of the building.
For out-
On the inland side of the marae stood a long low shed called
fare-va a-a-te-atua (house of canoës for the gods), in which were kept
va’a-raa (sacred canoë), for the tutelar god to travel about in, and
va’a-lioehoe (canoë for common paddling), in which the keepers of
marae
went on
sacred errands.
the
the
the
the
The god’s canoë, named fe-va’a-roa-i-te-mata’i (the-long-canoe-in-thewind), was large and deep, and in its bows was- a chamber, about six feet
long, for the god in his house, covered ovér with pknks, which formed
a
deck where men could walk without desecrating the sacred presence.
Upon the canoë were elaboratel}^ carved, hideous figures of ti’i and décora¬
tions of sacred feathers, the prow and stern rising gracefully twelve or
fifteen feet high and ending in the carved figure of a ti’i or the head of a
sacred sea bird.
The canoë for the god’s errands was plain and smaller
than the god’s. Both were carefully carried out by able-bodied men when
required to be put to sea.
Ta’aroa made the first
fare-atua (god’s house or ark) out of his own
which he easily replaced with another body for himself.
This fare-atua was supposed to hâve been the model for the house
of a god for ail time.
It was a neat little ark made of sacred polished
wood, with arched roof covered with fara thatch, square at each end
and having a level floor.
Its dimensions were about four feet long, two
and a half feet wide, and three feet high, varying in size according to the
form of the god that was placed in it.
One end was closed. The other
end had a circular entrance for the god, with a close-fitting stopper of
Imdy,
sacred
To this ark
cloth.
were
attached cords of sacred sennit, which
passed under it to either side, forming a loop at each corner, through
polished pôles of miro wood were passed that extended far enough
for two men at each end to bear upon their shoulders.
The ark containing the god rested between. In the same manner, the Israélites carried
their Ark of the Covenant. This little house was placed in a recess in the
fare-ia-manaha upon a stand about four feet high, supported with four
curved and nicely carved, polished legs, forming two arches.
were
which
The house of every
butes; Ta’aroa’s house
Ta’aroa) ; Tane’s house
god had
was
a spécial name that accorded with his attricalled Ro’i-i-te-fatu-Ta’aroa (Bed-of-the-lord-
was called Ro’i-Tane-hua-manu (Bed-[of]-Tane-inthe house of ’Oro, the warrior god, was called Ro’i-nui-i-temoe-va’a-va’a (Potent-bed-for-sleeping-among-canoes), because his image
was
frequently carried to war in his canoë with the flotillas. Captain
bird’s-down)
;
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Cook® has
Papara;
giveii the following account of
a
137
god’s house in the district of
The first time Mr. Banks saw this coffer, the aperture at the end was stopped
with a piece of cloth which, lest he should give offence he left untouched. Probably
there was' then soniething within ; but the cloth was taken away, and upon looking
into it, it was found empty. The general resemblance between this repository and the
Ark of the Lord among the Jews is remarkable; but it is still more remarkable that
enquiring of the Indian-boy, what it was called, he said ; ‘E waharra no
Eayua " (The house of God) ; he could, however, give 110 account of its signification
upon
or
use.
Throughout their early intercourse -with foreigners, the natives kept
questioned in regard to the fare-atua, as it would hâve seemed
sacrilege to them to hâve done otherwise. Since becoming Christianized
they hâve always been careful in regard to those to whom they hâve confided their religions history, partly from fear of ridicule, and partly from
a feeling of inborn vénération for the
gods and their cuit.
The inauguration of the national marae was performed with
great
festivity; the clans of ail the kingdom were represented, and a great feast
was prepared on the
assembly ground. On the appointed day ail work was
done in the morning, and .in the afternoon amid impressive stillness the
people in their best attire, followed the queen and chiefesses and other
members of their families, gathered at the new marae, and took their stand
at the place for the congrégation in the rear.
Then followed the cere¬
monies, which thrilled the hearts of ail with joyous but silent religious
enthusiasm. The first-born young virgins of the royal family of the king¬
dom represented their respective districts.
They were arrayed in flowing
white tapa and decked with wreaths and garlands of tiare (single Gardénia)
blossoms, their emblem of purity. Carrying round green coconut-leaf bas¬
kets of these flowers in their hands, they led a procession formed by the
clergy in sacerdotal array (p. 152) each of whom carried a miro
branch in his hand. The king wore his royal feather clothes and the chiefs
their regai raiment.
The procession halted on reached one side of the
marae, and then the young virgins walked around it, casting their flowers
upon it as high as they could reach and upon the paving close by.
The
high priest followed calling upon the gods to flll the place with their
silent when
■
presence.
This
(setting of the marae). Then the young
while the high priest, taking sea
and sprinkled it everywhere, as
called upon the tutelar god, whose name he repeated, to take possession
his new home, and to make welcome his guests, the hosts of gods. This
was
called the
rao-marae
maidens returned to their post at the side,
water in a gourd, went up into the marae
he
of
^
Cook, James, Voyages round the world, snd ed., vol.
form is E fare no ie Atua.
The correct
2,
London,
1777.
138
was
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
called the hao-marae
(establishing the marae).
After this part of the
ceremony, the king ascended and crossed the middle of
descended on the opposite side, and returned to his
post.
act, called the eera’a 0 te ari'i (the mounting of the
the
structure,
Following this
king), the high priest
(superlatively holy), and the procession
pronounced the marae mo’a roa
again resumed order and repaired to the assembly ground. Ail the
people
that had been présent foliowed
and the commonalty and women returned
,
more
no
to
that
marae.
The division of food next took
place. A portion of the best was
presented by the orator to the priests for the gods, then a
goodly portion
was presented to the
sovereign, the remainder was distributed
among the
propriety was observed by ail parties concerned in the sacred marae
inauguration feast, as it was believed that
eating greedily or indulging in any excess of rioting would bring upon the
offenders immédiate calamity from the
gods, such as choking while eating,
strangulation, blindness, and many other troubles.
different clans.
The greatest
the:
last
marae;®
nationai,
When
King Pômare I had subjugated ail Tahiti and Mo’orea, he
national marae of splendid dimensions to be built at
Maha’iatea, on a spot called To’o-a-ra’i
(Drawer-of-the-sky) in Papara. It was
the combined work of ail Tahiti and
Mo’orea, aided by relatives of the
king from Ra’iatea and the Tuamotu Islands, and every able-bodied man
caused
a new
of the realm furnished
AU
its
a
stone from sea
or
land for its construction.
the usual ceremonies had been observed in
building
was' to hâve been
To’o-a-ra’i, considered most
name
when the time
came
for its
chosen
over
it.
to
rule
dedication, it
was
the marae;
appropriate, but
found that no god had been
A Ra’iatean chief named Fa’a-nounou
(Cause-to-
desire) proposed to enshrine ’Oro there, but the Tahitians objected, as
they did not wish to hâve their ancient gods altogether effaced by the
new one.
At last the dispute became so heated that the
people ail turned
away in anger and dispersed to their homes, leaving the
questions unsettled. The very océan became so
agitated that the canoës of the Ra’iateans
got swamped at sea in going home, and they had great
diffiiculty in arriving at their destination. Only one of their chiefs, Ari’i-mana (Great-
king), remained with Pômare
in Tahiti.
So the marae stood abandoned by ail, like a modem tower of
Babel,
and still unconsecrated when
Christianity came in. It fell into ruins as
the gods of Tahiti, even to ’Oro, sank forever into oblivion.
®
Received
from Mrs. John Platt of
Ra’iatea, and Mrs. Ninito Sumner
of
Tahiti.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
139
The Locae MaraE
The local marae, called
mataeina’a, was built like the royal
No immolation took place. This temple
had also for the consécration of the chief and chiefess, two
représentative
stones placed among the unu, called the pû-ari’i
(center for the chief).
To this marae were attached the titles and généalogies of the chieftain
families or the nobility of the land. There the people of the clans, called
va’a-mataeina’a (canoës of the district), assembled for annual célébrations
and for local religious rites, over which a high priest also presided,
acconipanied by his staff, but without the offering of human sacrifices.
The opening ceremonies of the local marae were in many respects the
same as those of the national but on a smaller scale.
The people of an
independent district invited guests from other friendly districts, and their
own chief and
dignitaries performed the ceremonies ; but the people of
islands or districts under subjection to a king invited him to perform the
marae,
but not
so
marae
extensively.
e’era’a
(mounting) ceremony.
Many of the wealthy gentry of the land built their ancestral marae in
pyramidal form and inaugurated them with great pomp. They aspired to
the honor of having their king or high chief perform the eera’a ceremony,
feeling this the highest temporal dignity that could be bestowed by man.
But the chief never again returned to it.
Marae Mahaiatea
The great district of Papara was noted for its grand maraes, ancestral,
social, and local; and the high chief of the ’ura girdle, Teri’irere (Flying-
king), thus honored many of them. Following is
Maha’i-atea (Extensive-mitigation) P”
a
description of his great
marae
The great morai of Oberea [Purea] stands on a point a little to the eastward:
thither I went, to hâve a view of so great a curiosity.
Otoo has one of his re¬
présentative houses here; and in passing it, some of his servants, judging whither I
going, followed me, and were very assiduous in explaining everything to me.
This morai is an enormous pile of stone-work, in form of a pyramid, on a parallelogram area; it has a flight of ten steps quite round it, the first of which, from the
ground, is six feet high, the rest about five feet; it is in length, at the base, two
hundred and seventy feet, width at ditto ninety-four feet; at the top it is one
hundred and eighty feet long, and about six wide : the steps are composed partly
of regular rows of squared coral stones about eighteen inches high, and partly with
blueish-colored pebble stones nearly quite round, of a hard texture, ail about six
inches in diameter, and in their natural unhewn State; this is the outside.
The
inside, that is to say, what composes the solid mass (for it has no hollow space),
is composed of stones of varions kinds and shapes. It is a wonderful structure ; and
it must hâve cost them immense time and pains to bring such a quantity of stones
together, and particularly to square the coral of the steps' with the tools they had
was
Wilson, James, Missionary voyage to the Southern Pacific Océan in the ship
207, 208, Eondon, 1799.
“Duff”,
pp.
Bernice P.
140
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
when it
was raised ; for it was before iron came
araong them ; and as they were
ignorant of mortar, or cernent, it required ail the care they hâve taken to fit the
stones regularly to each other, that it
might stand. When Sir Joseph Banks saw
this place, there was on the centre of the summit a
représentation of a bird carved
in wood, and close by it the
figure of a fish carved in stone ; and both are now
gone, and the stones of the upper steps are in many places fallen : the walls of the
court hâve also gone much to
ruin,'‘ and the fiat pavement is only in some places
discernible.
The above-mentioned gentleman, speaking of this
court, says, “the
pyramid constitutes one side of a court, or square, the sides of which were
nearly
equal ; and the whole was' walled in and paved with fiat stones :
notwithstanding
which pavement, several plantain and
trees, which the natives call etoa,“ grew within
the enclosure.”
At présent there is within this square a
house, called the house
of the Eatooa,'” in which a man
constantly résides. Sir Joseph further says, “At
a
small distance to the westward of this édifice -was
another paved square, that
contained several small stages, called ewatta"
by the natives, which appeared to be
altars whereon they placed the offerings to the
gods”; and that he afterwards saw
whole hogs placed upon these stages or altars.
“My guides,” says’ he, “led me to
this spot, which appears also to hâve
gone much to ruin : he showed me the altar,
which is a heap of stones, and how
they lay their offerings upon it; he then went
a few yards
back, and laying hold of an upright stone, like a grave-stone, he knelt
with one knee, and looking
upwards', began to call on the Eatooa, by crying, ‘Whooo,
whooo’ ; and by afterwards
making a whistling noise, intimated it to be the way
.
in which the
Eatooa ànswered them.”
The grand morai formely belonged
descendant Temarre,’® and now, since the
The
marae
Maha’i-atea has
445-52) the foundation
Tahitian Neptune, -who,
in the
asked
a
stone of
to
Oammo’°
conquest, to
and
mythical history.
Maha’i-atea
Oberea,
Otoo,’”’
then
to
their
After the Flood (pp.
by Rua-hatu, the
laid
-was
Raivavaean legend States,
s-wam from his home
his visits among the islands. Upon
being
who he was, he replied : “B atua vau i te maha’i
as
reefs of Raivavae
on
by the Tahitians
(I am a god of extensive mitigation) ; hence the name which was
adopted for the point of land and the marae at Papara and also as a
royal family'name in Raivavae.
Of this marae, with the
prodigious number of ten steps, it was said
atea”
in Tahitian song:
Inaha Maha’i-atea !
Ua mou’a rua Papara,
E mou’a e o Mou’a Tamaiti,
E mou’a e o Maha’i-atea.
Eaha ’tu e au ai
I tereira ha’apaoraa?
The
Behold Maha’i-atea !
Two [kinds of] mountains has Papara,
One kind is Mount Tamaiti,“
Another kind is Maha’i-atea.
To what else may be compared
such
a
construction?
then neglected because of the unsettled State of affairs with
Tu, or King
Pômare I, here written Otoo.
Btua is the word, meaning that the plants sprang up from roots that were
there, and so
they were sacred to the grounds.
E atua, in two words, meaning “a god.”
This was the Fare-ia-manaha.
E fata (altars), the letter e being appropriate for the singular and
plural.
“
Amo and Purea are the correct names, ’o signifying “it is” when used before a
noun.
Temari’i (The little-cleansing) was another name for Teri’i-rere, before mentioned.
He
was the son of ’Amo and Purea.
Tu, or Pômare I, as conqueror, received an honorary name from the marae, called an
i’oa fa’auta (name to lift on), but he could not own it otherwise. as it was not his
inheritance,
and it remained the property of the rightful owners.
In this way he was recognized as king în
ail the districts.
Mou’a Tamaiti is one of the prominent hills of Papara.
marae
was
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
E
marae ahu ati Maha’i-atea,
Mai te tarava ra’a mato ra
temple encompassed with steps is
Maha’i-atea,
A
paiuma.
la
The
141
Like extended rocks
To mount upon.
long remained firm and almost perfect, a befitting monu¬
past, not unlike the pyramids of Egypt.
But in 1865, its finely shaped stone steps were wanted by a planter for a
stone bridge across the river of Taharu’u, between
Papara and Atimaono.
The planter influenced the French governor, De la Roncière, to force Mrs.
Ari’i’ta’imai Salmon (Chiefess of Papara) and her people to consent to the
breaking down of the monument, which they regarded as too precious
to destroy, and from those stones was erected a fine
bridge. This, however, did not compensate the people long for their loss, as the river is
subject to heavy freshets in the rainy season and soon destroyed the
structure, and so both the marae and the bridge were lost.
ment
marae
and valuable relie of the
Only a mound overgrown with trees remains to mark the site of the
temple, and this is fast disappearing, as the limestone forming the structure
is being removed and burned into lime.
The Family,
or
Ancestral Marae
The
family or ancestral temple, called marae tupuna, the god of which
always a family secret, was erected upon every portion of land that a
person owned.
To the marae were attached the hereditary names of the
family, without which they could give no proof of their ownership of
the land, so that to this day the memory of this class of marae does not
cease to be of importance to the heirs of those families, for it is
necessary
when dealing with land to State their title name is from the marae
was
named so-and-so, from most of which a few uneven heaps
remain. They hâve transmitted to memory and to writing,
of stones still
in. these later
times, their généalogies on both parents’ sides, which they carefully conceal
from others who might wish to dispute their rights to lands, and wouldbe claimants are put to confusion and shame when they cannot promptly
answer these assertions with
equally good records.
Every foot of ground in these islands
was owned by some one, and if
encroached upon a neighbor’s land by moving a boundary stone
or erecting a marae upon its borders, it was considered a
disgraceful way
of claiming it.
Such an act was called ai-fenua (eating land), and it
was seldom attémpted because of the odium it would
produce.
a
person
Children of
by receiving
adoption in a family were made legitimate heirs to land
from the marae, which was called the vauvau i’oa
a name
Bernice P.
142
(name container), and it
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
considered
an injustice to such children not
family. Hence it is that so much stress
is laid upon a name in land controversies, and
although the natives often
give themselves other names, they lay them aside at pleasure, but jealously
daim and guard their
hereditary names from encroachers.
Whenever it was necessary for the land of a household to be divided
into shares, each portion was nicely measured off
by the etaeta (fathom),
and the boundaries were marked with stones. Then the
people who were
leaving the old home took a stone from their marae, suitable for a
chief cornerstone (ofai haoa) for a new marae
upon their respective
shares. When this was laid, they collected stones
unconsecrated, to com¬
plété the structure. In their turn and in due form these stones were also
to hâve them so admitted
The sacred
consecrated.
replaced by
goddess with
from the old
a
marae
the
holders
stone
obtained
from
sea
original
the
and consecrated
and sprinkling with
prayers
marae
into the
stone taken
new
bestowed upon the
was
water.
to
the
marae
tutelar
god
was
or
With the stone taken
also taken the hereditary names, which had been
proprietor, and from that time forward the other
were
new
were
disentitled to them.
The
new
temple
was
dedicated
deity as the old one, who was considered the great
friend of the family. The opening was celebrated with an
inauguration
feast called the faato’moraa (entering).
The form of the simplest family marae was a
paving set upon
the ground and walled in with stone slabs three or four feet
high, each
slab to the left and right representing a member of the
household, against
which he or she leaned or knelt to
pray, and it was called the ofa’i-tuturira’a (leaning-stone). The foremost slabs were for the masculine memto
same
tutelar
bers and those in the
a
marae was
built in
rear
for the féminine members of the household.
pyramidal form, the leaning slabs
way upon its summit.
The sacred family fétiches,
same
were
If
placed in the
in the shape of images, ancestral skulls,
jawbones, and feather amulets, were secreted in flagstone cavities in
the front part of the marae. The tutelar
god or goddess was not made
known by the family to any outsider for fear of
being betrayed by enemies
or
supplanted by them in the good grâces of the deity. Moreover, each
individual had a secret patron spirit represented
by something within or
close by the marae, such as a tree, snail, lizard, or stone, to which invoca¬
tions were made at any time.
Around the
was a
square fence or wall, called the aua teni
(exalted enclosure), within which trees grew high and no stranger dared
enter.
In the back part was a deep pit called the
tiri-a-pera (to cast off
rubbish) into which were gathered ail the cast-off things from the marae,
as they were still
regarded as superlatively sacred. Around the tiri-a-pera
marae
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
143
embankment of fragrant flowers and herbs to keep the air sweet.
pit of the ancestral marae families of ail ranks were careful to bury
ail Personal effects, which were regarded as the iho (essence) of the
body,
for safe keeping in charge of the gods.
Following are injunctions given
by priests:
was
an
In the
Eiaha
te
rouru
paoti hia
e
tahu hia
i te auahi, a pahure te upo’o o te ta’ata
no’na te rouru. Eiaha te mai-u’u ta’ata
i ’o’oti hia ra, eiaha te a’ahu ri’i piro,
te tenu ri’i peue e te ma’a tapa no te
ro’i ia tahu hia i te auahi ; e iho ia no
te tino ta’ata, e humehume hia te iri e
e po te mata o te ta’ata no’na tana mau
mea ra ia tutui hia i te auahi ; e tanu ra
i taua mau mea ra i roto i te apo’o, i
te
tiria-pera,
e
i te tai hohonu.
No
’aore ia
e
ha’amo’e
children
roa
Let
not the cuttings of the hunian
be burned with fire,
lest the
owner of the
hair become bald.
Let
not the nail prunings of a person, or
the worn out clothes, or shredded mats
hair
tapa from the bedding be burned
with fire ; these are the essence of the
or
and there would follow moles
the skin and blindnes’s to the
owner
if they burned them ; but bury
those things in the hole, tiri-a-pera, or
drop thera into the deep sea.
person,
upon
the scene when a new marae
being built ; but the men of the farnily went reverently to work, excluding themselves from their families and having their food prepared by
spécial masculine hands until it was completed.' Great care was taken not
to remove stones from strange lands,
extending even to the sea shoals,
without the spécial permission of the owners, and also not to violate the
sanctity of old marae sites by taking any of their stray stones. Death by
the hands of the proprietors, especially if they were of high rank, was
considered the legitimate penalty for such transgression.
In such a marae, the head of the household offered farnily prayers at
sunrise and sunset; there, confession of sins was made, and private
pétitions to the gods were offered by any member of the farnily; there,
marriage ceremonies were performed; there, prayers were offered for the
safe delivery of a woman in childbirth, and the child dedicated to the
women
or
were
allowed upon
was
gods when it
and the
prayers
into the world; there, also invocations for the sick
made. A man went into the front part to offer his
and gifts, but a woman offered hers at the back part; she was
dying
came
were
considered insane if she ventured forward.
When
was
a
woman
was
about to be delivered of her
child,
a
small house
erected for her behind the marae, which was thatched with the maire
(Polypodium pustulatiim)
The building was called fare-rau-maire (maire-house), and there the
child
was
The
boni.
was the “suprême” marae, into which
princes, priests, and the
people plunged to wash off crime and pollution of ail kinds, spiritual and
sea
This fern was regarded as sacred and as possessing auspicious influences at such a time,
for it was believed to hâve sprung from the umbilical cord of Tane’s messenger god, Ro’o, whicli
became entangled on a fai*a tree and grew there.
(See p. 373.)
Bernicc P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
144
temporal. On the seaside the wanderer or exile who owned no land worshipped his god. There he presented his son or daughter in marriage,
there he offered his newborn child to his tutelar god, and there he pre¬
sented himself or members of his family when sick or dying to the healing
gods, and to Ta’aroa. To the océan wer'e committed the crimes and sins
of the nation when troubles and afflictions assailed them.
THË ANCËSTRAIv MARAF, OF
In
TUA-TAU-®
précipitons valley of Puiia’auia is an ancestral marae belonging
good old family of Vai-tua-mata’i-te-upo’o-Tahiti (Stay-seawardwind-[at]-the-head-of-Tahiti), and it was dedicated to a deified family
hero named Tua-tau (Many-periods).
It is well preserved, and within
its viciiiity, it is affirmed, po lire will blaze.
In the saine valley is a cave
where Tua-tau is said to appear in visible form, sometimes in ancient
warrior’s garb and holding a long wooden spear. Some of his descendants
State that they are in communication with him and that he occasionally
leaves Tahiti for a period of several months, when he visits the subterranean Elysium,
beiieath the volcano of Kilauea, Hawaii, where many
Tahitians and Hawaiians still believe that the spirits of their royal families
meet and dwell together in bliss.
to
a
the
Thf Sociaf Marae
The social temple
{marae-o-te-va’a-mataeina’a) of the clan was of con¬
importance to the people, as it distinguished them as a community. It was made after the manner of the family marae, presided
over by a priest in
partriarchal form, and dedicated to a god of the first
class. There the men of the clan assemblée! to présent pétitions and obla¬
tions for their little community in times of rejoicing or sickness; and
there the priest received offerings to the gods from persons going away
or upon their return home, and offered
appropriate prayers on their behalf.
There also in like manner he bid the stranger welcome.
sidérable
The clans were thus classified into dénominations which never displayed
bigotry toward each other, as the gods belonged to one common category.
The clans whose god was Ta’aroa were called ’Ati Ta’aroa, meaning
“tribes of Ta’aroa”; those of Tane were called ’Ati Tane; of Ra’a, ’Ati
Ra’a; of ’Oro, ’Ati ’Oro; of Hau, ’Ati Hau; of Tû, ’Ati Tû; and so on.
Many gods were thus enshrined.
Strangers from other lands were cordially received at the social marae
they were of the same dénomination as the people of the clan. So when
they came and wished to offer gifts and thanks to their god for their safe
if
The information nnder tliis head is not
from the priests
Tamera and Pati’i.—Ed.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
145
arrivai, they would enquire of the clan, "E ’ati ha ’outoii?” (Of what tribe
you?) If the answer was favorable, they would say, “Oia ’toa matou”
(That is the same as ourselves), and they were at once received with open
arms; the priest officiated for them, and they were no longer considered
Etrangers.
But if newcomers found no dénomination corresponding to
their own, they felt that they were Etrangers indeed, but not forsaken by
their gods, for they turned to the great moving sea and there offered
thanksgiving tributes. The kind-hearted people of the land then also bid
them welcome to their shores and received them hospitably in their homes,
saying, “Haere mai i te fare nei” (Corne into the house). Strong attachare
ments
sometimes thus
were
formed.
Thë Doctors’ Maraë
The
doctor’s
temple {marae-tahu’a-ra’au) was built in sequestered
as tahu’a-ra’au (medicine-doctor), aided sometimes by
his family.
It was small and had but oire leaning stone, where he alone
prayed. He dedicated it himself to his healing divinity, such as Hau
(God of peace), Tipa (Healer), or to the goddess Aitupuai, daughter of
the warrior god ’Oro, whose marae was called Paepae-ruahine-te-pupuplaces by himself,
m a
i
r
e-i-’a
depth).
r
i
(Paving-of-the-old-woman-the-clump-of-maire-of-unknown-
The doctors of Hau were famous for their healing powers by massage,
accompanying the use of ointment (which they prepared from coconut
oil), and for this reason they were named tahu’a-mori (anointing-doctors),
as well as tahu’a-ra’au (medicine-doctors).
They were called upon to cast
out evil spirits, by invocations and anointing, from persons under the influ¬
ence
of sorcery (pp. 203, 212), and to heal fevers (fefera) and aches
and pains of the body. They were said to possess great healing or magnetic power.
In a little house close to his shrine, the doctor prepared
his medicines, from plants chiefly, with great secrecy, for to make them
known he thought would take away their virtue.
He consecrated them to
the deity on the marae.
A woman might be a doctor. The knowledge of remedies was handed
down from parent to child, and such persons were regarded with great
vénération as being god-inspired.
CURES^^
The
surgical knife
was
the sharp outside surface of the bamboo.
It is
well authenticated that the natives mended broken skulls with the shell of
a
half-matured coconut;
that they replaced
The information under this head is not from the
a
person’s scattered brain
priests Tamera and Pati’i.—Ed.
146
Bernîce P.
Bishop Musemn—Bulletin 48
with
dog’s brain ; and that they meiided broken shinbones by taking ont
splinters and replacing them with nicely fitted pièces of wood of the
the
sacred ti.
In confirmation of this statement there are found in caves
skulls and shinbones that hâve been thus
mended, some with a ridge to
the bone that has grown around the
patch,
holding it firm.
Until 1904, there lived at Fautaua an old chieftain named
Peue, who
was one of a few
surviving doctors of this class, and who testified to the
fact that he and his father, also named
Peue, performed such cures among
people during the French-Tahitian war.
He has performed many astonishing cur^s with his remedies.
About
1882 a native girl, after being shot with a bullet that
lodged in the back
of her head, lay in great pain between life and death for several
hours,
while the best French doctors of the
Military Flospital and of an admiral’s
ship tried vainly to extract the bullet and give her relief. Her life was
despaired of, and as a last resource the girl’s friends applied to Peue
for help.
their
He got cool soothing herbs, pounded them into a soft
juicy pulp for
poultice, and went to the afflicted girl, who appeared very low. True
to the custom of his ancestors, before
applying his remedy, he prayed,
not to the marae gods, but to the Christian
God, despite the remonstrances
of some standing by that there was no time to lose.
Then he placed the
poultice upon the wound and said that there was no need of extracting
the bullet, that if it was not lodged in the bone of the head it would
work
out.
A man was still living with a bullet in his head who had been
cured
by him during the war time, and another one who had just died.
a
Soon the
girl ceased groaning and fell into a deep peaceful sleep
accident, and from that hour she steadily ini-
for the first time since the
proved under Peue’s
treatment and
cured with the bullet not located.
was
Canoë Buiëdërs’ Maraë
In the
evening of the last night of the
nioon, a canoë
the two classes would take his axe and
place
the marae, an act called ha’amoe ra’a to’i
builder of either of
it for the night in a recess of
(putting the hatchet to sleep), at
the same time invoking the
presiding gods, Tane, Ta’ere, Te-fatu, and
Ta’aroa, in chanting the following song:
A ti’i a
I te rua
naonao
to’i
i
i te to’i,
Havai’i ;
E naoa, e iritia tiruuru hia,
E pepee hia, ia hoa hia
I te ha’a tua mea.
I fa’aina hia i te one mata huahua ;
*
land
Go and take hold of the axe.
In the aperture in Havai’i d
Hold, that it be taken out enchanted,
Made light; that it may produce sparks
In doing varied work.
It is whetted with fine sand;
Havai’i was the sacred nams applied to the artisans’ marae in
Ra’iatea,
which the axe belonged being always mentioned in the invocation.
to
the
name
of
the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
I tavai hia i te
I tapiri hia i te
mata
one
miro
E fana i te aha mata tini
E
raa te to’i
I te aha mata ioio
a
ri’i
;
moa ma
te
Eue mau
Ei maro no te to’i,
Ei fafau no te to’i.
Te tua no te to’i,
Ei ’ o’iri no te to’i ;
Ei marna no te to’i,
Ei taputapu no te to’i,
Ei tuitui no te to’i,
Ei fa’aoti no te to’i,
Ei ta mana no te to’i.
a
fau tu,
Tane.
tahua,
147
Made smooth with loose-grained sand ;
It is set in a firm handle of sacred
miro,
United with many-stranded sennit of
Tane.
The axe will become sacred
In the brilliant sennit of the artisan,
Which touches' and holds
As
a.
girdle for the
axe.
For the handle of the axe,
The back of the axe,
To make one the axe and the handle,
To make light the axe,
To consecrate the axe,
To impel the axe,
To complété the axe,
To give power to the axe.
.
Ujpon the marae ground, they prepared a feast called the ’aira’a tahua
ohipa (artisans’ feast), which was sacred to themselves. They killed a
fatted pig, and as they wet it with water and steamed it over the tire to
loosen the scarfskin, they took off handfuls of the hair and placed them
on one side for Tane, saying; “Ei mata ora te Iia’a, ei to’i horo”
(Work
with wakeful eyes, and with expéditions axes), which was the motto for
ail who worked for the god Tane.
When the pig was cooked, they eut
off the tail, which they took with the hair they had saved to their shrine
and dedicated them specially to the god Tane, while they presented ’ura
feathers to ail the gods of the marae collectively.
They then partook of their feast, and feeling strong from it, retired
until the early dawn of day, when each man took his respective
axe to awaken it in the sea with the following invocation:
to rest
E fa’arara’a no te to’i !
Ta’ai atu na i te to’i,
Pupu,
e
aro,
e
ra’ai.
Fa’atae atu i te to’i i
mua
E rahiri i te maro rere,
E ara no Tane,
Atua tahu’a nui;
E ara no Ta’ere ma opoopo,
E ara no Te-Fatu nu’u,
E ara no Ta’aroa,
Metua a te nu’u atua.
i te ’au,
The awakening of the axe!
Let it travel a little seaward.
Présent it
(there), let it fight
attack.
Let the axe go against the spray
and
Inaugurating its flying girdle,
Awake for Tane,
Great god of artisans ;
Awake for Ta’ere of all skill,
Awake for Te-fatu of hosts,
Awake for Ta’aroa,
Father of all the gods.
before the sun had risen, the artisans put on
working maro (loin-girdles) and went, axe in hand, to eut and trim
off' suitable wood for their canoë, which they brought to their shed to
make.
They labored assiduously throughout the work, closely observing
every sign of an omen.
(See p. 225.)
After this ceremony,
their
148
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Fishî;rmh;n’’s Maraë
The fishermen formed companies and built themselves
marae
(marae
o-te-feia-tai’a) and dedicated them to the gods, the chief of which were :
Rua-hatu-tini-rau
(Source-of-fruitful-myriads),
the Neptune of the sea
Deluge Rua-hatu-o-te-tai-euea (Source-offruitfulness-of-the-thrown-up-ocean), and Tino-rua (Body-of-two-natures)
called
in
the
of the
story
lord of the océan, the
who had the tail of
merman
swordfish.
a
The
fisherman placed in their secret depositaries stone or wooden
images of
the fish gods and other sacred relies with birds’
feathers.
Ruins
the
Owing
to the absence of
or
Marar^®”
cernent and to
that still stand in the
abandonmeilt in modem times,
Society Islands are gradually collapsing
by people still living who remember
their construction,
they could be restored and preserved just as Europeans
hold to their stonehenges. Such is the case with
Taputapu-atea at Opoa,
which is of the greatest historical and
anthropological value.
marae
into
heaps of
With
stone.
a
little
care
At the pretty settlement of Maeva in Huahine-nui
is
of national and ancestral
préservation.
In
crowned with
a
in two sections.
a
assemblage
an
which remain in a remarkable State of
dense old forest the level summit of Maeva hill is
high
marae
stone wall about
120
A passage
feet square,
forming
a marae
like a narrow lane leads through the center
from the ascent, and by it the
priests entered and carried their ofïerings
to the god Tane, sometimes
including a human sacrifice. Upon a strip
of land on the outer side of the beautiful
lagoon, is a point called Manunui-te-ra’i (Benumbed-in-the-sky), where beneath the
waving wailing boughs
of
aito
an
(Casuarina),
and round stones,
to hâve been set
Flood.
stands with
high wall of stratified rock
(p. 452) was declared
by Rua-hatu in his circuit of mitigation after the
a marae
the chief
These great marae
corner
were
a
stone of which
the homes of the god
(Breeze-of-space) in Huahine-nui.
re’a
Along the mainland shores
ancestral
of Maeva, still in
Tane of Mata’i-
perfect order,
are square
of varions sizes
belonging to the people. Most
formed of limestone slabs about three feet
high upon pavings of
marae
of these,
the same
stone, remain white.
Upon the site of a local marae near there, close
by the banyan tree with many trunks stands the pretty little Pro¬
testant church of the district.
In the outskirts of the village of Maeva,
is
the
an
enclosure
where
the
old
clothes
and
other
cast-ofï
effects
of
royal family of the island hâve been carefully buried and burned by
*3®
Contributed by Miss Henry.—Ed.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
faithful servants since time immémorial.
of
being stricken with king’s evil
149
No native intrudes there for fear
or some
other dire complaint.
Marae
grounds and burial places and produce from them are generally
carefully shunned by the natives, as disfigurements and infirmities hâve
been attributed to carelessness in disregarding such sacred matters.
In
the reign of King Pômare V, a white man obtained the king’s consent to
sell him
fine aito trees that shaded the central cape at
some
the national marae,
Papa’oa, where
Tara-hoi, had stood, and where the royal tomb of
the Pomares now stands.
The idea greatly shocked the people of the
neighborhood, and they warned the foreigner not to commit such dépréda¬
tion.
But he derided them as superstitions, felled the trees, and disposed
of
the
beautiful
covered with
wood
for
cabinet
work.
Soon
the
white
man
was
loathsome, incurable disease, from which he died about a
afterwards—a fate that the natives firmly believed to hâve been in
conséquence of the act.
a
year
Porapora an old lady of the royal family, named Tu’ia Vahiné,
day lit her cigarette from a live coal ofï a pile of wood that was being
burned from the ruins of a house in which Queen Maevarua I had lived.
Very soon afterwards she became ectropion, which was attributed to
smoking the cigarette because she was of lower rank than the queen. More
At
one
remarkable still,
the natives and old residents of ail nationalities
at
Pora¬
affirm that no person outstide of the royal family and no other living
could approach the royal vault in the village of Vaitape without
immediately becoming ectropion and having their features distorted! The
rats and lizards of the locality were seen in this State, and it became a
common practice to shoot
sheep and hogs and chickens that chanced to
stray in that direction because they came away so afflicted. At Porapora
were some royal heirlooms—beautiful feather cloaks and wreaths—which
the retainers of Queen Maevarua II dreaded to handle because there were
instances cited of the same calamity having befallen some of their fellowservants in keeping them in order.
About 1875 owing to political disturb¬
ances the royal bodies were removed from the vault and buried in the
mountains; but the evil still remained at the dreaded place. Early in the
nineties, when King Pômare V was visiting the Queen of Porapora, his
niece, a family council was held concerning the troubles, which resulted
in burning the empty vault and ail the old family relies that had belonged
to the ancient royal family.
Thus were lost those valuable vestiges of
pora
créature
Tahitian art.^^
**
Hon.
C.
Bernice Pauahi
R. Bishop of Honolulu,
Bishop Muséum.
Hawaii, took steps too late to
procure
them
for the
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Bernice P.
150
Chant
O te marae nei te mo’a e te hanahana o te fenua; ’o te teoteora’a ia o
te ta’ata no teie mau fenua.
O’ to te
fenua ia unauna te marae ; a aora’i ia
i pupu hia na te atua.
’A’ore e ta’ata i ta’ahi noa i to te
tahi e ra marae, i ha’apao ra i to
ratou iho.
No te marae tupuna nei i
tao hia ai e e ai’a fenua to te ta’ata.
E vahi hahano rahi
ei tere
marae;
atu ai i
pure
reira ’a’ore
atua i vare.
la
vahi marae ra, e
haere,
tapono
to te ta’ata i tae
atu
te
te hau rahi te
e
tere
e
tae
te
nao
e
ê, A’ore
ta’ata
atu
i
tu’u i te ahu i raro
tae atu i te papa, e
hia te hopoia i te rima, e ia
raro
e
e
taua
atu
marae
te
ia te
mai te
mau
moe
ra.
on
Marae^s
Marae were the sanctity and glory
of the land ; they were the pride of
the people of these islands.
The ornaménts of the land were the marae,
they were the palaces presented to the
gods.
People did not intrude upon others’
marae, but they adhered to their own.
It was owing to the ancestral marae
that people could say they had an in-
heritance.
A place of dread and of great silence
was
the marae;
a
person’s errand
must be to pray in going there, but for
no other purpose.
The gods could not
be deceived. When persons approached
a
place where stood
a marae,
they gave
it
wide
berth, they lowered their
clothes from their shoulders down to
their waists, and carried low their
burdens in their hands, until they got
of sight of it.
Upon the prominent points were the
royal marae ; in the bays were the
gentlemen’s marae ; and behind them
were
the marae of the girls, that is,
the common people.
A holy place was the marae, an aweinspiring place; it was a place that
awakened conscience, a dreaded place.
out
Ei te
otue
toro
ei te 00a
ra’atira; ’o uta ra
ari’i ;
oia te manahune.
E vahi ra’a
iriha
E
te
ra
na
ra
te
marae
ta marae o
te mau poti’i
te
ia,
vahi hahano;
hirahira, e vahi
te marae, e
fa’atupura’a
e
i tai
manava
marae.
ri’ari’a roa te marae o te hui
ari’i ; te marae tupuna e te marae o te
fenua ! E vahi turuma ta’a e roa, e
vahi amiami e te
hauriria ;
e vahi
mamae no te tahu’a e te fatu, e na te
mau
ta’ata ato’a.
E mea mamae te
mea
patu marae ; ia hape noa te pua’a i te
patu marua ra, e ’ore roa te fatu pua’a
e ’ite fa’ahou atu, mo’a ihora ia na te
atua.
Te va’a e hoe na tahatai ra e
fa’a’ateatea roa ia tae i te otue marae
ari’i ra, e tu’u te ahu o te ta’ata i raro,
e hoe
maru noa e
ia ta’a e atu taua
vahi
ra.
E
mana
a’ua’u
te
e
hia
to te tihi marae; te ta’ata e
e te
’aito ra, te orure hau
titi, ia a’ua’u hia
horo i
e
tupai
ra,
e
mua i te marae e ora ia.
Area
ta’ata i ha’apaohia ei tapu ra,
’a’ore a’na e vahi oraora i te fenua
nei.
la horo oia i mua i te marae
ra,
o te
ha’apohe ra’a ’tu ia, o te
vaira’a mau ia.
ra
I
te
riro
marae
22
te
no’na;
fare
From the
e
o
ora
te ta’ata mana ei
te ta’ata ia horo i
priests, Tamera and Pati’i.
Terrible
the
were
marae
of
the
royal line; their ancestral and national
marae!
They were places of stupendous silence, terrifying and aweinspiring; places of pain to the priests,
to the owners, and to ail the people.
The walls of these marae were repelling; when a pig chanced to stray upon
a Wall fallen down,
its owners never
saw it again,
it became sacred to the
gods. When a canoë passed along the
shore, it withdrew far off as it ap¬
proached the point where stood the
royal marae, the people lowered their
clothes, and paddled lightly until they
passed the place.
Potent
were
fugitives that
the horns of the marae;
chas’ed by warriors,
and captives who were
be slain, would run to the
conspirators
were
chased to
front of the marae and were saved.
But persons destined to be sacrificed,
found no place of refuge in ail the
land.
When they
ran
before the
marae,
they
were
slain there, that
their proper place.
The house of a
his marae; persons
was
great man became
escaped being slain
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
i
roto
taua
fare
ha’apaohia ei tapu.
i
Ilia
eiaha te feia i
No reira te parau
ra,
e :
“E
to’u fare ;
hoi to’u fare, o te ahu
nao
iriaputa
iriaputa
E
mua.
mea
nui
o
roa
i
taua
te
amara;
E
poiri
ra’a
marae
o
te
’oe
are
i
te
ta’u marae
mua tei to’u
o
i
rumaruma
mau
E ta’ere
ra;
e
te
o
ia,
miro
ra’au
te hau
oia
te
tera no te ’oro’a; E
Ari’i ; E fa’a’ara i te
ha’amau i te maro o te Ari’i.
ta’ere tera
atua ;
nei
mua o
no
te
151
when they ran into his home, except
those appointée! for sacrifices.
From
this circumstance arose these words :
“Beware of the front door of my
house ; my house is
my
marae,
the
front door has the front step.””
It was' dark and shadowy among the
great trees of those marae ; and the
most sacred of them ail was the miro
which was the sanctifier.
That was
the basis of the ordinances ;
It was the basis of royalty;
It awakened the gods ;
It fixed the '«ru girdle of sovereigns.
Maraë Attendants
Stalwart, hairy men of dark-brown complexion were chosen by the
priests from the laity as keepers of royal marae. They were called
’opu-nui (august-stomachs), becatise when on duty they were privileged
to
cook their victuals with lire made
from wood of the marae grounds,
partake of food ofïered to, the gods, and to clothe themselves and sleep
in sacred brown tapa, which
they never dared to do when off duty at
home for fear of being struck blind or dead.
One party of ’opn-md took turns with another to live
exclusively,
apart from their families, upon the sacred premises, dwelling in the fareia-manalia, to dust and keep away rats and insects from the images and
goods of the gods. They kept the pavement around the marae clear of
weeds, leaving nioss to accumulate upon the stones of the marae and the
weeds to grow and dry leaves to accumulate
upon the marae grounds
beyond, until an appointed day, when the best men of the land deemed
it the highest privilège to be allowed with the
priests and men in charge
to help remove them.
The ^opu-nui planted 'aute (paper mulberry) upon the sacred grounds,
and from it they made the ’apa’a (thick cloth scented with aromatic
juices
of plants) by moonlight, so as to be viewed by the goddess, Hina in the
moon, their patroness.
Thus the cloth was rendered most sacred, as
covering only for the gods, for whom they also braided mats. These
articles they kept in the fare-ia-manaha and carefully aired them three or
four times a year. When handling the ’apa’a they sang the
following song:
to
E ruru,
e ruru tuatua,
I tae mai te varovaro
O hi’i ma epa epa,
Homai ei puro’u
o
Ei fa’ano’ano’a a te fenua
Ro’o te roro’o,
A nini te aitu.
Oi rè, oi rè,
Oi roro vau nei e !
23
This is similar to the old
ta’na
o
i’e
e
!
O roll
That
[of cloth], O immense roll,
with Sound of its mallet !
nurse, to give rest, rest,
came
’Tis to
To give as a wrapper
For sweet odor in the land of
Ro’o, the prayer chanter,
To let the gods corne to and fro.
Almost
overcome,
Overpowered
English saying, “My house îs
my
am
castle.”
overcome,
I!
Bernice P.
152
the
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Only a priest called a tiri (god’s nurse), chosen from the fraternity of
highest class to serve at the marae for a season and living a most
secluded life while there, ever dared to handle the
image of the tutelar
god in his ark, for fear of being struck dead.
The ’opu-nui fed the pigs, dogs, and fowls of the
gods, and they kept
the altars before the marae filled with the best food of the
land, placing
there whole pigs. With systematic arrangement, when summoned
by the
great marae drum, these provisions were supplied by the public.
Old vétéran priests, called hui-tua-uri
(body-of-black-backs), who were
much revered, also had upon marae
gtound exclusive feasts prepared by
former pupils in active service.
The sacerdotal vesture of the priests, made of bleached
purau bai'k by
the opu-nui of the marae ari’i and by the priests themselves of the social
called
haanatoroa
(uniform),-® and consisted of a tipiita
finely braided scarf worn over the shoulders (like the
a maro (loin girdle), also a tatPa or tatua (waist girdle).
The tatPa was worn tightly around the waist
during long fasting in
religions ceremonies, when the priests were said to feel manava-huhui
(intestines-filled-with-emotion). The cape of the high priest was large and
bordered with a deep fringe; capes of the other priests varied in size and
depth of fringe according to their different classes. This apparel retained
no warmth but
conveyed cold to the body during night vigils in prayer
upon the marae, producing a sensation called iri-anu (chilled-skin) or
hau-m-ariri (dewy-chills), which was considered most
pleasing to the gods.
While performing ordinary duties at their marae, the
priests wore
white loin girdles of the pu’upu’u (breadfruit tree
bark) cloth, called
maro-uo (white
girdles). But when they and the 'opu-nui did heavy work,
they wore loin girdles of strong brown cloth, called maro-ute (red girdles),
with a tati’a of flexible fara or rno’uraupo (grass) secured round the
waist with a cord of moré (purau bark). On
leaving the marae, ail sacred
clothing was placed in the fare-ia-manaha.
The priests were sincere in the belief that they were
taught of the
gods. On spécial occasions they passed many hours of the day and night
in seeking for signs and omens.
(See p. 225.) They also sought knowl¬
edge from the oracle of the marae in answer to their prayers—such
as the
croaking of a lizard, the cry of a bird, the chirp of insects, the
Sound of the wind in the trees—and there they sometimes
slept, hoping
to hâve révélations from the
gods through dreams or in person.
Under the influence of spirits they delivered
messages to the people
(most of which were so ambiguous that they could be understood in
diverse ways) and became so strong that they could do things impossible
marae,
was
(cape), a vane
Jewish ephod),
A
uniform
is
or
now
called
ahu-toroa
(official
clothes).
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
to
them at other times.
During these spells they
153
wore a
strip of sacred
Kings
having
cloth round the left arm, as a sign that they must not be disturbed.
Pômare II and Tamatoa III and the early missionaries testified to
priests while possessed in this way thrust hand and arm up to the
shoulder, without in jury, into the solid ground of hardtrodden pathways.
seen
They foamed at the mouth, had their eyeballs distorted and their limbs
Captain Henry
once saw a priest, after making such a display take hold of a great canoë,
which ordinarily required three or four men to launch, push it into the
water, and set it adrift with great ease.
The man then plunged into the
sea, held his head under water for a long time, and then sat up among
the waves and delivered his prophecies.
While under a spell a priest
could ask for whatever he wished and obtain it, even to the wife of the
king, as it was a god that was supposed to speak. When thus possessed,
the priest was said to be autihe.
Priests of ail kinds were well paid for their services, and lived
comfortably.
convulsed, and uttered hideous shrieks and éjaculations.
The; Tute;i,ar God
In the
fare-ia-manaha were kept the treasures and the images of the
The great tutelar god was represented by an image of wood,
marae.
of fine wickerwork covered with feathers, called a huawrapped in a bed of ’ura feathers in ’apa’a, and was kept
little ark upon a stand set on a smooth stone slab in an inner corner
called
manu.
in
a
to’o,
a
It
or
was
of the house.
Its head
Many smaller images, representing the minor gods in attendance upon the great one, were carefully
wrapped also in aromatic covers and placed side by side upon shelves
along the walls of the house. Sacred sennit of the god Tane for images
and for other purposes was also placed upon the shelves. Numerous rolls
of fine white pu’upu’u cloth and bright-brown cloth, fine and coarse, made
was
turned seaward.
'aute, and mats of varions textures, for sacred use, were attached with
ridgepole and side beams of the house, as were also the vestments of priests and sovereign, carefully wrapped in tapa.
Upon the floor,
against the sides of the house, stood the marae drums and other sacred
objects. The rest of the floor, where the keepers of the marae spread their
mats and made their beds, was open.
of
cords to the
THE PRIESTHOOD“
Persons skilled in varions
chief
ones
This
were
account
classified
was
as
professions
follows
were
called tahu’a (authors).
:
given by Tamera and Anani, high priests of Tahiti.
The
154
Bernice P.
Bishop Muscum—Bulletin 48
Tahu’a-pure (author-of-prayer).
Priest.
Tahu’a-nui or
tahu’a-rahi (great-author).
The high priest.
Tahu’a-parau-tumu-fenua (author-of-original-earthly-knowledge).
Both men and
■women teachers.
Piguratively called ana-vaha-rau (cave of many outlets),
meaning varions kinds of knowledge.
(author of medicine).
Doctor of medicine, both men and women.
Tahu’a-marae (author-of-temples).
Director
of marae building.
Tahu’a-fare (author-of-houses).
The one who plans and builds houses.
Tahu’a-va’a or ahitu (author-of-canoes).
Adepts in canoë building; also called
te-varu (the scrapers), because they scraped wood.
Tahu’a-tautai (author of fishing).
One who studied fishing seasons by means
of a calendar (p. 327).
Tahu’a-ra’au
Priests and teachers had schools in which
they imparted
respective vocations. As they had no written form
instruction was oral, thus developing the
memory to an
their
knowledge of
of language,
extraordinary
degree. The priests’ schools, for men exclusively, were called fare-’ai-ra’aupu (houses-in-which-to-absorb-invocations) ; and being devoted to clérical
exercises, they were always erected upon sacred grounds. The teachers’
schools, called fare-ha’api’ira’a (houses-of-learning), for men and women,
were built in convenient
places. Teaching was principally by chanting.
The main subjects in the teachers’ schools were :
history, heraldry,
geography, navigation, astronomy, astrology, mythology, time, numbers,
seasons, généalogies (by which they counted the générations, which marked
their chronology), and studying enigmas and similes, called
parau-piri
—a favorite
pastime.
The students of both classes of schools paid their teachers with the
best of food, with birds’ feathers, images of wood and
stone, rolls of tapa,
choice mats, and every kind of wearing apparel and ornament of the time.
The order of
priesthood generally descended from father to son in
respective districts, the elder line having preference over the younger.
As the priests represented the most learned men of the land
they were
respected and reyered by ail classes. When a body of priests near of kin
to each other lived in one district
they were called pae-tau-aitu (sidedwelling-with-the-gods) or pae-mua-fare (front-part-of-the-house) of that
district, which they were deemed to render most respectable.
The men set apart for the priesthood were able-bodied and most of
them were tall.
They were free from personal defects, as the gods were
supposed to reject a man with a blemish, such as having a hump back,
bald head, blind eye, or eyes that squinted.
They must also be deft of
hand and sure-footed, so as not to be awkward in the service of the
gods.
After becoming an adept in ail the knowledge of the land, a candidate
for the priesthood, called a muhu, withdrew from his family and people
to go through his novitiate with the priests at the fare-’aira’a-upu. There
their
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
155
and mystic rites of the clergy, communing with
gods in solitude, often at night, and sometimes going down into dark
caverns to hold intercourse with the gods and to pray, and thus become
immune to contact with good and evil spirits—a practice that resembles
the initiations of Egypt, India, and other old countries.
He learned to recite without hesitancy the following subjects; upu
marae, marae prayers ; tahu tumu, religions and political speeches for the
public; upu ti’a rau tî, or rau tî tama’i, war songs and enchantments with
the ti leaf ; hopu, the manner to sue for peace, and to eut short a prayer
in emergencies; upu fa’auru i te mehoi 0 te atua, invocation to inspire—
idols or other objects—with the dignity of the gods ; upu nanati ’aha
invocation for tying prisoners in sennit (p. 302) ; upu auea or ’ai-apa,
disenchantment from witchcraft or the black art; upu haere ru’i, night
he learned ail the prayers
the
rava’ai, fishing invocation and guiding rules which were
taught to fishermen.
Adoration of the gods still is called ha’amori atua, upu for invocation
or
prayer is obsolète, pure remains extant.
Preliminary words to a
prayer at the marae were called tarotaro, now obsolète.
Night invocations
were taught in the dark or moonlight stillness upon the hills in the woods
and upon the seashore, where the novice learned to observe omens and
signs in the sky and upon the earth where he walked: the fall of meteors,
the flight of clouds, the cry of birds and insects—ail having forcible
language to the scholars of those times, the study of which they never
tired and frequently pursued until early morning.
The closing invocation
invocation ; upu
was :
E te nu’u atua e ! E ma’ma’ te upu.
Ei poiri i vaho ei maramarama i roto
mai te tahe vai u’e.
Ei manu’u a
horo, ei ueue a vi, ei tau taoa
ohie.
Homai i te upu, homai i te vana’a,
homai i te orero, ei te pô tahi nei e te
atua e !
Fano i te ra e hiti aéra. Tei
te ra e hiti a’ere te ora, e te atua e !
When the novice had
host of the gods !
The prayer
close.
Send obscurity ont, and
let light corne in as' the flow of the
freshet.
Let it move and run, let it
shake ont [to fill] tightly; let it be
means of accomplishing much.
Give [me the gift of] prayer; let me
become a herald, an orator, in one
night, O gods ! Fly to the rising sun,
with the sun that is rising is life, O
O
must
gods !
acquired proficiency in his recitations, he was
required to appear before the fraternity, called autahua, to display his
éloquence, and if he broke down in any part of his speech he had to take
up his lesson again and reappear later for examination.
Upon graduating
with honors, he was received by the body of priests as an utu-pa’â (Hpsinured), and then he was ready for inauguration, called amo’o-upu
(forerunner-of-prayers). This consisted of a good feast prepared by his
family, for the priests exclusively, on the marae ground, and of it they
156
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
solemnly partook after placing an appropriate share upon the altars for
the gods. Then the new priest was established
permanently as a member
of the fraternity.
If anyone questioned bis right to bis title he would
proudly answer :
’E’ere
i
tipara, ’e’ere au i te
Ta’ere ^u.
E purau ta’u i hopoi na te ’orometua; e i’a ta’u i tapupu na te ’orometua ; e ahu vane ta’u i hopoi na te
’orometua ; e pe’ue ta’u i hopoi na te
’orometua ; e popoi ta’u i papahia na
te ’orometua;
e e pua’a
feti’i ta’u i
hopoi na te ’orometua.
aihamu !
au
E
I
te
upu
ani
scraps
!
beggar; I am no eater of
An invoker from Ta’ere"' am I.
no
Purau [bark] hâve I taken to tlie
teachers ; fish I hâve chopped for the
teachers ; finely braided clothes' hâve I
taken, to the teachers'; mats hâve I
taken to the teachers; fruit batter hâve
I pounded for the teachers ; and fam-
ily pigs hâve I taken to the teachers.
Then he would enumerate the schools he had attended, and the famous
teachers and priests who had
taught him, which always secured him his
standing. His first official oration in public was called the tauirara’a-upu (opening-invocation), or vahi-a-piha (breaking-from-the-room).
proper
Drums
No
religions or national festivity was considered complété without the
accompaniment of the pahu (drums), which were made of cylindric pièces
of wood of varions dimensions hollowed out from the
top end and tightly
covered over with shark’s skin strapped
tastily with sennit to the lower
closed end. The drum stood upon a pedestal of wood, or was carved out
of one solid piece with it.
The
great drum of the chief or king was called the pahu-a-te-ari’i
(the sovereign’s drum). The ordinary ro) al marae drums were called
pahu-nui (great-drum) or pahu-rutu-roa (1 .mg-beating-drum). Most of
them were made of the beautiful close-graiued wood of the
god Tane’s
sacred pua, and were well polished.
Many were two feet in diameter,
and some stood six or eight feet high, so that the drummer mounted
upon
blocks of wood to beat them. But the appalling drum, from the sound of
which peuple shrank and fled in terror, sometimes in the dead of
night,
was the to’ere, a
high drum about one foot in diameter, which was beaten
with different
offering of
a
strokes
to
indicate
the
commencement
and
close
of
the
human sacrifice.
The
marae keepers had a great drum called the
pahu rufu ma’a na te opu(drum to beat for food for augu.st-stomachs), by which they called upon
the peuple to supply them with food at the marae.
In the service of the chiefs and priests were also great conch-shell
trumpets, measuring about a foot in length and seven or eight inches in
nui
Ta’ere
was
the
god and
source
of ail knowledge.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
157
diameter, which
were blown through a hole near the apex.
They were
processions and for announcements by heralds and messengers.
Warriors were stimulated to battle on land and sea by a great portable
drum, called the pahu-nui a te toa (great-drum of the warrior), accompanied with trumpets.
Dancers had their drums, called pahu-’upa’iipa (drums-foi'-music).
Besides ordinary drums, also shown in Captain Cook’s work, a long solid
cylinder, which the drummer set upon the ground and beat with sticks,
was used, and also small ones,
prettily ornamented, which were beaten
with the hands.
AH native drums hâve been replaced by the modem tariparau (speaking-bunch), which is hewn out of a solid block of wood, both
open ends of which are covered with goat’s skin.
It resembles the foreign
used in
drum and is carried and beaten in the
drum
is
same
To the natives the
way.
indispensable in their public processions, gatherings and
it thrills them with life and energy for work or pleasure.
still
festivities ;
Rëligious Cérémonies
PAI-ATUA AND VAÉRÉA
MARAé’®
The greatest of ail marae ceremonies was the pa’i-atua
(assembling
performed at the national marae
on certain
occasions, such as for the inauguration of a sovereign, the
prolonged illness of a sovereign, laying the chief corner stone of a new
national marae, praying for rain in time of drought, and after great
calamities.
Only tahu’a were permitted to witness the pa’i-atua and live.
In preparing for the pa’i-atua, everything about the marae was renewed.
The ahitu consecrated themselves to their work and examined the god’s
canoë.
If they found a hole or rotten spot in it, it was carefully eut into
shape and a patch of Sound wood neatly set in—a process called ainaratifai (patching restriction) and supposed to be most pleasing to the gods.
and
If
uncovering of the gods), which
a new canoë
was
needed, the ahitu made it in their
it backwards, sometimes a
its shed.
was
The discarded
long distance, to the
canoë
was
marae
shed, carried
and deposited it in
firewood. The people
marae,
saved for sacred
prepared offerings of everything acceptable to gods and men, and the
opu-nui prepared fine white pu’upu’u cloth for the marae.
Meanwhile the priests consecrated themselves at their homes for the
solemn event in the following manner : The priest did not mingle with
his family or cook, or do any domestic work. He bathed often and girded
in his waist, abstained from eating too niuch food, and had a bed apart
from ail, upon which he lay rehearsing his prayers to himself.
His hair
was not eut or anointed
with oil, nor did he wear flowers or sweetReceived from
Pômare II,
Maliine and the priests generally.
158
Bernice P.
His leaves
scented leaves.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
brought to him apart from everybody,
point at what
unclean hands
touching it, and his water was poured out and set by him, so that his hand
might not render the family water gourd sacred, and exclude others from
using it. He did not bite oflf mouthfuls of méat and fish but eut them into
small pièces to eat.
He ate nothing that had been bitten by peuple or
rats or insects, and whatever remained from his meal was given to the
sacred pigs to eat, as it was desecration to throw it out to the commun
animais. Ail that belonged to him remained untouched until the restrictions
were
that he should not put out his hand to take anything or
he wished for.
His food was served with purau leaves, no
so
were
over.
The
high chief and a chosen few, called the apure (prayers), who
to the marae to pray with the priests, also purified and consecrated themselves for the occasion, but less strictly.
Early in the
morning, two days before the pa’i-atua service, when ail the food and
offerings for the gods were collected, the high chief issued a proclamation.
It was carried throughout his dominion by messengers, who sounded a
conch-shell trumpet to call the attention of the people, and who halting
at certain stations spoke as foliows :
to go
were
E fati ’ava,
fati ’ava !
e
Auanei e fati ai !
Te ara i te tai e taimara hia,
No te va’a hoehoe a te atua,
Eiaha te va’a ta’ata ia fa’afarerei.
Eara i te ’e’a i uta, na te ari’i,
E ara, aua’a e haerea
Te ara nui e te ara ri’i !
Aua’a
ana’e
ia !
Ei ahi tapo’i ;
Eiaha ei turama, a mahuta te atua ;
Te ra’a no te atua e purara.
E vaere’a marae apopo;
Ei a’ahiata apopo atu,
E fa’aarara’a,
E fa’aaraara’a i te atua.
A
ara
tahu’a,
taura
o
mai apopo !
E hopu i te vai,
Mirimiri i te mata,
E hume i te maro ’uo,”
E noho i ni’a i te mahora
E noho e upu i te ahoa
No te vaere’a marae.
O te ara o te ari’i,
Te ara o te ta’ata,
To ara o na hui tapairu,
A
ara
E e’e i te
The
The
god’s
papa.
ava
breaking, the
ava
breaking!
It is soon to break !
Avoid the sea restricted.
For the god’s canoë for errands,"®
The people’s canoës must not meet it.
Avoid the roads on shore, for the king,
Take heed and pass not
The highway and bypaths !
Avoid them all !
The fires must be extinguished ;
Burn
no
light, lest the gods take fiight;
Sacredness of the gods will pervade.
Weeding of the marae tomorrow;
The following morning early,
The awakening,
The awakening of the gods.
Awake, O body of priests,
Awake and
Bathe
corne
tomorrow
yourselves,
Feel your faces,
Draw on the white
And sit upon the lawn
To
The
Who
!
girdle.
recite the ahoa (life giving)
For weeding the marae.
’Tis the awakening of the king,
The awakening of the people,
awakening of the waiting maids
(lay worshippers),
will
alight upon the stones
(marae).
for errands then guarded the shores from profaners.
was made of the sacred white pu’vpu’u
of the marae.
canoë
maro'uo
The
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
E
ra’a apopo,
E vaere’a marae.
Ei te a’ahiata nui atu
E fa’arara’a atua.
O te atua i ni’a, te atua i raro;
Te atua i tai, te atua i uta;
Sacredness tomorrow,
Weeding of the
And in the early
These directions
was
the
restriction would
No
hushed.
was
crow,
and
land ;
within, the gods ■without ;
They will all corne to the ordinance.
’l is sacredness, holiness !
strictly observed by people of all ranks. Enough
day, when the
be removed.
At nightfall the beat of the chief’s great
the sacred spell, no lights burned, and on the morrow
were
It is said that
living being must
marae
The gods
cooked in all the bouses to last until the third
drum ushered in
all
marae.
morning following
Awakening of the gods.
The gods above, the gods' below ;
The gods of the océan, the gods of
Te atua i roto, te atua i vaho :
E tae ana’e mai i teienei oroa.
E ra’a, mo’a !
food
159
no
a
dead calm extended
over
land and
sea.
about, no dog must bark, no cock must
pig must grunt or squeal ; only the occasional Sound of the
roam
drum should break the silence.
Then the
weeders—the king or high chief, the men of rank, and
gentry—with bodies bare to the waist humbly scraped the accumulated moss from the marae stones and reverently collected and threw it
into the sacred pit, blindness or death from the gods being the supposed
sure
conséquence if they scattered it to the winds.
Then they swept and
weeded the grounds, carefully collecting the rubbish into heaps, which
they also threw into the pit. They began to work on the west side and
faced the east as they went forwards.
marae
the
The opu-nui cleared away the altars for new food for the gods and
they decorated the marae. Along the sides of the marae they set up long
rods called tira (masts) and short ones called hoe (paddles) in readiness
for the gods, in the incarnation of birds, to alight upon in coming to
the festivity, and they placed new strips of cloth and matting in the unu
(carved boards), collecting all the old ones that the winds had spared
and also the former coconut-leaf tapa’au (images) from the priests’ kneeling stones, which they threw into the pit. They also committed to the
sea
strips of cloth and matting for the océan gods.
Meanwhile, the fraternity of priests, who
were then too holy to unité
laity, sat apart arrayed in the maro-’uo as stimulators of the work,
chanting what .was called the ahoa (breath-giving), which they improvised
according to circumstances in the following manner :
with the
E
vaere’a marae i
Te ra’u a rimu
Na Ro’o-te-roro’o,
It is marae weeding!
The scraping of moss
For Ro’o-te-roro’o (Fame-the-prayer-
E te
And for the host
The moss will be
nu’u
E raua ia
atua.
rimu.
chanter).
of gods.
scraped.
Bcrnice P.
i6o
marae weeding !
pulling up of grass
For Ro’o-te-roro’o,
And for the host of gods.
The grass will be pulled
It is marae weeding!
Pohue spreading inland,
It is
The
E vaere’a marae !
Te huti a mo’u
Na
Ro’o-te-roro’o,
E te nu’u atua,
E hutia ia mo’u,
E vaere’a marae !
O pohue toro i uta,
Na
Na
E
te
rima
e
vaere
e
Ro’o-te-roro’o,
na te nu’u atua.
Purau nui e toro i uta
Na te rima e ha’amarari,
E tahiria
te
repo.
Riro ai te marae ei mea ’ai’ai
la Ro’o-te-roro’o
E i te nu’u atua,
E vaere ai nu’u.
Vaere ai ra’i,
Vaere ai fau-upo’o-tû.
Ei to’o’a te tua,
Ei hiti’a
te
aro,
Vaere atu ai
I hiti’a O te râ,
Te vaere’a marae
Na Ro’o-te-roro’o
E te nu’u atua.
Before
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
The hands will weed
For Ro’o-te-roro’o,
And for the host of
up,
out
gods.
Great purau spreading inland
The hands will clear out.
And swept will be the ground.
To\. render the
marae
To Ro’o-te-roro’o
attractive
gods,
weeding ;
Why the king is weeding,
Why the chief warriors are weeding.
To the west (turn) the back,
To the east the face,
And to ail the host of
Is why the assembly is
Then weed on
Towards the east,
The marae weeding is
For Ro’o-te-roro’o
And for the host of gods.
the
sovereign and his followers had finished the weeding
quietly home, where they observed the solemn restriction
in common with the people.
If light rain fell upon the scene during the
marae weeding or afterwards, it was regarded as a token of
good will
of the god Ra’a (Sacredness).
Heavy rain was supposed to show displeasure of that god, and no rain was considered ominous of some
approaching evil, which, in either case, the priests endeavored to ward off
by prayer.
noon
and had returned
The
priests and ’opu-nui had much more to do at the marae during
day. The priests braided new tapa’au and placed them
upon the stone slabs erected for that purpose in the marae ; they twisted and
knotted coconut leaves, called viriviri (twisted), which served them as
rosaries by which to note their prayers during the night’s vigils, and they
also placed a fine mat upon the paving within the ’ava’a (holy enclosure) for
the réception of the tutelar god and his guests.
Outside of the ’ava’a, at the
two corners facing the body of the marae, were placed two great drums
called pahu-rutu-roa,
(See p. 156.) The to’ere was not used for the pa’iatua ceremony, as human sacrifices were not offered.
The ’opu-nui placed upon the fatarau (altars) fresh coconut-leaf mats,
called paua, draped with green and yellow coconut fronds, which were
torn off the stem at full length and braided half way, leaving a fringy
edge. They were called pareu-fata-rau (side-covering-of-the-altars) and
produced a most pleasing effect.
the rest of the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
i6i
Along the border of the altars, the priests set closely in single file,
indispensable miro, which were called rau ava (ava leaves)
for the gods.
The priests named in rotation each god for whom the leaf
was intended, according to the category in their chants, having previously
disposed of the classes of gods they were to serve. It was believed that
to forget a god would be to incur his great displeasure.
Thus, if Ro’ote^roro’o were forgotten, the priests would stammer in their recitations
and become clumsy in handling the gods ; if Ra’a were forgotten, he would
withhold his sacredness, and there would be no halo around the sun
leaves of the
during the festivity ; if Hau were forgotten, there would be trouble ; if
Punua-moi-vai, the water god, were forgotten, there would be heavy rain.
So after naming the principal gods, there was mention of the gods of ail
classes collectively, as in the proclamation of the previous day, which was
supposed to cover ail omissions. People of the highlands used leaves of
the real ava for their altars, as this plant is plentiful inland.
As evening approached ail préparations were ended.
The priests and
’opii-nui partook of their last cold meal before the coming solemnity, bathed
and dressed afresh, and retired to the fare-ia-manaha, the ’opu-nui to rest
for night; but the priests to array themselves in their sacerdotal attire
(p. 152), each providing himself with a sprig of miro to carry in
his left hand and having his viriviri attached to his left wrist, ready
for
duty.
then proceeded to the marae. The high priest led with
leaf of the ape (Alocasia macrorrkim) in his hand, and the other
priests carried the messenger gods. These they set in order upon the
stone paving next to the front row of kneeling slabs, while the high
priest placed the leaf to form a basin in a circle of stones put for that
purpose before his place and poured into it water, as he chanted the
The clergy
a
great
following
I
E
A
A
hara
rau
tupu
rito
Fa’aipu
song:
te
marumaru,
tupu e !
a
a
a
ao,
mahora.
rara.
Te ’ape i hara i te
Marumaru o rau tupu e.
A ato i te ’ape
I hara i te marumaru
Teie rau tupu e.
Ua tohe atura i te vai ;
’Naha te vai
I toina mai na.
A mà tohe,
Mà te vai nu’u,
O te vai tapu.
Te vai hopu aitu
e
!
Astray in the shade,
Did this leaf grow !
It grew, it unfolded,
Became comely and expanded.
Formed a cluster and extended,
Did the 'ape that strayed
In the shade where this leaf grew.
Then plucked from the ’ape
Astray in the shade
Was this leaf that grew.
It forms' a basin for the water ;
Behold the water
That has corne forth.
Clean is the basin,
Clean the moving water ;
’Tis the holy water,
The bathing water for the
gods !
102
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Ua ha’apa ’tura !
Ua ha’apa o Ro’o-te-roro’o,
Ua ha’apa o Mâ-u-i a nu’u,
O Mâ-û-i a ra’i.
’Tis accepted!
Accepted by Ro’o-te-roro’o,
Accepted by Mâ-u-i of hosts,
Mâ-û-i of heaven®
Te ha’apa o rima ia pupuru,
Te ha’apa o rima ia rarave;
Oia i ha’apa hia mai ai
I te tino i te aha o te aitu nei.
E apa
Accepted from firm hands,
Accepted from hands that
Accepted for the use of
The
here
!
It will
Then the fraternity, taking off
kneeling stones and facing the front
and chahted
what
and altar
marae
la
blessing)
atua.
û
ma
te
ioio.
of
grasp,
the
gods
ward off evil !
capes and standing by their
of the marae, held up their hands,
Mâui-fatarau
and
(Mâ-û-i’s
May the land live ! The marae is
it is weeded and become
ma’i
Ua
ma’i o te fata rau.
ora te ma’i o te ’utuafare o
E haere ana’e mai te atua,
te uri.
ora
(présent).
sennit
;
ora
ua
in
their
Mâui- -marae
called
was
ora
te
fenua ! Ua
te marae, ua vaere hia,
ora te ma’i o te unu.
o
Ua
Ua
bodies
restored,
handsome. The carved ornaments are
renewed. The altars' are renewed. The
te
home
te
of
the
gods will ail
e
darkness.
gods is renewed.
The
and gather in the
corne,
Kneeling on the right knee and placing the left foot upon the paving,
they laid the miro sprigs down before them and United in chanting the
following tarotaro preliminary invocation :
E
te atua
tahu’a
’opu-nui,
nei.
e
! e aroha mai i to
E fare nohora’a
taura
to
te
e to te mau uru, e pure ’iri
matou, e ’ore e ta’oto, i teie
’aru’i, e rari i te hau, eiaha rà ia rari
i te ua e te atua e !
anu
ra
O gods !
Hâve mercy upon your
body of priests here (présent). The
’opu-nui and the possessed images hâve
a house, but we shall be praying
chilly,
without sleep, this night; we shall be
wet with dew, but let us not be wet
with rain, O gods !
They then sat down cross-legged upon the paving, and as the high
priest uncovered the messenger images in their respective turns, facing
but not bathing them in the water, he chanted the tu’utu’ura’a ’arere
(sending off of the messengers), which was suited to the marae and
tutelar god concerned. At Taputapuatea, ’Oro’s home in Opoa, he said :
E Ti’a-o-atea, arere a te atua, a t’ia
i ni’a, a mirimiri i to mata, a hopu
i te pape, a hume i te maro, a ahu i
to puri nui hamatua, e toto’o nui i to
rima, a horo i Mou’a’ura“ i ’Uporu
(Taha’a), ia Tane e ta’na nu’u atua,
e haere mai i
Opoa nei, ei atua i teie
nei ’oro’a.
*“
The fîrst priest on earth (p. 429).
Mou’a-'ura, a sacred mountain in Taha’a,
his hoets.
O
Ti’a-o-atea
(Approver-of-exten-
sion), messenger of the gods, arise and
feel thy face, bathe in the water, draw
on thy loin-girdle,
put on thine official
clothing, take a great walking stick,
and run to Mou’a-’ura (Red-Mountain)
in ’Uporu (Tahaa), for Tane and his
host of gods to corne to Opoa, as gods
for this ordinance.
was
regarded
as
the earthly home of Tane and
163
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
E
O
to te
pure
There is prayer in this world, in
the home of Warrior ’Oro.
O Rei-tu (Straight-neck), messenger
of the gods, arise . . . and run to
nei, i te ’utu’a fare
ao
’Oro Tauà.
i
ia
ma Te-mehara, e haere mai i Opoa
nei, ei atua i teie nei ’oro’a.
E Rei-tù,
ni’a
Tû
.
.
a te atua, a ti’a
horo i Tai-nunà,
arere
e
.
a
Tai-nuna (Mixed-up-shoal, land), for
Tû and Te-mehara (Memory), to corne
.
.
papa-ha’uriuri i te
e
Hau,
ia
horo atu ai
nu’u atua
te
E Irinau
moana
ia Rua-hatu
A
i Papa-uri e i Papa-tea, i
i Hiva, e haere mai . . .
e
haere mai
horo i Paparoa,
a
...
...
atua, ia Ra’a, e haere mai . . . ;
e horo ai ’oe i te papa nui i te vao, ia
To’a-hiti, e haere mai . . . ; e na
te pae vai ’oe te ho’i mai, e Irinau,
ro’o hia ’tu, o Punua-moe-vai, e haere
mai
i
te
.
.
.
Ti’a-o-uri
ia Ta’aroa
E
...
a
horo
i
te
Rua-tupua-nui
; e a horo atu ai i raro i Ruapapa-nui, ia Ta’ere-maopo’opo e tena
pu’e tahu’a
A horo atu ai ’oe,
e
Ti’a-o-uri, i Rohutu-no’ano’a, ia
Pô,
.
.
ma
.
...
horo mai ai na
te
ahu-ta’a, i te ’oromatua hamani
maita’i, e te ’oromatua hamani ’ino, e
haere ana’e mai i Opoa nei
.
.
E
a horo
a’ena, e Ti’a-o-’uri, i na ofa’i
turu’i nei, ia Ro’o-te-roro’o, te atuatahu’a-nui, e fano mai i teie nei oro’a.
Roma-tane
...
;
a
.
run to Fare-papa-hauriuri
(Rock-houseof-rank-odor) in the océan, for Ruahatu and Hau to corne
Then
run
to
Papa-uri (Dark-rock) and
Papa-tea (Light-rock, Ma’atea) for the
host of gods of Hiva, to corne . . .
.
i ni’a,
ti’a
a
horo,
e
na
’arere
nei, i tera pu’e atua, e na ratou e ta’o
tera mano atua,
i raro te atua i
tai, te atua i uta, te atua i vaho, te
atua i roto, te atua o te pô, te atua o
te ao, e haere ana’e mai ei atua i teie
atu i tera tini- atua, i
te atua i ni’a, te atua
nei ’oro’a.
E
pure
to te ao nei ;
tu’utu’ua te
arere
!
Te ’arere ia vai?
O Ti’a-o-atea, te
’arere ia Tane.
E manava ta Tane,
e manava ta
te nu’u atua :
“Mana,
e
Ti’a-o-atea !”
Te ta’o o Tane: “E Ti’a-o-atea, a
tahi tere nui?”
“E ! E tere nui to’u ! Horo mai nei
au ia ’outou i Mou’a-’ura nei e haere i
.
.
(Healing-skin)
.
.
run
(Long-rock), to the god
Ra’a to corne
; then run
to the
great clifï of the inland recess, for
Irinau
O
.
Papa-roa
to
...
(Bordering-rock) to corne
and return hither by way of
the river bank, O Irinau, and get Punuamoe-vai (Sleeper-in-side-pool) to corne
To’a-hiti
.
;
.
.
(Approver-of-darkness)
Ti’a-o-uri
O
Pô for Ta’aroa and
Rua-tupua-nui
and run also
down
to
Rua-papa-nui (Great-rockcavem), for Ta’ere-maopo’opo and his
artisans
Then run, O Ti’ao-uri, to Rohutu-no’ano’a (Paradise)
for
Roma-tane
(Voluptuous
man)
; and corne on by way of the
wall-of-skulls, for kind ghosts and the
malignant ghosts, all to corne hither, to
Opoa
And just corne, O Ti’ao-’uri, to these kneeling stones, for
Ro’o-te-roro’o, the high priest god, to
.
to
run
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
corne
A
ordinance.
gods for this
as
Go also, Rei-tu, to the east for Ro’ote-ro’oro’o and his friend Hoani (Tempter) to corne . . .
O Nevaneva (Look-around)
.
.
.
.
...
Opoa,
to
A horo a, Rei-tu, i hiti’a, ia Ro’ote-ro’oro’o e i to na hoa, ia Hoani, e
haere mai
E Nevaneva
a horo i Fare-
to
.
.
this ordinance.
Arise, and run, O messengers here
présent, to those gods, and they will
bid the numerous gods, the thousands
of gods, the gods above, the gods below, the gods of the sea, the gods of
the land, the gods without, the gods
within, the gods of darkness, the gods
of light, to corne as' gods for this
ordinance.
There is
prayer
messengers
are
in this world, the
dispatched I
Whose messenger is it?
It is Ti’ao-atea, the messenger for Tane.
Tane
welcomes him, his host of gods welcome
him
:
“Welcome,
Ti’a-o-atea !” Tane says
a great errand?”
“O Ti’a-o-atea.
a great errand,”
s'ays Ti’a“I hâve run hither to Mou’a-
“I hâve
o-atea.
:
,
Bcrilicc P.
164
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Opoa ; e pure to te ao. E pà, e
roto, e penapena, ’imi aitu, e aitu
mai, i te ’utu’afare
o
’Oro taua.”
tu’u
hia
’ura for you ail to go to Opoa ; there
is prayer in the world. There is exclu¬
sion and admittance of an assembly, a
seeking of gods, and gods
“E Ti’a-o-atea e, ua ti’a to tere e
fano matou i tena ’oro'a i te ’utu’afare
O
’Oro Taua.”
Te ho’i mai nei o Ti’a-o-atea, ’e pe’e
hia mai e Tane e te nu’u atua.
Te ’arere ia vai? O Rei-tû, te ’arere
ia Tû ma Temehara i Tai-nuna
.
.
.
are
’Oro.”
to the home of Warrior
coming
“O Ti’a-o-atea, thine errand is agreewe shall go to the ordinance in
the house of Warrior ’Oro.”
’Ti’a-o-atea is returning hither to be
followed by Tane and hi host.
Whose messenger is it?
It is Rei-
able,
tu, the messenger for
of Tai-nuna (land)
Tû and Temehara
.
.
.
Thus the chant continues to enunierate in rotation ail the messengers
respective errands already given, with favorable results.
subject changes, and the coming of the gods is announced:
cited and their
Then the
E arere e horo mai !
O Ro’o arere.
Eaha te tere i te ao nei?
Te vana’a
mai nei ia Tane e te nu’u atua a Tane,
i te ra’i hamania tua tini, o Tane
fenua roa, e fano mai
nei i teie ’oro’a.
E ’arere e horo mai ! O Rei-tû. Te
vana’a mai nei i Tû-nui-ae-i-te-atua,
ia Te-mehara, e ia
fano mai i teie nei
Ro’o-te-ro’oro’o,
oroa.
e
Ovai teie ’arere e horo mai nei ? O
Nevaneva.
Te vana’a mai nei ia Rua-hatu e ia
Hau,
e
o te moana, e
fano mai i teie
i te nu’u atua Hiva
oroa.
is coming ! It is Ro’o,
What is his errand?
Tane and the host of
gods of Tane of the open tenth sky,
of Tane of distant lands, who are flying
A
messenger
the messenger.
He is heralding
this ordinance.
A messenger is coming !
It is Rei-tu.
He
is
Tû-nui-ae-i-te-atua
heralding
to
( Stability-greatest-of-the-gods), and Te¬
mehara, and Ro’o-te-ro’oro’o, who are
flying to this ordinance.
Who
is
this
messenger
coming
hither? It is Nevaneva.
He is heralding Rua-hatu and
of the océan, and also the host of
of Hiva, who are flying to this
Hau,
gods
ordi¬
nance.
Ovai teie ’arere e horo mai nei ? o
’lri-nau.
Te vana’a mai nei ia Ra’a, iaToa-
hiti,
i
e
ia Punua-moe-vai,
teie nei ’oro’a.
E arere e horo mai!
e
O
Te vana’a mai nei ia Ta’aroa
fano mai
Ti’a-o-uri.
ma
Rua-
tupua-nui, ia Ta’ere ma’opo’opo e ta’na
pu’e tahu’a; ia Roma-tane e i te nu’u-’
oromatua hamani maita’i, e te ’oromatua
hamani ’ino, te fano ana’e mai nei i
teie nei ’oro’a.
Ovai teie atua e na mua roa mai
nei ?
O Ro’o-te.-roro’o, te atua tahu’a nui,
i fano mai i teie nei oro’a.
Na ho’i te ara o te atua ! Ua ara
ana’e te atua, te fano mai nei i teie
nei ’oro’a !
Who
is
this
messenger
running
hither? It is ’lri-nau.
He is heralding Ra’a, Toa-hiti, and
Punua-moe-vai, who
are
flying to this
ordinance.
A messenger is coming.
o-uri.
He is heralding Ta’aroa
It is Ti’a-
and Ruatupua-nui; Ta’ere ma’opo’opo and his
artisans ; Roma-tane and the host of
kind ghosts and malignant ghosts, who
are
flying hither to this ordinance.
Who
most ?
is
this
god who
cornes
fore-
It is Ro’o-te-roro’o, the high priest
god who has corne to this ordinance.
Behold the awakening of the gods !
The gods are ail awake, they are fly¬
ing hither to this ordinance!
By the time this chaut with ail the répétitions and embellishments,
interrupted with short intervals of rest, was ended, the night was far
165
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
the priests ushered in the dawn of day by chanting in the
following strain ;
spent, and
Ua taha te ata i te
Ua ara te ata !
The clouds are bordering the sky,
The clouds are awake !
There are the rising clouds
That ascend in the morning,
Clouds that are wafted—
ra’i,
Enà te ata e hiti
E hiti i te po’ipo’i;
E ata i puia—
Puia ia ata poiri,
I oti matietie,
E mara’ara’a mai ’Oro-pa’à,
Te fatu moana, mai.
O maru i te pô
A taha te ata e hiti,
O te ata e tautape,
E fana ’tu i te râ.
I puia ia ata,
Aua’a i oti matietie,
E mara’ara’a mai ’Oro-pa’à,
Te fatu moana mai.
O maru i te pô
A taha, a ohiti te ata,
E tautape, e tatapa
E fana ’tu ia ata ’ura’ura,
No te râ e hiti mai
Mai ’Oro-pa’à o te moana
When
by saying :
Wafted are those dark clouds,
Made perfect,
And lifted from ’Oro-pa’à,
Lord of the océan.
In the shades of night
The clouds that rise emhank,
The couds' condense, and
Form an archway for the suu.
The clouds are -wafted,
Perfected betimes,
And lifted from ’Oro-pa’à,
The lord of the océan.
In the shades of night
The clouds do rise, and part.
Condense, and reunite
Into an arch of red clouds,
mai.
For the Sun as it rises
From ’Oro-pa’à of the océan.
daylight appeared, the high priest -would end the night’s vigils
Ua ao, e ti’i ra tatou i te atua, ia
oti te pai atua, o te ro’o noa hia mai
ho’i e te ta’ata e pohe atu i tona^” aro,
It is daytime, let us now fetch the
gods, that we may get through the
assembling of tliem before peuple corne
and die in
their presence.
priests went to the fare-ia-manaha, -wliere the priests of
images. Still bare-shouldered they soon formed
•what -was to them the most a-vre inspiring of ail processions, which only
the ’opu-nui -were privileged to -witness from the fare-ia-manaha.
The
high priest took the lead ; then came the image of the tutelar god in its
ark, attachée! on either side to a pôle about nine feet long, by -which
four priests, called hi’i-atua (nurses-of-the-god), carried it, each bearing
an end of the pôle upon his shoulder, taking care to keep their bodies free
from the ark, to them so sacred. As they went they cried, “Ho, ho, ho!”
called ho-ho-atua (calling-of-the-gods), for the gods were supposed to
hâve arrivée! at the marae from their varions places, and to hâve assembled
around the tutelar god in his home.
Behind the ark followed ail the
fraternity, including those of social and royal ancestral marae, with
their minor gods in their coverings ; and as they advanced, they were
joined by the doctors, canoë builders, and fishermen, with their gods als.o
Then
local
33
the
marae
had left their
When
plurality of the gods was implied, the possessive adjective, like the pronoun, was
a
always used in the singular number in addressing or speaking of them.
Bernice P.
i66
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Finally came the sorcerers with their fetchers in ail their odd
placed upon a plank and carried upon the shoulder open to view.
They were supposed to meet the evil spirits there, the pa’i-atua being the
only occasion when they were admitted into the royal marae gathering
or when there was such a general assembling of the gods of ail régions.
covered.
costumes,
procession advanced in awful solemnity to the marae, and if
perchance the bearers of the image of the tutelar god stumbled and let it
fall to the ground the procession was at once disbanded, and a human
sacrifice was ofîered to appease the anger of the god. Then the procession
commenced anew from the fare-ia-manaha.
Thus the
arriving at the temple the hVi atua placed their burden in the
mingled with the fraternity gathered in a group just outside, the
other orders taking their respective places, according to their rank, upon
the walls of the marae. When ail were seated, the high priest opened the
ark and took out the dreaded image, and as he uncovered it upon the
mat, the others ail uncovered theirs in unison with him as he chanted:
On
ava’a and
Tara e, te niatara e!
E tai e! Tai-nunâ!
Tae i Tai-nunâ
O ti’a.
O tara e !
O tara tara’tara
Aha matara !
E
E
E
E
E
E
metua
Ta’aroa.
’aitû i te ra’i mea
’aitû i te ao e ati roa a’e
tara e, matara e !
tae i Tai-nunà.
ha’apà, Aitû mo’a,
E Aitû hau roa nei !
E ha’apà i te rima e pupuru,
E ha’apà i te maui a nu’u,
E ha’apà i te maui i ra’i,
E ha’apà i to rima e pupuru,
E ha’apà i to rima ia raverave!
Tara e, te matara e !
E tai e! Tai-nunà!
Tei Tai -nunà ua ti’a,
Tei te ao e ati noa a’e.
O Tara taratara
Aha matara !
O tara iriti
Aha
matara,
E aitu hau
roa
The minor
nei I
O enchantment, O undoing!
O seas! O Tai-nunà!
Extending to Tai-nunà
Is righteousness. O enchantment !
Enchantment of undoing
Sennit yielding !
Ta’aroa is the parent.
The ruddy sky contains gods.
Ail the World contains gods.
O enchantment, O undoing !
It will extend to Tai-nunà.
Hold hack, holy god,
O god here suprême !
Control thy heavy hand,
Control the force of armies,
Control the force of the skies,
Control thy heavy hand,
Control thy hand as I handle (thee)
O enchantment, O undoing!
O seas, Tai-nunà!
!
Righteousness' extends to Tai-nunà,
Extends throughout the earth.
O enchantment of undoing
Sennit yielding !
O enchantment of uncovering
Sennit yielding,
O god here suprême !
gods then exposed, with their wrappers folded under them,
remained in the hands of their owners, facing the ’avaa, ready for présen¬
tation to the tutelar god, while the sorcerers with their ti’i upon their
boards took an outer post, to the right and left of the holy pale, as they
were
présent merely as lay guests at
the assembly of the gods.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
167
When the
image of the tutelar god was revealed from the profusion
yellow feathers lying upon its many coverings on the mat
’ava’a, the worshippers prostrating themselves thus addressed it:
of red and
within the
la
’oe i te haere raa mai, e
ora na ’oe i te haere
e au noa nei teie aau
to taera'a mai.
ora
Greetings to thee on thine arrivai O
Tohoi-maro ( Inspirer-of-the-loin-girdle) !
Greetings to thee in coming! Joy fills
this heart on thine arrivai [here].
na
Tohoi-maro ! la
ra’a mai!
Teie
i
And the
high priest answering for the god,^^ said : “Biaha e hepohepo
(Do not thwart your god lest there be sickness). The
Word “sickness” in this casq literally
implied death, so that if a priest contracted a fatal illness and died
shortly after the pa’i-atua service, it was
said of him, “Ua ravea e te atua no te
fa’ahaere’a a ’ore i ti’a” (The god
has taken him because he failed in his
duty).
i to atua
e
ma’i”
Then followed the présentation of the minor gods
by their owners
ofiferings of new ’ura amulets and loose feathers,
the high priest to the tutelar god in exchange
for some in his possession. This act was called taritoara’a-atua
(the god’sexchange) and was supposed to add new power from the greater god to
the lesser ones.
The fishermen’s gods were presented last because
they
in their proper turns, with
which were given through
’
were
from the
Occasionally
sea.
idol rescued by its owner after being stripped
by the enemy in battle was produced and it
required more consecrated feathers to replace those missing—a predicament supposed to be most ludicrous to the
gods and exciting dignified
mirth among the beholders when the high priest, in
acknowledging it
with its offering, would exclaim: “Ua polie tena atua, e ua
polie paha
fatu e! Inaha ’a’ita roa e ’ura.” (This god is beaten, and perhaps his
of
most
master
of
its
a vétéran
feathers
is beaten also!
Behold he has
no
feathers).
But the laws of
décorum did- not permit responses to be made, and the image was
soon
amply supplied with new feathers in place of the stolen ones. Finally
the wrappings of ail the images were changed for new ones
brought
for the occasion, upon which they were laid out exposed on the mat of the
tutelar god, within the ’ava’a. The former wrappers were kept for
deposit
in their
Then
own marae.
brought newly made, uninspired images of wood and stone,
fully decked with feathers and sennit, to be consecrated by the high
priest, who, as he received each one in turn in his hands, would address
by name the god or goddess represented and say: “Teie te to’o, teie te
’ura; te to’o ’ura fa’aau ia ’oe e te atua e! E u i ô, e mau i ô ta’u upu e.”
were
’Oro was the god, the high priest said:
back Warrior ’Oro, ’Oro warrior of armies).
..'‘Ha’apa, *Oro taiia, ’Oro taua nu"u”
(Hold
i68
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(Here is the image, here are the feathers ; the image with feathers reprethee, O god ! My invocation will enter over there ; it will hold over
there). Thus inaugurated, they also exchanged feathers with the tutelar
god, and were placed according to their rank in like manner with the others
upon the mat.
sent
Finally came the sorcerers with the imps to pay their homage and
exchange amulets at the sacred shrine, and then they withdrew to their
former stations, still keeping the imps upon their boards.
The old
wrappings of the image of the tutelar god were then removed for new
ones, and as it remained uncovered, lying in State with its guests within
the ’avaa, a sacrifice, called a fei-ai (petition-with-food), was offered.
A pua’a tapena (sacred male pig), secured for that purpose a short
distance from the marae, was throttled to death by the priests holding it
suspended in the air with two sticks, which were held tightly across its
throat and the back of its neck. It was then dipped into water and passed
over sacred fire, called ahi-fai
(magical-fire), which was made of atae
(Ërythrina sp.) wood for that purpose, after which it was easy to clean
off its hair.
A short slit was made in its abdomen, through which the
intestines, flare, and vitals were taken out. In so doing, the blood which
flowed was smeared over the clean, white body, which after being singed
upon the live coals until it had a cooked odor, was placed on banana
leaves upon a high fatarau.
The flare and liver, also passed over the
coals, were served on purau leaves upon a rounded altar, called
a fata-’ai’ai a te atua (altar of small eating for the gods) ; and the intes¬
tines were burned to charcoal.
In concluding the service, the priests
chanted the foliowing prayer addressed to the god suprême :
Tahiti’a, mai, te atua e, i ta matou
Teie te pua’a taraehara na
’oe, e pua’a tapena, e pua’a porao ore.
nei fei’ai !
E pua’a ha’ape’e, fa’ati’amà i e ta’ata
Teie atoa te ’ai’ai hinuhinu,
na ’oe, e na te atua nei i mua i to ’oe
hara nei.
na
ta
aro, e
matou
farii mai !
teie fei’ai, tahiti’a mai !
te Atua e, a
O
Hearken, O god, to
food !
thee,
a
is
the
sacred pig,
a
pétition with
pig for
pig without blemour
sacrificial
ish.
It is a pig of atonement, to set free
sinful man. Here also is the fat small
eating, for thee and the gods' here in
thy presence, O god, accept it ! This
is our pétition with food, hearken unto
us
By this time the sun
which ascended from the
Here
!
had risen about two hours high, and the smoke
ahi-fai had been the welcome sign to the awaiting
populace that the great ceremony was about to close; and now the roll
drums announced that it was ended, and that the dreaded
gods were soon to be removed. While the minor idols were being wrapped
up by their owners, the high priest in great awe covered and replaced
the image of the tutelar god in its ark (p. 133), as it was supposed
of the great
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
169
image and live—
priests of King Tû to allow Captain Cook and
his companions to look into the ark containing the god ’Oro, which they
saw
during the piire-arii (king’s-pi'ayer) ceremony in North Tahiti.
The discarded wrappings were carefully folded and placed in a cell for
that purpose beneath a slab in the ’ava'a, as they were too sacred to throw
into the tiri-a-pera.
that
no
one
but he could
corne
in close contact with the
hence the refusai of the
beating of the drums which were retained on the marae,
high priest remained with the image of the tutelar god, the
images of the minor gods were returned to the fare-ia-manaha. On arriving there, those of the royal marae were replaced upon their shelves, the
others were left upon the mat to be taken by their owners on their return
home, and the imps were kept apart upon their boards.
So sacred was the pa’i-atua regarded that were a stray man to appear
upon the scene, whatever his rank or station, he was immediately seized
and slain as a sacrifice to the gods and buried near the marae to add to its
sacredness. And even if a little boy chanced to break away from home
and go to his father at the marae, the father would say resignedly to the
high-priest :
Amid the
where the
Take this child and slay him for the
teie tamaiti e hopoi e
te atua !
Inaha ua fifi te
aha^® marae ia’ na, ua fifi te aha atua.
E tamaiti ia na’u, na’u iho i fanau,
A
rave
taparahi
i
gods !
Behold the order of the marae
by him, the thread of the
prayers to the gods is entangled.
He
is my son, I begat him, but I must not
regret [losing him], because he has
erred in coming here to the ass'embly
of the gods.
na
eiaha ra vau
i te pa’iatua
e
nounou,
nei.
is disturbed
oia i hape mai
Then the
high priest approvingly would hâve the child sacrified in
just described—as he would his own child. But if a woman
or little girl were the bfîender, she was not slain, as only male offerings were
supposed to be acceptable to the gods, but she was regarded as demented
or possessed with spirits, and after she was led quickly away appropriate peace offerings were presented to the gods in her stead.
At the sound of
the last beat of the drum, the people breathed freely—for the restrictions
were removed—and soon columns of smoke arose in every direction, showing that food was being prepared for the gods and the people. In the meantime the chosen few who were still in touch with the gods concluded the
service at the marae.
The officiating priests took their places at their
leaning slabs, and the other orders and the sorcerers and the ’opu-nui from
the fare-ia-manaha filled in the rear of the marae to form part of the
congrégation or apure (worshipers). They were joined by the king and
the
manner
Aha, meaning sennit,
was
used in this
sense
formerly.
Bernice P.
170
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
others who had aided at the marae
weeding and who were still sanctified
for the occasion, dressed in their official
habiliments, the king taking his
place in the center of the temple, the priest sitting with those behind and
upon the side walls.
AU bared their shoulders as before described.
Women and children
were excluded
from these gatherings.
The mass
people were not acquainted with the prayers and figures of speech
of the clergy, and they left
religious rites to them, believing that they
were inspired to
say only what was right.
of the
The priests
officiating, then kneeling
knee, with the other one
“Ho, ho, ho !” prolonging
call the attention of the
gods, and when the notes resounded in the woods or among the rocks
or if any
stray bird’s cry was heard, they believed that the gods were
responding to their call. The shrill “ho, ho,” instead of a loud shout, was
the spécial call for the gods ; hence the
saying, when at those times the
people were irreverent: “H ho, ho ta te atua, e ta’o ta te ta’ata, eaha
ihora ’outou ’e ’ore ’e fa’aro’o ai?”
(Ho, ho, is for the gods, and talking
is for people, why then do }''ou not heed
it?) When the shouting was
ended, the whole assembly rising United in the following responsive chant,
called the umere a te ta’ata (praise of the people) :
on one
up and the foot down, shouted in shrill voices,'
the intonation and varying it with
whistling to
Tahu’a
“E
;
tau aitu maona!”
Priests : “We are wrestling in prayer
with the gods !”
’Opure : “Maona !”
Tahu’a
:
Tahu’a
:
’Opure :
’Opure ; “E tôtô!”
Tahu’a : “E tôtô !
tatou
tau a
a
’Opure
tatou
a
Worshipers: “Wrestling!”
“Hu’ihu’i !”
“Hu’ihu’i !”
“Ra’a ’iu!”
:
“E
tau a
hiti
Priests : “Throbbing !”
Worshipers : “Throbbing !”
Priests
A
te
ma
tôtô !
hiti
pôpô mai
A
ma
te
ra’au.”
pôpô
a
“Most
:
Worshipers
:
ancient
sacredness !”
“That knocks !”
Priests : “That knocks !
Let us clap
hands for ever and ever with the
trees.”
our
mai
ra’au.”
a
Worshipers ; “That knocks ! Let us
clap our hands for ever and ever with
the trees.”
Then ail présent
Tahu’a:
’Opure
Tahu’a
unu.”
:
:
(’Opure
United in clapping hands, after which they continued;
“To unu,”
“To unu,”
“Ei
fa’i
to
unu,
ei ite to
tahu’a pa’ato’a) : “E i’oa, e
i’oa fa’i nua, ratou te fa’i nua i te rave
a
te
e
ta’ata nei.”
At
the
end
of
uplifted hands for
this
some
Priests
:
“Thy carved ornaraents,” ”
Priests
:
“Thy carved
Worshipers: “Thy carved ornaments,”
to
tell, they
ornaments
are
witnesses.”
Worshipers and priests uniting-: “Names,
names, will they disclose above, they will
disclose the deeds of men.”
are
chant, they remained standing in silence with
time, after which the congrégation resumed their
The carved boards represented waiting maîds.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
seats, while the
foliows a toa’e
fraternity took their former positions and chanted
(opening invocation) :
A hura ’orero, a re’a toa’e, e tamà!
Te ari’i fa’atauira i te iho o te pà.
Tera ’tu te pô, tei te ari’i te ao. Fétu,
marama, te râ ’ei avei’a, e apua, e
haora’i.
Na upu iti, na upu ’oreore,
tahu’a,_i
tuau
na upu
na
upu
vana’a, teie nei ’orero,
te
papa
fau rua, i te ra’i
mumuhu. Tau’oa nui, a tui ia rohi, tai
ai Hiro i te upu, i te ’orero ma te
vana’a !
171
as
Speak exultingly, enter worship cheerfully, to purify!
The king is’ opening worship in the
vital part of the sanctuary. The night
is passed, day is for the king.
Stars,
moon, and sun are guides, garlands encircling the sky.
Silent prayers, oral prayers, prayers
of the priests, prayers of orators, these
will reach to the divided rocks, to the
murmuring skies. Great assembly, shout
out lustily, to make
Hiro shout in
prayer, in speeches, and in orations !
The fraternity tlien recited portions of the Création Chant and
mythology, according to taste, and ended with the upu fa’atonu (saving
invocation) :
Tahiti’a mai e te atua e!
Tena
tini atua, tena mano atua, a fariu mai,
a fari’i i ta matou nei upu !
I ora te
fa’ao ta’ata o teie nei fenua, ia ora te
huia, ia ora i te atua. la ora te mua
fare ta’ata.
E ara i te ta’ata papari’a
taratara, i te ta’ata papari’a hoai, i te
hufapapai, i te maro ta’iri i te hauroa
mua.
E tu’u ana’e ia na vaho roa.
la ora matou, te ta’ata nei, e te nu’u
atua e!
O gods !
gods, those thougods', turn unto us, accept of
our
pétitions !
Preserve the population of this land;
preserve the génération ; may they live
in the gods.
Preserve the frontiers of
the people’s habitations. Watch against
the man with rough cheeks, the man
with angry looks, against the incendiary, against him who lets fly the ends
of his loin girdle.“ Put ail those things
entirely away.
Preserve us human
beings, O host of gods !
Hearken unto us',
Those
sands of
numerous
In times of peace,
the dévotions were long, but when there was political
made short, the prayers being chants chosen to suit the
occasion.
“The prayers of the priests are holy, for they corne from
persons beloved of the gods,” said the people of those days.
During this occasion, it was considered sacrilege to steal away from
the assembly, in which case it was said that a fall of rain would be the
immédiate conséquence, so that the high priest would inquire who had
thus ofïended the gods, when the culprit would return and with contrition
présent himself at his post, saying, “Teie au, ovau te hara!”
(Here am
I, it is I who «hâve sinned). Then the rain would cease, and the service
strife, they
were
would be resumed with
no
more
trouble.
During this service, several more sacred hogs were slain as peace
offerings, called pua’a fa’atina na te atua (hogs to proffer the gods).
They and dogs also were killed and opened in the manner described (see
This
girdle to fly.
expression meant that the
man
of evil
was
fleet of step, causing the ends of his
Bernice P.
172
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
p. 168) ;
burned in
but only the intestines and not the vitals were taken out and
a new fire called the ahi-ha’apena
(sacred-fire). The hairs of
some of these hogs were removed, as before described, but the bodies were
not smeared with blood; they were singed over sacred fire to produce a
sweet odor and placed upon the altars on banana leaves, alternately with
the hogs that had been washed with the hairs retained—black, white, gray,
red, spotted, and striped—and not passed over the fire.
The general
efifect of these ofiferings was regarded as highly pleasing to the gods.
As
a pledge of peace, upon the stone altar for human sacrifices was
placed
with a sheath of coconut blossoms a long banana shoot, called ta’ata-omei’a roa (man-long-banana), in lieu of a man.
As noontime
approached, and the devotees had become wearied and
famished, the king suggested to the high priest to close the service,
saying, “A taiiru aena i ta tatou pure, e ho atu i mûri, ua po’ia” (Conclude
our service and let them retire, they are hungry).
To this the high priest
replied, “Ua ti’a” (We agréé), and he had the smouldering fires of the
ahi-fai and the ahi-ha’apena extinguished and buried.
Then
came
the apure save
dismissal)
Parima !
Tapu atu
the leave-taking from the marae of the sovereign and ail
the fraternity, a performance called the parima-nui (grand-
:
Parima-nui fa’anoa
na, noa
E haere
matou
e
o
i mûri
e, ei
e te
rimarima
e
e
tauteute, e ’omo’omo i te
tapara i te mati, e pupuhi i te
auahi, e tuhi, e momoto, e tata upo’o, e
fai, e hanihani, e tomo i te ahu noa, e
amu i te pua’a, i te urua, i te ma’o, i
te mai’a ; e inu i te ’ava ; eiaha ia ’oe
e
matahihira mai, e te Atua e !
ha’aha’a
tiare,
:
e
Ei onei ’oe, ei te vahi moa nei e
fariu ê i to mata i te Pô, eiaha e hi’o
mai i te ha’a o te ta’ata nei.
The
hia,
pe’e te hara ; ua pure hopu hia,
mâ.
Teie te ’ura, teie te hauniu,
teie to ta’ata o mei’a roa ; te omi’i ma
te avae, te avae ma te omi’i, ei utu i to
riri hotua nui, e te Atua ; no te hara
ua
ua
nui,
no
make
become
ordinary.
Let Iroliness be thine, O god, let the
priesthood hold the sanctification of the
sovereign and congrégation.
We are
retiring to use our hands and
now
become
vile:
we
shall
do
domestic
Work, wear flowers, paint ourselves
yellow with mati, blow fire, curse, give
each other blows, practise black art.
caress,
put on unconsecrated clothes,
eat pork, cavalla fish, shark, bananas ;
and drink ava; look not upon us in
anger for this, O god !
Remain thou here, in this' holy place,
turn thy face to Pô, look not upon the
deeds of
men.
high priest responded:
Ua ora te ma’i o te marae, ua vaere’a
ua
ahoa hia !
Ua ora te mai o te
ari’i e o te va’amata-eina’a ; ua tui roto
e
to
Let sacredness remain here, that we
te Atua
te ari’i
e
Grand dismissal
ordinary!
mai nei.
E ia ’oe na te ra’a,
te huru tahua te mo’a
opure.
Dismissal !
!
noa
te
tu’utu’u
no
te
tae
reo,
no
The evil
it lias been
the chant !
and of the
service lias
of
the marae is repaired,
weeded, accompanied with
The evil of the sovereign
clans is ended; the inner
wiped out sin, the closing
prayer is finished,
and ail is clean.
Here are the ’ura feathers, here is the
peace token of coconut flowers, here is
thy man, long banana, from his head
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
i ma’au hia, no te rimu o te
va’u hia i hara hia, no te
mimiro ’oau no te mata mataêa, no te
tuhi, no te ahua, no te fa’atomo i te
varua ino ia vetahi e.
Tei reira te hara
e uri mai ai ’oe, e te Atua?
te
atua
i
marae
E
tara
mai,
e
homai ia meia
roa
nei,
huri i tai nui atea, ia ora to maru.
E te Atua e a parima mai i to pu’e
e
’opure nei,
ua
mo’a.
173
down to his feet, his' feet to his head,
to arrest thine anger of great growth,
O god; for great crimes, for family
discord, for hasty words, for irreverto the gods, for imperfectly scraping off the moss of the marae, for
rankling rage concealed, for mutual
estrangement (of friends), for cursing,
for annihilating by sorcery, for sending evil spirits into others. They are
the sins which displease thee, O god?
Undo them, place them upon long
banana
here présent, cast them into
the trackless océan, that thy devotees
may be saved.
O god, dismiss these
thy worshipers for they are holy.
ence
.
They then withdrew from the marae, and in passing through the courtyard they took wreaths and garlands which they had left there on entering
and placed them upon the stone image that represented Roma-tane, the
god of Paradise, saying :
Tera
te hei na ’oe, te tahu’a aitu,
Roma-tane e.
E hei parima ; tapu
atu na.
Parima mai, parima mai, ia
fa’anoa noa.
e
There
wreaths
for
thee, O
O Roma-tane. Wreaths
dismissal ; let sacredness remain
are
priestly god,
for
here.
may
Dismiss
us,
dismiss
become ordinary.
us
that
we
men had gone, soon to return to the courtyard with food,
fraternity dismissed themselves. They left their miro sprigs and
coconut-leaf chaplets by their leaning slabs to represent them, and they
placed the little tapa’au upon the stones in front of the ’ava’a, in doing
which they recited the ripoa or turue (leave-taking) ;
When these
the
E Ta’aroa-nui tahi Tumu, e tena
ati tama aitu e !
Ei onei ’oe ei roto
i te reva o teie nei vahi a oa ia te
ta’ata nei. Ua api roa ia ’oe.
Ei raro
matou te ta’ata nei, e taahi noa i i te
te ao nei. E te ati matua
Pô mai, ei ona ’oe i
roto i te reva o te vahi moa ia te
ta’ata nei ; ei raro matou e ta’ahi noa
i i te repo fenua o te ao nei.
E te
matua maitatai o te Pô, ei ona ’oe ei
repo
fenua
mai
manua
roto
vahi
i
te
te
ao
e
o
te ao i teie nei
ia te ta’ata nei, ei raro
ta’ahi noa i i te repo fenua
marama
nei.
Then
to
te
moa
matou
o
o
unique Tumu,
gods ! Remain
here, in the air of this place sacred to
O, great Ta’aroa, the
and thy great family of
It is filled with your presence.
We mortals shall remain below, treadman.
ing the soil of this’ earth. O hosts of
malignant spirits from Pô, remain there
in the air of this place sacred to man ;
we
mortals shall remain below, treading the soil of this earth.
O host of
good spirits from Pô
remain there in the height of the
World, in this place sacred to man ; we
mortals shall remain below treading the
soil of this earth.
addressing the tutelar god in the ’ava’a, the high priest pointing
symbols said :
the sacred
It is remarkable that great stress was
of the people, whereas a hiiman offering was
laid upon the banana shoot to bear away the sins
nierely presented as a fish or relish for the god!
Bernice P.
174
Tapu
aho
to
O
o
O
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
atua na, noa mai nei !
Tera te
marae, to tapa’au ra’a mata,
te
pu’e tahu’a, o Anà-ni’a, o Anà-mua,
Anà-roto, o Anà-muri, o Anà-tipu,
Anà-heuheu, o Anà-tahu’a-ta’ata-
metua, o
iva: Te
ia’na, te
Anà-tahu’a-vahine,
tahu’a
maro
pure
Parima mai i
ia’na, te
to
pue
e
Anà-
aro
tahua ia’na.
tahua nei !
Finally, the loud beat
announced far and
o
ia’na, to tuturi
of
the
that the
Let sacrednes's
remain here, and let
become ordinary!
There is the life
of the marae [pointing to the
tapa’au
us
the slabs], thy sacred tapa’au
masks, the body of priests, Polaris,
Antares,
Regulus,
Zubenescharaali,
Dubhe, Alphard, Arcturus, Procyon,
and Betelguese.
[Then speaking of the
tapa’au in the singular number] : Thy
sacerdotal loin girdle is' with hira, thy
leaning slab is with him, his are the
prayers, he has the face of the priest.
Dismiss thy priests here présent!
upon
with
drum
people
and
souiid
free to
of
the
trumpets
the feast ail
ready to serve, and the fraternity returned to the fare-ia-manaha with the
image of the tutelar god in his ark, which was received in the arms of
the tiri, as he with reverence chanted :
O
hi’i rà
O
ha’apa’a tauai
ma
tau
near
Oi re, oi re, oi
Made smooth and soft,
sweet-scented cloth
The
maro
dry.
Well
re
I roo e,
A taviri ai ai i taha
Ua hi’i ma epa, epa!
ruru
open
Now, this is nursing thee to rest,
Thine outstretched resting place!
Thy resting place of arms, arms,
Thy resting place of nursing arms !
The océan will ever exist, exist,
Sails will ever alight,
Upon the vibrating seas.
Enchantment on the [cloth] board,
Enchantment on the bark [cloth] ;
epa.
Tau epa e toro e !
Tau epa rima, rima.
Tau epa rima hi’i!
E tù, tû a o tai tüa,
Tau a ’ie,
O tai tovarovaro.
Tara papa.
Tara tava ;
O hahu ma te maru,
a
were
e!
put out to
nigh defeat, defeat, defeat,
Overtook [me], O,
As I rolled up the cloth outspread !
Nursed and rest, rest [thou] !
By the time this chant ended, the ark was set upon its stand, from
which, for ordinary religions rites, the tiri alone carried it and placed it
unopened upon the upper front step of the marae, facing the altars. The
priests and ’opn-nui then went to receive a goodly share of the tumu-fara
feast, soon brought for them and the gods by the people, who also
presented a like portion to the royal family, with appropriate orations to
both parties, who in their turns
responded cordially.
They brought in hogs baked whole and placed in long ha’ape’e
(baskets) made. of coconut leaves, green and yellow—a manner of serving
them called pua’a-ta-h-a’ape’e (hogs-in-haapee). Those for the
gods were
placed by the priests and ’opu-nui upon the altars alternately with coconuts and bunches of
ripe bananas from which still hung the tapering
budlike extremity of unopened flower sheaths with here and there an
unplucked white chicken. There were also great deep-sea fishes, turtles.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
175
baked
vegetables, and many kinds of sweet mixtures, of which the portions
gods were also placed attractively upon the altars by the marae
dignitaries. No one dared to eat any of the food of the tumu-fara before
the gods were served.
for the
From ail classes, in addition to food, were
brought
renewed store of
fare-iathe mats to be put in order
a
varieties of mats, rolls of cloth, and feather ornaments, for the
manaha, where they
by the ’opu~nui.
were
placed in heaps
upon
Duty to the gods and man then being completed, the people headed
by their chief assembled in the courtyard on the outer side of the marae
for final leave-taking of the gods, the fraternity standing down upon the
paving in front of the marae to dismiss them.
In
presenting offerings the people’s orator made the following speech:
E utu
O
ari
pana toa, e na
te ’ino, ia ’ore
Po ari
ao.
Pana
Here are peace offerings to the depth
of Hades, to the extremities' of the
World.
Push from the east and from
the west, O gods ; remove ail evil from
this World.
[Behold these peace offer¬
ings to ward off your anger, O gods],‘^
hiti
Atua e; afa’i e atu i
i te ao nei ! A fariu
mai i to aro ma te aroha ia matou, te
ta’ata hara nei !
E tapena pua’a, e
tapena ’uri, e tapena moa, e tapena
roroi;" teie te meia, teie te mau maa
ato’a O te fenua, a fari’i mai, e te
Atua e.
Euru pani liia te uru o te
mai;
e
rau
to
oha mai
mai.
The
hihi;
e rau
maru, e te
faces with favor upon us sinpeople. Here are hogs consecrated,
dogs consecrated, fowls consecrated, coco¬
nuts consecrated ; here are bananas, here
turn your
ful
avari. Fa’aarAtua, tahiti’a
ail the fruits of the land ; turn to us,
O gods. Effective prayer will be offered
for the sick possessed ; many spirits will
flee away ; many people will recover.
Hâve pity in mercy on us, O gods,
hearken unto us.
are
high priest concluded :
Na ho’i te ma, e ma no te aia’ai; a
i uta, a ma i tai, a ma i ni’a a
ma
i raro: a ma te Pô, a ma te ao,
a
ma te marae, a ma te opure, a ma
te feia noa, a ma te huia ato’a.
Homai
i te ’ai o te fenua, homai i te ’ai o tai,
homai i te hua’ai o te ta’ata ia rahi e
te Atua e.
Te haere ana’e nei ra te
va’a mataeina’a i te ’utuafare, e ai mai
te ai haere e ai ’ino, e ’ai i te atea ;
eiaha e hi’o atu, e te atua e !
Area
Behold the cleansing, cleansing from
sin; clean inland, clean séaward, clean
above, clean below, Po is' clean, the
World is clean, the marae is clean
[and then he enumerated everything
upon it as clean].
The worshipers are
clean, the people ordinary are clean,
ma
the familles
in the land,
hearken unto
Coconuts used
names.
Native
text
as
offerîngs to the gods
miasing.
Kd.
clean.
Give
us
food
food in the sea,
give us numerous offspring, O gods,
Now ail the clans are going home, to
eat moving about, to eat without order,
to eat abroad ; look not at them, O
gods !
But as for us, thy body of
priests, we .s'hall eat here in awe in
your presence.
O gods, hâve pity upon
us
that no evil befall us.
O gods,
matou, e ’ai’ai mai te horuhoru i mua
i to aro.
E te atua e, aroha mai ia
’ore ia tupu te ’ino. Tahiti’a mai, e te
atua e !
^
are
w<
■e
called roroi;
give
us
us
!
niu and ha’ari
are
the
common
176
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Thus
they parted, the people to enjoy their feast in full liberty and
priests and ’opu-nui to remain and share theirs with the gods in solemn
awe.
On ordinary occasions when no restrictions were laid upon the
land, men and hoys were free to witness from a distance the offering of
the
sacrifices and other ceremonies at the
marae.
This spécial feast was nicely spread upon leaves in the eating shed in
separate shares, the first for the gods, the next for the high priest
and
assistants, the tiri, the ho-lio-atua, the rest of the fraternity, and the
’opu-nui, respectively. The share for the gods was laid upon the altars
his
shark, the head of
a cavalla fish.
Ail
these were taken out of the shares and placed with the pork and fish
already presented to the gods, accompanied with proportionate shares of
bananas and other produce of the soil, and when birds descended to eat
the food of the gods, it was believed that there were gods within them
doing so. Then the priests and their assistants sat down and ate deliberately of the good things spread before them, which it was difficult for
men famished with hunger to do.
Those who ate with most dignity and
self-command were regarded as most pleasing to the gods, who were
supposed to he partaking spiritually of the feast. But any who ate
ravenously or irreverently, the gods were supposed to be watching and
to be planning soon to strike with blindness, sickness, or death in consé¬
as
a
follows
;
the head and tail of
a
whale, and the head and fins of
pig, the head of
an
a
albicore and of
quence.
hog at the marae
giving it to the gods on such an occasion, his soûl would enter
into a hog after death; or into a fish if he ate the head of a fish.
Thus the priests and marae keepers partook of the feast with the
gods; and when it was over, and they prepared to go home, they would
put their abundance of remaining food into baskets and say to the gods ;
“We are taking this sacred food home to our wives and children.
Look
not in anger upon us, O gods.”
And then the gods were supposed to
laugh approvingly, giving consent.
Similarly they begged cloth and mats of the gods from among those
that had been newly brought into the fare-ia-manaha—and so were not
yet impregnated with the sacredness of the place—and it is supposed that
the gods would kindly look away while they helped themselves moderately,
but that they would speedily punish those who took too much.
In leaving the sacred precincts to go home, the high priests said :
It
was
believed that if
a
man
ate
the head of
a
instead of
Tapu atu
nu’u
atua
matou
tomo
na
tena
noa
mano
mai nei,
atua
te
e tena
ho’i ne
i to matou mau ’utu’afare, e
i te ahu mo’a, e tauteute, e hani-
Let sacredness remain here that we
become ordinary, O host of gods,
those thousands of gods ! We are returning to our homes to put on unconmay
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
e fa’aapu e fa’anoa
noa,
Eiaha
mata roa mai, eiaha e taria roa mai
hani,
e
ia matou.
Fariu i to mata i te po e
fariu i to tua i te ao. Te vaiho atu
nei matou i te ra’a ei ona te mo’a, e te
Atua e !
secrated clothes’, to do domestic work,
caress, farm and
not farsighted, be
enjoy life
as
become ordinary.
Be
not farhearing to us.
Turn your faces to darkness and turn
your back to the light.
We are leaving
sacredness, let holiness be there [with
you], O gods !
Thus the sacred spell ended for the fraternity,
homes to
177
ordinary beings.
who returned to their
Pork and turtle and the flesh of great white fish were publicly withheld
women and children as too sacred for them to eat, but by spécial
from
dispensation the priests allowed their wives and children to partake at
barring the heads, even when they had
been offered to the gods.
On favorable opportunities other men also
secretly indulged their wives and children in these forbidden méats.
home with them of such méats,
At ail feasts, women and children ate apart from the
boys and girls sat in separate groups.
men,
and the
First Fruits
Throughout the Society Islands
a national feast was observed yearly
reaping the first fruits of the land, called the pararaa matahiti (ripening of the year). The season cornes in, varying at different times,
between the end of December and the beginning of January.
On such
an occasion, the chiefs and people of the districts brought to the capital
contributions of food, which they placed upon the assembly ground in an
immense heap, called a poropa, and systematically divided a liberal part
into shares.
With appropriate speeches by the official orators they presented these to the gods and keepers of the royal marae, to the royal
family, and to the clergy, reserving the rest for themselves.
in
Feasting and revelry lasted several days, in honor of which people of
professions anointed themselves with sweet-scented oil and
wore gay wreaths and garlands.
They invoked Roma-tane, god of Paradise, to corne with the spirits of their deceased friends to share their
pleasures. Some families, especially in Huahine, spread out upon lines
in their houses tapa, which they placed at the disposai of those spiritual
guests. In modem form the harvest feast lasted long after Christianity was
ail ranks and
established.
It has always been a custom to give présents and a feast called a
fa’a’amu’a (feeding) to guests from another place on their first arrivai
among their friends ; and the guests requite the présents with another, called
an ô
(welcomer).
178
Bernîce P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Casting
When members of
OP A
God
stricken with long, protracted illness
for their recovery to the gods (or goddesses) of their ancestral marae proved ineffectual, the family would hold
counsel together and say, “This god is no longer helping us; he is a mandevouring god. L,et us cast him off and seek the favor of another deity!”
a
family
oFF
and with deatli and the prayers
were
Then the
hâve been,
cast off the
officiating family priest or head of the family, as the case might
according to the rank of the family, would go to the marae to
god {pô’ara’a Ui i te attia), saying :
Tera te po’a, te po’a tu nei au ia
’oe ! Eiaha ’oe e uru fa’ahou mai i
roto
iau nei; eiaha vau ei nohora’a
fa’ahou no ’oe; eiaha vau e ’ite fa’ahou
ia
’oe; eiaha ’oe
E haere ’oe
e
e
’imi
’ite fa’ahou mai iau.
e
atu
i te tahi taura
’oe, i te tahi utu’afare e atu. Eiaha
vau eiaha roa!
Ua poihu vau ia ’oe—
no
ri’ari’a a’era vau ia ’oe!
nei au ia ’oe.
E haere
ua
atu
Te
roa
Vai-tu-pô, i te aro o Ta’aroa,
metua, Ta’aroa te metua o
i te
’oe
na
va
’oe
to
te
atua ’atoa.
Eiha ’oe e ho’i fa’ahou
mai iau nei. Inaha te huia, te pohepohe
nei i te ma’i; te rave hia nei e ’oe, e
atua ri’ari’a roa ’oe e te ’ai ta’ata !
mau
There is
thee off !
casting off, I
Do not
corne
in
am
to
castiiig
possess
seat for
again; let me not be a
again ! let me not know thee
again ; do thou not know me again.
me
thee
Go and seek
some
other medium
for
thyself in another home. Let it not
be me, not at ail I
I am wearied of
thee—I
am
terrified with thee !
I am
Go even to the Vai-tu-
expelling thee.
po
(River-in-darkness), into the prés¬
of Ta’aroa, thy father, Ta’aroa,
ence
ail gods.
Return not
Behold the family, they
are
stricken with sicknes's ; thou art
taking them, thou art a terrible mandevouring god !
the
father
again to
of
me.
After this
proceeding, another god was chosen to take his place, and so
until the evil in the family ceased. A new image to represent the new
god was made and inaugurated at the first pa’i-atua that followed the event.
If the priest or family imagined themselves haunted by the discarded god,
in dreams or otherwise, the image was removed from its grave to a new
one and if necessary moved again and again until the minds of those
on,
interested
were
set at rest.
Travêlers’ Prayers
and
Oppërings
preparing for a journey overland travelers invoked the gods at their
to keep watch over them, to guard them against accidents and ail
evil, and to grant them a safe and happy return home. Travelers’ prayers
were called e’itpu no te ratcrc.
But in going to sea, the religions ceremonies
were longer.
When the canoë was launched and ready for the voyage, the
travelers took strips of ’aute (paper mulberry) cloth, called a hopii
(bather) or repu (sea-rolling), and gradually casting them over the
approaching and receding waves of the sea, invoked the océan gods as
In
own marae
follows
:
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Tahitia mai i te matou tere, e te
E aratai ora ’oe ia matou i
ni’a i te fenua. Ei tere tia ei tere ora;
eiaha ’oe e fa’arue ia matou i te moana
nei.
E horoa mai ’oe i te tahi mata’i
atua !
matou, ei puhi na mûri, ei maoa tia
ei ra’i aneane.
Tahitia mai ia matou,
no
e
te
atua
!
179
us throughout our voy¬
O gods ! Lead us safely to land.
Let our voyage be propitious, free from
evil ! leave us not in the océan. Give
us a breeze, let it follow us from behind, let the weather be fine, and the
sky clear. Hearken unto us, o gods !
Hearken unto
age.
faith, free and happy. Relatives and
performed services for the travelers, whom they accompanied
to the social marae and there presented to the priest a piece of sennit about
a foot long, which had first been put under the outrigger of the canoë.
The
priest placed it straight and flat beneath a sacred slab, committing those
who were about to départ to the care of Tane, god of beauty and fine
weather, and also invoking ail the sea gods to watch over them and guide
the canoë safely away and back again.
Then they set out to sea in good
friends also
This sennit, called ’aha moa (sleeping sennit), was left at the marae
was time for the voyagers to arrive at their destination.
Then
those at home went to the priest requesting him to uncover it to see how it
until it
If they found it lying quite straight, it was a sign that the canoë had
safely before a fine wind. If a little crooked, the canoë had met
with contrary winds, yet was still safe. But if the sennit was twisted over,
it was a sign that the canoë had upset and probably ail those on board
were lost.
Then there was weeping and great anxiety until they received
tidings of their absent ones or saw them again. If the omen proved to be
a false alarm, the priest claimed that a lying spirit had deceived them.
lay.
arrived
arriving at their destination, the father of a family representing
were with him and the single individuals of
either sex each carried a small piece of coral rock and ’ura feather amulets
to the social marae of their dénomination, where they were met by the
priest. Retaining the coral in their hands, they presented the amulets to
him, each one saying to the tutelar god through the priest, “Tera ta ’oemanu
a fa’a’au”
(There is your bird of resemblance). Receiving the
amulets the priest took them into the holy part of the marae, pointed them
to the image of the god in his coverings, which was brought there for the
occasion and thus introduced the new arrivais and commended them to his
care.
Then the travelers placed their pièces of coral upon the marae, say¬
ing, “Tera ta ’oe toa” (There is your rock), and concluded saying, “O ta
On
those of his household that
(These are our sea-offerings, O god) ; and
they were dismissed in peace by the priests. If the travelers found
no marae they presented their marotai themselves on the seaside for the
sea gods, as to neglect this duty was supposed to incur dire calamities from
matou
then
teie marotai
e
te atua e”
i8o
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
the
gods such as death by strangulation or
repeated the marotai on their return home.
If the travelers
or
some
other painful
their descendants returned and
were
way.
They
perplexed to
know what had become of the stone of their marae, or of some
bad been hidden in it, they presented their amulets to the high
image that
priest, who
took them (in the same manner as just described) to the
image of the
suprême god in the local marae.
The god was supposed to know ail that
transpired among the minor gods, and the high priest soon gave the applicants satisfactory answers, purporting to be direct
inspirations from the
oracle.
Launching thë Canoë
When the
ship was finished, great importance was placed in
setting of the rollers over which it was to be drawn into the sea, the
builders chanting in the following manner as they set them :
canoë
or
the
E rao tu’ua
E rao mua i Atea
Fa’arotu u mata’i.
E matafa, manu aitu,
A fa’auru
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
rao
rao
rao
rua
rao
rao
rao
ra
tu’ua,
A roller is laid
A front roller for Atea
To cause commotion against the wind.
Far-seeing god bird,"
!
i roto Atea,
fa’arotu mata’i;
tufa a te manu
tu’ua,
peho Atea,
o
te
aitu,
vahiné metua.
Nau te tu’i, e tu’i no te aha?
E tu’i mai mua.
Ei mahu no te aha?
E uru hia e Tane;
E Tane,
E
rao
a
tu’ua
fa’auru
na
ra
!
Ro’o te ro’oro’o.
E rao na Ta’aroa-Metua,
E rao na Te-Fatu nu’u,
E rao na Ta’ere ma opoopo,
E rao na Toa-hiti mata nui;
E Tane fa’auru ra !
Tu’ua te rao mûri.
Te rao na Tu pa nui
I fa’atu i te ra’i ;
E Tane, fa’auru ra;
Toro ra, fa’auru,
E Tane aitu !
Nau te tu’i, e tu’i no te aha?
E tu’i no te taruarua nui,
Na Tane te ’opiri napenapea,
E tu’i mai roto.
The fabulous red
sea
Now enchant it !
A roller is laid.
An inner roller for Atea,
A roller to contend with the wind;
Twice served is' the god bird.
A roller is laid,
A roller for the valley of Atea,
A
roller
for the motherly
woman
[Hina].
Mine it is to strike, to strike what?
To strike before.
To make spray for what?
For the enchantment of Tane ;
O Tane, now enchant it!
A
A
A
A
A
roller is placed for Ro’o the famous.
roller for Father Ta’aroa,
roller for Te-fatu of hosts,
roller for Ta’ere of ail skill,
roller for Toa-hiti (Bordering-rock)
of great eyes;
O Tane, now enchant them !
The hindermost roller is laid,
The roller for Tû, the great father
Who made stable the sky;
O Tane, now enchant it;
Now extend enchantment,
O god Tane!
Mine it is to strike, to strike what?
To strike the great rolling waves,
Tane will quickly turn them,
Wihen they strike the midships.
bird, pet o£ the god Tane.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
E tu’i mai mûri,
E tu’i tana aha mua.
E Tane e, fa’auru ra,
i8i
When they strike behind,
When they strike his sennit
bows.
O Tane, now enchant,
Tane turu rao,
Fa’auru ra!
Tane, supporter of the
Now enehant them I
in
the
rollers,
As
they continued to place the rollers and until they reached the
shore, the artisans repeated this song, the burden of it implying that the canoë would be enchanted by the rollers. The day before
launching, the canoë was drawn ont of the shed onto the rollers and there
propped up and rigged and decorated with pennants and garlands ; and
close by it the builders gave a feast at which
great hogs were baked whole.
They invited as guests men of the same profession as themselvesj to
whom they made liberal présents of baked
pigs and cloth to take home.
In the evening, the hatchets were again
“put to sleep” in the marae for
the night.
A piece of sennit about a foot long was taken and passed
under the foremost end of the outrigger of the canoë and laid down to
sleep also; it was placed fiat upon the marae ground beneath a flagstone to obtain an augury from the
gods. Early in the morning, the axe
was “awakened” as before, and the
flagstone was carefully lifted off the
piece of sennit, which the artisans examined with great interest. If it was
quite straight it indicated that the canoë had fine prospects before it, if
tortuous, the canoë would be beset with dangers, but escape safely, and
border of the
if the sennit had become twisted
or
turned over, the canoë would be in
danger of being lost at sea. Then to
hazards, a piece of the hull of an old
ensure
safety for the canoë at ail
“put to sleep” in
marae canoë wàs
the marae, there to remain untouched as long as the canoë lasted.
Soon the people assembled to see the launching and baptism of the
which
was performed with great solemnity, superintended by their
the représentative (always a man), who laid his hand upon
one side of the canoë,
saying: “A to! A to! A to!” (Draw! Drawl
Draw!) Then it was launched into the sea gracefully, with little labor,
amid the admiration and loud applause of the spectators, which was called
umere.
After this it was immersed, bows first and up again, which was
called fa’ainuraa i te va’a (making the canoë drink), as the chief artisan
canoë,
sovereign,
said
or
:
Fano ta’u va’a nei,
I
te
’are
miti
fati,
Ei na raro mai,
Ei na ni’a ’tu ta’u va’a,
E Tane aitû e !
Fano ta’u va’a nei,
Na te tai vave’a,
Ei na raro mai,
Ei na ni’a ’tu ta’u va’a,
E Tane aitu e!
If I sail my canoë,
Through the breaking
waves,
Let them pass under,
Eet my canoë pas's over,
O god Tane!
If I sail my canoë,
Through the towering
waves,
Let them pass under,
Let my canoë pass over,
O god Tane !
Bernice P.
i82
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
improvising his words to suit the occa¬
sion, until the baptism was finished. The ahi-tu were also called te-varu
(scrapers) because they did much scraping in polishing their work to a
superfine degree. Their marae and working shed were consecrated
entirely to the building of sacred canoës, which were those made for the
national marae and for war.
During the period of their work, their
persons being regarded as sacred to the gods, they were fed on the fat of
the land, and restrictions upon food were disregarded with impunity by
And
so
required it in preparing their meals.
those who
After
the artisan continued,
a
war
canoë
was
launched, the ahi-tii and priests inaugurated
by paddling about the harbor, chanting prayers, finally ending by suspending their paddles in the passage abreast of the harbor. While the
high priest broke open an opa’a (matured coconut) and carefully sank the
two halves in the sea with the hollow side turned upwards.
If they went
down steadily, maintaining their position, it indicated that the land would
be prospérons under long peace. If one-half turned over in going down,
it foretold war in the indefinite future. If both halves turned over, immi¬
nent war was anticipated.
Then they returned to the shore and drew
the canoë up on to the place allotted to war canoës, apart from ail others.
it
Rites eor Chiedren^®
THE ROYAL HEIR
When a queen was about to be delivered of her first child, called the
matahiapo, a restriction proclamation was immediately issued similar to that
of the pa’i-atua. Ail on land and sea along the coast throughout the realm
must be silenced so that sacredness might reign until the fifth or sixth day
after the birth of the child.
Except the members of the royal family and
their attendants, ail the inhabitants retired into the mountain recesses, where
they built buts and were at liberty to make fires and live comfortably until
the restrictions were over, but not without anxiety for some.
For an
ofifering of a human sacrifice must close the sacred spell, and the crafty
manslayer, unsuspected, already lurked among them.
A fence was erected and shaped upon sacred ground behind the ancestral
marae, the two angles being turned outwards.
In the outer space between
the angles was erected the fare-rau-maire (maire-fern house), in which.
delivered of her child ; in the inner space on 'one
(house-of-the-weak), into which mother and child
were to be taken ; and in the space on the other side was the fare-noa
(ordinary house), where the attendants, a chosen few of near relatives and
the queen was to be
side was the fare-hua
retainers,
Based
were to
on
stay.
information from Pômare II, Mahine, and the
priests generally.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
183
While
awaiting the birth of the child, the paia (royal family doctor)
others chanted upii (prayers) for the queen’s safe delivery, improvising cheering words, according to the circumstances of the case, and
appropriating parts of the chant of Ro’o, the famous messenger of the
god Tane. When the child was born, the paia said, ‘Ha muhuta mai nei
te atua” (The god has flown
hither) and ail présent extended happy
greetings.
and many
The infant
like
allowed to cry
long and breathe freely so as to reçoive
(iho) from its mother, after which it was severed with the razoroutside edge of a piece of bamboo that had grown
upon the promises.
was
full life
On such occasions the
mound to meet the
the
plant used was said to leap with joy ont of the
he approached to take it. In the following chant
paia
as
paia suited his actions
E ha’apa i te pito
Te pito tapu
o
to his words
te tama,
:
Lay hold of the cord of the child,
O te aitu O mahuta mai nei.
la roa, ei pito aho roa;
E taaai i te taura ia mau;
Tapu ai i te pito o te tama aitu
I te tipi moa o te ofe rare,
The sacred cord
Of the god that has flown hither.
Eet it be long a cord of life;
Tie it firmly with thread;
Then s'ever the cord of the child god
With the sacred knife of the flying
Hui i te pito, te pito rearea,
la marna te pito aitu.
Perforate the cord, the vigorous cord
That the godly cord be light.
The paia then took
bamboo,
cylindric piece from the heart of the stem of a
ground and rolled it over the skin of the
child, whom he then anointed well with sandalwood oil. Again he suited
banana
tree
a
from the sacred
his actions to his chant:
Te
tama
teu, o te puo mei’a
Te mei’a o te aitu.
Ei horoi i te ’iri manina
Te ’iri paruparu o te tama
E tavai i te monoi
I te tino o te tama aitu
la maru, ia hinuhinu
I te monoi moa o te aitu
E nenei maro, e tamara
I te pito, ia marû, ia marô.
Ei hai i te ’a’i o te tama aitu ;
Haati i te ’a’i i te pito
Ei hei, ei tapu aho roa.
No te tama aitu nei.
Soon the babe
banana,
Banana [tree] of the gods.
To pass over the smooth skin,
The tender skin of the child.
Anoint with oil of sweet odor
The body of this child god
That it be soft, that it be glossy
With the sacred oil of the gods.
Squeeze dry, and saturate with oil
The cord that is’ flexible, be dry,
For a garland for the neck of the
child
Encircle the neck with the cord
As a garland a pledge of long life.
For the child god here présent.
wrapped in soft tapa, and after short préparations
moved into the fare-hua, there to remain for five
six days, during which time oil was frequently used on the child.
Every-
mother and child
or
This is the purifier, the heart of the
was
were
Bernice P.
184
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
thing that they left in the ferii house was at once carefully buried close by,
appropriate invocations to render new sacredness to the ancestral center
of royalty.
with
fare-hua the queen’s attendants conveyed her food and
her mouth.
The attendants and the nurses of the day
wore spécial clothes in which they never ate or drank for fear of bringing
upon themselves king’s evil.
When off duty they changed clothes in the
fare-noa (ordinary house), and they washed or bathed themselves before
taking their meals. The father of the child was not admitted into the
fare-hua until the last day of its stay there.
While in the
coconut water to
When the day arrived for the child to be bathed, the detached cord was
carefully wrapped in scented cloth and placed by the paia in a little box
formed of one end of a bamboo joint fitted iirto another, serving as a
cover, and hidden away in the little chamber for that purpose in the
ancestral marae.
Such a relie was regarded as the essence of the child.
In the middle of this marae were stacked cratelike for the occasion the
family war weapons as emblems of greatness, and in the hollow center of
pile was placed a great leaf of the ape (Alocasia macrorrhîza), forming
the basin, which was filled with holy water. Thither the child was taken accompanied by the parents and other elder members of the family, called
the hui metua (parental clan), and placed in the arms of the paia, who
washed it with the water (uhi-a-iri), while chanting in the foliowing
the
manner :
Te uhi-a-’iri
o
te tama o te
Te uhi-a-’iri i
te
Fa’aro’oro’o
te
aitu
o
vai
ora
mata’i
o
Bathing the skin of the child of the
gods,
Bathing it in the living water of
aitu.
Tane.
moa
o
Tane.
te
Te mata’i maru o hiti
E ouhia mai nei
la manihinihi te ’iri o te tama.
ti’a Ta’aroa, a ti’a Atea, a ti’a
Tane
A ti’a e tena mano atua !
E ha’apa te tama nei i te meho tua
A
E ha’apa i te meho aro
O pa i ni’a ma te ho-ra’i,
E aitu e, e toa
As
a
and each
riro !
Listen to the wind hallowed of the
gods,
The gentle zéphyr from the east
Which is blown this way,
To render sensitive the skin of the
child.
Arise Ta’aroa, arise Atea, arise Tane !
Arise, O host of gods !
This child will lay hold of fugitives
behind
And lay hold of fugitives
The
fort
above,
mid
shouts,
O gods', a
this) !
before
heavenly
warrior accomplished (is
sign of affection the hui metua then punctured their foreheads,
mingled the purple drops that fell with a mixture of the juice of
sugar-cane
and milk expressed from grated coconut upon a miro leaf, which
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
185
parent leading, they approached in
paia, and touched its cheek with the
leaf, but not the mixture, signifying the union of blood. The father then
received his child thus initiated into the family circle and embraced it
tenderly, conferring upon it a royal name which had been duly and appropriately chosen beforehand, after which he was the first to pay it homage
by embracing its feet and saluting it as a member of the royal house and
heir to the throne.
But the reigning father or mother did not abdicate
their power and proclaim the young heir sovereign of the realm, as some
writers hâve stated, for inauguration ceremonies must be performed before
the people recognized a new ruler.
they held
turn
over
their heads, and with
the babe, still in the arms of the
a
the royal party proceeded to the national
received by the high priest and his assistants in
full array, who for the occasion were called ti’a-ra’i (stand-by-sovereign).
The family assembled in the courtyard, and the babe was passed into the
arms of the high priest, who
followed by the father and otlier priests
carried it to the avaa of the marae, within which was erected for the concluding religions rite a little awning called a fare’ura {’ura feather house),
made of apaa (sweet-scented cloth) from the fare-ia-manaha.
The awn¬
ing was spread over a dôme formed of miro sprigs against the stones of
After the hui-a-iri ceremony
marae,
where they
the Wall and
was
were
bestrewn with ’ura feathers attached to it with paste.
Upon the paving were spread fine mats, in the same manner as for receiving the image of the tutelar god, and upon the mats the high priest appropriately chanting a prayer placed the child and finally said “’Ura epaepa!
’Ura huhu! ’Ura moemoe!” (’Ura unapproachable ! ’Ura nurturing! ’Ura
reposing!) This simple ceremony was to assert the rank of the child god
above ail there.
Urom the national
marae
the babe
was
taken to
a
comfortable home,
fare aua teni (house with exalted walls), which was enclosed
within high fences or stone walls one within another, accessible only by
stiles, and which was guarded by stalwart men armed with clubs and
spears, whe were ready to slay any daring intruder.
There the royal
called the
mother and infant remained for about fourteen months
could
run
about and
time the mother
charge of
was
some near
or
until the child
ready to be presented to the public. During that
aua teni, leaving the child in
and trusted relative.
was
free to stroll out of the
On the samp
day that the marae ceremonies were performed, messengers, called arere or ti’atî’a-vea, were dispatched in opposite directions to
officially announce the birth and well-being of the child. Each messenger
bore
high above his head a flag, generally torn oflf from red marae cloth,
reva hahae (flags torn), in honor of which when they were leaving,
called
i86
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
\
a
human sacrifice called
flags of the prince
or
e
ia
no
te turu i te
princess),
was
(a fish to prop the
ofifered and buried at the national
reva o
te ari’i
marae.
The
kingdom
flag
as
from their
by
persons
set upon the
assembly grçund of each district of the
passed, and there the people were summoned
retreat by the blowing of a trumpet or the
beating of a drum,
appointed for the purpose, to hear the message.
was
the
When the
messenger
well received by the people they allowed the flag
by the messenger, to whom they showed hospitality;
but when the news was displeasing, the flag was torn down
by order of the
chief and gentry, the pôle to which it was attached was broken, and the
messenger was returned to his master with a challenge to settle the matter
in war—a circumstance that sometimes happened in
newly conquered pos¬
sessions, when the people still hoped to recover their liberty.
At the birth of King Pômare II, the ensigns wore beautiful flexible
vane
(mats) with fringed edges, decorated with garlands of ’ura feathers
called hei ’ura, a breastplate called a taumi, and bunches of black feathers
to
news
was
stand until taken
called ’oro’oro.
Two
sent around Tahiti and two around Mo’orea,
restriction, as the two islands had been united into
one kingdom by the father.
As the four messengers started from Tarahoi,
the national marae at Papaoa, the birthplace of the prince, a man was
sacrificed to ’Oro. One messenger went through the districts of Te’aharoa,
from northern to southeastern Tahiti and waited at Vaiovau, at the Isthmus,
for another messenger who traversed the other side of the island,
including Taiarapu. At Taputapuatea, the international marae in Tautira,
which
was
were
also under
another human sacrifice
was
ofifered to ’Oro.
From Vaiovau the
messen¬
returned to Tarahoi with their banners unharmed. The two mes¬
sengers for Mo’orea landed at Umarea, the national marae in Afareaitu,
in the southeast, where the banners were respected.
There they parted,
proceeding in opposite directions and proclaiming the news as they went,
and finally re-united in the west at Nuurua, the national marae in Varari,
having met with no résistance and ofifered no human sacrifice. *
gers
After the messengers
had passed the districts, the- restrictions were
Within a few days, great
offerings of food, called ma’a-faiere (maternity-food) were brought in and
presented to the royal family by représentatives from ail the districts of the
realm, headed by chief s and chosen orators. Etiquette in regard to precedence was strictly observed, those of most anciently established dignity
confing first and those of newly acquired territory coming last. Besides
food were présents of ’ura feather wreaths and capes, called ’ura-moemoe
(’Mra-reposing), specially made by the women of distinction of the realm
removed, and it
was a
time of general rejoicing.
187
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
and child. Such démonstrations showed loyalty to the royal
family and created kindly feelings throughout the land, and the exchange of
courteous speeches between the orators of the people and the royal spokesman would hâve done honor to any people.
This pretty custom lasted
throughout the Society Islands until annexation to France took place.
for the queen
NATAL CEREMONIES EOR OTHER
ÇHIEDREN
At the birth of the younger children of the royal family, no human
sacrifices marred the event.
The same ancestral marae ceremonies were
observed
and child
as
for the eldest,
were
ending with the nhi-a-’iri, after which mother
fare-aua teni. The présents were voluntary
taken to the
contributions of relatives and friends.
the
same
honors
and
so on
with every
were
bestowed upon
heir apparent.
But if the first-born child died,
the next
one to
make it the heir,
and people rendered also for their firstborn,
dignity and honors they could muster without restrictions at their
respective marae, ail performing the uhi-a-’iri ceremony. The firstborn
The under chiefs, gentry,
ail the
children of the under chiefs
the hands of the
were
priests in their
also entitled to the chieftain honors at
own
local
marae,
where they erected an
awning covered with sacred apaa, without feathers, called the fare apaa,
where the priest invoked upon the children the blessing of the tutelar god.
the sacred flag within their own dis¬
Their subjects brought présents of
and feather ornaments; but they had no aua teni house.
were also entitled to the use of
tricts and without human sacrifices.
They
food, mats,
performed their ceremonies as they chose along the
rock within the shoal a fare apaa and planting in the sand their banners, if they were people of rank.
Exiles in the land
seashore, erecting
upon some
Other Ceremonies eor the Royal Heir
royal child was taken from the aua teni, a ceremony was
performed called vahi apa (breaking the barrier).' To give this sacredness, a human victim was offered at the marae.
The royal parents and
child borne upon men’s shoulders then went forth with an imposing
pageantry to meet a great throng of loyal subjects, foremost among whom
were the chiefs and other dignitaries of the land, who gathered on the
assembly ground to pay them homage and who as the royal herald cried
“Te ArVi, te Ari’i.
(The Sovereigns! the Sovereigns !), bared their bodies
down to the waist and cried “Maeva te Ari’i” (Hail Sovereigns).
With
courteous greetings and exchange of speeches between the two parties,
were presented to the young heir gifts of ail the produce of the land and
When the
i88
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
After this introduction the child
sea.
the Ao-ra’i
The
(Sky-house,
or
was
taken to the
place), to dwell.
next occasion for human
victims
royal abode, called
when the young
heir appar¬
the districts of the kingdom. For the
trip a new canoë was made, called the anuanua (rainbow), and as it landed
the royal child at each new district, a slain human
being was laid upon the
shore, a rao faaavariraa na te ari’i (opening roller for the prince, or princess), over which the canoë was drawn. Many human rollers were thus
ent
was
first taken
on a
was
tour among
used for the first boni of young
Pômare II around the islands
and Mo’orea.
of Tahiti
It lias
always been the custom of the Tahitians to practise circum(feheraa), which formerly was called tehe and more recently péri
tome, as adopted from the Greek in the Tahitian Bible. The ancient Jewish expression of dérision, “Uncircumcised
dog” {’Urî tehe ’ore hia), is
also original with them.
The operation is performed by adepts called
tahu’a tehe, upon lads generally fifteen or sixteen
years old, and it was
formerly a religions rite accompanied with prayer at the ancestral marae,
cision
at
which the father and other male relatives of the lad
assisted, sympa-
thetically puncturing themselves freely with
causing the blood to flow.
For
offered
weapons
of shark’s teeth and
heir apparent to the
throne, one or more human sacrifices were
by the priests at the national marae, while this rite was being per¬
an
formed at the ancestral
with sennit
hung upon
of the high
When
marae.
Several human victims
strings strung through the
ears, as
were
“’Oro’s fish,”
as
suspended
they were
the toa tree around Tarahoi for Pômare II, under the direction
priest Tua-roa.
the
young heir apparent became of âge a feast, called the
faatoira’a (becoming-of-age), was given at which he or she for the first
time appeared ofFcially among the dignitaries of the land. On this occasion
was
offered
tion).
their
human sacrifice called
an
amo’a-tapu (putting aside of restric¬
For the firstborn of under chiefs thei'e was also a fa’atoira’a, and
mno’a-tapu consisted of a fine hog offered at the local marae of their
a
district.
As the Tahitians had
method for
recording the years, coming of âge
the maturing of the child.
The ceremony for the inauguration of a king or queen
(fa’aari’ira’a) of
Ra’iatea was the same as that for ail sovereigns of the
group.
It was a
time of the greatest moment to the nation, and extensive
préparations were
made for several months. Food was cultivated for a
great feast, to which
were to be invited
guests, représentatives from neighboring kingdoms; the
choicest materials for vestments, which were ruru
(rolls of cloth), tiputa.
depended
upon
no
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
189
bark and of cloth, ornamented or plain, and also of ’ura or
of ail the work was the concatenating
feather girdle), the royal insignia in
which the monarch of either sex was invested on the ascension
day. The
girdle derived superlative sacredness from some of the feathers, which were
taken from the image of the tutelar god, who in later times in Ra’iatea,
Tahiti, and Porapora was ’Oro, while Tane remained suprême in Huahine.
The royal girdle was an article of very skilful workmanship, which consisted of a close network of fine, strong threads of the ro’a bark
(a kind
of flax), and a background of choice ora
(banyan cloth), closely perforcapes
of
purau
black feathers were made ; and greatest
of a new lappet to the maro ’ura {’ura
ated.
In each little hole
was set the stem of an ’ura
feather, which was
lock stitch on the opposite side with a long polished needle of
human bone, and set closely against the next one to imitate bird’s
plumage.
Artistic patterns, mostly in squares, were thus formed
by turning the
feathers in different directions, answering nearest to hieroglyphics of
anything in the handiwork of these islands. For they symbolize to the national
chronicler the name, the character, and the acts of every monarch that
reigned and the annals of the land which were faithfully recorded in
chants and songs of those times.
caught in
a
The sacred needle
was never
taken out of the work, which was intended
continue forever, a new lappet
A human victim was sacrificed
being added for each successive reign.
for the niau raa titi
(perforating
the cloth), for the fuira’a 0 te au (first putting in of the
needle), and for
the piura’a 0 te maro (completing of the maro), and during the
perform¬
ance of these cruel rites it is said that the
gods manifested their approbation
by sending flashes of lightning upon the scene with loud peals of thunder,
even when the sky was unclouded.
The royal red maro of the Tamatoa
fanfily of Ra’iatea being the most ancient in the group was the longest,
measuring twenty-one feet in length and six inches in width. It was sent by
the king in the early days of his conversion to the muséum of the London
Missionary Society.*®
to
The
builders
were busy choosing good timber and
skillfully makcalled te-va’a-roa-i-te-mata’i (the-long-canoe-in-the-wind),
for the god and paddles for it, called mehine-i-te-ata (moon-in-the-clouds),
when using which the paddlers looked up into the
sky. The discarded
ing
canoë
a new canoë,
canoës were
The
used for sacred lires at
maraes.
priests had
a marae weeding and pa’i-atua ceremonies, and they
prayed at the marae, invoking the favor of ail the hosts
gods for the new king, that his sins of omission and commission might
fasted much and
of
When the collection of the
British Muséum, this famous maro
Missionary Society
missing.—Ed.
London
was
was
recently turned
over
to
the
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
igo
forgiven and that his reign might be prospérons. These dévotions were
huihui na te tahu’a (prayers with throbbing vitals of
the priests), for they felt the solemnity of the occasion.
be
called pure manava
On the
eve
of the great
day, at Ra’iatea, for instance, the clergy of the
royal marae held sacred vigils throughout the night at Taputapuatea marae
in Opoa, inviting ail the hosts of gods to be présent on the morrow, as
for the paiatua (p. 157). This was called pure toiaha, pure Iri anu a te
tahu’a
(weighty
prayers, prayers
with chilly skin of the priests) ; and as
morning was ushered in, the gods were said to be heard flying and
whistling around the marae and ail over Opoa. It was a most sacred spell,
and another human victim was slain in honor of the gods before conimencthe
ing the inauguration ceremonies for which ail who were to take part had
sanctified themselves.
It was said that a root of the great banyan' tree
believed to hâve corne from the moon, which struck out from a branch at
the
royal birth,
on
that morning reached the ground.
semibarbarous pageantry took
place. A long flotilla bearing nude men and women of the arioi and
hihimoa fast element, headed by the new anuanua (rainbow) or sacred
canoë of ’Oro, which was distinguished from ail the rest by tapaau (coconut-leaf images), viriviri (braided coconut-leaf) chaplets suspended around
its borders, and by the presence of opunui who named it, dressed in their best
marae costumes, each carrying a tapaau on his left arm and wearing wreaths
of coconut leaves. The canoë had a platform towards the center for ’Oro
and the coming sovereign.
Inauguration ceremonies for either sex were
the same rank, waiving restrictions on State occasions. The heralds, called
tama horo fétu pao (sons running meteors), and people on shore contrasted favorably with those on the canoë, being arrayed in their gayest
and best attire, decked in wreaths and garlands.
Then came the solemn
procession with shoulders bare heralded by blasts of ’Oro’s trumpet, puo-roroi-tau (trumpet-of-ages), and his sacred marae drum, pahu-rutu-roa
(long-beating-drum), from Taputapuatea inland to the great sacred white
stone pillar, te-papa-o-ruea (the-rock-of-investment).
The following order
was observed: fîrst the tiri moa (holy nurse of the god) bearing ’Oro’s image
exposed to view in ail its brilliant ’ura feathers ; next the new sovereign in a
waist cloth of sacred marae tapa, accompanied by the chiefs of the realm,
four of whom bore him upon their shoulders on a large wooden couch;^'*
and closing in the rear the high priest followed by the clergy of his marae.
Soon upon the sea
and along the shore
a
The couch was hewn out of solid miro wood.
It had four legs, a raised
pillow, and carvings at each end. It was called the parahiraa or nohoraa ant
throne).
a
piece forming
(royal seat or
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
191
As the
procession passed, the spectators on either side gave it wide
image was carried on to the god’s canoë, followed by ail
the priests except the high priest, who remained with the
king or queen;
and the sovereign, surrounded by chiefs, seated himself
upon the throne
placed near the seaside. Thence, the high priest and the king went into the
sea, facing Te-ava-moa (The-sacred-harbor), where the king, keeping on his
waistcloth, simply immersed himself, while the high priest with a miro twig
in his hand sprayed water upon him,
pronouncing him clean and chanting the
pure utuhi (invocation for dipping).
’Oro’s
berth.
PuEiî Utuhi^^
Fa’aatea
E
te
no
ari’i
e
tae
Tapu ;
i Motu
haruru
te ra’i i ni’a e !
’ura e!
Ua ’ura tini
I te ahu taa
I to maro ’ura na e tau ari’i e.
'fuia te ra’i i ni’a e,
E te ari’i nui ia ’Oro Toa,
Te tupuai fa’aari’i o Ra’iatea,
Rerea i te ’ura i Hauviri.
Horo te arere te haha i ni’a ia ’Oro
papa
e
I te
maro
la hio mai ai ia Ra’iatea
I mua i to maro ’ura na e !
Tau ari’i o te ra’i e te maro ’ura
Ua ’ura tini
e
I te ahu taa
I to maro ’ura na e ta’u ari’i e
Ei hea hume ai
To maro ’ura na e ta’u ari’i e?
Ei te tai tua mai o Taputapuatea.
A tiu ta ria roohia
Te pure ari’i i te utuhi
Ua pimi a’enei te uru o ’Oro
I te rau o te ’ura
Manu na te ra’i e!
Manu tahi atua
Te ’ura amo a’e
I te pure i te rau roa
Ua oti te maro
Tatou e noho ai
Tui
te noroa
o
o
te ari’i
e
maeva
rua
’Oro te metua o ’oe.
E ti’i i te ’ura tei Tahuea
Na
Make
the
way
for the king onwards
Sacred
to
Isle ;
Loud peals resound in the sky above, O !
For the red girdle, O !
Numerous are the ’ura feathers
From the wall of jawbones*"
In thy red girdle, O my king.
The sky is reached above,
By the great Warrior Sovereign ’Oro,
The high investor of Ra’iatea’s kings,
Flying in the feathers of Hauviri.
Let the herald run up fearlessly
’Oro
As he looks down to Ra’iatea
to
Upon thy red girdle,™ O !
O my king of the skies and the red
girdle,
Numerous are the ’ura feathers
From the wall of jawbones.
In thy red girdle, O my king,
Where shall the girding on
Of thy red girdle be, O my king?
Upon the seaside of Taputapuatea.
In a vision the king saw in
His royal prayer for the immersion
Enchantment of ’Oro s'ecreted
In the body of the ’ura (feathers)
Of the heavenly birds, O !
The unique birds of the gods
The ’ura (feathers) carried.
To the service upon the long sides
the marae)
Finished is the girdle of the king
Which is why we are here, O !
Strong are the
greeting
prayers
(of
for the double
To ’Oro, the father, and to thee.
Fetch ’ura (feathers) from Tahuea
marae
Given in 1887 by Tupaia of Motutapu.
For several phrases in the native text, such as
tiu ta ria, tui te noroa, ei ono i to maro, Miss
Flenry gives translations which could hardly be
derived from these words.
Tt may here be assiimed that the native text has been disfîgured by the
typist, rather than tliat the author is incorrect, because the typist wrote miro for maro, nanu for
manu, tu for ti‘i, and has consistently written aru for ari’i—obvions errors that hâve been cor-
rected.—£)d.
kept.
The walls decorated with
jawbones and with skulls
was
the
marae
where these things
were
Bernice P.
192
Raverave
O ’ura i
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Bring forth flowers in profusion,
’Ura (feathers) on the track of Tane
mai i te pua tiri
noa
Tane
E noa’a i reira
O te ’ura rau nui
Ahiri ho’i e ora na o Tumaraa
Eo Tevaitoa i te Rapatia
te
Ei ono i to
E ta’u ari’i
Te ra’i e te
ara
o
Obtained from there,
Great ’ura feathers.
Behold then, awake are Tumaraa
And Tevaitoa (Departments) to
brave
vicissitudes,
To stand by thy red girdie,
O my king.
The sky and the red girdle,“
Thousands be the ’ura feathers.®’
From the wall of jawbones
In thy red girdie, O my king,
Fetch ’ura (feathers) in abundance.
Let there be thousands resplendent
At the wall of jawbones, which gave
’ura
maro
e
maro ’ura e!
Te’ura tini
O te ahu taa
I to maro ’ura na, e tau
E ti’i i te ’ura ia tini
la mano i anapanapa
I te ahu taa ha’amana
ari’i
e
power
’Ura i tau
Iriti
a
To the
’ura feathers that
flew
Were the rock” taken up,
rere
ia hute.
te papa
départ.
Ra’iatea
nui
E to i te tini
e
E to i te mata
O Ra’iatea nui
hau
Thousands be the ’ura feathers
From the wall of jawbones
e
red girdie, O my king.
My king, thou arise
In thy
From the Sea of the Moon;“
Arise
To great Ra’iatea of the
Moon
And draw the tens, and draw
Marama
i te
to
mano,
sands.
And draw the whole
Of Ra’iatea of eight
vau.
una,
roro
Hei atu a i Taputapuatea,
Te ’Oro matau tua, ’oe e
ta’u ari'i
peaceful
the thou¬
[districts].
My king thou, to be adorned,
Thy brain indeed shall be
Crowned by the god of Taputapuatea,
By ’Oro inured to the sea, O thou, my
king.
Tau Ari’i ’oe i te fa’anehenehe,
To
girdie,
king !
The sky and the red girdie, O !
O my
la ’ura tini
I te ahu taa
I to maro ’ura na, e ta’u ar’i’i e.
Ta’u Ari’i ’oe, a ti’a i ni’a
I te tua o Marama ;
la
glory would
That is the strength of thy red
Te tapa ia i to maro ’ura na
E ta’u ari’i e!
Te ra’i e te maro ’ura e
E ti’a i ni’a
settled and
e.
Then the king stood up and faced the sacred passage, where it is said
that he was approached by two deified sharks
Tuu-mao (Let-go-shark)
and Ta-hui (By-the-clan), which were always the first to corne and pay
legitimate heir to the throne, but kept out of sight of a
They swam in joyously and rubbed caressingly against the royal
who feared them not, and then returned to the open sea.®°
their respects to a
usurper.
person,
The *ura
These
girdie
were
The rock
was an
embleni of the
featheî’S taken from the
means
the white
stone
aiirora
marae
in the sky.
for the girdie.
pillar of investment ite-papa-o-ruea).
Ra’iateà, Huahine, and Tahiti was called the Sea of Moon.
®^A11 the island kingdoms had their deified sharks similar to those of Opoa.
The
sea
between
This appearance was asserted as a fact by King Tamatoa,
enced it, and also by ail the most reliable authorities in the time
It was recorded by Ellis and Tyerman and Bennet.
who said he had himself experiof the first English missionaries.
Henry—Ancicnt Tahiti
193
high priest condiicted the king back to his seat,
which the chiefs bore him reclining to the great stone pillar, at the
foot of which were placed in readiness the royal insignia: the famous
red maro, tipped with black feathers ; a waist girdle ; a red ’ura toque ;
a tahiri (fan), which was a waving cluster of tail feathers of the man-ofwar bird and the tropic bird, attached to a long pôle like a great duster
and resembling the royal kahili of Hawaii; a long toa spear; and a
miro walking stick.
By the pillar the high priest performed the inaugura¬
tion ceremony, called the pure rahi 0 te atoreiau (great invocation of
inauguration) :
After his chant, the
upon
The king, clad in a small dry maro
cloth®" (loin girdle), stood in front
pillar with his chiefs in the rear and on either side of him, and the
high priest, introducing the royal symbols to him, explained their significa¬
tion and disposed of them in their proper places.
Pointing to the pillar,
the priest said, “To papa-ia-ruea” (Thy rock-of-investment) ; pointing to
the wooden pillow upon the throne, he said, “To rurua, 0 Fefeu” (Thy pilof the
he said, “To tahiri, 0 Nunaa-e-hau”
(Th};- fan, Nation-of-peace), which the king passed into the hands of his
senior chief, who held it upright upon the paving beside him, the plumes
rising high above the King’s head,“^ “To taupo’o,^^ te Ata-o-tu” (Thy toque,
the Cloud-of-Tu), he said, placing the toque upon the king’s head; “To
tatua, 0 Manava-taia’’ (Thy waist girdle, Sensitive-conscience), adjusting it
upon him; “A rave i to omore ia Huia-i-te-Ra’i’’ (Take thy spear, Familyof-the-sky), which the king received and passed on to the next high chief;
“A rave i to to’oto’o ia Paia-i-te-faurua” (Take thy staff, Double-puredescent®®), which he placed in the hands of a third chief; and finally the
priest said, “A maro i to maro, ia Tc-raii-pua-tata” (Gird on thy loin girdle,
Sky-of-the aurora) ; and the most sacred of ail the symbols was so placed
upon the king as to hâve one end gracefully streaming before him, and the
other behind.
Then as he sat upon his throne bare-shouldered in that
sacred locality, the chiefs raised him to view on top of the pillar by stepping
upon stones placed to the right and left for that purpose, and there the
people on land and sea held up their hands and greeted him deafeningly
many times with “Maeva Ari’i! maeva Ari’i!” (Hail, King! bail, King!).
low, Spread-out) ; presenting the tahiri,
the chiefs bore the king, still enthroned, to the sacred
placed hlm side by side with the image of his spiritual father,
’Oro, the high priest standing beside them. Then the steerman gave the
signal for the flotilla to set out by striking the paddie against the side of
From the pillar
canoë
State
and
A queen put on more covering, wearing a pareil (waistcloth)
In the same way England’s premier liolds a sword above his
occasions.
Taupo'o is applied to almost every covering for the head.
Doubly pure, being descended from the gods and high priests.
and a light cape.
sovereign’s head
on
certain
Bernice P.
194
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
immediately the trumpets biew and the driims beat and they
forwards, up into the bay of Toa-hiva and ont to the sacred passage,
the canoë, and
went
high priest pronouncing the pure-fau-fenua (invocation-for-highestchieftainship), declaring the king lord of the land and sea and ail upon
and within them, and invoking the hosts of gods, still supposed to be around
them, to aid the new king in wisely governing his people, to be with him in
peace or in war, to extend sway to the east and west, to the north and
South, and to bring ail other monarchs under his feet.
On landing on the shore whence they had departed they returned to the
inner marae at Taputapuatea in the same manne'r as they had corne out. The
procession formed as before, except that the king, borne upon the shoulders
of the four high chiefs of the royal house, reclined in royal array upon his
throne. Following the priest carrying ’Oro’s image they went up into the
marae, where ail took their respective places, the image being placed upon
a mat in the avaa, the king by his
leaning slab, the trumpeters by the drummers, and the priests and chiefs in the rear.
Then the high priest concluded the inauguration ceremony by plucking out the eye of one more
human victim and proffering it to the sovereign, who niade a semblance to
leceive and swallow it, but in reality did not touch it. This was intended to
give keen perception and farsightedness to the récipient and was called
pivai-arïi (apart-with-sovereign). The high priest then said:
the
A hi’o i
A
to
horo
i to
roa.
mou’a ia
Te-a’e-tapu,
tahua, O Mata-tu-tahua-
A hopu i to vai, ia Via-tiare.
A
’au
i
to
vai, ia Ra’i-to-moana.
Pau i to vai ia Vai-tara-toa.
A
hi’o
ra’i.
i
to
’outu,
ia Mata-hira-i-te-
Behold the mountain
vading-sacredness).
Te-a’e-tapu (Per-
Run upon thine assembly ground, Matatu-tahua-roa.
Bathe in thy water, Vai-tiare (Gar-
denia-pool [a small sacred pool]).
Swim in thy river, Ra’i-to-moana (Sky-
drawing-the-ocean).
Splash thy water, Vai-tara-toa (Waterof-s'harp-rocks).
Behold
thy cape,
Mata-hiri-i-te-ra’i
(Face-flinching-at-the-sky).
They then took leave of ’Oro and the marae, in the manner described
(p. 172), the image was put to bed and carried home to the fare-iamanaha, and after announcing to the public that the solemnity was ended
and the festivity and gaieties were to begin, the trumpets and drums were
also put away.
The
priests put
fine ordinary clothing, the chiefs their official feather
taumi upon their heads ; and over the shoulders
of the king, in his girdles and toque, was thrown a tiputa (poncho) of
glossy black, red, and yellow feathers, finished around the neck with ’oro’oro
(clusters of feathers) of the man-of-war bird, and extending down to his
throne. Again, amidst the assembled throng, the air was rent with “Maeva
on
vestments with the gorgeons
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
195
accompanied with the raising of hands. The nude party, some of
mounted upon trees, hailed him as monarch of their persons,
suiting actions to words in language too primitive to be repeated. A queen
was happily exempted from this undignified greeting.
ari’i!”
whom
were
Ail the
dignitaries of the land
were
dressed in official garb, and the
on his throne was finally borne on to a stone platform covered with
mats laid upon long ’aretu (grass) and sheltered with an awning of coco-
king
leaves, which
nut
was
beautifully decorated with
green
and yellow coconut
Here, with the queen and royal household and
his counsellors, lie reviewed and received the loyal greetings of his chiefs
and chiefesses, who headed long processions of the people of their dis¬
and ti leaves and flowers.
tricts.
v/as
to
assembled in proper order for the great feast that
place in long coconut-leaf sheds upon the assembly ground.
The people were
take
inauguration festivity, the king’s ’ura feather maro, the most
royal insignia, was carefully wrapped in tapa and a mat
by itself, and the cape and toque were in like manner wrapped by themselves and put away in the fare-ia-manaha.
The only other occasions on
which he appeared in State were: at the marriage of an heir apparent; at
a réception of the sovereign of another realm as a great guest ; and when
concluding peace after war. Without the other two appendages the king
wore his maro for the pa’i-atua service, and it was spread out to view
for the pure ari’i or prayer for the king before commencing war, as was
seen by Captain Cook.
It has been stated (p. 121) that at Porapora the royal investment was
performed at Fa’anui.®^ In Huahine, Maeva was the seat of inaugural
ceremonies, and the marae was Mata’i-re’a.
After the
sacred of ail his
Tamatoa II of Ra’iatea seems to hâve been the only king who was brave
enough to give Europeans his maro’ura, those of ail the others having
been carefully encased and buried in marae ground after Christian rites
superseded the old. Their past history rendered these relies so valuable
to their owners that they would not give them up for love or money.
When there was no direct heir to the throne the sovereign had the
prérogative to
name
the successor.
ruler at the demise of the former.
Otherwise the people elected a new
In ancient times when kings became despotic and detested by their subjects, the officiais and priests after holding counsel together went to his
abode, denounced him for his many cruel and wrong doings, and pronounced
the following verdict upon him: “Haere a amu i te huha pua’a anoi hia i te
tutae!
U a iriti to varovaro, ua tu’ua ’oe i raro ci taa-hi one, e haere noa
^
The maro tea of Porapora was a
inches wide.
It was bordered with red
also of the man-of-war bird.
light-colored girdle about six yards long and twelve
feathers and tippcd at the ends with black feathers,
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
196
ei ta’ata ino.”
(Go and eat the leg of pork seasoned with dung! Thy
roy-
alty is taken from thee, thou art put down to tread the sand, to walk like
common
men).
prestige and dignity were then gone, he was called a taahi-one,
insignia were transferred to another, either of his
household or of a neighboring kingdom.
Ail his
and his title and official
own
HUMAN
SACRIFICE
Before the flood, when Maui the priest built marae and established
priests in ail régions, the world was luxuriant and the people were in
favor with the gods, so that they had no need of human sacrifices.
But
there came a time when there was a great drought and excessive heat in
Havai’i (Ra’iatea), so that the people exclaimed, “Ta’aroa, the Uniquefoundation, whose curse is death, is angry; he is consuming us!” And the
king, moved to pity for his people, told the priests to pray and présent
offerings to Ta’aroa that they might regain his favor and obtain rain from
heaven to restore the land. The priests reflected and said, “We must hâve
a pa’i-atua service,” which was donc with offerings of lean pigs, fish, and
bird’s feathers, having no fruit or other things to présent with them. The
bark of trees from which cloth
from which mats
were
made,
was
were
made and the leaves of Pandanus,
dry and parched
upon
the trees.
But
pa’i-atua did not produce any effect.
king said, “We must humble ourselves before God; we must
tremble with fearl Let us offer a man as a tapu (pledge or sacrifice) to
atone for unintentional offenses and regain God’s favor in this our great
distress.”
So the priests slew a man and offered him at the shrine of
Ta’aroa, and soon clouds gathered in the sky, and rain fell and restored the
land to its former flourishing condition.
Tlrus it was shown that the
gods liked human flesh, which was called te avae roroa (Long-legged fish) ;
and it remained the custom ever afterwards for the king or high priest to
décidé when such a sacrifice was required and for the priest to put his order
into execution.
But this happened very seldom until ’Oro, god of war,
came into favor after the Flood, when he required many human sacrifices.
The victims for human sacrifices were always taken unawares, and
were men chosen from among war captives, called titi, men of the lowest
rank, called manahune, and men of the middle classes who made themselves obnoxious to those in power. When one of a family was taken, the
others were doomed to follow. Consequently expectant victims fled and hid
in terror when an occasion for such sacrifice arrived, and they did not
breathe freely until the to’ere drum announced that the man was obtained
that
Then the
Received from Tamera and
Anani, high priests o£ Tahiti, excepting paragraphs
3,
4,
and 5.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
and offered upon
ironie old taunt,
sacrifices
!)
197
the altar and finally buried. From this custom arose the
“Baha ’oe? toea tapu!” (What are you? a remnant of
A
long banana shoot, called ta’ata-o-meia-roa (man-long-banana), was
on ordinary occasions as a substitute for a human
being, but when
a man was
required, the sovereign sent the order to an under chief to
obtain one.
The messenger, who was generally a stern-willed warrior,
would go with a club of toa or stone hidden under his clothes and
enquire of the chief, “Hâve you not got a broken calabash here?” or,
“Hâve you not seen a stray dog here ?” And when a person of the doomed
class happened to be near, the chief would answer with a significant look
towards him, and before he was aware of evil coming, the manslayer struck
him fatally upon the temple or back of the neck, taking care not to break
a bone of his body,
put him into a ha’ape’e (a long coconut-leaf basket),
otfered
and carried him off.
Captain Henry
house where he
,
was
saw
an
once présent
instance of
at
a
a
meeting of natives in
a
large
treacherous murder of this kind.
signal given by the chief, which was merely a downward glance of
suddenly despatched from the midst of the unsuspecting assembly and borne away, a sight which so horrified Captain
Henry that he forced his way out through the fence forming the side of
At
a
the eye, a poor man was
the house where he had sat and hurried home.
Soon he
saw men
the way to the marae with the bleeding body of the
time when a messenger came for a doomed man who
pass on
victim. At another
had hidden away, a
member of the household would go and treacherously decoy him to a spot
where the other could waylay and slay him.
Many other cold-blooded
stratagems were used. At times the under chief befriended the condemned,
when he would de fer giving an answer to the enquiry until he had slily
warned the intended victim to be armed and to try to redeem his life by
slaying his assailant and making him the victim for the sacrifice. If the
condemned man was the victor he secured his own émancipation and that of
his family, to whose former State the survivors of the new victim became
subject. In event of failure to meet the demands of his sovereign, the
under chief was in danger of losing his land and property by confiscation.
The occasions for
ofïering human sacrifices
were :
Laying the foundatlon stone of a national marae.
Uhi-a-iri-o-te-matahiapo. Washing of the royal firsthorn.
Faora’a.
piha’era’a reva. Tearing of the royal flag.
First introduction of the royal child to the public.
te ari’i matahiapo.
Circumeision of the firsthorn prince.
o
te ari’i matahiapo.
Coming of âge of the firsthorn
Reva hahae or
Vahi-a-pa.
Tehera’a o
Fa’atoira’a
princess.
prince or
Bernice P.
198
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Inauguration of the sovereign.
te maro.
Perforating tapa cloth to make a royal feather girdle.
Tu’ura’a-o-te-au.
First piercing of the needle into the cloth.
Fa’aari’ira’a.
Maura’a titi
o
Piura’a o te maro.
In completing the maro.
Rao-va’a-a-te-ari’i.
Canoë roller for the sovereign
a new land.
Matea.
or
heir
apparent
in
visiting
Awakening the tutelar god to présidé over hattle.
victorious in hattle.
Pure-ari’i.
Invocation for the sovereign to be
Haea-mati.
In opening hostilities at war tlme.
Maui-feathers.
In
equipping
canoë
a
to go with an olîering of peace to ’Oro.
Turu-ari’i.
To support a king after defeat in hattle.
la-no-te-fa’atau’aroha.
Pish for pledging international
Turua-fare-ia-manaha.
In erecting a
friendship.
house of sacred treasures of the
marae.
Only male sacrifices, htiman or otherwise, were supposed to be accept¬
gods, the sole exceptions to the rule heing a woman or girl
able to the
who died from the hlack art
or
was
slaiii in
war
Toi-mata, daughter of ’Oro.
ofifered to
time, when she
was
four offerings called taraehara (atonements) : (i) Ta’ata(man-long-banana), which was a long banana shoot used as a
substitute for a man by priests at the marae and also by doctors in healing
the sick. The banana shoot was also a Symbol of peace—their olive branch.
(2) The fei-’ai (petition-with-food), the sacrificial pig or dog besmeared in
its own blood and offered as a national atonement at the royal marae.
(3)
Tai-fenua (homesickness), food and other présents brought by exiles who
had been banished from home hy their sovereign during political distur¬
bances and who wished to regain royal favors. When the présent was accepted it meant forgiveness and restoration to former dignity; if rejected
it was a warning for the supplicant to make a speedy retreat.
(4) Faitera’ataua (reconciliation-of-friends), food or other présents exchanged between
There
were
o-meia-roa
friends who had been alienated from each other.
MORT AL
SINS®
{pahara aiaai) against the priests
during religions solemnities were : taute, violation of sanctity by doing
domestic work; hara faiaia, irreverance in offering human victims; hara
i te fa’ahaerea, clumsiness in processions or failing in religions récitals ; paoa
pure, hurrying over prayers to serve the food; ai haruma i te omu pua’a,
greediness in eating the head of a pig; ai haruma i te omu honu, greediness
in eating the head of a turtle.
The sins that
were
held
as
mortal sins
of these offenses, sure judgment upon the priest, people, and
supposed to follow, and if confession and atonement were
quickly made the priest, it is said, would die in great agony by a curse
For any
the land
not
"
was
Received
from
Pômare II,
Mahine, and the priests generally.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
199
from the
gods. In that case the people made atonement witli peace offeriiigs at the marae. When a priest was seen committing such misdeeds during the sacred spell for which he had been purihed, it behooved the witness
of the act immediately to report him to the fraternity and ail the community, who would hold a general meeting and suspend the offender from
his sacred fimctions at that time.
This was a great dégradation, for he
thus remained among the people divested of clérical honor. At length when
festivity approached, one priest would propose to the
pardon the ofïender and receive him again into favor. When ail
agreed to do so, they would make it known to the high priest and community, who after assembling and deliberating would agréé also to the
proposai. Then a priest of good standing was chosen to fetch the offender,
who would corne with a chicken and a sprig of miro (called ava) in his
hand. If his offense had been domestic work, for example, he would say :
the time for another
others to
Teie
au, teie te pinia moa, teie te
’ava, ei taraehara a’e i taua hara
na’u ra, i taute ai au. Fa’aora ia’u i
taua hapa ra.
rau
Here am I, here is the chicken, here
is the ava sprig to atone for my sin,
when 1 did domestic work.
Forgive
me that transgression.
The offering was accepted for the marae, and ail présent would respond ;
A haere mai.
la ora ’oe !
A haere
mai i te ’oro’a.
A haere na ra e
horoi i taua mahuruhuru nau ra.
So the
Corne hither !
May you live ! Corne
the ordinance.
But go first and be
cleansed of your debasement.
to
priest who had fetched him accompanied him to the
foliowing prayer to the tutelar god :
there immersed him with the
Tahiti’a mai,
e te Atua, tohiu maro
i tohiu tahu’a nei ! Fa’atiama’i i to
tahu’a i hara nei, ia ma te taute i tai
nui atea ia moe i tai mauriuri ; ia ma
te mahuru huru, te hara o to tahua nei.
Fa’aho’i mai i te moa nona, ia tarai
e,
fa’ahou ’oia i te
aitu, ia
poro
urua
ia hi’i fa’ahou i te
fa’ahou, ia ho, ho fa’ahou,
ia rutu fa’ahou i te pahu, e ia naupa
fa’ahou tana rau ’ava.
Tahiti’a mai e
te Atua e !
sea
and
Hearken, O god, inspirer through the
loin girdle, to thy body of priests !
Cleanse thy priest who has offended,
that his domestic défilement be cleansed
in the trackless océan, be lost in the
murmuring
sea;
that the debasement,
the sin of this thy priest be cleansed.
Restore him to holiness, that he may
again eut up cavalla fish, again nurse
gods, again herald them, shout for
them, that he may again beat the drums
and again obtain the ava leaf. Hearken
to us, O gods !
the
Then the
offending priest was restored to the fraternity, pardoned and
purihed and again privileged to perform ail the rites of his calling.
regard to the tumu-fara feast, it was believed that the gods would
speedy judgment upon the people, from the king downward, if they
served themselves before setting apart the portion for the gods.
But if
they made speedy restoration for what they had taken, the gods forgave
In
send
Bernice P. Bisliop
200
Muséum—Bulletin 48
by some of them from among
they had caught for the timiu-fara and they immediately obtained
another in its stead, the gods turned away their faces from the breach in
good manners, while the transgressors simply placed it among the other
fishes. But when a man stole food from the pile not yet divided and made
no restoration, his deed was soon made known by the gods to somebody,
who then took a bunch of prickly grass burs and tied it to the door of the
ofïender. This act, called taupiri (stick fast), was a warning to the thief
that his deed was known, and if he ignored the plain hint he was ostracized
by the community, and sickness or misfortune' followed him.
them.
If
a
shark
or
other fish
were
eaten
those that
In présentations of food to the gods, the best of the first obtained was
carefully sorted for that purpose, as terrible conséquences were feared in
case of serving the gods last.
(vSee p. 241.)
IDEAS OF A FUTURE STATE
their spirits
died from natural causes,
fatal accidents occurred,
rendering these places sacred or dreaded. Hence the belief still that certain
places, especially marae and former battle-fields, are haunted, and the oldtime adoption of certain sharks as being possessed with the spirits of
ancestors that the sea had engulfed.
The spirits of persons who had committed suicide from disappointment in love or jealousy ever afterwards
remained with the object of attachment.
Little babies murdered at birth
(puaru) became home guardians of their parents, who sometimes fancied
they heard their cries at night. Babies born prematurely went down to
Ta’aroa’s pools of water in Hades, where they entered into hihi (periwinkles) and o’opu {Blectris fusca), which were eaten by the gods; they
did not die, however, but slipped into new bodies whenever taken.
Babes
that had not seen the light from other causes were permitted to enter into
It
was
supposed that when people died violent deaths
did not go the same way as those of people who
but that they remained at the places where the
the
same
State
kind of fishes in rivers
went to
After
remained
fessed to
on
the earth.
Children in the dépendent
their ancestors.
a natural death they believed, like Theosophists, that the spirit
by the body three days before leaving it; and then adepts prosee the spirit take its flight, describing its attitude and other
spirits that sometimes accompanied it.
From the body, the spirit, warding off evil genii with the ’ura amulets,
went to Tataa Hill at Puna’auia, the grand place of assemblage for ail
disembodied soûls in Tahiti. If it alighted there upon the 0 fai-or a (stoneof-life) it could return by powerful attraction to its body; but if it went
on
to the ofai-pohe (stone-of-death), it was forever severed from its
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
201
In either case it ascended from Tataa, to Rotui (Soulmountain in Mo’orea, and thence to Mount Temehani
in Ra’iatea, where two paths branched from the main road along the ridge,
the one to the right leading to a lonely hillock, standing like a detached
buttress, called Pu-o-roo-i-te-ao (Center-to-arrive-in-heaven), and the other
to the left leading to a cone-shaped heap, called Pu-o-roo-i-te-Po (Centermortal remains.
dispatching),
a
to-arrive-in-Hades).
point of déviation stood the god, Tu-ta-horoa (Stand-to-permit),
spirit coming from the stone of life at Tataa hill met him he
would under certain conditions tell it to return to its body to remain a
while longer in this life.'*'* But generally he merely pointed to one of the
t-wo roads, which the spirit silently took.
When allo-wed to go to the right,
At the
and when the
it flew
on
to
Pu-o-roo-i-te-ao and there met Roma-tane
■who received the ’ura feather amulets
as
peace
(Voluptuous-man)
offerings, -wliereupon the
was safely ushered into the desired Paradise, called Rohutu-noanoa
(Rohutu-of-s'weet-odor). But ■when directed to the left by Tu-ta-horoa the
spirit had no alternative but to obey and fly up on to Pu-o-roo-i-te-Pô,
spirit
whence it flew down into the crater of Temehani and was soon ushered
of Ta’aroa-nui-tuhi-mate (Great-Ta’aroa-whose-curse-wasIn this région the rank of mortal beings was not respected, but
ail were treated alike.
Kings, noblemen, and plebeians, according to their
capabilities, were food-gatherers, fishermen, planters, and menial servants
to the gods; queens and ail classes of women served the goddesses, for, as
the legends of old Tafai and the goddess Pere show, régions like
those above ground and the same kind of life were supposed to exist
below.
When their work was doue these captive spirits had to sit about
in the région of utter darkness—which to the gods was not obscure—by
the ever-rushing river where Ta’aroa and his coadjutor Rua-tupua-nui liked
to dwell; and when it pleased Ta’aroa, his cooks scraped the spirits into a
pulp with the shell of the tupere (cockle) as sweetening for his pota (taroleaf spinach).
But this process did not annihilate them, and they came
again to be at Ta’aroa’s disposai.
into the presence
death).
After remaining about a year in this purgatory, the spirits looking misér¬
able, would be sitting with recent arrivais around Ta’aroa, who at last
moved to pity would ask if they were not happy, and on being answered
in the négative, he would ask what they desired.
They would say they
were homesick and would like to be released to visit the upper world.
Then
Ta’aroa, after enquiring about their homes and relatives, showing great
tell them they were free to go for a
interest in ail their answers, would
visit.
After this
See legend of
they became inferior gods, called ’oromatua, that were
Tafai (p.-552).
i
202
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
composée! of three classes: ’oromatua maitatai (good ’oromatua), who
entered into their own skulls as family gods or guardian spirits; ’oromatua
’ori’ori noa (rambling ’oromatua), who sometimes appeared to members
of their family to direct them in their worldly affairs or warn them of
Corning dangers; and ’oromatua nihoniho-roroa or ’ oromatua-ia-aru
(’oromatua with long teeth or people in the woods). (See p. 203.) The
first class were always benevolent; the second class were kind when
well treated, but abandoned those whom they would befriend; and
the third class, when vexed, strangled and devoured people, even their
relatives and friends and were invoked to do so by the sorcerers in their
black art.
Persons in trances
were
supposed to be dead, and after returning to
Pô, which they believed
consciousness confirmed the statements about the
they had seen. Such a statement was made by a little man named Pupu-tetipa (Healing-class) in Ra’iatea, a farmer who had a nice home and wife
and several beautiful daughters, and who, it was said, was once taken
bodily by the gods down into the Pô and kept several days, but at last
for the sake of lus family was released and returned home;
During the year when the soûl was supposed to be safe with Ta’aroa
Pô, ail the family and near and distant relatives planted food and
fattened live stock. When ail their plans were matured, at about the anniversary of the death, they made a feast in the home of the deceased, of
which they partook in the night, pô-tupapa’u called (ghosts’s night), when
they invoked the presence of their lost relative, bidding him or her welcome
home.
This practice, they said, insured the continued good-will of the
deceased, who then never haunted them.
in the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
203
BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL INELUENCES
THE
Magicians
BLACK ART'
and
ThBir Agîîncies
which the class of persons called feia tahutahu or orou
(magicians) had, by the influence of the powers of darkness (laying
aside what was ludicrous and ridiculous), is almost staggering to one’s
sensés and astounding to one’s faith,” frankly States Mr. Orsmond in his
Work, fearless of ail criticism. At the close of the eighteeiith and the
beginning of the ninteenth centuries, in central Polynesia, such too was
the opinion of his co-workers as well as of the American missionaries who
arrived a little later.
The following Tahitian recordg are presented as
they stand, without attempting to solve the supernatural mysteries.
Varions forms of the black art were practised in the Society Islands
with little variation, for different purposes, by magicians of both sexes,
called feia-taJiutahu^ (kindlers), likened to the kindling of a tire, and
their principal médiums of communication with “familiar spirits” were
numerous little images called ti’i (fetchers), which were supposed by Tahitians to perpetuate the malicious magical practices of Ti’i the first man, who
had a white héron fetcher. The ti’i had spécial marae or consecrated places.
These evil workers exercised great authority and receivd great gain from ail
classes who consulted and employed them in their art, which they always
practised with much secrecy.
Their dread images were sometimes neatly and at other times roughly
hewn out of sacred wood from their marae grounds, especially the pua, and
out of stone and hard coral, in caricature form of human beings, which
were dressed as little men and women in varions kinds of tapa fastened
on with fine sennit, as the sennit was supposed to contain magical powers.
The feia tahutahu were technically called nanati-’aha or natinati-aha
(sennit-binders).
In strict privacy the magicians invoked to enter their respective images
the mehoi (presence) of démons, called varua-’ino, and of malevolent
disembodied spirits of ancient famé, called ’oromatua-ai-aru (devouringghosts-of-darkness) or ’oramatua-niho-roroa (ghosts-with-long-teeth), after
which the images were named. The magicians adopted them as sons and
daughters, carefully observing the prestige of their different âges and addressing them accordingly. And it is asserted that the fetchers were
“The powers
^
2
1823 and 1840 from Anani, Mo’o and Tamera.
Feia, like ta’ata, means person or persons; and tahutahu is the same as kahuna in
when used in this sense, its New Zealand Maori équivalent being tohunga.
Received in
Hawaiian dialect,
the
Bernice P.
204
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
prompt to respond to the call of their adopted metua-tahutahu (magicianparents) to do mischief to offending parties that they were directed to
besiege.
The
marae
or
inclosures of the ti’i
were
distinguished from ail others
a little house called farc-ti’i (fetchers-house) set upon
in which the images were systematically placed
upon
beneath which was spread a bed for the metua-tahutahii,
by
high pillars,
shelves and
who always
ostensihly slept with them (in person or in effigy represented by the bed
itself), no other mortal ever daring to approach them for fear of being
tortured to death.
Even the magician was ever in fear of unwittingly
offending them and, in conséquence, of being hurled down upon the stone
pavings and perhaps killed by their mighty power.
With the ti’i
was
also
kept the vava or tunshell (Dolium perdix), a
owing to the soft murmuring Sound one
shell of fine délicate texture, which
perçoives in applying its opening to the ear was supposed to be
municating messages from the tPi to the magician.
The ti’i
were
at
com-
certain times bathed and sunned and anointed with
fragrant oil, which the gods in feathers never required, and they were
kept dressed in choice, fresh clothes. They were always presented on great
occasions at the pa’i-atua, where they received their share of ’ava with the
gods. The metua-tahutahu prepared food with sacred fire and held mys-
night festivities with the ti’i alone in their house. In this capacity
called the ’opu-tara (incantation-stomach), in contradistinction to
’opu-nui (august-stomach), or national marae keeper.
terious
he
the
was
used to convey the evil spirits into a marked person was
(developer), which consisted of something tangible from
that person held in security hy the tahutahu in a réceptacle called a fari’itupu (developer-holder). In the ti’i house was kept a stone bowl, called
the ofa’i-raro (under-stone), with a stone cover, called the ’ofai-ni’a
(upper-stone), that fitted closely into the border of the bowl; the whole
was called the fari’i-tupu.
Into this bowl was placed the tupu, consisting
of something worn or used by the intended victim, such as hair or
nail prunings, a piece of wearing apparel, a wreath of flowers, leavings of
food or drinking water, and also saliva or any other émanation from the
body; and with it was performed what was called the pifao (subtlehooking), or torturing process. The enemy of the victim or the tahutahu
procured such things by art and treachery, as people were always on their
guard against being exposed to this danger. AU persons of high rank had
spécial hereditary attendants who took to the tiri-a-pera of the marae oi
burned, buried, or sank in the sea ail tupu belonging to them.
One
called
a
means
tupu
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
205
obtained and secured in the fari’i-tupu, it was taken
presented to the va’a-ti’i (assembly-of-ti’i), each of which the ti’i
parent invoked by name to enter and destroy the person whose iho
(essence) was therein contained. As it is affirmed that the spirits assumed
their image forms and that some of them could thus be seen and heard
on approaching and entering their victim, they were called ti’i haere ta’ata
(fetchers who walked like people). Other ti’i worked their way into
persons through the ground on which they stood or sat and could not be
seen or heard entering them; they were called ti’i motoe (worm-wriggling
fetchers). On entering a person, the symptoms />î/ao (subtle-hooking), could
not be mistaken, as excruciating pain in the intestines was produced, the
rough coral imp lacerating them, imps of stone weighing down heavily,
and those of wood slipping and pushing and piercing through and through
the intestines, thus causing high fever, palpitation of the heart, and foaming
When the tupu was
and
at
the mouth.
When awestruck spectators
enquired of them who they
voice from within, “O vau”
(It is I), giving a certain name. If the torture was not quickly checked
by a healing stronger power, the sufferer usually died within a day or
two, writhing in agony. Very acute pains produced death within six or
eight hours, such a case being called nati-poto (short-setting).
each imp responded in a spécial audible
were,
also
fari’i-tupu to hold greater developers for the pifao workings, in a
more general way, such as a sleeping mat, a piece of beam, or anything
out of a house, in which case ail its inmates were liable to become afflicted
Braided baskets of coconut leaves with
used
closely fitting
covers were
as
with the aforementioned evils
or
with madness.
the
By means of the pifao, hypnotism was occasionally practised upon
victim when it best suited the purposes of the tahutahu.
In such cases
completely governed by the magician and were at his
divulging secrets and betraying relatives and dearest friends, after
which some of the victims’ lives were spared ; but they generally sickened
and died from the effects of the evil spell.
Another form of witchcraft was called timoo (overshadowing), and for
this purpose the magician, supposed to be accompanied by the evil
spirits, clandestinely made an opening into an oven of food that was being
cooked or looked into a basket of food hung up or looked at some drinking water just ready for a meal. Then he uttered an incantation for the
spirits to enter and control the food or drink, which was regarded as a
most effectuai means of fiendish destruction to the partakers, producing the
same effect as the pifao.
the vicitims became
mercy,
A
magician’s house, called a fare-tahutahu, under the control
a superior order that excluded witches, was considered an
wizard of
of a
indis-
Bernice P. Bishop
2o6
Muséum—Bulletin 48
pensable appendage to every national marae, of which the numerous little
images were called the va’a ti’i a te atua (assembly of fetchers for the
gods). Most numerous of ail were those of ’Oro, the warrior god.
spirits that possessed the ti’i of this order were said to be
(disembodied spirits) of
famous rulers and warriors of the nation, whose skulls were used as
fetchers, and were said to be of a most irritable nature, implacable and
malignant to ail their enemies and even to their friends when offended.
The evil
terrible démons of darkness and also ’oromatua
Ellis®
saw
the ruins of the ti’i house of the national
marae
of Tane at
twelve
named
Mauri (Entrancer), Pua-ra’i (Heavenly-flower), and Tea-fao (Barbedarrow)—names of famous warrior chiefs of olden times.
Maeva in Huahine, which stood upon strong posts, elevated about
feet from the ground.
Its chief evil genii had been the ’oromatua
It
was
the office of the tahutahu of the national marae to avenge
annihilate ofïending tahutahu of an
foe, and to aid the warrior by percaptured chiefs in time of war. (See
on their enemies, to
inferior order, to destroy a national
king and chiefs
forming deadly rites
P-
310.)
upon
slain
or
This kind of tahutahu exercised
the
a
ail ranks of people.
his chiefs and even upon the
terrible sway over
At times he used his evil influences upon
king, who then, if possible, had him slain by a priest or warrior.
In the reign of Pômare I a famous prophet and magician of ’Oro, named
Metua (Parent), one day had a lively discussion with the king and was
heard to say, “You must yield, you must yield, or I shall bend my bow
with force” {B tu’u ’oe, e tu’u ’oe, a fefe maite ta’u fana). This speech
was supposed to be in reference to his boasted power in the black art, for
not long afterwards the king’s eldest son, Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa, the young
prince of Taiarapu, became ill and died with ail the symptoms of sorcery.
The death was laid at Metua’s door, whether rightly or wrongly was never
known.
By fetchers, thieves were made to confess
would go to
their guilt. The party robbed
the magician and lay the case before him, whose means,
called
(spirit-reflector), of identifying the thief was as follows : In
the marae house was kept a black ‘unie te (wooden-trough) or a black
coconut cup, into which water was poured to serve as a mirror, the dark
receiver rendering a clear reflection in the water of objects before it;
in the ground below some bewitched houses was a basin-shaped hole which
the tahutahu lined with à great ape leaf and filled with water to serve as a
apovarua
mirror.
®
These reflectors
Ellis, Wm.,
Polynesian
were
called apo-varua.
researches, London,
1829.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
207
being informée! of a case of theft, the tahutahu would take a
banana shoot to represent the culprit, and holding it before the water
invoke the ti’i, calling upon each one by name, to reveal the thief,
After
young
would
saying :
E ta’u tamari’i e !
Na ’oro-matua
niho roroa, e te varua ’ino o te po, a
ti’i a fa’a’ite mai i te ta’ata i hara,
’oia ’o Mei’a-roa nei.
O my children !
teeth and devils of
fetch and reveal to
Long-banana.
Ghosts with long
darkness, go and
me
this offender,
called the apua (conjuring), and it is affirmed
by old natives still living that the likeness of the thief or thieves was by this
means soon reflected in the apo-varua.
Travelling thieves did not escape.
It is claimed that they too were traced and followed up with certainty by
the accomplished magician.
Sometimes when it became known that the
This form of prayer was
robbed party was
Consulting the dreaded tahutahu, the stolen goods were
stealthily to the owner’s promises at night, and the chief thus
escaped the terrible ordeal, as the matter was then dropped and forgotten.
returned
When
a
thief
premeditated theft, he said to his god :
e, te haere nei au e
’oe e fa’aro’o mai ia he
to’u reo auanei ; ia maau vau ia ’oe
na, eiaha ’oe e hi’o mai, e te atua.
E
ta’u
eia,
eiaha
atua
O my god, I am going to steal; do
heed me when my voice goes
not
astray^ by and by; let me be a fool to
thee; do not notice me, O god.
i te atua (a fool to the god). Then
impunity, and when taxed with the
theft by the owners of the property, who were put on his track by the
sorcerer, he did not hesitate to deny it in the most solemn manner,
speaking thus :
This
called
was
becoming
maau
the thief felt that he could rob with
’A’ita vau i rave i tena 11a taoa; e
topa noa ’tu na vau i ta’u atua, e topa
noa ’tu ho’i au i ta’u tamaiti matahiapo,
ei ’ite e ’a’ita vau i rave i ta ’oe tao’a!
The
owner
would
taua
This
stolen
*
was
goods
The voice
ness
hâve not
call my
that I hâve not taken your prop¬
erty.
reply :
e huna màrô !
Tei ia ’oe
tao’a ra; na ’oe mau i rave,
ua apua hia ’oe e te orou.
’O ’oe mau
a
te eiâ, na apo hia to ’oe varua, ua
’itea hua hia to ’oe na huru.
Eiaha ’oe
mau
taken that property; I
god [to witness], I assuredly call my first-born son to wit¬
I
even
Do not persist in denying it ! You
hâve really got that property, you really
took it, you hâve been conjured by the
sorcerer.
You are really the thief,
.
spirit has been reflected,
been clearly identified.
your
you
hâve
generally enough to make the thief yield and either return the
or pay for them.
But if the thief continued to deny the
going astray signifiée! telling lies to hide the theft.
Bernice P.
2o8
Bishop Miiscum—Bidletin 48
captured and taken to the sorcerer, who then used threats
he still denied, the sorcerer used his art upon
him, which was called rua-ha’a (source-of-action), and the démon tortures
soon followed.
At intervals, the sorcerer would exhort the victim to con¬
fess, and when he resisted the sorcerer would say, “Ua niaau ’oia i ta’ na
atua” (He has become a fool to his god), and the tortures went on until
death frequently ended the terrible tragedy. Women and children were not
spared this fiendish treatment, as the sorcerer was inexorable.
charge, he
to
was
make him confess, and if
conclusions evidently show that niany poor victims were
perhaps objects of hatred and spites, and granting that
the sorcerers were impartial in sacred writings is the statement that “lying
spirits” frequently deceived those who dealth with them.
Such tragic
innocent persons
tahiitahu desired to discontinue their connection
When the
with the
generally claimed to be
haunted and secretly dug holes three or four feet deep, in which they
buried each image separately, bidding farewell to the spirit it represented,
which was thus supposed to abandon its earthly abode and return to darkness.
This performance was called fa’arue-ti’i (casting-off-of-fetchers).
ti’i, they chose unfrequented ground that was
But in
some
haunted the
cases
those ti’i
sorcerers
were
said to hâve been stubborn and to hâve
in which
with their graves
and their families in dreams and otherwise,
the ti’i parent concluded that they were not pleased
and so would carefully remove them to more désirable
case
repeating the process again before the hauntings
ceased.
places, sometimes
these beliefs upon the people that when idolatry
careful to gather up and bury their ti’ij allowing
very few of them to fall into the hands of incredulous foreigners.
Occasionally a stray ti’i image is excavated from its hiding place by people digwas
Such strong hold had
abolished they were
ging the soil.'*
People of ail classes made hideous images of wood from their own
invested them with ail the power they could muster, and then
attached them to posts, in clusters looking in ail directions.
These they
firmly planted upon the boundaries of their land, and heaped around with
stones for private, incidental restriction of food.
They were called ti’i-pûmarae,
(clustered-fetchers-f or-restriction), differing only in dimensions,
who removed them at
rahui
according to the rank or class of the proprietor,
pleasure.
Isaac Henry, the father of the compiler of this work, once founcl one of stone on an
site in Hitiaa, Tahiti, which he presented to the Rev. Mr. Arboiisset, of the Protest¬
ant Parish Missionary Society, who took it to Paris as a choice relie of his sojourn in
Another one of stone was found deep in the ground at Taiohae, Marquesas, where a road was
being made and was given to me by Mrs. J, K- Browne, formerly of that place. A Marquesan
food pounder, the handle of which is crested with two ti"i heads to guard the food from
®
old
Mr.
marae
spirits,
was
Tahiti.
aîso received from Mrs. Browne.
evil
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
209
Ti’i-potua-ra’au (back-to-back-woocl-fetchers)
carved
one
above another
on
ail sides of
a
were long hideous figures
single log of considérable dimen¬
marae and were dedicated to démons.
They were
erected with great pomp and surrounded with a great heap of stones in
the presence of the king and queen upon the public assembly ground, where-
sions from the national
general restriction of food on land and sea was proclaimed.
sickness, misfortune, and even death were said inevitably to befall
those who transgressed these forms of prohibition, few persons ever venever
a
As
In raising the restriction the ti’i were taken down
and put away for future use, when the spirits were supposed to abandon
them until invoked for a new érection by the same proprietors.
Conquer-
tured thus to ofifend.
and Etrangers who became possessors of the
same old images but must make new ones
(p. 167).
ors
land could not
use
the
Ti’i-tu’U-ahu (Fetchers-for-lowering-clothes) were an order of ti’i not
possessed with démons—immense images representing the reigning dynasty
of the land. One was placed upon each boundary of crown land and invested with royal dignity in order that no one might transgress upon such
property. Etiquette demanded that persons passing them should bare their
heads and lower their clothes down to their waists in
reverence
for the
personage they represented.
sion of the land and a new
When conquering chiefs came into posses¬
royal family reigned, the old images were destroyed and fresh ones placed in their stead to represent the new dynasty.
Laborers and other persons meanly clad or carrying loads of any kind always gave them wide berth, so as not to desecrate their presence thus, and
as only fools or strangers in the land ever violated these observances, they
they
without punishment. But
gradually lost their import as the old
reign of King Pômare II, the last of
were
not
held accountable when
them away
crumble away.
did so, and vassals quickly turned
these great ti’i, like the small ones,
customs gave place to new. In the
them were left to stand, decay, and
DisënchanTER
People that were supposed to be under a curse of the gods of the
feia-tahutahu, both men and women were taken to a prayer-healing priest
of the regular clergy, called the apa (disenchanter), ha’a-tupn (growthcombater), or tao-ti’i (rebuker-of-fetchers), whose marae was dedicated to
the god Ro’o-te-roro’o, and who was at ail times a defier of magicians and
evil spirits, being in favor with ail the gods of the higher classes.
He
practised his art in the following manner : going to the marae of the god
he chanted F
Given in archaic language
by Anani,
a
priest of that order.
Bernice P. Bishop
210
Pare mai i te tapu o Ro’o
i te rito,
i te mahora o Ro’o ;
i te fai pu i te peapea
ia Ro’o i ni’a,
ia Ro’o i raro,
ia Ro’o i uta,
ia Ro’o i tai,
ia Ro’o i te poiri, ■
ia Ro’o i te maramarama !
Museuin-—Bulletin 48
Ejection of evil by the adjuration of
te roro’o ;
Ro’o-te-roro’o
above,
to
to
to
to
Tu, Ro’o te roro’o,
to
te
pare
e
marna
riria
o
moemoea
!
i
te
Ro’o
to
Ro’o below,
Ro’o inland,
Ro’o seaward,
Ro’o in darkness',
Ro’o in light !
Stand, Ro’o-te-roro’o, who vvas entranced® within thy mother, and wast
the firstborn of Fa’ahotu.
Stand to eject with vehemence, to
eject with mildness ; eject the ills of
I mauri i roto i to metua vahiné,
i fanau matahiapo mai ia Fa’ahotu.
Tu i te ufa i te pare,
i
;
the renovation,
of the adjustment of Ro’o;
on full confession of troubles
of
pare ;
na,
grudges, conveyed through
dreams !
For casting out a disorder, the apa would take a banana shoot in one
hand, to represent the evil-working magician, and a bundle of ava roots for
god in the other hand, and repair to the house of the afflicted person,
assembled, ready to make
confession to the apa, in the name of the patient who might be délirions
and unable to answer for himself.
Upon a mat close by were placed
precious gifts for the god Ro’o, in the person of his priest, where also
the ava roots brought by him were placed.
On approaching the patient the following words between the apa and
family circle would take place :
the
around whom the relatives and friends would be
“What complaint is ailing thee?
Is it a curse, an error, or pride?”
“No !”
“What then is it? A parent’s curse?”
“No !”
“An imprécation?
Sacredness vio-
“Eaha to ma’i i taai na?
E tuhi, e ’oe, e mataotao?”
"Eaha
ra?
“E ahua?
“E’ere!”
E rorai?”
“Eere !”
lated?”
E ra’a i fatia?”
“E patu mo’a i fa’ahoroa?”
“Eere !”
“E ’a’au mimiro, e matamataee,
hahara, to mai i taai na?”
“Eere!”
“E fa’atomo to mai i taai na?”
'^’Oia ia!”
“No !”
“A sacred wall pushed down?”
“No !”
“Is it a burdened soul, estranged,
“Eere!”
e
accused, that afflicts’ thee?”
“Art
craft ?”
thou
“No !”
possessed
with
witch-
(That is it!) would be the éjaculation, and then the apa,
would chant the healing prayer, as
holding the banana shoot in his hand,
follows
:
Ei hahau area ; ei po otahi nei e te
e !
E mo’a ’oe i roto, e ra’a ’oe i vaho
atua
nei ;
®
For the entrancement on exchange
of
sexes
Let relief
corne
in; let this [ailing]
end in this one night, O god!
Thou art
holy within, thou
sacred without ;
between Atea and Faahotu, see page 372,
art
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Tu’u
mai to fa’a’ai pua’a, to ’imi
i te motu, tara !
Homai i te ta’ata o Mei’a-roa te ’iiio.
ura
Teie
ta’ata,
tau
Mei’a roa, mai te ’upo’o e te avae,
mai te avae e te ’upo’o ;
A haha tau arihi, e rumirumi,
a tau ai i ’oro Po a.
Teie te ’ura, teie te ’ava, fa’aoa’oa ia
oe, teie te epa, teie te hiuniu, te tapaau
ra’a mata, ei utu i to riri, e te atua, tara I
Homai i to riri i te Mei’a-roa nei ;
tahitia mai to maru, to tapu i teie.
e
te atua i te
Te
roa,
amo
e
te
marae
amo’a.
atu nei au i to tapu, o
atua e !
If confessions of
guilt
Meia-
were
211
Spare thy pig feeder, thy ’ura feather
seeker
of
Transfer
the
atolls,
[the
evil]
to
him !
the
man,
Long-banana.
Here is thy man,
Long-banana, from head to foot,
from foot to head ; let thy priest triumph, and squeeze him, that he de¬
scend and be grated' in Hades.
Here are the ’ura feathers, here is
ava to make thee glad, here are choice
gifts [pointing to the mat of gifts],
here is' the scientist, to discover the
face [of the evil doer], and to trans¬
fer thine anger upon him, O god, forgive !
Place
thine
anger
upon
Long-ba¬
here présent ; hearken unto thy
devotee, [grant] thy pledge in this.
nana,
god of the temple of deliverance.
bearing to thee thy sacrifice,
Long-banana, O god !
O
I
am
made in behalf of the patient by those
présent in answer to some of the spécifie questions, the apa
ate
restore
made appropri-
theni, asking for forgiveness of the gods in his invocation.
mention of
then put aside the banana shoot and placed his hands upon
patient applying massage with coconut oil, which 'was called fa’atahinu
(anointing), from head to foot. If the patient yawned, it was a hopeful
sign, and the apa would say, “A, ’oia ia, a fa’ahope hua ’oe i ta ’oe hara, e.
tataai hua na ’oe i tena na tuputupua!” (Ah, that is right, confess ail
your sins, and throw ofï those evil monsters.)
And if the patient yawned
again, the apa would command with authority:
The apa
the
A haere ’oe’” i vaho, e te atua !
E ho’i atu ’oe i te po ra. i to nohoraa mau, eiaha roa ’oe e ho’i mai i
teie nei ta’ata !
E
i te
’oia
te
atua
metua
e
Eiaha
to’na
roa
e,
o
a
fa’atapupu maite ’oe
teie pue ti’i, ia mou roa
’atoa ra hua’ai.
ia toe i te fenua nei.
Corne out [of him], O gods!
Return
to
darkness, your proper
abode, and return never again into
this person !
O god, cause to be chopped to atoms
the parents of these fetchers, let him
be exterminated with ail his ofïspring.
Let them not remain upon this
earth.
said to be the most easily conquered by the
strongly resisted him, the latter adhering to
vitals, and being specially injurions to women victims.
The wooden fetchers
were
apa; the stone and coral ones
the
®
On page 201 it is shown that the soûl that went to Hades was supposed to be grated or
scraped to sweeten food for Ta’aroa, after which it still lived.
In Tahiti
spirits
were
aiways addressed collectively
as
one
being.
Bernice P.
212
And
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
ended the
proceedings of the apa. When left by the fetchers,
patient lay prostrate for days, suffered excruciating pain, yawning and
sleeping a great deal, and lingered, sometimes only to die at last from the
evil effects.
When the apa had full coiitrol of the case, it is said that
the démons obeyed him, even to entering into and
destroying their keeper
and family, and then disappeared from the world of
light forever.
so
the
AH old natives
acquainted with the past and those who practised the
agreed in their testimony to the truth of the evil
influences of démons among them in heathen times,
agreeing exactly with
Bible testimony.
Some sorcerers hâve confessed that they sometimes
had recourse to poisons, which they
craftily administered when foiled
in their artifices.
It is noteworthy that with ail their faith in the
supernatural they hâve invariably stated that their incantations hâve had no
power whatever when concentrated upon white people whom they had
wished to destroy, such, for instance, as the
pioneer missionaries, because,
they said, the missionaries were protected by a God more powerful than
any they could invoke, and as the native people became Christians, they
also were unattainable.
Thus the Scripture records were forcibly verified
that before Christ the démons fled, having naught to do with Him. The
early Christians, defied the magicians and their machinations as they helped
spread the gospel in the face of persécution and death among their fellow
black art themselves hâve
islanders,
a
once
exist.
circumstance that encouraged conversion.
With the propaga¬
Christianity in the Society Islands the terrible symptoms that were
so common
and regarded as workings of sorcery, hâve ceased to
tion of
Ei^fiîcts
of
Sorcëry
The early missionaries were frequent eyewitnesses of the
strange work¬
ings attributed to the powers of darkness and were deeply impressed by
them.
On
during
a
one
occasion, when
religions conflict
a
Mr. Nott and Pômare II
were at
Mo’orea
the natives, they sent two young royal
directing them to a certain field that was
planted by a man named Ma’o, who had often previously supplied Mr.
Nott with that food in exchange for other things and who
happened to
be a sorcerer. The lads found the taro, and as Ma’o was
away in another
district at the time they took the quantity required and prepared to return
to Mo’orea, leaving a présent with his
family. But before they departed,
the proprietor, who belonged to the ranks of the heathen party against the
Christians, came home and was so enraged at what they had doue that he
pronounced terrible imprécations upon them, threatening them with the
pifao (subtle-hooking).
retainers to Tahiti for
among
some
taro,
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Not
long after the
213
returned to Mo’orea, one of them, named
taken ill, and his family pronounced his complaint to be the working of the pifao in its most rapid and fatal forra,
called nati-poto (short-setting), and being still heathen
people they applied
foi" help from the disenchanters of great famé, Hau-ti’a
(Rightful-peace),
Ma’i (Sickness), and Te-’ore
(Ceasing), respectively; but their efforts to
save were of no avail.
On hearing of the trouble, Pômare and Mr. Nott
went to see the sufferer and were much moved on
fînding him lying on the
ground, convulsed with terrible agony, with bloodshot eyes starting out of
their sockets, foaming at the mouth, and in the last throes. Ail the household stood around him in horror and despair, and in a few minutes, while
Mr. Nott was trying to calm him, he expired.
Another Tahitian sorcerer, named Tete (Inflated), from some personal
grudge was said to hâve caused the death by sorcery of the young son of
a man named Vai-hao
(Adamant-river). The child died before aid could
be obained, Vai-’au (Swimming-water), a native teacher, being an eyewitness. In Maupiti, a man named Huma (Crab) was found guilty of
decoying a woman away from lier husband, whose name was Uu (Muscle)
and who was a sorcerer. In the morning Huma was seized with symptoms
of pifao, and he died at noon. This instance was stated by Mai’oa (Comegladness), also a native teacher.
Pitere
young men
(Traveling-sprays),
was
The missionaries also knew of whole familles who
after
It
Opoa
another, with alleged pifao artifices.
was
stated
as a
were
carried off, one
fact to the missionaries in Ra’iatea that there
was
at
(Two-clouds), upon whom a sorcerer named
using his enchantments one morning, when the
apa became aware of them. So Mahurua quickly sent his wife to a sandy
point not far off to make him a hole in which to conceal himself. This
was soon doue.
Then, while the fetchers were heard coming, by the rustling
of dry hreadfruit leaves in back of his house, in order to dodge them
Mahurua went out into the sea which was high at the time, and allowing
himself to be caught by a great wave, he was carried upon it to the point
and got into the hole, in which his wife buried him, leaving out only his
nose and mouth.
Thus he awaited the approach of the fetchers, and his
wife returned home so as not to endanger herself by coming in contact
an
Fa’atotà
apa named Mahurua
(To-deride)
was
with the démons.
Soon Mahurua heard his foes
approaching, and as they drew near, he
Ro’o vahia mai te ra’i!” (Here is the disenchanter
of Ro’o
who hroke through the sky). This so startled the fetchers that
they stood still, not daring to approach him, and soon they disperséd and
cried out,
(See
“Teie te apa
This god was the first
p.
369.)
a
that
came
out of the confined sky of Atea into the light of day.
BisJiop Muséum-—Bulletin 48
214
Bernice P.
returned home.
So Mahurua
quietly got out of his sandy bed, went to
rejoin his wife unharmed, and
was never
imps.
again attacked by the sorcerer’s
PIRE WAI.KING
In Raiatëa
performance of firewalking, magicians invoke as presiding genii
heroines of ancient times, Hina-nui-te-’a’ara (GreatGray-of-scented-herbs), of niany titles, who.became the goddess of the
For the
of the company two
moon;
and Te-vahine-nui-tahii-ra’i
(The great-woman-who-set-fire-to-the-
of the former. (See p. 464.) These two women
it is said, were always dressed in skirts, garlands, and wreaths of shredded
green and yellow leaves of the ti, which émit a sweet odor and which
Polynesians of ail classes hâve held as sacred. This garb therefore is worn
out of compliment to the two heroines by the adepts of firewalking, who
hold that wands of ti leaves are indispensable for the performance.
sky),
a contemporary
In
1885,
of the
none
claiming
as
Mr. Hartwell of California witnessed the ceremony at ’Avera,
his return to San Francisco wrote an article upon it, which
editors of the local papers would accept for publication, exthey refused it, “You are crazy, man !” An extract of Mr.
a
Ra’iatea, and
on
Hartwell’s account 1® follows
:
The natives of Ra’iatea hâve some performances so entirely out of the ordinary
of events as to institute inquiry relative to a proper solution. On the 20th of
course
September, 1885, I witnessed the wonderful, and to me inexplicable, performance of
passing through the Fiery Furnace. The furnace that I saw was an excavation of three
or four feet in the ground, in a circular form (sloping upwards), and about thirty feet
across.
The excavation was filled with logs and wood, and then covered with large
stones.
A lire was built underneath, and kept burning for about a day. When I wit¬
nessed it, on the second day, the fiâmes were pouring up through the interstices of the
rocks, which were heated to a red and white heat. When everything was in readiness,
and the furnace still pouring out its intense heat, the natives marched up, with bare
feet, to the edge of the furnace, where they halted for a moment, and after a few
passes of the wand made of the branches of the ti-plant by the leader, who repeated
a
few words in the native language, they stepped down on the rocks, and walked
leisurely across to the other side, stepping from stone to stone. This was repeated
five times, without any préparation whatever on their feet, and without injury or
discomfort from the heated stones.
There
was
not
on
their
umu-tî performance
that
even
the smell of fire
garments.
An article
took
was
written
on
the occasion of
an
place in 1890 at Uturoa, the capital of Ra’iatea, a full account
of
was furnished by my brother-in-law, Mr. Gustaf Brodien, of Ra’iatea.
which
Afterwards published in pamphlet form
in the Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol.
1893.
Henry, Teuira, Te umu-ti,
a
Raiatean
in San Francisco from which it was reproduced
2, 1893.
Jour. Polynesian Soc., vol. 2, pp. lOS-108,
2, no.
ceremony:
Henry—Ancient Tahifi
215
Morné, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, took a snapshot of the ceremony, and
photograph a sketch ruade by Mr. Barnfield of Honolulu was
reproduced accompanying the article. At the performance were présent
many people, several of whom also passed through the oven, following the
leader, Tupua. Among these were Mr. Brodien, his wife and children
(who walked in with thin slippers), M. Morné, and several other French
M.
from the faded
officers.
Mr. Brodien’s account follows:
the
Tupua and Papa-ita
say
that the ti leaves for the wands must be plucked on
stand off, facing the ti
of the ceremony, in doing which the magicians must
trees, and with ten measured steps approaching them say ;
eve
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
Te
hi’i tapua’e tahi !
hi’i tapua’e rua!
hi’i tapua’e torui
hi’i tapua’e ha!
hi’i tapua’e rima!
hi’i tapua’e ono !
hi’i tapua’e hitu
hi’i tapua’e varu !
hi’i tapua’e iva !
hi’i tapua’e tini !
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
Hôlder
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
first
footstep !
footstep !
second
third footstep !
fourtli footstep !
fifth footstep !
sixth footstep !
seventh footstep !
eighth footstep !
ninth footstep !
tenth footstep !
During this incantation, the spécial leaves to be plucked wave approvingly forwards, and in plucking them, the magician says :
"E te Nu’u-atua e! a ara, a ti’a i
ni’a ! te haere nei taua i te umuti ananahi.”
Mareva na, e atua ia ; e mau na te
avae
i raro, e ta’ata ia.
A hi’o ti’a
rà i te vaira’a o te umu ra, ’e ’a
’ofati ’i te rau ti, mai te na’o e :
“E te Nu’u-atua e ! E haere ’oe i
teie nei pô, e ’ananahi tatou atoa ia.”
A ruru rà i te rau ti ei tauto’o tahutahu ’a ’ota’ata’a i roto i te rau fau, e
a moemoe i
roto i te marae, ia vai i
reira ho’e a’e ru’i, a na’o ai te poro’i
atu :
“A’e,
’avae
ara ! e te Nu’u-atua e ! to
haere i te umu-tî.
Te pape e
a
e
miti,
e haere ato’a.
Te to’e uri,
to’e tea, e haere i te umu. Te
’ura o te auahi e te ru’iru’i o te auahi,
e haere ana’e ; na oe e haere, e haere
’oe i teie nei pô, e ananahi ’o ’oe ia
te
ma
e
te
’ovau,
e
haere taua i te umu-ti.”
“O hosts of gods, awake, arise ! You
and I are going to the umu-ti (ti-oven)
tomorrow.”
If they float in the air, they are
gods ; but if their feet touch the
ground, they are human beings. Then
break the ti leaves off, looking in the
direction of the oven, and say:
“O hosts of gods!
You go tonight,
and tomorrow you and I shall go.”
Then bind up the ti leaves for a
wand; wrap them in fau (Hibiscus)
leaves, put them to sleep in the marae,
where they must remain one night, and
say in leaving :
“Arise, awake ! O hosts of gods !
Let your feet take you to the umuti.
Fresh water, and sait water corne
also.
Let the dark earthworm and
the light earthworm go to the oven.
Let the redness and the shades of the
lire ail go.
You will go, you will
tonight, and tomorrow it will be
and I ; we shall go to the umu-ti."
[This is for the night.]
At daybreak, get the ti leaves, carry
them straight [away] to the oven, and
open them when ail are ready to pass
through ; then walking round the oven.
go
you
te
la ’a’ahiata ra,
rau
tatara
ti, ’a
’i
te
i ni’a i taua
amo
’a ti’i ’a
e
ineinera’a
umu
ra
;
’i te
o
te
rave
umu
feia
mai i
’a
roa,
e
haere
’a fa’a’ati te tahu-
Bernice P.
2i6
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
the magician must hold the wand
ward and say ;
“O being (spirits) who enchant
tahu i te umu, mai te fa’ati’a i te
to’oto’o rau ti i mua, a nao ai :
“E na ta’ata e tahutahu i te umu e,
! E to’e uri ! e to’e tea !
Te pape, te miti, te ’a’ama o te umu,
te ru’iru’i o te umu, a hi’i atu i te
tapua’e avae o te feia e haere nei, a
ta
a
pohe
ropu
o
“Te
Vahine-nui-tahu-i'a’i
e!
beat
hold
oven,
up
the
footsteps
water,
of the
of the
walkers and fan the beat of the bed.
O cold host, let us linger in the midst
of the oven.
O Vahine-nui-tahu-rai,
hold the fan, and let us go into the
oven
for a little while !
Hôlder of the first footstep !
Then bind up the ti leaves for a
mai
saying :
“O Vahine-nui-tahu-ra’i ! Ail is' covered !”
And everybody walks through with-
po’i'a !’’
Haere noa’tura ia ta’ata, mai te ino
na ropu, e na te hiti o taua umu-ti
ra, na mûri mai i te arata’i, o te tairi
i taria to’oto’o rau-tî na te tahi pae e
te tahi pae.
Eiaha rà te ho’e ta’ata e
hi’o i mûri, a’ore e mau te tahutahura’a,
’e ’e ’ama te avae.
out
ore
In
earthworms !
O
!
Fresh water and sait
of the oven, darkening
dark
te umu !
Te hi’i tapua’e tahi !
Atairi rà i te umu i te tootoo,
te na’ô e :
the
while ! O
light earth-
a
worms
tahiri na i te ahu o te ro’i.
E te nu’u
to’eto’e e, e fa’aea na tatou i roto i te
umu.
A mau na, e te Vahine-nui-tahurai e, i te tahiri, e haere na taua i
te
let it die out for
oven,
na
for-
hurt, into the middle and around
following the leader, waving
the oven,
his wand
one
must
from side to
look back in
lest the spell
the oven
the feet get
burned.
side.
But
no
going through
be broken and
Fiji
In corroboration of my article on firewalking in Ra’iatea, an account of
similar ceremony in Fiji was published by F. A. Jackson.’® This man
had been told by Fijians of the power of one matagali (tribe) on the Island
of Bega of walking unharmed through lovu (native ovens) when the
a
stones in them were at a
white heat.
To prove the truth of such state-
of Fiji, Sir John Bâtes Thurston, had the lire ceremony
performed before the vice-regal party and about 500 native spectators,
afterwards giving to Jackson a vivid description of the event and a photograph of the men entering the lovu, together with translations of the
account appearing in “Na Mata,”’® a newspaper published in the Fijian
language. The bodies of the natives who walked through the lire were
examined by Corney, the chief medical officer of the colony, who, as well
ments
the governor
could not understand how the feat was performed. The
governor’s wife laid on the shoulder of the chief of the firewalkers a
cambric handkerchief, which in the few seconds it was allowed to stay there
as
others pi'esent,
became scorched.
Following is the translation of
before the governor:
an account
Jour. Polynesian Soc., vol. 3, pp. 72-75, 1894.
Na Mata, Nov. 30, 1885.
cit.
op.
’’’ of the
ceremony
performed
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
217
At the conclusion of the Provisional Council, the Roko and other chiefs présent
proceeded to Waisomo where the ceremony of Vilavilairevo was to be performed.
A great many persons had been at work the previous day making préparations,
digging the large oven and cutting firewood. This oven was 12 to 18 feet square.
We noticed that the small firewood was put in first and the larger on the top.
In
removing the live coals they used stones, sticks, and Via leaves'. The beat at the
side of this oven was intense, as we felt it, although some 12 feet away.
When
the coals had been removed, lonacani, the Native Stipendary Magistrate from
Rewa, walked in and commenced walking about on the hot stones ; two or three
shortly afterwards followed him in. They walked slowly and did iiot remove
hurriedly their feet from the stones. When they came out we examined them, and
found that their feet were not burnt, neither was’ their skin, nor the hair on their
legs. They did not anoint themselves or make any other préparation. When the
people saw this they shouted and would hâve leaped in and been killed in the oven
had not lonacani prevented them.
There were présent about five hundred persons.
After a short time, twenty people from Sawau came, and went into the oven, they
walked to the other side, then returned and stood in the middle; they had leaves
on their legs but these did not catch lire.
Shortly afterwards the leaves of the Wi
and Dazm trees were thrown in and caused a dense smoke to arise, so dense was it,
that the people in it could not be seen, and it was a matter of surprise that they
were not sufïocated.
We looked at one another and said, this then is really true.
Another account of
a
similar
In Rarotonga
performance has also been published.^®
and
Npw Zhapand
An account of the umu-tî in
Rarotonga has been written by Colonel
British résident there.
Since the publication of the article on fîre-walking in Rarotonga it has
been learned that the Maoris of Ne'w Zealand were equally acquainted with
this ceremony.
When on one occasion they heard Colonel Gudgeon’s ac¬
count, some old chiefs of the Urewera tribe expressed no surprise and said
that their ancestors could also perform the ceremony, though it had long
been out of practice.
Gudgeon
a
In
In
an
Japan
American paper was
firewalking, with illustrations.
firewalking in Japan :
and
TahaA
published by Hamilton 20 a narrative on
He also gives the following account of
Yokohama, November 5.—According to the Japanese “Herald,” on last Monday
party of distinguished Americans participated in the célébration of a Shien Toist
religions service. . . . The American Minister to Japan, Alfred E. Buck, Mrs.
Buck, two naval officers and several others were initiated at the services of the
On Take Jinsha, a powerful sect of Shien Toists.
This sect has at its temple a
a
large furnace, in which herbs are burned. The officiating priests hold services over
fires.
The foreign visitors, including the women, took off their shoes and walked
over lire, their naked feet giving no evidence of being s'corched.
Long, Andrew, Westminster Budget, July 29, 1898, London.
Jour. Polynesian Soc., vol. 8, pp. 58-60, 1899.
Hamilton, E. H., Sunday Examiner Magazine, San Francisco, California, December, 1900.
2i8
Bernice P.
Bishop Miiseurn—Bulletin 48
An account
(with photographs) of a similar performance in Taha’a was
given Hamilton by George Eli Hall, the Turkish consul-general, as follows :
On the island of TahaV^ I passed
through the baptism of fire, and were it not
for the evidence of my caméra I would [now] find it hard
to think that
it was
a sound and simple
fact.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
found them [the natives] simplicitj' and geniality
personified
We
received with every evidence of joy, and the rights of the
spirits’ or tupapaus
(ghosts) of the fire were specially arranged for our henefit. Since the time they
were
Christianized the natives rarely perform these rites.
Probably they never
were frequently
performed, for there is' a deal of work attendant upon the prépara¬
tions
It took a week to préparé the ceremony for
us, and there had not
been a similar ceremony for six years.
I
.
.
.
were
.
.
.
In the first place two sorcerers,
big and rather handsome men, had to go into
strict séclusion to arrange their minds and bodies for the trial,
What they did
in that week when they fasted and kept out of the world of action no man
None
may
permitted to go near them. They were held in awe. The native
men brought stones and
dry wood from ail over the island. Each stone was' about
ail ©ne native could carry, and as they brought them in on their shoulders there
was many a
pose that would hâve charmed the eye of St. Gaudens or Rodin.
The
stones made a great heap, and the wood was
piled under them. Meanwhile the
women brought in fruits and
fish, nuts, pigs, and wild chickens for the feast which
say.
was
to
The
was
follow the célébration of the
rites.
dres'sed in the ahu-tua (Mother Hubbard), and were decked
and garlanded on the day of the great occasion, save those who were to
go through
the test of fire.
These wore nothing save the cloth of tapa about the loins and
a wreath
upon the head.
women
When
were
everything
ready the stones
were heated until they seemed white
hot as a great wood fire could make them, and could
not be approached within four or five
yards in any comfort. Then out came the
two sorcerers, each armed with a
big bundle of leaves of the sacred ti. They
set up an incantation, a weird chant
and began beating the edge of the fire
with the tî leaves. The people stopped ail their
laughing and chatter. There was’
no
Sound save the chanting of the sorcerers, who moved
slowly and with rapt
faces.- I began to feel a strange impressiveness in it
ail, and if one of the old
woodland gods had stepped out of the cover in
response to the incantations I should
not hâve known a great surprise.
hot.
They certainly
was
were
as
.
.
.
Then still
moaning and muttering, those two sorcerers started across the hot
feet, beating ahead of them with the long tî leaves. There was
hurry in their steps, Milton’s Satan walking across the burning mari
stones with bare
no
trace
of
could hardly hâve been more majestic.
The face of one of those dark fellows
was
like the face of an illuminated apostle.
He seemed uplifted by some high
thought or lofty purpose. Neither of the sorcerers looked to right or left, and
after they had passed the fire they walked on for
perhaps' a hundred yards, looking
straight ahead. It seems that if there is one backward glance the power over the
tupapaus or genii of the fire is gone, and they will bite with their fierce hot teeth.
Once the sorcerers had turned, all the people broke their silence and set
up a
mighty shout of joy.
Then some of the natives, men and girls, prepared for the test. The sorcerers
walked over the stones ahead of them, beating the way with the tî leaves'.
Always
those who went through walked straight ahead a long
distance, and always they
cried out to ask if all were through before they turned their
eyes.
Taha’a of the
Society Islands,
next to
Ra’iatea.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
And then
219
interpréter announced that the Commodore and myself would
Ail the company shouted in great joy.
We stripped
off oiir shoes, rolled up our duck trousers and took our places behind the chanting
sorcerers, who went on ahead of us again, beating the stones with the ti leaves.
Then I wished I hadn’t been so bold.
Ail the heat I ever experlenced was as
nothing compared to that. My mustache and hair curled up so I could not get
them straightened for days. My hands seemed cooking.
In my ears was a feeling
as if fires had been kindled against the drums.
My eyeballs s'eemed to boil out
the water that ran from them.
I felt like hurrying, but that never would do in the
presence of that company and with those two sorcerers marching on so majestically
ahead.
And I would not hâve looked back for half the world, such a hold had
the earnestness of those heathen priests taken on me.
But ail this time my feet
were cool, and we pass'ed the ordeal unsinged and unharmed.
walk
over
the
the hot stones.
Î}c
sfc
5i«
*
:)c
:ic
But how do you explain the fact that you were not blistered in walking over
those stones?
I do not explain.
There were scientists of some note among the
ofificers of the “Protêt.”
They could not explain. Some of the natives had their
feet slightly blistered.
The sorcerers told them they had glanced backward while
going through the test. Then the sorcerers chanted over the burned feet and
whipped them with the tî leaves'. At once the natives walked away without a limp,
saying the pain was gone.
The meaning of the ceremony?
I do not know. The people did not tell.
Perhaps its meaning has been lost to them in the long years since first they
learned the mastery of fire.
In Hawaii
In January, 1901, Papa-Ita visited Honolulu to
umu-tî ceremony, at the suggestion of a Mr. Lewis
seen
him
give exhibitions of the
of Honolulu, who had
perform at the Marquesas (and whom people called the dignified
“manager”).
They gave three exhibitions to large groups of spectators, and by the
photographer Davey were taken three pictures representing the oven in its
different stages of préparation for cooking.
The Hawaiians, who are firm believers in kahunas (magicians) of ail
grades, were filled with admiration and respect for the Tahitian, and after
each performance they filled his hands with money in token of their aloha.
The Hawaiians, in days of yore, did not need so small a thing as an
artificial oven to exhibit their occult powers. The old people of the land,
including the missionaries, State that there were raany priests and priestesses,
of the fire goddess Pele, who walked over the molten lava on the broad
bosom of Kilauea volcano in performance of their sacred rites.
The Rev. Mr. Coan, a former missionary of the American Board, had
a manservant who was a famous kahuna and firewalker, named Ka-iwi-nui
(Great-bone), who used to walk fearlessly over Halemaumau, the hottest
part of the burning lake, when it was in éruption, carrying pigs, fish, and
fowls for Pele, when no one else could do so.
He seemed to command
old man’s
Bernice P.
220
the fiâmes, making
with loud reports
these feats, having
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
them rise to any height in the air, then fall, exploding
like thunder. There are old natives who still record
been eyewitnesses of them.
The ti
plant, so well known in Polynesia, is indigenous to the cool
slopes of the valley s ; it lias ever heen cultivated hy the natives
on their sacred marae
grounds and around their homes. Its leaves are
much used for wrapping fish and other food to be cooked upon an open
fire in the native oven, or in a stove.
In Honolulu, a very intelligent
mountain
native, Mrs. Brickwood, affirmed that in lier childhood she sometimes witpriests remove solid rocks by covering them with ti, leaves
and uttering incantations over them.
They would soon explode as if
with gunpowder.
The Hawaiians generally hâve their home surrounded
with ti plants, which many of the natives still helieve hâve power to keep
nessed Hawaiian
away
evil spirits froni their dwellings.^i®
THE
TRANCE OF ARTI-PAEA-VAHINE-
Early in the beginning of the nineteenth century, hefore Christianity
embraced in Huahine, the young queen of that island, nanied Teri’itaria^^ (Queen-carried) or Ari’e-paea-vahine (Wife-of-sovereign-elect) had
a strange expérience.
One afternoon while enjoying the breezes with lier
maids in waiting, as they sat upon a mat spread out beneath the shade of
a breadfruit tree
upon the lawn of her beautiful dwelling place in the
village of Fare in Huahine, the queen sank back in a stupor, lay prostrate
as though asleep for a few moments, and then
stopped breathing, to the
great consternation of her maids and finally of ail her suhjects, who supposed her to be dead. In a trance she lay wrapped in scented tapa during four weeks without showing the least sign of life. Meanwhile. the cere¬
monies for the royal dead were performed over her, which ended by bearing
her in State to the great marae of Point Manunu at Maeva (p. 148), and
placing her upon an altar 011 the marae grounds, under a roof and covered
over with a net.
Here she was left, in charge of the clergy, to await her
final burial, which, from affection for her, was indefinitely postponed.
was
Ari’i-paea-vahine was conscious of nothing around
She thought she was travelling over the islands
in company with other spirits, visiting places familiar and unfamiliar to
her, till she met a spirit lover who carried her in his bosom to his home—
a beautiful
place with a large house, where two sisters also dwelt with him.
While thus entranced
her, but her spirit roamed.
21“
Dmerson,
Joseph,
Annual Rept., 1902.
22
Recorded by
Sortie Hawaiian beliefs regarding
spirits:
Hawaiian Hist.
Soc.
Ninth
the late high chiefesses, Ari’taimai Salmon and Ninito Sumner (an adopted
daughter o£ Queen Ari’i-paea-vahine), sisters to whom the queen always related the story consistently and in suppressed tones as if fearing the return of the spirit lover.
22
The name Teri’i is evidently taken from the two words, te
(the sovereign, or prince,
or princess).
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
221
The sisters
disapproved of their brother’s attachment and wished to exnewly arrived spirit, but they dared not lay hands upon ber,
as she had become sacred to the household
by the treatment of ber by
their brother.
He took précautions always to carry ber with him in bis
bosom at home and to conceal ber from bis sisters in some safe
place when
he went away; a favorite place of concealment was in the crevice of a rock
called “Hiro’s paddle,” bordering on the strait of Huahine.
Other spirits
were
friendily disposed to Ari’i-paea-vahine, and would approach ber lover
to reveal ber to them, which he did by opening the clothing that covered ber
in bis bosom, for ail the spirits she met wore tapa like the mortal
beings of
terminate the
ber
race.
The
congenial spirits travelled over ail the islands of the group,
occasion, at Ra’iatea, they went to a beautiful clear spring in a
ravine, which the queen had never seen before, and there she enjoyed a
bath, as in life. After they retuimed home, the two sisters of the lover,
and
on
two
one
feigning friendship for Ari’i-paea-vahine, invited her to go with them into
coconut grove.
When they arrived there away from her lover, the sisters
ordered her to climb for some coconuts on a high tree, with the hopes of
her falling off and hurting herself. She made an attempt to obey them and
failed and then quickly returned to her lover for protection.
a
Soon afterwards, the queen found herself surrounded
by a higher class
spirits; they were the goddess-To’imata (Axe-with-eyes), daughter of
the god ’Oro, and her train, who told her she must return to her body and
remain yet awhile in the flesh among her people. Upon knowing this, her
lover told her that he would continue to visit her in her earthly
body, provided she did not embrace the Christian religion as the people of Tahiti
were doing, in which case he would not be
permitted to visit her.
of
Finally, at
(assembling of the gods) ceremony at the
following event is said to hâve occurred :
The priests were told by the gods that the queen’s body would not be
allowed to remain in their midst during the festival.
So an underground
vault was prepared, where it should remain before removal to some unknown cave.
But the high priest was instructed by the god Tane to take
the body in a canoë back to her home at Fare, through the strait, as it was
to be restored to life.
So eaidy one morning the priest prepared his own
canoë of the marae, and when he and his assistants went for the
royal
body, they found that the net had been torn off by the gods, in readiness
for it to be taken away.
It was carried upon a litter and placed beneath
national
marae
great pa’i a tua
of Mata’i-re’a the
the canoë, which was launched into the smooth waters of
high priest proceeding alone with his great charge, the face
of which he had uncovered to watch carefully.
a canopy upon
the lagoon, the
and feet
a
Bernice P.
222
Soon
white
a
otuu
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(stoi'k)
fi'om the
marae
came
flying
over
the
rocks, alighted on the bows of the canoë, and stood like a sentinel
keeping gnard over the queen ; and the god told the priest not to
Ari’i-paea-vahine stated that her spirit had entered this
corne in that way, escorted by the goddesses, to
return
to
her body.
Seated astern in the canoë with the body fully in
view, and with the bird stationed ahead, the priest paddled steadily along
the lagoon until he approached the first of the two openings in the outer
strip of land forming the islet named Motu-pahare or Motu-pahara (Isletof-atonement), when the goddess To’i-mata said to the spirit, “A nana i to
tino” (Look at thy body) ; and as Ari’i-paea-vahine looked at it she shuddered at the ghastly appearance of the face disfigured with gangrené
spots and turned her head away.
disturb
bird
it.
and
had
goddess told her again to look, and as she fixed her eyes upon
suddenly found that her spirit had slipped into the body, leaving the bird, which quietly flew back to its home in the marae.
Then the priest saw life returning to the body, first by twitching of
the toes and finally by the opening of the eyes; but the body still lay
straight and stifif. He was directed to land upon the islet and feed the
patient with sea egg, called vana, and so he was to continue to do in small
quantities at intervals between sleeping and awakening, for two or three
days, when she would be able to eat light food suitable for babes for a
few days longer. So they landed on the islet, and the queen’s body became
supple. The priest soon procured good îull sea eggs and carefully fed her
with them, which she greatly enjoyed.
Soon she fell into a calm sleep,
which lasted until they passed through the strait to her home at Fare,
from whence she had been taken to Maeva. Here the wonderful story of
the queen’s return from the dead was soon joyfully known, and in a
remarkably short time it was published ail over Huahine, and then recorded
throughout the group.
But the
the face she
In the
manner
back to her former
late in the fifties.
black freckles upon
described, the queen continued to be carefully nursed
self, and she lived aniong her people in Huahine until
She
never
lost the gangrené spots,
her face and hands.^^
which
were
like large
year or two after Ari’i-paea-vahine’s recovery, she stated that
frequent communion with her spirit lover, until she finally went
to
Mo’orea, where Christian Tahitians were learning to read and
study the Scriptures, when she also became interested and joined the
class of students.
Then one day when she was alone he came to her,
and looking very sad he said: “Bi onei ra ’oe, e ta’u hoa vahiné e, e
For
a
she had
I
can
testify to the truth of this statement, as when a child I saw
the queen.—T. H.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
’ore taua
223
farerei fa’ahou!” (Now farewell, my woman fi'iend, we shall
again!) And she, spellbound, watched him go away, until lie
disappeared in the distance never to return.
Being curions to see whether she could find the noted places that she
had seen in her trance, after a few years the queen travelled over the
group and verified many spots, notably the spring in which in spirit she
had bathed.
It was then filled with rubbish from the surrounding trees,
and while her attendants were wondering where to look for it she guided
them to the spot.
As soon as the rubbish was cleared away, the water
was
just as she had seen it in her trance.
never
e
meet
ACCOUNTS FROM RAIATEA
A Rëscuë
“Ra’iatea
following
circulation at
About
land of strange things,” says its ancient folklore, and
strange modem anecdotes that hâve been in common
Uturoa, Ra’iatea, and recorded by the best authority there;
was
a
are two
1876, a party of lads rambled far up into a valley of the district,
they were returning home found that one of their number was missing. Notwithstanding that night was setting in, they got torches and returned to search for him in the valley. On the way up, they shouted and
waited at intervals for a response, but in vain, until they reached the
head of the valley closed in by a lofty inaccessible précipice, whence
came at last a shout from the
missing boy, who was lodged upon a ledge
that projected midway up the vertical rock. As it was impossible for the
boy to descend or for his friends to climb up for him, they returned home
for ropes and then ascended the mountain ridge until they arrived behind
the précipice.
There they let down a rope in the form of a swing, and
the boy, seating himself in it was gradually pulled up and rescued by his
companions.
The mystery as to how the lad went astray and got up onto the ledge,
he explained.
While not noticing that he had gone a little away from
the rest of the party, he suddenly found himself surrounded by men of
strange appearance, apparently of olden times, who bade him go with them,
which he did spellbound. They ail seemed to glide over rough pathways
and rugged rocks, until he found himself placed upon the ledge of the
précipice, still surrounded by the mysterious men, who disputed among
themselves what they should do with him.
Some proposed to throw the
boy down and kill him, while others pleaded to spare his life, and so he
was placed in suspense until the Sound of
shouting in the valley was heard
and the boys with torches approached, when suddenly he saw no more of
the men and was glad to be again in the company of his own people.
and
as
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
224
PbbbIvës Thrown AT Mana
Shortly after Ra’iatea had become a French protectorate, a strange event
Mana, which is about half a mile below Uturoa, the capital.
Four or five natives -who lived in a little but were disturbed with pebbles,
which unaccountably during several night consecutively were thrown around
their dwelling and into it. Soon the people of Uturoa were excited about
it, and in spite of constables and many men going with lanterns to guard
the place the stone pelting continued.
Several white people of the land
also testified to the truth of it and felt convinced that it was not a mere joke
occurred at
wags. After darkness had set in, at the Sound of
of the torca bird (sandpiper) the pebbles came, and the people
practised by
were
to
seized with convulsions and
the
rescue
the whistling
of the house
foaming at the mouth, until friends came
a natural State b}'' means of massage.
and restored them to
Finally the queen of Ra’iatea sent for the owners of the hut to abandon
their place and live at Uturoa, which they gratefully did, and from that
time the stone throwing ceased. Adding to the mystery was the fact that
no pebbles near Mana resembled those thrown, but were like some found
on the opposite side of the island.
Early in the fifties,
a
family in Tahiti at Mairipehe in the district of
disturbed by pebble throwing. This was done at night
within the walls of the house, from end to end, and notwithstanding the
closest investigation by the inmates and neighbors with bright lights shill¬
ing, no due was found to the cause of it.
Similar stories, which hâve never been satisfactorily explained, are
occasionally published in American papers.
Mataiea, also
was
ACCOUNTS FROM
Far up
MOOREA
in Papeto’ai Valley is a cave in which are entombed in ancient
splendor, the bodies of members of the chieftain Manea’s family, which
only specially favored persons hâve occasionally been allowed to visit. The
cave is shut in with a stone slab, covered with a growth of moss and
ferns, the location of which, it is said, is not known to the présent
génération.
Belonging also to the Manea family is a place in Papeto’ai Valley called
’Apo’o-ta’ata (Den-of-people) where there is a projecting rock, in the
crevices of which from ancient times were closely set rows of human
skulls.
But in 1877 the skulls were removed and buried by the chief
Manea to save them from desecrating white hands, after the servant of
an enthusiastic scientist had taken a bagful of them, calling them coconuts
when interrogated by the chief as he passed him on the road.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
225
1856, Mr. Phillip Henry,
living at Papeto’ai, knew two tourists who were the guests of the Rev.
Mr. Simpson and who visited the same régions. On seeing the well-bleached
skulls they could not resist the temptation of procuring three of them for
Eureopean muséums, returning home with them after dark to évadé notice
in the district, and putting them away before going to tea.
Not long
afterwards, the old chief Manea, who had been sitting upon the beach
near his home, came in a great rage and said to Mr. Henry, who happened
to be présent :
“ Why hâve these men been so unkind to me ? They hâve
been stealing three skulls from Apo’o-ta’ata and must return them to me
at once or there will be trouble.”
The two tourists, keeping their secret,
enquired why the old man accused them of such a thing, and he replied :
This
was
not the first
incident of the kind. In
then
‘T cannot be deceived !
I
saw
three skull-like halls of fire ascend from
Apo’o-ta’ata, and they flew out into the marae, Taputapuatea.
No one else would hâve taken them.” Eortunately, the missionary,
who was a great friend of Manea, interposed and told him, when his
anger subsided, that the halls of fire must hâve been meteors and could
not hâve had the significance which he had claimed.
But Manea went away
the direction of
unconvinced that the three skulls had not been taken.
Other phenomena were verified
in old haunts sacred to the dead,
by the
same men.
which the natives
were formerly heard on quiet days or in moonlight
vivo music for the native dance, accompanied with
Upon
never
an open space
dared profane,
stillness the Sound of
the measured beat of
If anyone approached even in a most cautions mansilence would suddenly prevail, and though no one was ever seen upon
the bamboo drum.^'^
ner,
the spot,
ancient aromatic odors of ha’apa’a (scented tapa) and hair oil
pervaded the air.
Not only in Mo’orea but in ail the group and in other Polynesian
islands similar phenomena hâve been reported, which the incredulous can¬
not
a
explain. But
no
Polynesian hearer ever doubts them, as ail the race has
which éducation does not weaken.
strong belief in the supernatural
AUGURIES
Following
are a
few samples of auguries that to a great extent affected
happiness of the merry Tahitians.
the lives and marred the
Jupiter appeared above the horizon at sunset during
was concluded that two chiefs were plotting against each other.
When the horns of the crescent moon were turned upwards, it indicated
that two secret, hostile parties were proposing to invade the land.
When Venus and
several consecutive
2°
evenings, it
See amusements (p. 27s).
220
Bernice P.
If the
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
gilded clouds above the setting
sun were
ominous of division of councils and contention.
One dense cloud
seen
of the death of
runner
above the
some
setting
great chief.
divided spirally, it
sun was
If
very
was
said to be the fore-
red, it indicated that
already dead.
Porapora was enveloped in a bright-red sunset, it was the sign
in Huahine that the people of Porapora were planning to invade them,
and so they made préparations accordingly.
Branching red clouds seen at sunset were called fa and indicated war
approaching from the direction in which they pointed.^®
If a tree that was felled for a canoë discharged much
frothy sap and
its severed roots did the same, they were supposed to be weeping for
each other, and so the log was abandoned.
To make a canoë out of it
would hâve brought ill luck and misfortune upon the owner and artisan.
In burning the sap of the breadfruit tree over a candlenut fire for
pitching the seams of a canoë, the builders closely observed the appearance of the fire; if instead of
being ail red, one part burned red and the
other pale, it was a sign that the canoë would not be inaugurated before
he
was
When
war
broke out, or that the
If
canoë
shed would catch fire.
commencing to clear away his space of land lately acquired by conquest was seized with sneezing, he said “the food I
plant on this land will not mature and be eaten before war will break out
again.”
a
For
meant
man
a
on
fisherman to dream that he had
that he
If while
a
was
fleet
to
was
appeared overhead, it
catch
a
turtle
the
a
little house
his
canoë
assembling for war, a short or broken rainbow
regarded as a propitious sign for the campaign
was
and filled the warriors’ hearts with courage.
If a cricket chirped in the bow of a canoë that was
going out of the harbor, it
and
on
foliowing day.
was
the sign that the
the travellers returned
canoë
leaving land and
would be lost at
départ later.
among a group of people who were ready for a voyage dreamed
that he or she was wearing tiare flowers in the hair, it was regarded as
a warning that
péril awaited them, the white flowers indicating the foam
of the sea breaking over their heads, and so they would
postpone the
trip or give it up.
If at home, on ordinary occasions, a woman dreamed that she was
picking and wearing open tiare, she regarded it as a sure sign that she
was to give birth to a girl ; if she dreamed of
picking tiare buds, a boy
was expected.
Like dreams concerning some other woman were intersea,
If
so
one
A page
of the manuscript is missing.
to
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
227
preted similarly for that person—signs still implicitly believed in by
Tahitian
If
a
women.
dreamed she broke
woman
sign that she
a
tooth of the upper
jaw, it
was
a
bave a daughter; if on lower jaw, she was to bave a son.
forming directly over a person ont of doors was regarded
as a warning not to receive a
présent of a fish of rainbow hues, called
tu-anuanua (stand rainbow), which would be impregnated with the deadly
was to
A rainbow
curse
If
of
a
the
man
sealed his
sorcerer.
was
fate
caught in
for the
whirlwind, it showed that the king had
a
tapu.
Vivid
things concerning people
ally fulfilled.
or
things
were
expected to be liter-
An
éclipsé of the sun or moon was supposed to be caused by the anger
god Raa-mau-riri (Sacredness-holding-anger), who was swallowing it. So when the phenomenon appeared, priests and people fled terror
stricken to the marae with prayers and offerings for him the god to eject
the luminary again.
of the
A cornet
A meteor
was
supposed to be
was
believed
to
a
be
god forerunning
garded by the uneducated native.
A cold hand
In
it
was
a
or nose was an
flight of clouds, if
one
war or
omen
of
were
to
conquer,
interest.
its
so
re¬
approaching war.^'^
resembled
a spear or a
ominous of war, and as the direction to which it
side of those who
sickness.
lurking evil spirit and is still
a
course was
bundle of
pointed
spears,
was
the
watched with intense
boggy place in Papara called Maena, which was famous for its
daybreak was occasionally seen a dense mist rising from the
ground, which the inhabitants regarded as a sure sign of approaching
war.
They would at once collect ail their maturing taro and other food
and kill and bake their pigs, and without presenting a portion to the gods
and the royal family would pack up clothes and bedding, flee to the borders
of Lake Vaihira,.and camp there in readiness to descend for safety to King
Teta in Papeno’o Valley.
At Mairipehe in Papeuriri is a point of land that descends abruptly
into the deep sea, where portions of land occasionally break ofï and disappear.
In conséquence it is named Te-horo (The-landslide). In former
times war was expected when land broke off—if on the Papara side, the
trouble was brewing in Papara, and if on the Taiarapu side, it was brewing there.
In
a
fine taro, at
These anguries of war were received in
from Haapu-taata, a war agitator of Moorea.
1821 from Mo’o, priest of Porapora, and in 1840
Bernice P.
228
Bishop Muséum-—Bulletin 48
coiximonly asserted that when war was
Opeti, would appear to the people
at midnight or midday, crying, “Na haamou hia vau! Na haamou hia vau!”
(I am destroyed! I am destroyed!). When asked what he wished them to
do he would answer “A rave i te ahu, a haere i te fatu, tama’i ua fatata”
(Take your clothes and go to a protector, war is at hand). This warning
they say was always reliable, and so précautions were taken against sur¬
prise.
When a gardener commenced his work by inadvertently holding his
spade by the sharp end, and hurt or eut his hand in applying the blunt
end to the ground, he was sure that war was approaching and went home
at once to move his family to a place of safety or to préparé his war
weapons for action.
If in trimming off the thatch of the eaves of a house a man eut a
lizard in half, it was a sure sign of coming war, and he stopped his work
to préparé for the emergency.
If an artisan accidentally eut himself in building a house or canoë, it
indicated that war was at hand, or that the party for whom the work
was being done would not live to see it finished.
If in making a house
or canoë an artisan broke his axe or adz off its handle, he gave up the
work saying that war would prevent its completion.
If only an outer
corner of the tool was broken, it was the sign that sickness would soon
befall him or some member of his family or someone in his household.
At
Tuia, Papeuriri, it
imminent
a
was
disembodied warrior named
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
SOCIAL
229
CLASSES
INTRODUCTION^*
There
Society Islands : the ari’i-maro-’ura
(sovereigns of the ’ura girdle) and the ari’i-ri’i (petty kings and queens)'—■
who together composed the royal family (hui-ari’i)—, the hui-ra’atira
(gentry), and the manahune (plebians).
were
four social classes in the
The ari’i-maro-’ura, also called ari’i-nui
(great-sovereigns) and tauhadescendants of the highest class of gods were
alone entitled to wear the ’ura feather girdle, which was supposed to be
the costume of the gods.
This class, being regarded as gods incarnate
by ail the others, held suzerainty over them. Their lands were extensive,
their dwellings were spacious, generally on prominent points, and they
always had a large retinue of retainers chosen from the lower classes,
called teuteu-ari’i (royal-servants).
These servants took more liberties
in the realm than other people, and yet while enjoying home-like privilèges
with their superiors they never presumed to infringe upon their dignity.
fau (highest-chiefs),
as
The ari’i-ri’i comprised the
nobility of the land, and being of part
royal and part plebeian descent had no right to the impérial insignia. They
exercised a royal sway over their little dominions much as the barons of
former times did in Europe; but their subjects were free-born people.
They lived in the same way as the ari’i-nui, but on a smaller scale, and
resembled them in character.
The
men
and
fine, commanding
women
of both ranks of hui-ari’i
were
generally of à
and prided themselves on excelling in ail the
arts and handicrafts of their time, feeling it a disgrâce to appear ignorant
or
clumsy before their people. They were generous, kind, and hospitable
to ail who came into their dominions, frequently adopting Etrangers as
their friends.
The huir-ari’i also extended protection to rebel fugitives
from other places, called orure-hau, and to prisoners of war or captives,
called tîtî.
Their sentiment in theory and in practice was intuitively
noblesse
appearance
oblige.
The hui-ra’atira partook of the nature of both the
nobility and the
farmers on their own lands and trusted keepers of
the lands of their sovereigns and chiefs, whom they seconded in the
pursuit of ail the industries of their time. Their influence over the
commonalty was great.
plebeians; they
were
The manahune, who
28
This information
high priest of Mo’orea.
was
greatly outnumbered the other classes, made
received in
1833 from Tamara,
a
no
high priest of Tahiti, and Pati’i,
a
Bernice P.
230
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
pretensions to aristocracy. They served as retainers and workers for the
classes, but also enjoyed their own hereditary possessions.
Today the two upper classes still retain their personalities as princes
upper
and chiefs of the land under the
are
French Government; the two lower
having blended into one group. From time immé¬
little kingdom of the leeward islands has generally been ruled
called liui-ra’atira,
morial each
ari'i-nui and several subordinate chiefs, but Tahiti and Mo’orea were
they were the realms of
démocratie peuple ruled by warrior chiefs. Later on came branches of the
highest royal family of Opoa in Ra’iatea, who by marriage became rulers
of the people in their respective districts, until gradually ail the land
became subjugated to the dynasty of Pômare, the people of each class
retaining possession of their hereditary lands.
by
one
called “Plebeian Tahiti” in former times because
THE ARIOI SOCIETY OF THE
SOCIETY ISLANDS=”
History 0]? thê Arioi
society of comedians, called arioi, had
Islands and neighboring islands.They
were scholars and actors of
no mean ability, chosen from ail ranks of
people, and held in high esteem by ail classes. Their performances were
connected with mysteries which they attributed to the god ’Oro, to whom
they gave the spécial title of ’Oro-i-te-tea-moe (’Oro-of-the-spear-laiddown), the emhlem of which was a triangle, somewhat masonic^’- in appearance, made of spears, thus V, meaning that ’Oro was then a god of peace.
The arioi went from place to place among the islands in flotillas of
canoës as grand as those of royalty, the magnitude of such an expédition
can be conceived from an account given by Captain Cook of the departure
from Huahine of seventy canoës filled with arioi, and also by the im¬
mense houses,^^ measuring from i8o to more than 300 feet in length, that
were built on ail the islands for their réception.
Those houses built by
the public were called fare arioi (comedians’ houses), and also fare
■manihini (guests’ houses), as they were held open also to visitors of note.
Ellis States that this society was not general in the Pacific and appeared
not to hâve extended as far as Hawaii or the Marquesas ; but says
that the Jesuit missionaries found an institution very much like it among
the inhabitants of the Caroline and Ladrone islands, which they caled
uritoy. This name probaby sprang from the same root as arioi, which
without the t it closely resembles.
From very ancien! times the
their sway throughout the Society
^
Received in 1840 from King
Pômare TI of Te-raa-roa, the last chief arioi of Te-ahu-upoo.
In Hawaii the arioi was unknown.
Edward Tregear, Wellington, has named
One at Matavai,
them Polynesian freemasons.
(See
Tahiti, has been described by Captain Wallis.
p.
15.)
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
’Oro
231
wife, Tu-feufeu-mai-i-te-ra’i (Stand-to-unfold-the-sky),
daughters, To’i-mata (Axe-with-eyes), Ai-tupuai (Eaterof-summit), and Mahu-fatu-rau (Fog-of-many-owners), and their only son,
Hoa-tapu (Sworn-friend), dwelt with many gods in the firmament, where
’Oro reigned as king and from whence he one
day ungraciously pushed his
wife down to the earth, where she became a
great heap of sand and so
and
his
and their three
remained
ever
afterwards.
’Oro became lonely without his wife; and his sisters, Te-uri
(Darkness) and Haoaoa (Grossness), compassionating him, said they would go
down to the earth to find him a new
spouse.
So they descended to Tahiti
clad in ti leaves, shredded into a fine
plumelike fringe, each carrying in
her hand a reed as a wand.
Their lofty bearing instilled awe into the
hearts of earthly beings, who soon obeyed their
bidding to assemble ail
the beautiful women of the land before them that
they might choose one
as
a
wife for the
But ail the
god.
women
of
Tahiti
too
were
coarse
and
common
for
his
divinity, and the sisters passed on to Huahine, then to Ra’iatea, Oro’s native
land, and on to Tahaa, only to meet with the same resuit as in Tahiti. At
last, despairingly, they went to Porapora, and there were told of a royal
maiden
of surpassing beauty, named Vai-rau-mati
(Water-of-Ficustinctoria). As she was too dainty to be brought out before them, they had
to go to see her.
They went to a princely house near Vai-otaha (Waterof-man-of-war-birds), ’Oro’s marae, and found the maiden in her apartment, screened ofif with the richest vane (mats). Enchanted were they
with her beauty !
Fier face was as the noontide light, and the luster of
her dark eyes shone forth like stars from the
deep-blue sky. She kindly
v/elcomed them, and they greeted her as their taua
(bosom friend), encompassing her with flashes of lightning', which made her divine like themselves, and she bade them be seated with her
on
her mat.
According to the usual custom, Vai-rau-mati, addressing her visitors
said, “A great errand has brought you to me, O great goddesses ?”
“Yes,”
corne
was
to ask you
ament.”
the
answer,
“Is he handsome?”
“Yes !
“we hâve indeed
to become the wife of
our
a great errand!
We hâve
brother ’Oro, god of the firm¬
enquired the girl.
Fie is handsomer than ail the
sons
of
men
and is
ever
youth-
was
highly
ful,” they replied.
So it was arranged that this lovely maid was to become the
spouse of
the great god ’Oro, and the sisters returned to the
sky to tell of their success
and to direct their brother where to find his bride.
’Oro
pleased at what his sisters told him, and early the following morning he
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
232
descended in
to
cloud
a
by
a
brilliant rainbow, which was bis means of transit
him to her home, where he found the
the earth, and it conducted
princess ail that
even a
god could wish.
place, the bride having many valugifts for the occasion, while ’Oro, who had nothing terrestrial to pré¬
sent, was at a loss to know what to do to save himself from ridicule on
Soon afterwards, their marriage took
able
such
occasion.
an
Then
to
his
a
new
thought struck him, and he went up into the sky and
sisters, “Where
Oro-te-tefa
are
our
(Vain-warrior) ?”
two lads,
said
XJru-te-tefa (Vain-head) and
yonder, cooking our food,” they replied. So he called them,
willing steps they came running into his presence, when suddenly they were transformed into two fine hogs, a boar and a sow, such
“Over
and with
seen before.
They were never to be killed, and he
’Oro-i-te-pua’a-mahui (Oro-in-the-pig-revealing-secrets).
“Now,” said ’Oro triumphantly, “I hâve gifts worthy of presenting to my
wife.” And he led them down by the rainbow—while his sisters wept for
their two attendants, whom they had regarded as brothers—and he presented them to his wife with a bunch of red feàthers, which he called
Uru-maru-no-te-arioi
(Shady-grove-of-the-arioi). These two pigs became gods of the arioi, retaining their names Uru-tetefa and Oro-tetefa.
as
had
never
been
named them both
The following night the sow produced a litter of five fine little male
pigs. The first one was the first sacred pig of the arioi, yet to be
organized, and it was named Oro-i-te-tea-moe (Warrior-of-the-laid-downspear) ; the second was sent into the sea and became a porpoise ; the third
was a pet for ’Oro’s wife; the fourth was for sending to different lands;
and the fifth was sacred to the marae, marked with a ring of sacred sennit
through its
nose.
King Tamatoa I, as ’Oro’s incarnation, was the first arioi on this earth,
organized the first arioi society at Te-pori-a-tai (The-fullness-ofthe-sea), a place near his résidence at Opoa. ’Oro gave the arioi pig to
King Tamatoa, as his représentative in this world, and the king set in its
nose to insure its life a ring of sacred sennit terminating with a tassel, and
let it loose at Opoa. But the pig would not remain there, and so the king
and he
gave
to
it in charge of a friend named Mahi
pig, but as it was a time
footing there and returned
trip to Tahiti three times
a home for the pig.
The
(Fermented-breadfruit) to take
Thither Mahi went with the
of solemn restriction in the land he found no
to Ra’iatea for a short season. He made the
before he was hospitably received and found
third time they landed at Afa’ahiti, bordering
Tahiti, and there find a place for it.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
upon
233
the Isthmus of Tai'avao, and Mahi was compassionated by a young
named Taurua (Venus), who, seeing he was a friendless stranger,
woman
called the attention of her father, Hua-tua
(Ocean-sprays), to him, and
cordially welcomed to their home. Mahi told his errand,
and Hua-tua received the wonderful pig, dedicated to Oro-i-te-tea-moa,
after whom it was named, and set it free in the thickets of Taravao.
he
was
soon
two men became tana, in honor of which a feast was prepared.
hogs were baked whole and presented to Mahi, who was highly
gratified at his réception. In the name of the god he was serving, he
divided one pig into four equal parts; one quarter he sent to Maro-’ura
(Red-girdle) of Hitia’a, one he sent to Mataa (Cheerfulness) of Papara,
The
Great
(Alighting-of-the-gods) of Papetoai in Mo’orea, and
he kept for Atea of Huahine, ail of whom were
great personages. Soon afterwards these men became chief comedians of
the arioi society in their districts and aided Tamatoa in electing those of ail
the other islands in the group. The irames of the chiefs descended to their
successors in their respective districts until the arioi System ended.
to
one
Taura’a-atua
the fourth and last
one
According to the native custom, Mahi required présents to give as a
requital of friendship to his new taua, and so he returned home to pro¬
cure them.
After arriving at Ra’iatea, and telling the king and Atea what
he had done in Tahiti, he went to an islet off the coast of Taha’a, called
Motu-torea
(Islet-of-the-whistling-plover) and there raised pigs and made
rolls of cloth and mats to take to his friend in Tahiti.
curred to him that he needed
a
more
But
a
thought
oc-
influential friend than Hua-tua to
arioi society, and so he took the présents to
him to invest him with regai authority, that
he might represent him worthily in Tahiti. To this the king readily agreed.
He took him to Opoa, and there placed upon him a rich cape from the
temple of Oro; he gave him a royal canoë named Hotu (Sea-swell), which
they loaded with rolls of fine cloth and mats, sennit, coconut shell cups,
and water bottles, cloth-beating mallets, capes, waist cloths, girdles, and
feather ornaments for the head and neck.
And they exchanged names,
Mahi being called Tamatoa and the king naming himself Mahi.
enable him to propagate the
his King Tamatoa and asked
equipped, King Tamatoa’s proxy went to Tahiti, attended by an
named Te-ra-maniou (The-declining-sun), of Ra’iatea, and
a staff of arioi.
They landed at Afa’ahiti and presented the gifts to the
good friend Hua-tua (Ocean-spray), whom they created chief arioi of
Afaa’hiti and who joined them in their errand.
Then they ail went
from district to district, around Tahiti and Mo’orea, their canoë gaily
decorated with long pennants of many colors (mafiti) and small circular
Thus
arioi
chief
Bernice P.
234
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(mou, meaning tops) attachée! to the tops of the masts, which
tipped with spreading bunches of cocktail feathers (tefatefa, this
being the spécial rigging of the arioi canoë). The Sound of their drums
and flûtes, accompanied with dancing, attracted much attention and curiosity among the crowds of people who went to meet them. They soon
gained numerous adhérents and thus made general their society over Tahiti
and Mo’orea. Then every district in ali the islands dedicated pigs to ’Oro,
sacred to their society. The great body of arioi throughout the group was
called “Te-papa nui arioi” (The great rock of arioi). Only well-developed
persons of comely appearance, qualified as feia purotu (handsome people),
were admitted into the society, and both sexes enjoyed the same ranks and
sails
mat
were
privilèges.
Thë Eight Ordërs
There
eight regular orders of those initiated into the arioi myswere distinguished by dress and by tattooing, which they
called tatau or naonao.
In the genealogy of the gods, Tohu was named as
the god of tattooing (pp. 377, 389).
He was supposed to hâve painted
the fishes in beautiful colors and patterns, which human beings imitated
upon themselves, and so men who made tattooing their profession invoked
Tohu to aid them in their work. They were called ta-tatau (tattoo-adepts).
teries and
The
were
they
for the men
(comedians of the
red loin girdle) ; or avae parai (besmeared legs), because most of them were
tatooed completely black from their feet up to their groins, though it
sufficed for those who chose to limit the operation to the kiiees. The red
girdle worn by either sex was made of paper mulberry and was sprayed
with red and yellow to resemble the royal feather girdle.
Other clothing
used in acting was also in burlesque imitation of royal apparel. (See
p. 188.)
They anointed themselves with sweet oil and wore flowers and
and
highest order, who presided
a woman
over
ail the rest,
a man
for the women, were called arioi maro ’ura
leaves of sweet odor.
The second order, called harotea (light-print),
on both sides of the body from the armpits
had filigree bars crossdownwards towards the
front.
Covering their cloth girdle, or fa’aio, the men wore another girdle
of shredded ti leaves, of which they also wore garlands over their shoulders,
which were covered or bare, and wreaths upon their brows.
Over their
wrappers, the women also wore girdles and garlands and wreaths.
The tlîird order, taputu or haaputu (pile-together), had diversified
curves and lines radiating upwards towards the sides from the lower end
of the dorsal column to the middle of the back,
They wore shredded
wise
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
235
opuhi (sweet-scented ginger) leaves, in the
same manner as the harotea
(unfinished), had light prints
upon their knuckles and wrists and heavier ones upon their arms and
shoulders. They wore a soft yellow creeper, called tainoa, for their décor¬
ations instead of shredded leaves.
The fifth order, hua (small), had two
or three small points upon each shoulder.
Over their cloth girdle the men
wore another of the a’a ha’ari (fibrous covering of the young coconut leaf)
and girdle headdresses of yellow coconut leaves.
The women dispensed
with the a’a ha’ari and wore waist girdles and headdresses also of yellow
wore
ti leaves.
coconut
The
fourth order, otiore
leaves.
The sixth order, atoro (stripe), had one small stripe down the left
side, and they decked themselves in bright-yellow fei (mountain plantain)
leaves.
The seventh order, ohe-mara (seasoned-bamboo), had a circle
round the ankle, and their décorations were of maiuu tafai (club moss).
The
eighth order, tara-tutu (pointed-thorn), had small marks in the holwore bright flowers and a cap of red and yellow
Barringtonia leaves.
low of the knees and
It is évident that
operations
the
as
promotion and underwent
raise them the tattooing of one order did not
the comedians received
necessary to
obstruct that of another.
acting, the chief comedians dyed their faces red with the sap of
{Ficus tinctoria) and tou {Cardia suhcordata) leaves. So also did
ail the other orders, in addition blackening themselves with soot from burnt
tutui (candlenut), which some of the men, to create laughter in their
plays, used for painting grotesque figures over their bare bodies and limbs.
Before
mati
Practices
Although they were libertines in the extreme, yet an arioi husband was
exceedingly jealous of his own wife, and improper conduct of one of their
number towards her sometimes cost him his life.
Ofïspring of the lowest
orders was not permitted to live, in conséquence of which infanticide was
a common practice among them.
If any saved their babes they were dismissed in disgrâce from the society.
But, children born in the highest
ranks were regarded as descendants of gods, and were spared to inherit
their parents’ titles.
were called poo
(flappers), fa’aare’are’a (comparisons), or
(footing). In applying for membership, the candidates, who were
always people unencumbered with children, were supposed to be inspired
and brought themselves to notice in the midst of some public exposition by
appearing in a frenzied State, called nevaneva, arrayed in gay colors and
Novices
avaevae
236
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
profusion of fragrant flowers and anointed with strongly perfumed oil.
they displayed their capability in danc¬
ing among the performers. If approved they went through the novices’
initiation, which was to pledge themselves not to suffer their offspring to
live if any came to them and to obay absolutely the orders of their arioi
chief or chiefess, as the case for man or woman might be.
They were
then invested with the maro pipi (girdle of the native pea vine), which was
their public uniform, being their insigne of attachment to the society, to
which they became the humble servants, the men doing ail the drudgery
and the women lighter work required in their expéditions and at the
princely homes of the chief arioi. Their novitiate lasted two or three
years, or until they became accomplished in récitals of historic events, in
music, dancing, and acting (chiefly in pantomime form). Young girls
who enlisted in the rôle, some of whom were the cherished daughters of
the highest people of the land, were carefully guarded and chaperoned by
the chief arioi woman, and their persons, being regarded as sacred, were
respected by ail the members of the society.
a
Then and until the exhibition ended
_
The novices
called poo because they were
the exhibition to stand along the outside borders
required during part of
of the actors with the
left arm bent, striking the bend of the elbow with the right hand and
flapping the left arm as a bird would its wing. At the same time they
chanted, first stating who they were and the geography of their district
(as given in the geography of the islands, pp. 69-109), and then singing
the praises and history of the society and comic songs.
were
were ’considered accomplished enough to be admitsociety, an assembly of arioi convened at the marae of ’Oro
for the purpose of receiving them. The poo were first privately invested
by the arioi maro ’ura with a loin girdle of white breadfruit tree bark,
dyed lengthwise or crosswise with wide red bars, called a fa’aio, and
with a fringed cape of the same mjaterial, called a titi, dyed to match the
girdle, some capes having fantastic figures printed upon them. These
insignia of their profession they wore only when performing in public, the
women wearing their girdles as sashes over their wrappers.
When the novices
ted into the
The
solemnly dedicated to ’Oro-i-te-tea-moe, to
presented a pua’a ra’a (sacred pig), wrapped in arioi cloth of
bright colors, called a haio. If the pig were presented alive, its ear was
marked with the ’oro’oro, and it was set free ; but if baked, it was buried in
the ground in front of the marae as a sweet ofifering to the god.
whom
novices
were
then
was
Finally, after being anointed with perfumed oil in honor of Roma-tane
whose stone image, which stood close by the marae.
of their Paradise, upon
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
237
they placed garlands of flowers, they were led forth by their chiefs and
chiefesses and introduced to the assembly by new names by which they
were ever afterwards known to the society.
After a cordial réception and
kind greetings from the assembly, the ceremony ended in a feast provided
by the relatives of the new member?, then called tara-tutu, of the eighth
or last order, and for them the tattoo printer soon afterwards made the
marks of their order.
gradually promoted according to their merits
by the society, but for the king was reserved the right to bestow the
order of the red girdle and black leg, when such a dignitary was required
in the community.
When arioi retired from active life they became farmers and artisans
for the society, called arioi-fau-fenua (arioi-high-in-the-land), and were
still regarded as regular members ; the women made cloth and did ail the
handiwork required by their sex.
Those who were dismissed from the
society because they became ordinary beings, living at home with their
wives and children, were called arioi-fanaunau {arioi degraded), and they
would weep when reproached by members of the society for their inconThe varions orders
were
stancy.
There
was also an independent
order of men arioi, called papa-tea
(clear-bodies), who did not undergo the tattooing of the society. Neither
did they bind themselves to any of its régulations, but rambled from dis¬
trict to district to meet tbe regular orders and aid in their performances
and share their benefits.
Without being reproached they settled in homes
with families when they chose.
It took many days for the arioi to préparé for their trips among the
districts, as they required the best of cloth mats, ornaments, and food to
maintain their prestige among the people.
When ail was ready, their
leaders took strips of fa’aio cloth, or pure white cloth, and an arioi pig
to the marae of ’Oro, and tying the strips upon the unu (carved orna¬
ments) of the marae, and upon the ti plants before the marae, the chief
arioi invoked the gods, saying:
Ei onei ’oe, e te atua, e ’ite mai ia
Teie te pua’a na ’oe; teie
te ’ahu taviriviri na ’oe, te ’ahu no te
oroa no te mareva, no te aha tatai; ta
’oe teie.
E aratai ’oe ia matou e i te fenua;
homai te tahi mata’i na matou, ei ahi
na mûri, ia tere i te hinu ma te ro’i.
Fano te aha tatai nei, e te atua, e i te
ava O te fenua e haere hia nei.
Eiaha
matou ia pae e atu i te moana e i
te fenua; e ’aroha mai i to maru.
matou.
Remain here, O god, who seest us.
Elere is a pig for thee; here are strips
of cloth for thee ; cloth for the ordinance
of sailing away for prayer to
s'ecure safety at sea; these are for thee.
Lead thou us on to land ; give us a
breeze, to encompass us from behind,
that we may sail as smoothly as upon
a bed.
Let this prayer safely take us,
O god, even into the harbor of the land
to which we are going.
Let us not
beat up to other seas or lands; hâve
pity
upon
thy shadows.
238
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Eiaha ’oe e fa’arue mai ia matou ;
eiaha to matou ia pee hia i te ro’o ’ino,
e
ua
pohe ia mareva !
E tatai tau
aha ei te ava i te ho’i ra’a mai i te
fenua nei.
Forsake us’ not ; let us not be overtaken with evil tidings, that those sailing are lost! Let this prayer to thee
secure our safety to the harbor even in
returning to land.
Then
and
they took a sacred marae stone and some ’ura feather amulets
placed them in the canoë of the chief arioi iipon a small altar, which
sufficed
for the dévotions of ail
the flotilla.
In each canoë was placed
platform upon which the leaders sat or the dancers performed as they
approached the shores in their travels. Their canoës were double or
single, as they chose to hâve them. The arioi named their canoës mareva
(flying) or au-ono (swimming-in-company).
a
They were frivolous people and did not commit the sacrilege of having
priest with them in their excursions of pleasure, but a member of their
society, anointed with oil highly perfumed and decked in gay wreaths and
garlands, represented the god of Paradise, Roma-tane, whose name he bore
prefixed with the article te (the) Te-roma-ta,ne. Near the arioi house he
a
had
little
about six feet
long, made of stone, and complété in struc¬
placed an image of the god. At this
shrine he invoked the presence of Roma-tane,
Hoa-tapu (’Oro’s son),
and Uru-tatefa and Oro-tetefa (the two lads that had been turned into
arioi swine) to accompany the ariof in their expédition and to aid them in
their performances.
This complétée! their préparations, and then they
took their departure.
a
ture and
marae
appendages, in which
was
On
arriving at their destination, amid merrymaking on their canoës
applauding from the people in crowds along the shore, they were
received by the local arioi and made to feel at home in the arioi house of
the district.
Immediately the leaders resorted to the marae of ’Oro, if
one was there, or to the local marae of the
god of the district, carrying
their maro-tai (sea-voyage-offerings), which the chief arioi
presented
and
saying :
O
te
Tera
te
te maro-tai na ’oe
apaapa
to matou tae
te
e
te
e!
atua
’ura te fa’aio, te pua’a,
’uru, e te rahiri ; ta ’oe ia i
te
vane,
ra’a mai i te tenua nei
ma
and
they
ora.
E ’aroha mai i
to
maru
e
te
atua
e,
eiaha te ’ino ia tupu ia matou i te
fa’aea ra’a i teie nei fenua, e tae noa
tu i to matou mareva ra’a tu.
Tahi
tia mai i ta matou aha e te atua e !
When
marae
There is the sea-voyage-offering for
thee, O god ! A fine mat, ’ura feather
arioi cloth, a pig, half a breadfruit,
companies
was
a
bunch ot braided
are
for thee
on our
coconut
leaves ;
safe arrivai in
this land.
Hâve compassion on thy
shadows, O
harm befall any of us while
we remain in this land, even to when
we s'ail away.
Harken to our pétition,
O god !
god, let
no
combined, one présentation to the god at the
sufficient, and one spokesman officiated. After their invocawere
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
239
tion, the leaders returned to their encampment, free to refresh themselves
by bathing and eating, which for fear of incurring bis displeasure and
bringing sudden death upon themselves, they dared not do before presenting an offering to the god. Their next duty was to take to the high chief
handsome gifts, consisting of choice handiwork and a fine
pig—a pré¬
sentation called an 0 (fitter in) ; and an
exchange of compliments beautifully worded followed.
Then présents of ail kinds and appropriate
speeches between the visitors and the hosts were exchanged on a grand
scale, those of the visitor being called an o and those of the hosts a
fa’a’amua (feeding), because they were accompanied with a feast prepared for them. Immense quantities of cloth called ahu rao (voyagers
cloth) were wound by the hosts around some of the women guests, from
their waists up to their necks and down to their
feet, as they stood upon
the tavehea (open
space) of the floor in the house, until they looked like
great balls of various colors ; the women sometimes fainted from such close
confinement.^^
After
accepting the présent, the chief arioi unwound the
the other guests, reserving for themselves
into great heaps upon the mats spread out
for the purpose, and resulted for the
récipients in profits exceeding what
they had lost in what they gave.
cloth and distributed it
among
and the gods a share that grew
The
distinguishing feature of the feast was an arioi pig, baked and
pierced through lengthwise with a long slender pôle and planted in the
midst of the other food. It was
exclusively for the chief arioi. No one
else dared eat any of it from fear of
strangulation by the gods; no thief
was ever so bold as to steal such a
pig. On the occasion of so great agathering of arioi, impostors dressed like them came from other districts,
intermingled with the assembly, partook of the feast, stole some of the
property, and made their escape without being detected.
But afterwards
they boasted of their cunning tricks.
The
house
generally took place at night, when the great arioi
illuminated with fires and candlenut tapers, so that it was called
amusements
was
rehu arui
(night daylight). On a high platform called a raira’a-maro ’ura
(exalting-red-girdles), erected at one end of the house were placée! high
stools
as
building
seats
for the chief
arioi of both
sexes.
the
In the center of the
comedians, over whoni presided the arioi-hi o-niao
The royal family had their seats of honor, and
within the building and outside upon the
grass were the spectators.
Even
the crickets, it is said, cried with
joy on these occasions.
were
(master-of-ceremonies).
When ail
kind.
While
at
were.
Matavai
ready for the entertainment, the chief arioi
in Tahiti
Captain Cook received from
the chiefs
a
came
in
présentation of this
Bernice P. Bishop
240
Muséum—Bulletin 48
and Crossing the arms over
singly, with a step like a strutting peacock,
the breast, said—if of Haapape, for instance :
Ha, ha, ho’i ! O
E
’O Tiaau.
vau,
mou’a i ni’a ’o ’Orohena i hau roa i n’ia
i Tahiti nei ! E tahua i raro, ’o Fae-ria ;
e ’outu i tai, ’o te Fau-roa ;
e vai, ’o
Vai-popoo. ’O vau, ’o Tia-au, ’arioi i
te fenua, otuituia i te ’ofai pupuhi.
Ha, Fia, indeed !
It is I, I stand.
My mountain above is ’Orehena, which
is above ail in this Tahiti.
'The assembly ground below is Fae-ria ; the
cape
seaward is Fau-roa ; the river is
I, I stand comevibrâtes with the
the Vai-popoo.
It is
dian of the land that
Sound of the gun.“
After they had introduced themselves in this manner, Te-roma-tane
opened the entertainment by taking a rahiri (bunch of braided coconut
leaves) and casting it at the feet of the sovereign, saying as he did so :
Ena hoi te
manava
e
manava
o
te
ari’i !
E manava mai ra oe, e te ari’i
nui tua tinitini ; e manava maira oe’ e
! I fano mai ’oe i te
mahora o te ra’i ; i fano mai ’oe i na
va’a ’ura ma te heihei, ma te tarehu
roto ; i fano mai ’oe i na va’a mûri ;
i fano mai ’oe i te va’a i te re’a, i te
va’a ’ura ma te heihei, ma te tarehu
moana.
Manava te ari’i nui, tau aea !
te
ari’i
manomano
Here is indeed the
corae
welcome, the welThou art wel-
of the sovereign !
O great sovereign of thouthousands !
Thou art welcoming us, O great sovereign appearing
from the sky [royal abode] !
Thou
hast flown hither to the lâwn of the
sky; thou hast flown to the foremost
canoës ;
thou hast flown to the after
canoës ; of gaiety, to the canoës of red
coming
s'ands
us,
of
garlands from across the hazy deep.
Welcome, O great sovereign, this intro¬
duction to thee!
indulged in till early
They slept most of the time
Then the amusements and more feasting were
morn
when the arioi
were
glad to take rest.
These entertainments lasted many days, when the
stripped of their produce and the district became so
impoverished that it took long for it to regain its former State of pros-
during the day.
farmers’ gardens
were
perity.
impunity people
often did much
good in thus causing faults to be corrected. They cannot, however, be
placed upon a moral pedestal. From the testimony of their own members,
curtain must forever be dropped before many of their deeds on such
occasions—deeds, which combined with the crime of infanticide, ended the
career of the arioi society.
After its members became more enlightened,
many of them became faithful and zealous workers in the Christian cause.
On returning home in the name of ’Oro the arioi first made a bonfire of
the clothes in which they had been acting, and when they reached home
plays the actors flattered or ridiculed with
priests, from the greatest to the least, and they
In their
and
even
a
who
This last boastful attribute was added, of course, after the arrivai of the early
generally anchored at Haapape near Cape Fau-roa, named Point Venus by Captain
explorers,
Cook.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
they took
’Oro and
offerings to their
saying:
new
marae,
Teie matou e te Atua i fa’ahoi
fa’ahou hia mai e te fenua, i tana tere
ta matou i poroi ia ’oe ra.
Teie matou
tei te fenua ma te ora. Teie ta ’oe
e
pua’a
’ahu
e
teie maro-tai
After this
never
iritervals of
When
’ura.
te
’oe,
e
te
Ta
Atua
matou
e.
the chief arioi presenting them to
Here we are, O god, returned from
the land whither we were bound when
we
took leave of thee.
Here we are
safely landed. These are for thee—a
pig, cloth, and ’itra feathers. Thes'e are
our sea-voyage-offerings to thee, O god.
they disbanded and
went to their own homes, until new
required. In times of war or other trouble, the arioi
molested, and they sometimes safely entertained warriors at
respite on the hattlefield.
organizations
were
e
na
241
were
arioi died, the
body lay in State for two or three days at
deceased, where members of the society assembled to
perform the funeral rites. Accompanied with loud lamentations, called an
otoha’a or ta’iha’a, for the dead, they first brought présents to the family
and made a feast, holding a wake at night time, when they called loudly
to the spirit to return to its body.
On the last day the corpse was taken to
the marae of ’Oro, where the high priest met it and in a long prayer
invoked ’Oro to bestow on the disembodied spirit ail the mystic powers
with which it had been supposed he had invested the arioi in life. Then
the body was interred as that of an ordinary man within the precincts of
the marae, after which, at the little shrine of Roma-tane, Te-roma-tane
invoked the gods to receive the arioi soûl into the full enjoyment of their
paradise, where it was believed that no children existed to mar their
an
the home of the
pleasure.
Thi; Rëvëngiî
OP
Maraa^
The arioi house named Te-ra-tore-re’a (The-sun-with-yellow-rays), of
Maraa, which is a subdivision of the district of Paea, over which ruled the
high chief, Te-vahi-tua (The-divider-of-the-ocean), became famous for its
history connected with the people of the district of Matahihae, now called
Teahuupo’o in Tai’arapu.
A
named E-te-turi
(Deaf-one) and his
son Ma-nai (Small-mark)
along the shores of Matahihae, and
when they had caught some large fishes they baked them whole
wrapped
in coconut leaves, ready to take home to Maraa. But according to custom,
they set apart the first big fish that they caught to présent as a poropa
(peace offering) to the tutelar god of their clan, Tama-tea (Blond-child),
chief of fire gods.
^
in
man
from Maraa to cast their net
went
Also
in
1843
“The burning of Te-ra-tore-re’a (The-sun-with-yellow-rays)
Tai’arapu from the lips of the high priest, Tamera.
called
House.”
Received
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
242
They soon found a social marae dedicated to this god, at a place called
Popoto (Short), and were carrying thither their offering when they met
some friends who invited them to
stay and partake of a little food with
them. So they halted, and E-te-turi (Deaf-one), finding that they had no
méat of any kind, took the flesh off one side of the fish, and left the rest
with the head wrapped in leaves for the god, and the friends enjoyed their
social meal.
When the two fishermen continued their
journey, the son begged the
and catch a fresh
father not to take the remainder of the fish but to go
présent to the god. But the father answered that that would not
the first fish caught, and no other, should be an ofifering to the god.
And so they went to the shrine of Tama-tea and beat the drum to announce
their arrivai. The priest and people of the clan welcomed them cordially,
and they profïered their offering. The priest received the long bundle, and
finding it very light, exclaimed: “Baha teief” (What is this?)
one
do,
to
as
“B ia
(It is fish for the god), was the reply.
Then, god-inspired, the priest answered : "A, ua pau i te 'amua e ’orua”
(Ah, it has been eaten by you two). Then he said: “B ’ore roa te riri o
te atua e maha, maori ra ia pûpûhia ’orua ei hoo no tena na i’a!”
(The
anger of the god will not be appeased except by offering you instead of the
fish!) And immediately the two men were seized and slain and hung upon
a marae tree, thus
presented to the god as “l’a avae roroa” (fish with long
legs). And the anger of Tama-tea was supposed to hâve been appeased.
na
te atua”
When the
people of Maraa learned the sad fate of their fishermen
extenuating circumstances had not
the lives of the men they should
be avenged.
So they set to work to cultivate the soil, and soon they had
extensive fields of paper mulberry (aute), sugar-cane, bananas, taro, ava,
and ail the food that heart could wish, waving in the breeze, and they raised
pigs and fowls, and placed a restriction upon them ail so that they would
hâve a great increase.
they
were sorely grieved and felt that as
been taken into considération to spare
The
then
renewed their
great fare-arioi (comedian and guesthouse), which was forty fathoms long and ten fathoms wide and was
named Te-ra-tore-re’a, while the women made bright feather wreaths, necklaces of pitipitio (Black-eyed Susans), and eardrops of hair braided and
studded with pearls and pitipitio, and other ornaments. The men bleached
purau bark and braided it into beautiful capes ornamented with rosettes and
studded with pitipitio, and the women made mats and beat out great rolls
men
of fine cloth of aute and breadfruit-tree bark.
When ail
was
done, the
goods were hung close together upon the rafters of the great house and
heaped up on mats on the grass floor.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Then
one
Great
land.
243
day delicious food was prepared from the produce of the
pigs and fowls and fishes were baked whole, which was the
sign of plenty, some of the goods were chosen from the arioi house, and
ail were placed in attractive order upon great canoës, double and single, to
take as a présent to the people of Matahihae. Before daylight, in the morning, strong men set off with them to that district.
They arrived just at sunrise and coasted along quickly until they arrived
place called Uri-he’e (Octopus-shades), near the home of the high
chief Matahiapo (Eldest), where they landed and were met by a jester^
of the chief, named Tautu-maau (Domesticated-imbecile), who accosted
them by saying :
at
a
(Friends, from whence do you corne?)
“Mai Maraa mai nei matou” (We hâve corne from
“B homa, mai hea mai ’outou?”
And the
Maraa).
reply
was,
So Tautu welcomed them and bid them go up to
the house; and as
were unloading their canoës, Tautu asked, “Baha tena?” (What hâve
there?)
They mentioned what they had, according to custom, as they placed
articles on the shore, and they said that they were brought from Maraa
as présents for the great chief of the district of Matahihae and his people.
Then as Tautu was about to help carry the -gifts to the house, the men
abruptly gave him charge of them, saying, “Bi onei ’oe, te ho’i nei matou i
te fenua” (Farewell, we are returning home).
And away they sped.
So Tautu made up an assorted load as samples of the great présents,
and carried them upon a pôle to the chief, who was delighted at what hetold him but was sorry that the hearers of the présents would not remain
they
you
for him to entertain them.
quickly outside of the reef, so as to avoid being recalled
there were many enquiring people who came and
helped Tautu carry ail the gifts to their chief’s house. That day Mata¬
hiapo gave a great feast and distributed the présents liberally among his
people, and ail were loud in their praises of the people of Maraa.
The
to
canoës were
the shore, and soon
As
a
must soon
natural conséquence,
show appréciation of
the high chief of Matahihae felt that he
the people of Maraa for such liherality and
représentatives with a présent in return. So his people soon
beautiful things from products of land and sea, and they pre¬
pared canoës, great and small, to form an imposing flotilla on which to
travel, and Matahiapo appointed out of his household to represent him the
chieftains, Pu-a’a (Cluster-of-roots), Ati-tautu (Domesticated-tribe), and
send
some
made many
®
Tahitien
chiefs had jesters, like European
kings and peers.
Bernice P.
244
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(Red-sun), with his son Tavi (Rustler)—who was an cloquent
speaker—as their orator; and a numerous retinue was chosen from the clans
to accompany them.
Then, when the moon was full, they set out towards morning on their
way to Maraa, and just at daybreak arrived there on the sandy shore, facing the great inviting arioi house. Soon they were met and cordially
greeted by the inhabitants, who had been on the lookout for their visit
for several days, and their orator Te-fa’ahira (Make-bashful) thus greeted
Ra-hero
them
E
:
Ari’i
te
o
’Oro-ma-’aito
e
ta’u
Then the
E
ari’i,
e
!
la
te atua, i te
haere ra’a mai.
Putotoro ho’i, e ta’u
ari’i e, i te haere ra’a mai i teie mataeina’a !
A tomo i te fare, i Te-ra-torere’a ; i ha’a hia ’ai tei fare, no ’outou,
no te manihini io matou nei.
A tomo
ra
i te fare, e ta’u ari’i e !
na,
ora
nei,
e
e To’ofa, te
’Oro i Utu-a’i
poupouiti rahi to matou i te
e,
o
taerea’a mai i teie fenua tuiro’o, io
’outou nei !
Inaha, no to ’outou horoa
rahi ra’a mai i te ma’a e te taoa no to
’outou fenua, i ’ite ai matou e e parau
mau to matou i fa’aro’oro’o na mau e,
e fa’aterera’a hau
maitai to ’outou no
ruperupe o te fenua.
I o mai nei
te hina’aro i to matou a’au e haere mai,
te
mai, e ia farerei hua matou
teienei, ua ’ite mata atura
matou, ua farerei e ua ’fa’aro’o i te
’outou parau ha’apoupou.
Teie matou,
ta ’outou pue manihini nei, te Ari’i e te
ia ite mata
ia ’outou.
I
hui ra’atira o ’Oro-ma-’Aito o Matahihae. E ta’u Ari’i, e Te-vahi-tua o ’Oro
i Utu-’ai-nei, te tomo nei matou i teie
nei fare nui atea, i teie fare manihini,
o
O Princes' of ’Oro-ma-’aito (’Oro-inironwood) !* May you live in the gods,
my Princes, in coming here.
Not frequently, O my° Princes, do you visit
this district! Enter into the house, Tera-tore-re’a ; this house is prepared for
you, for our visitors.
Enter now into
the house, O my Princes !
Tai’arapu chief’s orator, Tavi, replied :
Te-vahi-tua ari'i
O teie nei hau,
papa
i
Te-ra-tore-re’a.
O King Te-vahi-tua (Divider-of-theocean), O Chief”, who art supporter of
this Government, of ’Oro of Utu-a’i
(Cape-eating)’, we feel great pleasure
in coming here to this land of famé,
into your midst !
Behold, becaus'e of
your liberal gifts of food and other
goods of your land, we knew that what
we
had already heard was true, that
your mode of governing was favorable
for the prosperity of the land.
So the
desire entered our hearts to corne, that
we
might see for ourselves and that
we might meet you personally.
Now,
we
hâve seen with our eyes, we hâve
met you, and hâve heard your warm
greetings. Here we are, your visitors,
the princes and gentry of ’Oro-ma-’aito
O my King®, Te-vahiof ’Oro of Utu-’ai-nei, we are enter-
of Matahihae.
tua
ing into this great spacious house, this
house
for
guests,
Te-ra-tore-re’a.
so the distinguished visitors from Tai’arapu went into the great
joyously, and they were made to feel very much at home, while
people of the district prepared a feast for them.
And
house
the
The god ’Oro was represented in ironwood in the district of Matahihae.
This possessive adjective pronoun of the singular niimber was often iised instead of the
pUtral, ta matou in orations in old Tahitian.
®
To’ofa is the regai name of the htnder chief of Maraa.
(See page 78.)
^
Utu-’ai was the great marae, the full name of which was ‘Utu-’ai-mahu-rau (Cape-eatiiigmists), dcdicated to the god ’Oro. For its history, see page 130.
®
As the high chief was the head of the people, naming him included his subjects also, in a
rhetorical form of speech.
^
®
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
245
The guests went to the river and bathed and clothed themselves in their
best tapa
and strolled
Leaves
direction.
over
the fine plantations, which met the eye in every
set for
tablecloth upon
the floor along the center
ready. Coconut-shell cups
were set for plates,
freshly picked coconuts to drink, gourds of sea water
with albicore daintily sliced in them (called fafaru), and gourds with coconut sauce (called miti-no’ano’a and miti-ha’ari and
taioro) ; and ail kinds
of po’e (puddings) and vegetables were laid out
tastily upon the leaves
by the women. Finally the men brought great gourds of ava to drink,
whole roasted pigs and fish, cooked and raw, small roasted pigs and fowls,
and shrimps and crayfish, which had been held in readiness for them, and
placed them temptingly down among the other food.
When the guests were assembled, the orator Te-fa’ahira stood up in
were
a
house, and in the afternoon® the feast
of the
their midst and said
E te Ari’i,
o
:
’Oro-ma-’aito
e,
e
te
hui ra’atira i apee mai ia ’outou !
Tera
mai te ma’a i ravehia na ’outou ; e
pua’a,
ia
e te i’a ota, e moa, e
’oura pape, te taioro, te
miti-haari, te miti-no’ano’a, te pape
haari, te po’e te ’uru, te taro, te mei’a,
te ’umara, te uhi, e te pota, e te ’ava ei
fa’a’are’are’a i to ’outou a ’a’u.
Tera ’tu, i ni’a i te aho fare te
peue, te ruru, te tiputa, te maro purau,
te vane, te ahu varavara, te fau, te hei
’ura ;
e
tera
te moea-tau-mauna e
hohora ei tearora’a ’ava na ’outou.
e
’oura miti
Inaha,
outou
e
e
eu
te
te pupu anae
ta’u Ari’i !
hia ’tu
nei
na
O Princes of ’Oro-ma-’aito, and the
gentlemen who hâve corne with you !
There is the food that is prepared for
you ; there are hogs, fish cooked and
raw, fowls, crayfish and shrimps, coconut
sauce,
coconut water, puddings,
breadfruit,
taro,
bananas,
potatoes,
jlams, and taro spinach ; and ava to
rejoice your hearts.
Upon the rafters of the hous'e are
mats, rolls of cloth, capes, loin girdles
of hibiscus, mats for the gods, thin
scarfs, helmets and parrakeet feather
wreaths ; and there are sleeping mats
on
which to go into unconsciousness,
given for you to be intoxicated upon.
Behold we présent them ail to you, O
our
Then
Tavi, the
orator of the g
To’ofa,
ra’atira
te atua !
E
te fari’ira’a i
teie ma’a e i
’outou i pupu
E te Ari’i o ’Oro-i-Utu-’ai. e na
te papa o teie nei hau, e te hui
ia
nei,
poupou
ora na ’outou i
rahi to matou i
fa’a’amua rahi, i
teie nei
teie puera’a taoa rahi ta
mai nei na matou.
Teie ’atoa,
e
ta’u
iti, ei fa’atauaroha ra’a
’outou ; e ruru pu’upu’u, e
ha’apa’e e peue, e tiputa purepure, e huruhuru manu, e ope otaha, e ope mauroa,
Ari’i,
e tahi
na matou ia
e
te
o
hei ’ura.
No te ro’o ma’a rahi o to ’outou nei
fenua i ’ore ai matou i hopoi ’atoa
mai ai i te ma’a ; e inaha, ua ’ite papu
roa ’tura matou e e parau
mau ana’e
®
It
was
not
was
;,
Princes !
replied :
King of ’Oro-i-Utu-’ai, Chiefs who
Government, and
gentlemen, may you live in the gods !
O
art
supporters of this
We cordially accept this great présenta¬
tion, of this food, and of this great
assortment of goods, which you hâve
given us. Here also, O my King, is a
reciprocal présent’" as a token of friendship from uS to you ail : rolls of breadfruit-bark cloth, scented sheets, mats,
printed capes, birds’ feathers, tails of
man-of-war birds, tails of tropic birds,
and parrakeet feather wreaths.
Because of the report that you had
much food in your land, we hâve not
brought any, and lo, we know for a
certainty that ail that we heard was
unusual for the natives to wait till late for their meals.
Bernice P.
246
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 84
of this realm
famé.
Let us eat and drink together, which
will be pleas'ant ; and we shall indeed
sleep soundly in this house.
true, and that the w'ealth
is even greater than its
i fa’aro’o, e e hau atu a te
teie nei hau tuiro’o.
E ’ainu e e inu ana’e tatou ’atoa, e
au ai ; e moe maunu roa ho’i ia matou
i teie nei fare.
ta
matou
faufa’a
o
they feasted together, the hosts serving the guests and taking
help them liberally to ava towards the end of the feast. At nightfall, the flickering light of the candlenut tapers softly revealed prostrate
figures sleeping, almost with the soundness of death, upon the mats strewn
over the soft grass floor.
Then the men of Maraa, according to their plan and unrelenting, went
out, fastened the doors with strong cord, and with oil and torch set fire to
the border of the building, completely encircling it with fiâmes ; and soon
there was a terrible crash of blazing rafters and thatch, falling upon the
hapless sleepers, who were quite unable to recover themselves from the
And
care
so
to
efifects of the ava.’^’^
So ail those guests of
the arioi house were killed with one
terrible
Ra-hero (Red-sun) who not having
imbibed ava as freely as their comrades was hotly aroused from his sleep
and escaped to tell the taie by jumping over a gap where the fire was
spent and smouldering. As nobody saw him, the peuple of Maraa supposed that his body was reduced to ashes with the others in the house,
which, serving as a great crematory in coming to its end, grandly merited
its ominous, poetic naine, Te-ra-tore-re’a (The-sun-with-yellow-rays).
A new fare-arioi was afterwards built with a new name, A-piri-te-ohu
(Whirl-close-together), upon another site by the sea; for revelry could no
longer be held upon ground haunted by the spirits of Tai’arapu’s victims.
When the people of Matahihae heard of the terrible disaster, they remembered the sad fate of the fishermen, Eteturi and Manai, who were slain
at the marae of Popoto.
This story has been recorded by them as “The
revenge of Maraa,” and from it has arisen the proverb : “B ’upo’o ma’a 0
Tai’arapu; e pohe 0 Tai’arapu i te ma’a (A head^^ for food is Tai’arapu;
Tai’arapu will die for food).
stroke, except one man, the chieftain
Visitors’ présents are called an o
of their hosts.
stances.
Strong
ava,
Taiarapu
(fitter in) and reciprocate the fa’a’amua
when freely taken, renders incapable the
was
the head of the fish.
(See
p.
84.)
(présentation)
moving the limbs under any circum-
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
247
ROYAL TAHITIAN GENEALOGIES^”
THE POMARE FAMILY IN TAHITI
(Head) married
Hina-tuniu-ro’o (Gray-of-faraous-source)
They begat Tri-te-apu-ra’i (Skin-the-shell-of-the-sky), t.
’lri-te-apu-ra’i
Te heheu (The unfolding)
I.
Te-vae-ari’i (Royal distribution), t.
Te-vae-ari’i
Te-tapu (The pledge)
Uni
1
2
3
I.
Tmi-toa
4
Tmi-toa
(Seek-for-rocks),
t.
Te-peva-nua (Supremacy above)
(Moon-of-the-gods), t.
Noho-ae (Be-seated)
I.
Marama-i-te-atua
Marama-i-te-atua
I.
Tuitui (String-together), t.
Tuitui
Roro-fai
5
6
I.
Ra’i-te-tumu
7
1.
8
Ra’i-te-papa
Ra’i-te-tumu
(Sky-the-source),
Ra’itepapa (Sky-the-prop),
t.
Hina-tea
10
(Gray-the-carving)
(Light-gray)
Ra’i-te-meremere (Sky-of-parental-yearning), t.
Ra’i-te-meremere
Hina-tû-a-uta (Gray-standing-inland)
1.
Ra’i-te-hotahota (Sky-of-coughing), t.
Ra’i-te-hotahota
Hina-tû-a-tai (Gray-standing-seaward)
I.
9
(Brain-of-ray-fish)
t.
Hina-te-nnu
Ra’i-’e-mate-i-te-niu-ha’amea-’a-Tane ( Sky-of-death-by-the-reddening-coconut-of-Tane), t.
Ra’i-’e-mate-i-te-niu-ha’amea-’a-Tane Mau-tû (Hold-standing)
I.
Moe-iti’iti (Sleep-in-pain), t.
Moe-iti’iti
Fa’afaro (Straighten)
I.
11.
12.
13.
I.
Moe-te-re’are’a
Moe-te-re’are’a
I.
14.
Moe-te-râ-uri
IS-
Hiro
Moe-te-râ-uri
(Haunt-of-parroquets)
(Sleep-in-darkened-sun), t.
Fai-niano (Thousand-imprecations)
Hiro
1.
Marama-toa-i-fenua-’ura
2.
Marama
t.
Ti’ara’a-’ura
I.
named
16.
(Jester),
(Sleep-of-plenty),
t.
Vai-tû-ma-ria
(Water-of-recent-standing)
(Moon-warrior-of-’ura-land), t., also
Tû-nui-paia-i-te-paora ( Great-stability-slipping-in-drought)
Piho-i-te-maro-taino’a
(Splash-and-shout-of-the-seaweed-girdie),
Mâ’apu-te-roro-’opu-’ore
I.
Fa’aniti Tamatoa-’ura
or Tamatoa I.
(Cleaned - with
shell-Brain-without-a-membrane
(Saving-warrior-child-of-’ura-feathers),
t.
-
t.,
1
Copied in 1846 from the manuscript of Mare (Cough), a genealogist, and member of the
royal family, and brought up to date from the office of Mayor Cardella of Papeete, Tahiti; also
by Queen Dowager Marau of Tahiti, by her cousin, Ta’aroari’i Vahiné, and by Mrs. Charlotte
Platt of Ra’iatea.
This Ra’iatean and Tahitian genealogy of the Pômare
family, from Uru to Queen Pômare IV
and her children, has long been held by the French Gove’rnment as a
valuable historié and
official document from a most authentic source, a copy of it
having been obtained by the French
Admirai Lavaud when, as commandant of the Protectorate Government of
Tahiti, lie was strictly
inquiring into the rights of the dominion in the group cf tlie Pômare family. After this test it
published in the French work called “Les Polynésiens et leur Migrations”, by De
Quatrefages.
was
A
is marked t. for tane
te-ari’i (sovereign or
(man) and a daughter v. for vahiné (woman).
Teri’i means
prince).
The author’s copy of there généalogies, unfortunately, was lost after
retyping, making it
impossible to verify the printed copy by reference to the original.—Fditor.
the
son
same
as
Bcrnice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
248
Tamatoa I (Fa’aniti)
17.
I.
Floa-ta-tama
18.
24.
Hu’ui
2S-
Ra’a-uri
26.
Tû
27.
Tautu
(Famé), f.
I.
Ho’a
I.
Ta’ahue (Thrown-off), f.
I.
Ru’utia
I.
Hu’ui
(Flashing),
I.
T.
Tamatoa II3
I.
2.
3.
Ari’i-rua
I.
2.
34-
56.
78.
(Water-in-lime-stone)
Vai-pu’a
Vai-tea
(Bind-thigh), t.
(Clear-water)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
(Clean-cut)
Vai-tûra’a (Water-to-stand-by) of Pare
(Burst-rasping), t.
Tupu-heiva (Begin-play)
Ra’a-uri (Dark-sacredness'), t.
’Are-te-moe (Undulating-wave)
Tû (Stand), t.
Pupa-’ura-i-vai-ahu
(Red - bunch - in-hotwater)
Tautu (Domesticated), t.
Te-unu-ha’eha’a (Low-carving), also called
’Ai-ata (Cloud-eater) of Porapora
Tama-toa II (Warrior-child), t.
(Tautu fought many battles and brought ail the districts of Raiatea under one king)
Te-ao-i-na-ni’a (The-world-above)
Ari’i-ma’o (Shark-king), t.
Ari’i-rua (Two-princes), t., (one of twins)
Rofai (Gust-of-wind), t., (twin brother of Ari’i-rua)
Tetua-nui-i-tahu-ea
(Great - princess - of Tahuea [marae])
Hapai-taha’a (Bare-boldness), v.
Vahi-roa (Distant-place), t.
Ro’o-tai-na (Fame-seaward), f.
Titi-ari’i (Royal-captive), f.
Tu-ea (Stand-on-road), t.
Tuha’a (Portion), t.
Tupuai (Summit), v.
Tama (Child), v.
Rofai (son of Tamatoa II)
29.
t.
Motu-ma
I.
29.
( Strain-neck)
Ro’o
T.
28.
’Uti-’uti-rei
r.
Ru’utia2
23-
setting -fire-to-the-
(Cause-to-fade)
(Altar), t.
Ta’a-hue
22.
-
Ha’amahea
Fata
Ho’a
21.
-
-
(Child-has-friends), t.
I.
Ro’o
20.
Great princess
sky) from Ttibuai
mati
Hoa-ta-tama
Fata
19.
Vai-rau-mati Tetua-nui-tahu-ra’i (Water-of
Marama (Moon)
Tamatoa III, t.
Te-tu-ta’ata (The-stand-of-man), v.
Varivari (Muddy), v.
Hapaira’i (Sky-layer), t.
Titi-ari’i (Royal-captive), f.
Pupa-’ura (Red-bunch), v.
Fanofano (Sailing), v.
This was the first marnage between a Ra’iatean prince and a princess of Pare.
®
Nicknamed Tamat'oa-fa’o because of a nasal defect affecting his speech.
This king
his subjects to lay coconut fronds along the seashore so as to muffle the sound of the
when he took his siesta beneath the trees at Opoa.
2
required
breakers
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Tamatoa III-i
30.
Mai-he’a
249
(Pining-sickness), first wife
31.
Te-tu-paia (The-stand-for-puncturing), v.
2.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa (Sovereign-supreme), f.
3- Teri’i-tari’a (Sovereign-borne-away), t.
4Hapai-taha’a (Laying-bare), v.
Teu (Attendant), high chief of Pare, also
Te-tu-paia5, V.
32.
greater-than-the-gods) or Tû-nui-e-aa-ite-atua ( Stability-who-settles-the-gods )
Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa-i-te-tau-tua-mai-i-te-ra’i
The-sovereign-supreme-residing-in-the-sky [palace)), v.
Tu (Stability), or Vaira’a-toa (Casuarina-container), Pômare® I, I.
Ari’i-paea (Sovereign-elect), v.
Te-ari’i-fa’atau (Sluggish-sovereign), t.
Tupuai-o-to-ra’i (Summit-of-the-sky), t.
Vaii-o (Await-there), v.
Te-pa’u (The splas'h), t.
—Tü or Vaira’a-toa
Itia (Torn-off), first wife
1.
called
Pômare
No issue
Tu-nui-a’e-i-te-atua
(Stability-
(Great-princess-roaming-in-expansive-palace), a high
chiefess of Varari, Moorea, second wife
1.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa (Sovereign-supreme), v.
2.
Pômare II®, or Tû (Stability), t., born about 1774.
3.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa (Sovereign-supreme), t.
Te-rito-o-te-ra’i Teremoemoe (LuxuriancePômare II
of-the-sky) (Lonely-errand)
1.
’Aimatai® (Eye-eater), v., born February 28, 1813; died September
17, 1877
2.
Teina (Younger-brother), t., born in 1817; died in chiidhood
3.
Pômare, or Pômare III, t., born in 1820; died January ii, 1827.
Pômare III reigned from December 7, 1821 until his death and was succeeded
by his sister, ’Aimata, as Queen Pômare IV.
Pômare IV married in December, 1822, Tapoa (First-slain-in-battle-Going-above),
Prince of Taha’a, afterwards King Tapoa II of Porapora and Taha’a.
(See .)
They had no children. In 1834 they were divorced and she married her cousin
Te-na-ni’a (The-going-above), also named Ari’i-fa’a’ite (Prince-telling), of
Ra’iatea, who was boni January 10, 1820 and died August 6, 1783. By this
marriage were born three children who died in infancy; then were born:
1.
Ari’i-aue (Wailing-prince), t., August 12, 1838, on the islet of
Motu-uta, Papeete ; died May 10, 1856 ; unmarried.
2.
Te-ra-tane (The-man-sun), f., also named Teri’i-tari’a (Carriedprince), afterwards Pômare V, born at the Isthmus of Taravao,
November 3, 1839; succeeded his mother as King Pômare V,
September 17, 1877; died June 12, 1891.
33.
34-
3S-
TetuaS-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea
*
After Tamatoa III, the proiicl Ari’i maro xira family of Ra’iatea was closely blended with
the ancient family of warrior chiefs of Pare, with whom there had been a former union,
®
It was Te-tu-paia, a Tamatoa, who first introduced the ura-feather girdle of Ra’iatea into
the district of Pare.
*
For the names Vaira’atoa and Pômare, see account of royal influence on words, p.
^
Pômare I, whose ancestral name was Tu—called Otoo by Captain Cook, who mentions him
in his voyages in 1769 and 1774—became king of Tahiti and Alo’orea in 1793 and a little later
also of the Tuamotus.
He died September 3, 1803.
*
See Tahitian dictionary for tetua (daughter of a chief).
It is now used only as a proper
noun.
Pômare II reigned from 1803 until his death December 7, 1821.
The name ’Aimata is derived from the former custom of presenting
victim to a sovereign in religions rites at a marae.
®
the
eye
of
a
human
Bernice P.
250
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Teari’i-maeva-rua (Sovereign-twice-hailed), v., who became queen
of Porapora; boni at Ra’iatea May 23, 1841; died
February 12,
18734.
Taniatoa (Warrior-child), t., who became Tamatoa V of Ra’iatea;
born at Ra’iatea September 23, 1842; died September 30, 1881.
5.
Pu-nua-ri’i Teri’i-tapu-nui (Small-trumpet-above-Prince-of-manysacrifices), t., born Mardi 20, 1846; died September 17, 1888.
6. Teri’i-tna (Sea-prince), Jouinville, t., born in Tahiti December
17,
1847 ; died April 9, 1875.
36. Pômare V, last king of Tahiti, was married^i November li, 1857 at Huahine, to
Te-ma-ri’i-a-te-uru-ra’i (The-Iittle-cleansing-of-the-sky-forcst), eldest daughter of
King and Queen Ari’i Mate (Deceased Sovereign) of Pluahine. A girl and a
boy were the issue of this marriage, but they died in infancy ; the mother aiso
died later. January 28, 1875, Pômare V married
Joanna Marau-ta’aroa Te-pau
(Much-unique-cleansing The-splash) Sahiion of whose illustrions faniily more is
said later. Their children, ail living, are:
1.
Teri’i-nui-o-Tahiti Te-vahine-taora-te-rito-ma'-te-ra’i Teri’i-a’e-tua
3.
(Great-sovereign-of-Tahiti The wonian that throws-fruitfulnessfrom-the-sky Sovereign-that-mounts-upon-the-back), v., born March
-
9,
2.
-
-
1879.
Ari’i-manihinihi
Te-vahine-rere-atua-i-Fareia (Sympathizing-sov[The-woman-eating-before-the-refreshed-with-the-fatness-ofmist The-splash Sovereign-in-palace-wall]a
The-God-flying-womanof Fareia), v., born January 4, 1887.
ereign
Ernest
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa-i-te-tua-i-Hauviri
Tetua-nui(Supreme-sovereign-of-the-sea-of-FIauviri
Great-sovereign-who-fell-from-the-sky
Long-battle-in-the-region-of-stability The-splash.) Salmon, t.
36. Princess Te-ari’i-maeva-rua was adopted by King Tapoa II of Porapora and
dependencies, he haidng no children, and after his death in 1860 was crowned
by Rev. Mr. Platt queen of his realm as Maevarua I. She married Te-maui-ari’i
(The-royal-prayer), son of the high chief and chiefess Ma-pea-nu’u (With-whichhost), of Fa’a’a and descendant of King Ma’i of Porapora, February 28, 1866.
Of this marriage there was no issue.
36. Taniatoa, who became king of Raiatea as Tamatoa V, December l, 1860, married
Moe (Sleep), sister of Te-maui-ari’i just mentioned, at Ra’iatea
July 12, 1863.
They had six children, two of wlioni are dead.
3.
1.
Teri’i-o-uru-maona (Sovereign-of-wrestler’s forest), v., nominated
Pômare VI by Queen Pômare IV before the second marriage of
her son, the late Pômare V ; born July 16, 1867, and died Decem¬
ber
2.
Albert
marua-l-te-ra’i Aro-roa-i-te-mavana-o-Tu Te pau
15,
1872.
Teri’i-vae-tua
(Sovereign-distributing-the-ocean), v., born Septem¬
1869. She married Norman Brander, nephew of Queen
Dowager Marau, to whom she bore a son nanied Norman Winifield Tamatoa Te-vahi-tua-i-Pa-tea (Warrior-child-divider-of-thesea-at-White-Fort), March 23, 1889, died 1917.
Teri’i-maeva-rua (Sovereign-twice-hailed), v., namesake of her
aunt, Queen Maeva-rua I of Porapora; born May 28, 1871. At the
deniise of her queen aunt, February 12, 1873, she succeeded to the
throne of Porapora and dependencies as Maeva-rua II and retained
ber 22,
3.
By Rev. Charles Barff of the London Missionary Society,
a The phrases in brackets are evidently translations of
Tahitian titles omitted in this
given above. Cf. p. 39, no. 7-2 title complété. Handy.
name
as
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
251
kingdom was annexed to France March
1888.
Tamatoa, t., boni September 22, 1872; died September 9, 1873.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa, v., born November 7, 1877, who married the
late Opuhara Salmon, son of Tati Salmon, high chief of Papara,
by whom she had several children.
’O ’Ai-mata Teri’i-vahfne-i-titaua-o-ote-ra’i ( Eye-eater Princesssought-for-the-palace), v., born June 29, 1878; died April 3, 1894.
the sovereignty until her
19,
4.
5.
6.
Teri’i-tapu-nui, (best known by the latter name), married Teri’i(Supreme-sovereign), daughter of the high chief and chiefess, Mano, of
Tautira, Tahiti, June, 1862, by whom he had a daughter named Teri’i-na-vaho-roa,
born April 15, 1873, and died April 12, 1874.
Prince Teri’itua Jouinville, (the latter name was preferred by the French and
was
Tahitianized Tuavira), married Isabelle Vahine-tua ( Ocean-woman) Shaw,
daughter of the son of Captian Shaw, a well-known navigator in the Pacific, and of a
native woman of good family in Mo’orea. The issue of this marriage was Teri’ihinoi-atua (Prince-silent-with-god), so well known as Prince Hinoi, the adopted son
of his uncle, the late King Pômare V.
He married Queen Maeva-rua II of Porapora, but they hâve no child living.
By this genealogy, it will be seen that up to the présent date there are thirtyeight générations of the Pômare family. Returning to Tamatoa III, the direct line
Prince Punuaru
na-vaho-roa
-
of the Ra’iatean branch is as follows :
THE BRANCH IN RAIATEA
30.
Tamatoa III
1.
2.
3.
Te-moe-ha’a
Te-hani (The-darling), second wife
(The-sleeping-low), t.
Ara-pô (Night-waking), t.
Te-ha’ame’ame’a (Becoming-flushed), v.
Hapai-taha’a (Eaying-bare) of Hauiri
Ra’iatea, third wife.
Vetea-ra’i Uuru (Separated-from-the-sky Snoring), f.
Puni (Hide) of Farerua in Porapora, first
Vete’a-ra’i Uuru
4.
31.
wife
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Ari’i-ma’o
(Shark-king), t.
Ta’ata-ma’o (Shark-man), t.
Teri’i-rouru-ma’ona (King-with-flowing-hair), t.
Te-tu-paia (The-stand-for-puncturing), v.
Hoata (Joke), t.
Te-ruri-atua-i-tai-nu’u
(The-shifting-god-to-moving-sea), t.
Te-mai-hea (The-fading-disease), v.
Rere-ao
(Flying-in-the-world)
pora, second wife
Mate-ha (Fourth-death), t.
Hihipa (Self-admiring), t.
10.
Tamatoa
IV.
11.
Te-pô-a-nu’u
of
Pora¬
Opaipai (Drift-side-way) also named Teroro
(The-brain) of Porapora, third
wife, Rereao’s sister
(The-night-move) Pehupehu (Débris).
Rereao, second wife
Bernice P.
252
12.
Hihipa (Self-admiring), named Tahi-toe (One-remaining) because
his niece, Queen Terito, and King Pômare II had one surviving
child, ’Aimata, later Queen Pômare IV, after los'ing their
two
32.
TamatoalV*"
1.
2.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
sons.
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
(Stand-in-place), daughter of
Queen Te-ha’apapa of Huahine
Teri’i-tari’a
(Carried-sovereign), v., who became Ari’i-paea
(Sovereign-reserved), Queen of Huahine, who fell into a
trance.
(See page ?i)
Te-rito-o-te-ra’i (The-verdure-of-the-sky), v., mother of Queen
Pômare IV, afterwards called Tere-moemoe (Lonely-errand).
Te-ma-ri’i (Small-cleansing), v.
4.
Mai-hara (Transgression-illness), z/.
5. Moe-’ore
(Sleepless), t., also named Teri’i-tino-rua (Princedual-body) and Te-ari’i-noho-ra’i (Sovereign-dwelling-in-the-palace), father of the late Queen Teha-apapa of Huahine.
6. Te-ihotu (Erect-nose), v., mother of Te-na-n’ia
(The-goingabove), second husband of Queen Pômare IV.
Tahi-toe, named after his father, Tahitoe vahiné, of Ra’iatea.
1.
Rere-ao Te-hau-roa-ari’i (Long-government-of-kings) v.
2.
Te-hau-poto (Short-government).
Tamatoa V, son of Queen Pômare and great grandson of King Tamatoa IV,
was crowned king of Ra’iatea and Taha’a December
1, 1860, at Opoa, by Rev.
Mr. Platt.
At the coronation he met with some opposition by the people, but
as
he was protected by French troops that were in attendance on the royal
family of Tahiti, the ceremony passed off in pomp and State. He reigned until
February 8, 1871, when he was deposed by his subjects for mis'conduct.
Tahi-toe, the second grandson of King Tamatoa IV, before mentioned, was
then proclaimed king, being the rightful heir to the throne, and was crowned
August I, 1872, in great State by Rev. J. C. Vivian at the church at Uturoa.
He accepted the French protectorate fiag in 1880 and died in 1881.
Rereao Hau-roa-ari’i, daughter of King Tahi-toe, succeeded her father to the
throne and was crowned queen by this name April 13, 1881, by Rev. Mr. Pearse
at Uturoa Church with due solemnity and
rejoicings. She remained unmarried
and died March 18, 1884.
Tamatoa VI, son of Queen Te-ha-apapa of Huahine and Ari’i-Mate (Sovereigndeceased) and great grandson of King Tamatoa IV was crowned as TamatoaTautu in the same manner as his predecessors January 22, 1885, by Rev. E. V.
Cooper, and reigned until his kingdom was annexed to France, March 16, 1888.
3.
33.
35.
34.
35.
35.
THE BRANCH IN HUAHINE13
the
29.
30.
Returning to Ari’i-ma’o,
royal house of Huahine.
son
of Tamatoa H, is the genealogy connected with
Ari’i-ma’oi^ (Shark-king)
I.
Mau’a (Wasted), t.
Mau’a
1.
2.
3.
Rohi-a-nu’u
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
Te-’e’eva
(The crescent) of Papara
Te-atua-nui-marama
(The
goddess) of Huahine
(Effort-to-move),
great
-
moon-
t.
( Stand-in-royal-palace),
Moe-tû (Sleep-standing), t.
-
v.
Reigned when Captain Cook visited Ra’iatea in 1777.
Brought up to présent date by Teri’i-na-vaho-roa Alexandre, daughter of the late Queen
Teha’apapa II, and by Moeruru Tetua, a member and genealogist of the family.
Ari’i’ma’o introduced the royal ’ura-featber girdle and the god ’Oro of Ra’iatea int'o
Papara.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
4.
5.
6.
31.
7.
Rohi-a-nu’u
Varivari (Muddy), v.
Va-ave-roa (Wave-with-Iong-train),
(Rock), t., liigh priest of Huahiiie, from Opoa, Ra’iatea.
Fa’araurau (Cease-benefit), w., aiso named Fa’a’oroma’i (Forbear).
Teri’i-tari’a,
the
Mato
1.
Teri’i-tari’a,
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
woman)
34.
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
S-
2.
34-
5-
6.
E-he-vahine
v.
(Stand-in-royal-palace
widow.
A-caterpilIar-
Mahine Te-hei-’ura (The-’ura-feather-wreath Daughter) t., who
became king of Huahine.
He was about 15 years old when
Captain Cook visited Huahine in
Rere-ao
(Flying-in-the-world),
matoa
Teri’i-tari’a
a
or
Ari’i-paea-vahine,
remarkable trance.
(See
1777.
v.
IV
fa’o
p.
Raiatea, nicknamed Ta(Warrior-child-muffller)
of
of Huahine who fell
T., queen
220.)
Te-rito-o-te-ra’i Tere-mo’emo’e, v., queen of Pômare H and
mother of Queen Pômare IV of Tahiti.
Te-mâ-ri’i (The-little-cleansing), v.
Ma’i-hara (Transgression-ilhiess), v.
Moe-ore Teri’i-tino-rua Te-ari’i-noho-ra’i (Sleeplessness Sovereignof-dual-body The-sovereign-dwelling-in-palace), t.
Te-iho-tû Ta-ve’a (Erect-nose By-messenger), v. (See the same
genealogy.)
Tohe-ma’i
hea-atua
I.
2.
(Sickly-basis), also named Te( ( Which-god), first wife
Tû-ra’i-ari’i Te-ra’i-mano (Stand-in-royal-palace
Many-Skies), v.
’ltia (Torn-off), second wife, previously
Teri’i-a’e-tua
(Te-hei-’ura)
I.
Tû-’ai-tara
the first wife of Pômare I of Tahiti
(Sovereign-mounted-oii-back),
2.
Ta’aroa-ari’i
v.,
died
young.
Pere-rà (Now-distribute), first wife, sister
to King Tapoa I of Porapora
(Stand-to-eat-in-corner),
Tetua-apua
33.
married the
Te-tû-ave-roa (The-stand-with-long-train),
second wife,
daughter of Mo’o-hono
(Thatch-lizard), high priest of Huahine and member of the royal family
in the Ra’iatean
Te-na-ni’a
Mahine
t.
by which to catch
Te-na-ni’a (That-goes-up), t.
into
32.
a noose
Queen Te-ha’apapa, first wife.
Tamatoa
1.
32.
carried)
t., (famed for inventing
man-of-war-bird).
Rohi-a-nu’u died, and his' brother Mato
2.
32.
f.
Mato
Te-ha’apapa
I
Te-i’oa-tua
Teri’i-tari’a
(The-piling The-ocean-name Sovereign-
I.
31.
253
v.,
who died
young.
(Princess-enchanted),
second
wife, of the people, s'o that lier babes
were strangled at birth
Tao’a (Property), third wife, high chiefess of Fareihi, Pluahine
(Unique-sovereign),
t.
Mahine vahiné, fourth wife, without issue.
Teri’i-tari’a or Ari’i-paea vahiné
Ari’i-paea
Having no issue, they adopted Queen Pomare’s second
V. bestowing upon him the name Teri’i-tari’a.
son,
the late King Pômare
Bernice P.
254
33-
Moe-’ore
(ReCaught-at-night-of-spirit-parent)
from Papeari, Tahiti, of plebian origin
Te-pa’apapa II, v., the late queen of Huahine.
Maere-hia (Surprised), v.
Teri’i-tino-rua
Te-ari’i-
1.
Ta’aroa-ari’i
Harua-pô-a-te-varua-metua
Te-mata-fainuu
Te-mà-ri’i
Ma’i-hara
ing), v:
Te-uru-ra’i
34-
Mahuti
leased
noho-ra’i
2.
33-
Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Ari’i-mate
(The-sky-forest Sovereign-demised), t.
(The-sun-man), later named
Ari’i-peu (Tricky-sovereign), grandson
Te-râ-tane
Ma’i-hara
of Tamatoa
IV
(Eye-eater), v.
2.
Ta’aroa-ari’i (King Ta’aroa), t.
Te-iho-tû (The-erect-nose), v.
3Te-uru-ra’i, or Ari’i-mate
Te-ha’apapa II, daughter of Moe-’ore,
(Sleeplessness), son of Tamatoa IV of
Ra’iatea
and great granddaughter of
Mato and Queen Teha’apapa I
I.
Te-mà-ri’i Ma’i-hara Te-uhe (The-little-cleansing Transgressionsickness The-breeze), v., first wife of Pômare V, died August
1.
34.
(The-face-disappearing)
The-little-cleans-
(Transgression-sickness
’Ai-mata
21,
1891.
2.
Te-ari’i-fa’aite
3-
Te-rerera’a-tua
4-
9-
6.
deceased.
(Princess-telling), v., who died young.
Tapiria (The-flying-of-the-ocean Closed),
v.,
(Moon Indolent-prince), t., died in 1909.
(Casuarina-cpntainer), v., dead.
Te-uru-ra’i Ari’i-mate (Sky-forest. Sovereign-demis'ed), t., who
became king of Ra’iatea under the title of Tamatoa VL
Ari’i-ati-tai (Princess-surrounded-hy-the-sea), v., died in childTeri’i-fa’atau
Mararaa
Vaira’a-toa
hood.
( Prince-night-to-hook-the-sky ), t., deceased.
( Sly-movement Great-princess-ofmarae-for-human-sacrifices), t., deceased.
Tù-ra’i-ari’i (Stand-in-royal-palace), v.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa
Te-hei-’ura
(Sovereign-supreme
The-’uraTeri’i-te-pô-rou-’a-ra’i
Fatino
10.
11.
Tetua-nui-marae-ta’ata
wreath),
12.
35.
v.
Te-fa’aora-vahine
Te-mà-ri’i Ma’ihara Teuhe
(Saviour-of-women),
Te-râ-tane
or
v.
Pômare V of
husband
Tahiti, first
(I-shall-carry
Singly),
Tuamotus, second husband
No children by either marriage lived.
Afai-au-Tatahi
from the
35.
Te-rerera’a-tua-Tapiria
35.
Marama
I.
Te-mata-fa’ainu’u
(The-face-disappearing), v., died young.
Tetua-marama (Princess-moon), daughter
of the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
king of Rurutu
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa Te-ha’apapa, v.
Te-anu-nui-ata (The-great-chill-of-clouds), v.
A-mai-te-ra’i (Scorched-from-the-sky), t., deceased.
Te-uru-ra’i (Sky-forest), t.
Teri’i-te-po-rou-’a-ra’i (Prince-night-to-hook-the-sky), t., deceased.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
6.
7.
8.
Vaira’a-toa
1.
2.
255
Te-mata-’ura-ari’i
(The-royal-red-face), v., deceased.
Teri’i-hoa-tapu-i-te-ra’i (Sovereign-pledged-friend-in-the-sky), t.
Tetua-marama (Princess-moon), v.
E-he (A-caterpillar), v., deceased, leaving five children.
Tahi-mana-ari’i (One-sovereign-power), t., deceased.
Tetua-nui (Great-princess), daughter of Tamatoa
Atiti-oroi (Swerving-roller) of the Tati
family of Papara
Tamatoa (Warrior-child), t., heir apparent to the title of Ta¬
matoa VII of Ra’iatea, until the monarchy ended with that of
Te-uru-ra’i Ari’i-mate or King
Tamatoa VI of Ra’iatea.
Huahine.
(The-god-reposing-woman),
2.
Te-vahine-ha’amoe-atua
3-
Upufara Pehupehu (Pandanus-invocation Débris), t.
4-
5.
6.
Vana’a
sky),
V.
(Herald
Teri’i-mana-i-te-ra’i
Mahine Ta’aroa-ari’i
Great-sovereign-of-the-
(Daughter Unique-sovereign), t.
Te-fau-vero (The-storm-chief), t., deceased.
T eri’i-te-pô-rou-’a-ra’i
Piho (Splash)
1.
Te-uira-ari’i (Lightning-prince), t.
2.
Irenè (a foreign name pronounced “Ireni” in
34-
56.
7-
8.
v.
having the Sound of e short), v.
Mate-rua (Royal-deaths-twice), v.
Taumi-hau (Balance-of-government),
Auta’o (Royal-provisions), t.
Ahu-pû (Cloth-entire), t.
Tetua-nui (Great-princess), v.
Ra’i-hau (Peaceful-sky), v.
Tahitian, the i's
t.
T etua-mere-tini
a
Ari’i-tiria (Princess-ofmany-sorrows-of-sovereign-thrown), from
Fatino
Vaira’o
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
v.
Tû-te-ira-ari’i ( Stand-royal-mole), t.
Te-unu (The-carved-ornament), t.
Mato (Rock), t.
Etienne Alexandre (of French and Tahi¬
tian
2.
Tahiti
Te-ma-ri’i-vahine (The-Iittle-cleansing-woman), v.
Tavae-ara’i (Parroquet-mediator), f.
Teri’i-na-vaho-roa
1.
in
(A-dance), i.
Tû-tea-ari’i (Stand-fair-prince), t.
Tû-mata (Eye-witness), t.
Hapai-taha’a (Deviation-exposed),
Tû (Stand), v.
Toa (Warrior), t.
Tetua-nui (Great princess), v.
Utami
parentage)
Teri’i-hiti-niai-te-râ (Prince-from-the-sun), t.
Tau-tiare (Flower-season), v.
Maru-ra’i (Shade-of-sky), t.
Tava’e-ari’i (Royal-parroquet),
t.
Te-’ura-ma-te-ata (The-redness-of-the-clouds),
Tû-manu-tea (Stand-white-bird), t.
Te-mata’i-a-tô-ari’i (Wind-drawing-sovereign),
Tetua-nui (Great-princess), v.
v.
t.
I.Pua-r’ite-ra’ i-Mat’i-rea
256
35.
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Te-fa’aora-vahine
?
1.
Te-fa’aora-vahine, v.
2.
Tau-vavau (Some-peacemakers), v.
3.
Te-mà-ri’i (The-little-cleansing) t.
Of the thirty-sixth génération children
petuate the race.
Te-uru-raT’s Genëalogy
Mauri ta Ena
on
ire’a
also rising to
per-
His Mothër’s Sidiî
Te-upo’o-hei-etua
(Entranced of Speedy)
are
a
Te-rupe
(The-head-
with - uprooted - wreath - of ^ the- mountain-
pigeon)
[ Sky-flower-the-sacredness-of-Mata’-
(marae)], t.
Te-upo’o-rau-toa (The-head-with-warriors’leaves)
1.
Te-vahine-ha’amoe-tua-i-Mata’ire’a
(The-woman-sleeping-at-sea-ofMata’ire’a), v.
2.
Varivari (Muddy), v.
3.
Teri’i-taumi-hau (Sovereign-holding-power), t.
4.
Fa’ai-po’a (Fill-cavity), t.
5.
Te-iva-ari’i-i-Tainu’u (The-royal-gloom of Tainu’u), t.
6. O-to’o (Dancing-master), f.
7.
Te-varua-hae-o-pua-ra’i (The-fierce-spirit-of-sky-flower), t.
Te-’ore (The-ceasing) of Opoa, Raiatea
1.
Te’a-ta’o-tane Teri’i-na-na-vaho-roa (The-man-spearer Sovereignsupreme), t.
2.
Maeva-rua (Twice-hailed), v.
Pua-ra’i-te-ra’i-Mata’i-re’a
3-
Fa’ai-poa
4-
Te’a-ta’o-tane
3.
1.
2.
34.
Ss-
Pupa-’ura
v.
Te-uhe
(The-breeze), t.
Va’a-pau (Swamped-canoe), t.
4-
5-
( With-dedication), t.
Pupa-’ura, t.
Raatira-’ore (No-captain), t.
Mohao
1.
2.
34-
Tamari’i
5-
(Many-waitings)
Tata-hio (Strike-whistling), t.
Taia (Dread), t.
Te-tu-ae-tara
They had
6.
offspring.
Tuai-rau
2.
Te-uhe
(Sky-digger), died
Pao-ra’i
no
Puhi-ava
3.
(Stone-seat)
Nohora’a-ofa’i
(Red-bunch), t.
Puhi-ava (Passage-eel), t.
Pupa-’ura
They had
1.
s-
Varivari,
of Fa’anui
(The-stand-in-corner), first
wife, deceased
no
children.
Ma-apu
Te-uru-ra’i (The-sky-forest), t.
Tamari’i (Children), v.
Pao-ra’i (Sky-digger), v.
Me-hao (With-dedication), t.
Ma’i (Sickness), v.
They had
soon
Utami
no
children.
(Clean-extensively),
(A-dance)
s'econd
wife
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
6.
257
(Alighting), first wife
(The-face-disappearing), v.
Te-ahii-ra’i (Tlie-heat-of-the-sky),
Taura’a
Me-hao
1.
Te-mata-fainu’u
second
wife
Te-uhe (The-breeze), t.
Te-uru-ra’i, t.
Te-mata-fainu’u
Ta’aroa-ari’i
1.
Temari’i, v.
2.
3.
7.
2.
Te-uru-ra’i Ari’i-mate, f.
GenEai^ogy
I.
Tau-ari’i
Ahu-toru
hiti
Tp-ha’apapa II
(Royal-invocation), t., of
(marae) at Papa’oa, Ta1.
2.
2.
OP
on
Te-roro-iti-a-hi’o-ari’i a Tera’i-tua (Thelittle-brain-see-sovereign-of-ocean sky), of
Mahine
1.
a
Taura’a-atua
ofï - woman - in - the-clear-sky of
Alighting-of-the-gods),
of
Papetoai,
Mahine-Ta’aroa-ari’i,
Ta’aroa-ari’i
2.
Moorea
Titiri-vahine-i-te-ra’i-maoa
(Hurl
3-
(marae),
Nu’u-rua
Tau-’ai-ta’ata (Invocation-consuming-man), t.
Te-roro-iti-a-hi’o-ari’i (See her mother’s name), v.
Tau-’ai-ta’ata
I.
Hpr Mothpr’s Sid®
-
Mo’orea
t.
Tai-taru
Teri’i-tari’a, t.
Ta’aroa-ari’i, t.
(Moving-speech
of Huahine
Teri’i-tari’a
a
Sovereign-carried)
Mahine
See the meanings given above.
4-
Teri’i
Teri’i-tari’a
-
ohua
moae
-
e-te-anuanua-i-te-tuahu-i-Ura-
( Sovereign-whirled-by-the-rainbow-
upon-the-landing-place-at-Ura- moae), Hu¬
ahine
I.
S-
Te-ha’apapa I Te-’i’oa-tua Teri’i-tari’a,
Te-ha’apapa I
1.
2.
Mato
Tû-ra’i-ari’i
1.
2.
34-
5-
6.
7-
high
of Huahine.
priest,
Teri’i-tari’a (Sovereign-carried), t.
Tû-ra’i-ari’i E-hê-vahine
(Stand-in-royal-palace
woman),
6.
(Rock),
Ra’iatea
v., queen
from
Opoa,
A-caterpillar-
v.
Tamatoa IV of Raiatea (Tamatoa-fa’o)
Ari’i-paea (Sovereign-carried Sovereign-elect), v.,
queen of Huahine.
Te-rito-o-te-ra’i Tere-mo’emo’e, v., queen of Pômare II of Tahiti.
Te-ma-ri’i (The-little-cleansing), v.
Ma’i-hara (Transgression-illness), v.
Moe-’ore Teri’i—tino-rue Te-ari’i-noho-ra’i (Sleeplessness-Sovereign-
Teri’i-tari’a
of-dual-body The-sovereign-dwelling-in-palace), t.
Te-iho-tû Ta-ve’a (Erect-nose By-messenger),
v.
Mahuti
Harua-pô-a-te-varua-metua (Released
Caught-at-night-of-spirit-parent),
Moe’ore
from
1.
2.
loasa, t., deceased.
loane, t., died in childhood.
Papeari, Tahiti
258
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Solomona, t., deceased.
Te-ha’apapa II, v., queen of Huahine when
3.
4.
annexed to
Français in 1888.
the
island
was
THE TAPOA DYNASTY OF PORAPORAis
On THE Father's Side
Hapai - taha’a
(Cover - bareness),
granddaughter of Tamatoa II of
Ra’iatea, through his son Ari’i-rua,
first niarriage
Metua-aro
1.
3.
Te-ari’i-fa’atau
Aue
Mairo
3-
Ahu-rari
78.
2.
Mano-tahi
1.
Ta’o-ata
(Wet-clothes), t.
Te-upo’o-pa’ari (The-hard-head), t.
Maro-ni’au (Coconut-leaf-girdle), t.
Tau-mai (Alight-here), t.
Te-ha’amana (The-exaltation), v.
Mo’o-hono (Lizard-of-thatch-s’ection),
Ta’o-ata (Unwilling), t.
Te-i’oa-tua
S-
Mahuru (Suckling), f.
t.
Rere-ao
2.
Fare-tou
Maeva-rua
(Flying-in-the-world),
Te-ari’i-noho-rai
lit of
3.
océan god), t.
(Muddy), sister of Tamatoa III
(A child’s game), t.
4.
3.
sec¬
named after the
Varivari
Te-tu-paia (The-stand-to-cover),
Te-na-ni’a (The-going-above), v.
Metua-’aro (Forgotten-parent), t.
2.
3-
so
(Alas), t.
1.
56.
t.
Tau-niua (Time-of-ominous'-clouds),
ond husband
Tino-rua, (Dual-body,
2.
4-
(Forgotten-parent),
Te-ari’i-fa’atau (The-indolent-sovereign), t.
Mano-tahi (First-thousand), t.
2.
4.
Va-ave-roa (Wave-with-long-train), grandson of Tamatoa II of
Ra’iatea, by Mau’a
Porapora.
t.
(The-ocean-name), first wife
v.
(Cordia-house), second wife
(Twice-hailed)
v.
(Sovereign-residing-in-palace)
Pere-ra (Now-distribute),
v.,
t., or King
Tapoa
first wife of Mahine of Pluahine.
King Te-uru-ra’i or Ari’i-mate, of Huahine, had reigned several years as the cliosen sovereign of the island, when civil war broke out between two parties in power.
In concluding peace
at a meeting one night, the parties decïded to transfer the
sovereignty from the king to his
consort, which, according to native custoin, was soon done, and on the morrow, awaking to find
themselves thus disposed of, the rulers accepted the irrevocable
change. The queen, it seems, had a
prior daim to the throne to that of lier husband, as she was a great-granddaughter of Mato, whose
first wife was Queen Teha’apapa I, lier grandraother, and whose second wife was
Te-tu-ave-roa,
Te-uru-rai’s grandmother.
Queen Teha’apapa II reigned until Mardi 16th, 1888, when lier
kingdom was annexed to France and the native monarchy ended.
The ex-king, Teurura’i died
April 14, 1874, and the ex-queen died August 7, 1891.
During the time of unrest in Raiatea under Teraupo’o and also in Huahine under a discontented faction, after annexation of the leeward islands to France had taken
place, the anti-French
party of Huahine prodaimed their princess, Temari’i, as Queen Teuhe, in place of her motlier;
and as she finally got into trouble with the French
Government, and fled to Tahiti for protection
under King Pômare V, where she married and ended lier
days, her former subjects prodaimed
as
their queen her niece, Teri’i-na-vaho-roa, eldest
daughter of her brother Marama, under the
title of Te-ha’apapa III, and she being
favorably disposed to the French, was not molested when
the island was finally entirely subjugated to France.
From
Mare’s collection.
was a great warrior in his day.
Tapoa I
his sway; but he was finally driven back to
contend with in his rival, Ma’i I.
(See Ma’i
At
one
time he reduced Ra’iatea and Taha’a co
own realm, where he had enough to
Porapora, his
genealogy.)
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
259
On thi; Mother's Sidë
I.
2.
Vae-ari’i
(Royal-distribution), v.
I.
Te-roro (The-brain),
Te-roro
Te-miro
I.
2.
3.
4.
3-
Tupuna (Ancestor),
I,
Te-ari’i-te-miro
34-
5.
34.
56.
Maeva-rua
1.
2.
3-
Rere-ao
1.
2.
3-
8.
Te-tope (The-clipping)
(Head-erect), t.
Opaipai (Drifting-sidewise), v.
Uru-a-tû
(Four-demises), t.
Te-poa-nu’u (The-shifting-scale),
Haere’a (Going), t.
Mate-hà
Having
no
(Princess-of-long-fetching)
Mate-vai (Death-in-river), t.
Pere-ra (Now-distribute), t.
Puruhi (Faint-hearted), t.
Matiro (Ficus tinctoria-[with]-ants), t.
Maeva-rua Teroro (Twice-hailed The
Te-poa-nu’u (The-shifting-scale),
t.
brain),
v.
Ta’o-ata (Unwilling)
(Fying-in-the-world), v.
Te-ari’i-noho-ra’i (Sovereign-dwelling-in-the-palace), t., or King
Tapoa I (First-warrior-slain)
Vaea Pere-rà (Divided Now-distributed) v., first wifc of King
Rere-ao
Mahine of Huahine
Ote (Suck) of Flitia’a, Tahiti
(Woman-sleeping), v.
Teri’i-tua (Sovereign-of-the-ocean), v., became high chiefess of
Hitia’a, and having no children, she bestowed her name and title
upon Prince Jouinville, a Pômare, who retained the chieftainship
until his death and was succeeded by his son, Hinoi.
Na-ra’i (The-skies), v.
Vahine-moea
Tapoa I
Tapoa II
t.
Tetua-ti’i-roa
2.
7.
v.
Te-ari’i-tua-uri (Sovereign-with-dark-back)
(The-king-Thespesia), t., of Vai-otaha
Uru-a-tû
1.
7.
(The-Thespesia)
Te-ari’i-te-miro
2.
6.
Te-iva (Somberness), t.
Tei-hota (Who-coughed), t.
Tupuna
1.
5.
Te-0’0 (The-undulation), of Vai-’ura
v.
(Eye-eater), daughter
(Fort), of Porapora
(Twice-hailed), v.
Ai-mata
1.
Maeva-rua
2.
Tapoa II,
of
Pà
f.
Ai-mata, or Pômare IV, first wife, without issue; see Pômare genealogy. Tapoa
vahiné, second wife, a beautiful woman
of good family in Porapora, but not
of the royal race
children, they adopted the daughter of Queen Pômare, whom they
named Maeva-rua and who finally succeeded to the throne of Porapora, the Porapora
monarchy ending on the annexation of the island to France. (See genealogy of the
Pômare family.)
200
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
THE MAI
FAMILY OF PORAPORAis
Tû-ma-tari-oe (Stand-bearing-on), t.,
of
Te-ahu-tapu
fices), at Maupiti
Tû-te-pa’e-hau
(Tlie-wall-of-sacri-
I.
Te’a-hui-tû
1.
Te-maui-ari’i
2.
’Ahu-’ura
(Staiid-the-greater-prop),
of Ahuahu-i-Anau
of Maupiti
(Heat-of-Anau), also
(Arrow-thrown-erect), t.
Mohiti (Beclouded) of Fare-’aoa, Taha’a
1.
Tetua-nui (Great-princess'), t.
2.
To’i-mata Te-pa’u (Axe-with-eyes The-splash), t.
Tetua-nui
Tautu
(Domesticated), of Te-vai-tapu
(The-s'acred-water) at Porapora
1.
Tetua-nui-i-te-arata’i-ia-Fa’a-nui-na-ta’o-eono (Great-princess-whoconducted-the-six-spears-of-Fa’a-nui ), t.
2.
Fao-ata (Cloudy-dedication), t.
3.
To’i-mata, v.
Tetua-nui-i-te-arata’i-ia-Fa’a-nui-na- Te-atu-marere (The-flying-bonito)
Te’a-hui-tù
3.
4-
S-
ta’o-eono
Te-maui-ari’i
Ma’i
1.
Ma’i
2.
Tetua-roro
3.
’Ai-faoa
41.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
a
t.
t.
To’i-mata, of Fare-’aoa, Taha’a
from his father’s having been
(Affliction),
afflicted with
6.
(The-prayer-for-sovereign),
(’Ura-feather-robe),
t., so named
carbuncle
(Princess-with-brain),
t.
(Consuming adz), t.
To’i-mata, t.
Te-ra’i-pô’ia (Covered-sky), first wife
Ma’i, t.
Te-ra’i-pô’ia (Covered-sky), t.
Te-maui-ari’i, t.
Ma-apu (Clean-with-shell), t.
Pua-iti-te-’ava’ava (Little-acid-flower), t.
Te-tino
(The-body),
t.
Teri’i-rere-tai (Sovereign-flying-seaward), t.
Te-upo’o-ta’ahoa (The-worried-head),
8.
g.
10.
11.
12.
ond wife
sec¬
Te-maui-ari’i-no-Ma’i (The-royal-prayer-for-Ma’i), t.
Teri’itai-roa (Sovereign-far-seaward), t.
Marae (Temple), third wife
Te-moe-ari’i
(The-sleep-of-royalty),
Te-hapai (The-wrapping), t.,
(With-what-host) in Tahiti
Te-ra’i-mano
only
t.
afterwards
(The-numerous-skies),
t.,
named
Ma-hea-nu’u
generally named Mano
Te-hea (Which-one), v.
Tiria (Thrown-off), f.
15.
Ma’i (Affliction), v.
16. Ha’apuva’iva’i (Ventilate), t.
Ma-hea-nu’u (He-papai), late pas- Teri’i-tau-mai-te-ra’i
13.
14.
7-
tor
hiti
of the church of Fa’a’a in Ta-
I.
Te-maui-ari’i
IV
From
(Sovereign-alightingfrom-the-sky), or Ma-hea-nu’u vahiné,
granddaughter of Tati I of Papara and
chiefess of Fa’a’a
(The-royal-prayer),
t., son-in-Iaw of Queen Pômare
Queen Marau and her cousin, Ta’aroa-ari’i Vahiné.
7.Mano,
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
(Brought-down), t., présent
pastor
of the church of
Moe (Sleep), v., wife of Tamatoa V of Raiatea
Ninito (Encircle), v.
Ari’i-ta’i-menema (Sovereign-weeping-for-vault), t.
’Aro-mai-te-ra’i
(War-from-the-sky)
’Ahu-’ura (’Ura-feather-robe), chiefess of
Tautira
Tautira, Tahiti
1.
Teri’i-tnarama (Sovereign-moon), v.
2.
Viri-ho’a (Front-rank-grasping), t.
3. Te-ari’i-na-vaho-roa (Sovereign-supreme), v., daughter-in-law of
late pastor of the
church of
4.
5.
6.
7.
In the
Ha’apona
Fa’a’a
261
Queen Pômare IV
Na-ra’i-e-va’u (The-eight-skies),
v.
Te-tu-anu-rau (The-stand-in-varied-coldness),
Ari’i-faaite ( Sovereign-telling), t.
Ari’i-ê (Different-sovereign), t.
Society Islands
are many
v.
children and grandchildren of this family.19
A COLLATERAL BRANCH OF THE MAI FAMILY20
Tû-ma-tari-’oe
(Stand-bearing-on)
(Dedication), t.
1.
Mehao
2.
Te-ari’i-manava-’ura (Sovereign-with-red-intestines), t.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mehao
1.
2.
3.
4.
Te-upo’o-huri-tua (The-head-turned-backwards), v.
Te-upo’o-huna-ari’i (The-hidden-royal-head), v.
Te-tua-ho’i (The-back-indeed), v.
Te-tû-ta-ahi-tini-i-te-papa-fau-rua
(The-stand-with-many-fires-inthe-rock-of-two-crags), v.
Te-ari’i-marama (Sovereign-of-the-moon), t.
Te-putu-ari’i (The-royal-tern)
Te-rupe (The-mountain-pigeon), t.
Varu-au (Eight-bill-fishes), t.
Varii-atua (Eight-gods), t.
Te-ari’i-mai-Rotuma (The-prince-from-Rotuma), t.
Te-ari’i-mai-Rotuma
3-
To’i-mata-atua-o-marama
of-moon-gods)
1.
2.
Te-’ura-o-afeafe-te-ra’i
1.
2.
Te-ra’i
Vai-tû
god-in-the-cloudy-sky)
(The-sky), t.
(Remain-standing), t.
t.
(The-great-
Twins, called naari’i-rua, ei pou a’e
no
Nivaniva (The-two-princes,
(
pillars-of-Nivaniva)
\
Porapora rebellions frequently occurred against King Tapoa I, headed by Ma’i, who was
dividing the kingdom between them, but
frequent jealousies marring their reign. The régal power was at last wholly restored
Tapoa II, who reigned suprême over Porapora and its dependencies and handed them down
also
so
(The-redness-high-in-the-sky),
Te-ra’i-tumatuma (The-expansive-sky), t.
4. Te-fetu-ai-ari’i (Royal-guiding-star), v.
5. Ta’urua (Venus), v.
Te-pô-nui-o-rei-hana
Te-atua-nui-i-te-ra’i-ma-te-ata
4-
to
(Axe-with-eyes-
Te-pô-nui-i-rei-hana (The-great-night-of-stiff-neck), t.
3.
not
Tû-te-ue-ari’i
(Stand-the-expiring-sovereign), of Tai-nu’u, second wife
At
a
great warrior, and at last they concluded peace by
without
to
his successors.
From Mrs. Charlotte Platt.
4.Te-ro -feia-pua
202
Bernice P.
3-
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Te-unu-lia’eha’a (Low-carving),
genealogy.)
Te-ra’i-tumatuma
4-
1.
2.
(See Ra’iatean
wife of Tautu.
v.,
(The-brain-of-people-with-flowers),
Te-vahine-unu-hiro-ro’o
v.
(The-woman-of-
the-carving-famous-j ester)
Te-ua-toto (Rain-of-blood), t.
Te-vae-maui (The-left-division)
Te-roro-feia-pua
S-
1.
2.
3.
4.
Te’a-moa-ri’i (Spear-of-small-fowls)
Te-atua-’iri-hau (The-god-with-cool-skin), v.
Te-vahine-nui-’ai-varua (The-great-woman-eater-of-souls), v.
Taha’anui-ma-Ra’iatea (Great-Taha’a-with-Ra’iatea),
Uira-uira (Lightning-of-lightning), t.
v.
Te-atua-’iri-hau
6.
Hamau (Fasten), t.
To’o-mahu-ari’i (Draw-royal-mist), v.
2.
Te-atua-nana-o-Hamau (The-smooth-god-of-Hamau), t.
T e-vahine-nui-’ai-varua
Teri’i-a-mana
( Sovereign-to-be-great)
I.
■
6.
Taha’a,
1.
Te-hau-roa (Long-rule), t.
1.
Te-petipeti
Te-hau-roa
7-
Na-mata-o-Matari
into
2.
3-
(The-complete),
first
2.
3.
4.
wife
Autua-mata-oria (Sculling-commenced-with-dancing), t.
Niva’a (Unsteadiness), t.
Matamata (Frontier-of-front), t.
Maeva-te-i’a-a-Ta’urua (Hail-fish-of-Jupiter),
Papa-raharaha
5.
6.
7.
Hina-fa’arori (Gray-who-shakes),
v.
Te-ari’i-maro-tea
(Yellow-girdled-sovereign) of Vai-’otaha
1.
Mau-ari’i-i-Vai-’otaha
2.
Papa-’Ure-tinau (Red-rock-smduldering), t.
Mau-ari’i-i-Vai-’otaha
1.
2.
(Sovereign-of-Vai-’otaha),
Puna-i’a
t.
(Haunt-of-fishes)
Moe-tû (SIeep-standing), t.
Te-hina-ri’i (The-little-grandchildren), t.
THE ANCIENT FAMILY OF MARO-TE-TINI OF PORAPORA
I.
second
*
Te-atua-o-te-ra’i (God-of-the-skies), t.
Purotu (Beauty), v.
Purotu
t.
(Stratum-rock),
wife
10.
Ra’iatea and Taha’a
Te-râ-o-pua-tea (The-sun-of-white-flower),
1.
9-
of
(The-eyes-of-Matari)
who United
t.,
kingdom.
Ta’erepa (Ache-from-fatigue), t.
Ta’urua, t.
one
Ta’urua
8.
t.
21
Te-fatu (The-lord) of the océan, who came from Rotuma to Porapora, married
Te-’ura (The-redness), of the royal family of that island, and begat two sons:
1.
Marô-te-tini (Persistent-thousands)
2.
From Mrs.
pora.
Marô-tau-a-roa
Charlotte Platt.
(Persistence-of-long-duration)
Fare-rua
(Two-houses)
was
the
marae
of Maro-te-tini
at
Pora¬
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
2.
Marô-te-tini’s wife is
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
4.
sons :
(Side-of-forehead)
I.
Tû
Puni
Ohure-ha’apà (Ward-ofif-s'eat)
Wife
Tû
not
mentioned
(Stability), t.
Tû-teu-ve’a
(Stand-errand-boy), of Tai-
nu’u, in Ra’iatea
Mehao, t.
Mehao
Te-faepa-ari’i (The-investments-of-a-chief),
1.
2.
6.
Taha-rae
Tahi-rua (Place-of-pits)
I.
S-
not mentioned, but they had eight
(Hide)
Te-’iva (The-darkness)
Horoi (Wash)
Ma-te-hà (With-the-four)
Pà (Fortification)
Puni
7.
8.
3.
263
of Vai-’otaha in Porapora
Te-varua-manava-’ura (The-spirit-with-red-intestines), t.
Tamatea (Fair-child), t.
Te- varua-manava-
T uû-te-ra’i-puni-i-te-papa-fau-rua
lira
( Stand-
sky-high-in-the-rocks-of-two-crags),
Fare-va’a, Taha’a
1.
2.
3.
7.
8.
Te-rupe (The-mountain-pigeon), t.
Vai-rua-tua (Water-source-at-sea), t.
Vai-rua-uri (Water-of-dark-source), t.
Te-rupe
Te-unuhi-roro
Ra’iatea.
marae was
Fare-tou
ond husband
(The-unconsciousness-of-the-brain), of Te-vai-to’a,
Mauri-o-ro’o
pora,
3.
’Oro
I.
of
Pora¬
Pua-ra’i-te-ra’a-o-Mata’i-re’a ( Sky-flower-the-sacredness-of-Mata’i[marae]), t., of Huahine.
Tu-hoa
(Stand-friend),
Te-pori-o-Tu (The-fatness-of-stability), of
Tau-rere, Ra’iatea.
t.
’Oro-maua
Pua-ra’i
(Ghost-of-fame),
third husband
re’a
Tu-hoa
I.
9.
the day of their birth.
Their
I.
Te-upo’o-huri-tua (The-head-turned-backwards), v.
Te-upo’o-huri-tua
Teri’i-o-te-pô (Sovereign-of-thc-night), of
Fare-rua, Porapora, first husband
1.
Oro, t.
Te-ua-toto, of Te-vai-to’a, Ra’iatea, sec¬
.
10.
(Twins; proclairaed kings
on
(Cordia-house)
Te-purotu-ari’i-hihae (The - beauty - of - thefierce-king)
2.
9
of
(Wasted-’oro-fern)
Fa’ahara-nui-’oe-hau (Cause-great-crime-to-disturb-the-peace-of-thegovernment), v.
Te-upo’o-rau-toa ( The-numerous-heads-ofwarriors), of Afareaitu, Mo’orea
1.
Varivari
2.
Mata’i-re’a-o-Tane-te-hihio ( Breeze-of-plenty-of-Tane-the-whistler),
(Muddy),
v.
V.
3.
Te-iva (The-darkness), t.
«
204
Bernice P.
4.
5.
6.
7.
10.
Te-iva
1.
2.
3.
11.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Teri’i-taumi-hau (Sovereign-giving-weight-to-government),
Fa’a-ipoa (Made-into-a-ball), t.
Te-o-to’o
(The-gift-to-image), v.
Te-varua-hae-pua-ra’i (The-spirit-that-tore-the-sky-flower), v.
Fa’a-hara-nui-’oe-hau, a cousin of Te-iva
Teri’i-taumi-hau (Sovereign-giving-weight-to-government), t.
Te-roa (The-brain), v.
Tama (Child), t.
Teri’i-taumi-hau
Te-roro-ai-na
tea
12.
(The-brain-eating) of Ra’ia-
Te-iho-tu-mata-nevaneva
(Erect-nose-with-wandering-eyes), t.
(Flying-in-the-world); z;.
Te-iho-tu-mata-nevaneva
Te-pu’e-tua (The assembled-company)
1.
Te-iho-tu-mata-aroaro (Erect-nose-with-dark-eyes), t.
1.
12.
t.
2.
Rere-ao
2.
Paao
(Wasted-away), f.
Rere-ao
Tetua-na-hia
1.
Teri’i-te-miro
2.
Rere-ao
(Princess-quieted), of Maupiti, first husband
(Sovereign-of-slow-growth), t.
(Flying-in-the-world), v.
Hua-tere (Moving-asylum), of Huahine,
second husband
3.
4.
Tere-roa (Long-voyage) t.
Te-na-ni’a (The-going-above),
t.
Piri-ra’au
13.
5. Varivari (Muddy),
Te-iho-tu-mata-aroaro
■
I.
2.
3.
13-
Teri’i-te-miro
I.
(Pinched-in-wood), brother to
Hua-tere, third husband
’
v.
Tetua-nui
first wife
Tehea-tua (Which-assembly),
Puni (Hide)
(Great-princess), of Porapora,
v.
To’i-tua
Ha’apoua (Brought-down)
(Back-axe), second wife
Te-roro Vai-hau-mau-rua (The-brain-cool-
Ma-te-ha
water-twice-held), first wife
(With-the-four), t.
Tu-po-a-ua
( Stand-in-rainy-night),
his
cousin of Fare-rua, Porapora, «econd
wife
Tavai-ari’i-te-manu-te-uia ( Royal-adoption-the-bird-enquired-after ),
t.
14.
Uru-a-tu
3-
Horoi (Wash), t.
4.
Uru-a-tu (Head-erect), t.
Te-tope (The-clipping), third wife
Tara-taero (Poisonous-thorn), first wife
No children.
1.
2.
3.
4.
S6.
7.
Rere-ao,
Teri’i-iti
v.
(Little-sovereign), second wife
Teri’i-maeva-rua (Sovereign-twice-hailed), t.
Pere-ra (Now-distribute), t.
Tu-tahe (Stand-to-flow), f.
Mati-ro (Ficus-tmctoria-[wiih']-ants), t.
Puruhi
(Faint-hearted),
Te-roro (The-brain),
v.
t.
265
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
HIGH
CHIEFS
OF TAHITI
AnCËSTORS OP THÊ PoMARp FaMIRY^^
Part I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
IS-
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
i Hiti-te-ara-pi’opi’o (Plebeian-Taaroa-of-Border-of-the-winding-paths), ’Afa’ahiti, Tai’arapu, t.
Manu-tu-nvi’u (Bird-standing-in-army)
Te-ra’au-’a’ama (The-blazing-wood)
Te-moana-rau (The-various-oceans)
Te-fa’anu’u (The removàl)
Te-ra’i-mavete (The-unfolded-sky)
Nu’u (Army)
Tô (Sugar-cane)
Momo’a (Betrothed)
Tafeta (Stain)
’Oropa’a-nui-tauara’a (Great-strong-warrior-friendship)
Tû-’oropa’a-nui (Stand-great-strong-warrior)
Hi’a (Fall)
Mara’a (Lifted)
Tû-o’ropa’a-maeha’a (Staiid-strong-warrior-twin)
Te-va’a-’ura (The-burning-canoe), aiso Te-va’a-i-ama (The-canoe-that-burned)
Rua-tama (Source-of-children)
Ro’o-e-hape (Reputation-misleading)
E-tai-ma-hotu-a’au (A-sea-splashing-reef), of Tai’arapu
E-atua-’una-’una-maru-’aitu (A-gay-god-of-shade-of-gods), of Matahihae marae,
Te-ahu-upo’o Taiarapu
E-aru-arai (Channel-wave)
E-ro’o (A-fame), of Vaiari
Atea (Vast-expanse)
E-rû (Will-hasten)
Ete-’iri (Pandanus-basket)
E-te-fatu (Master or Mistress)
E-hua’ai (Posterity)
Tatai-nu’u (Move-off-host)
Tatai-ra’i (Move-off-sky)
Tatai-a-rohi (Move-off-take-courage)
Tautu-ra’a-hia (Domestication-made-s'acred)
Ra’a-hia-e-mata’i (Rendered-sacred-by-wind)
Pa’i-tumu (Dry-origin)
Pa’i-fatu (Master-dryness)
’lri-i-fenua (Stranded-on-land)
Te-mâ-ri’i (The-little-cleansing)
Tama-horo-a’au (Child-running-on-reef)
Aha-tû (Standing-sinnet)
Ari’i-paea-mata-’ura’ura (Sovereign-elect-of-red-face), t.
Ari’i-paea-faofaofa (Sovereign-elect-amassing) of Pare, t.
Tû-moe-hania (Stability-sleeping-under-cover), t.
Teu Tû-nui-e-a’a-i-te-atua (Attendant-Great-Stability-that-settles-the-gods) t,
Ta’aroa-manahune
Father of Pômare 1.
The tutelar god of this ancient line
wisdom,
was
enshrined
as'
From Mare’s collection.
was Ta’aroa ; and Te-meharo, goddess of
deity in their ancestral maraes.
The
names
imdefined incîude both
sexes.
266
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Thë Chieps
oe
Parfis
Part IL
1.
Tahi-pû-a-nu’u
(First-army-trumpet) Ne’e-uta Tù-atea-nui (Crawl-inland Stability-in-great-expanse)
Fa’a-hiti-i-ra’i (Side-valley-in-sky)
1.
Hae-i-te’oa-i-Tahuea
2.
Teva (The-plain), t.
3.
5.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
t.
Hae-moa-ri’i (Fierceness-of-little-fowls), t.
Ra’a-û-iha (Sacredness-in-rage) t.
4.
2.
(Fierceness-of-the-speckled-rail-of-Tahuea),
Ra’a-u-iha, t.
Te-va’a-i-’ama (The-canoe-that-burned)
Hei (Wreath)
Ma-pere (With-distribution)
I.
Fa’aa-nui-na-mo’amo’a (Great-burning-in-sacredness),
Fa’aa-nui-na-mo’amo’a,
f.
f.
Fa’a-ao-i-te-ra’i (Make-day-in-the-sky)
’LTra-’ehu
(Blond-’ura)
’Ura-pa’aina (Snapping-’ura)
’Oropa’a-pû-vaha (Strong-warrior-[with]-trumpet)
’Oro-pa’a-pû-vaha
I.
8.
9.
JO.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Te-fa’anu’u (The-moving)
Te-ra’i-mavete (The-unfolding-sky)
Mana-ha’amo’a
(Greatness'-made-sacred)
(Make-day-in-the-sky)
Te-atua-uira (The-lightning-god)
Fa’a-ao-i-te-ra’i
Te-atua.-ota-nu’u-tere (The-god-who-cut-off-moving-fleets)
15.
Te-atua-mana-i-heiva
16.
Fana-i-nu’u (Bow-that-moved)
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
(The-great-god-who-sported)
Te-’aha-huri-fenua (The-incantation-that-upset-the-land)
Te-vivi-rau (The grasshopper), t.
Te-vivi-rorâ (The-grasshoppers-in-sunshine), t.
Ari’i-paea (Sovereign-elect), f.
Tu-moe-hania (Stability-sleeping-
Tetua-huira (Princess-overthrown), Daughter of Vehi-atua-i-te-mata’i (Wrappingthe-god-in-the-wind), high chief of Teahu-upo’o, first wife.
Teu (Attendant), or Tù-nui-a’e-i-te-atua
(Stability-greater-thanthe-gods) or Tû-nui-e-a’a-i-te-atua (Great-stability-who-settlesthe-gods), t.
under cover) t.
I.
Tû
22.
Tetua-mere-tini
(Issue not mentioned)
Teu, father of Tû or Pômare I
From
Mare’s collection.
The
names
(Princes's
of-many-parental-regrets) of the chieftain house of
Vaira’o, second wife
Te-tû-paia
(The - stand for tattooing)
daughtéV of Tamatoa III of Ra’iatea. (See
Ra’iatean and Tahitian genealogy.)
undefined
include both
-
sexes.
-
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Tuamotuan
267
Tahitian Chiëfs Connectëd--^
and
Part III
Atea
(Vast-expanse) of Ana
1.
2.
3.
2.
1.
3-
4-
Tangaroa
2.
34-
56.
78.
4-
Tapai-’aha
1.
2.
3.
4.
S-
Tapu-tapu
1.
2.
34-
Ro’o-nui (Great-fame), f.
Toi-ane (Smooth-alphitonia), t.
Tû-nui (Great-stability), t.
Tangaroa (Ta’aroa), t.
Te-kû-ari’i
Te-hei-ari’i
Tu-hei-ari’i
(The-royal-stand)
(The-royal-wreath),
1.
Te-’ura-o-te-atua
Tû-hei-ari’i
v.
( Stand-[with]-royal-wreath)
8.
7-
(Great-sin)
Tapai-’aha (Sinnet-shade), t.
Tû-ki-hiti (Stand-on-border), of Pereue, Hitia’a
Tû-tonga (Stand-niggardly)
Rongo (Ro’o, Famé), of Au-ura, Tuamotus
Te-pû-tongo (The-trumpet-to-send), of Apataki, Tuamotus
Ta’oto (Sleep), of Rangiroa, Tuamotus
Tu-pu-tapu (Grbwth-of-pledges)
Mahanga-vehi-kura (Sun-enveloped-in-red) at Rangiroa
Tu-hei-ari’i (Stand-with-royal-wreath)
Makino (Badly-cleaned), of Fa’aiere, Tuamotus
Ma’o-ake (Shark-with-liver), of Te-aha-tea, Tuamotus
Te-roro-ariki (The-sovereign’s-brain), of Te-tamanu, Fakarava
Tapu-tapu (Sacrifices), v.
Pani-roro (Close-brain)
Tû-te-ari’i ( Stability-the-sovereign )
Te-ahu (The-wall)
Te-pae (The-side)
Te-râ (The-sun)
Tau-piri (Close-period)
56.
6.
Piki-maunga, Tahitian, Ti’i-mau’a (Mountain-climber), of Arue, Tahiti
Hara-nui
1.
Fakarava
Tahiri (Fan), t.
Tu-makinomakino, of Fakarava
2.
2.
Pakeahotu (Make-bear) of
Tu-makinomakino (Stability-fierce), t.
Tane-e-rakau (Man-in-wood), t.
Teri’i-e-’ura
(Sovereign-reddening)
(The-’ura-feathers-of-the-gods),
v.
7-
Kohe-kapu (Seat-cut-off)
3.
Tau-mata-’ura (Period-of-red-faces), of the Marquesas
4.
Te-rangi-hei-kapu (The-sky-with-pledge-wreath), of Marquesas
5.
Te-rakau-hau (The hibiscus wood) of Rapaiti
6. Te-ahu-numi-riki (The-great-royal-wall), of Ra’iatea
Te-’ura-o-te-atua
Ari’i-paea, of Pare
8.
Tû-moe-hania
2.
I.
I.
Tû-moe-hania
Teu
(Stability-sleeping-under-cover), of Hitia’a, t.
Tetua-huria (Princess-overthrown) of Teahu-upo’o
( Attendant-Great-stability-who-settles-
T û-nui-e-a’a-i-te-atua
the-gods), t., father of Pômare I.
From
the Tuamofuan
scholar Taroi
and
from the
royal Tematiti family.
I.Fetf -teui
Bernice P.
268
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Many intermarriages occurred between the royal familles of the Tuamatus and
In the Ra’iatean gcnealogy is given Aho-manu of Anâ,
those of the Society Islands.
the wife of Tamatoa IV.
This genealogy shows how extensively the chiefs of this line
spread
among
AnOTïIËR GiÎNEALOGY
1.
1.
3.
Atitara in
(Sun-of-royal-storm)
Paea
Te-atua-i-te-ra’i (The-gods-of-heaven),
Te-atua (The-god), t.
Te-atua-i-te-ra’i
known and
PoMARE FaMIFY^^
of THF
Tupua’i-o-te-ra’i (Summit of the sky) Te-ra-vero-ari’i
2.
2.
are
the islands.
of
t.
Pû-nua-i-te-atua (Trumpet-abo've-with-the-gods), t.
Ta’urua of Hitia’a
Teri’i-rere-atua, t.
2.
Faa-hau-toa (Make-peace-[with]-warriors), t.
3.
Hu’a-to’a (Fragment-of-rock), t.
4.
Te-ra’i-e-fano (The-flying-sky), t.
Pu-nua-i-te-ra’i-atua
Te-varua-noi-atua
(The-spirit-silenced-bythe-gods), of Ahura’i Fa’a’a
(Pressure-by-questions), v.
Teri’i-rere-atua
Tetua-nui
1.
Pô-uira (Night-of-lightning), t.
2.
Toofa-pae (Five-chiefs), v.
3.
Pû-’o’oro (Rumbling-pool), t.
Fetefete-te-ui
Te-ari’i-atua (The-god-king) of Nu’u-rua,
1.
2.
3.
3.
1.
2.
3.
■
the
Mahine
marae
at
Varari, Haapiti,
(Daughter), t.
Teri’i-tapu-nui (Sovereign-of-many-sacrifices), t.
Vavea (Towering-wave), v.
Totoro-u (Spreading-jambed) of Ahura’i,
4.
Vavea
S
Tetua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea
ous'-palaces), v.
Tetua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea
Tû
Fa’a’a
I.
Genealogy
1.
national
Mo’orea
oe
Marama
oe
(Great-princess-roaming-in-the-spacior
Pômare I
Haapiti, Moorea^®
(Tribe-dwelling-in-love)
Na-to’ofa (Those-chiefs)
Pou-ou-ma-fenua, t.
2.
Roro-hui-tua (Brain-throbbing-behind), v.
Pou-ou-ma-fenua
Vahine-tua (Ocean-woman)
1.
Nuna-mai-te-’orero (Mixed-in-talking), t.
2.
Te-roro-hui-tua, f.
Nuna-mai-te-’orero
To’i-mata (Axe-with-eyes)
I.
Ra’atau-motu (Sacredness-resting-on-islet), t.
Ra’a-tau-motu
Ra’a-mauri-rere
(Sacredness - of - flyingAti-tu-hani
1.
2.
3.
4.
I.
5.
Feui
I.
“
From
From
Mare’s
Mare’s
Feui, t.
Tamari’i (Children) t.
collection.
collection.
ghost)
Fetu’e-nui-i-te-fare-ari’i
the-royal-house)
(Great-sea-egg-of
III...TAMe-au-trnump-au-or’
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
6.
Tamari’i
1.
Te
-
ari’i
te
-
-
fern), t.
2.
7.
vao
Te-ari’i-mua-fare
Te-ari’i-te-vao-para-’ura
I.
To’i-mata,
v.
269
Tupua’i-’ura (Red-summit)
-
(The-sovereign-the-recess-of-dark-para-
para-uri
(The-sovereign-of-first-house), t.
Te-ra’i-ma-te-ata (The-cloudy-sky)
THi; SECOND EAMIEY
1.
Pou-ou-ma-fenua
2.
A-unu-au
Ahu-tea (Spacious-wall)
ond wife
Te-tu-pu-o-ro’o
4.
Marama
Te’ura-i-ari’i
eign)
2.
aitu, Mo’orea
Ta’aroa-nui-fa’aoti-hara (Great Ta’aroa-ending-sin), t.
T etua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea
5.
palace), v.
Ta’aroa-nui-faaoti-hara
1.
Marama, t.
6.
Ari’I-’oe-hau
2.
1.
2.
3.
Tu-tapu
1.
2.
1.
10.
II.
Fa’aruia
Vehiatua
(Wrapper-of-the-god)
(Sovereign-of-peace), t.
To’i-mata
Tu-tapu (Stand-to-pledge),
Tetua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea,
Ta’aroa-nui-fa’aoti-hara, t.
t.
v.
Te-vahine-moea (The-sleeping-woman)
’O’iri-roa (Long-garfish), t.
Uira-ma-te-aha (Lightning-accompanying-prayer), t.
Te-roro-hu’i-tua, t.
Fa’aruia (Darkened),
v.
Tute-tau-ari’i
(Pus'h-thy-sovereign),
Moruu, Mo’orea
1.
Te-roro-hi’o-ari’i (The-brain-observing-sovereign), v.
2.
Aro-mai-te-ra’i (Wave-from-the-sky), t.
3.
Pahero’o (Easy-character), v.
Te-roro-hi’o-ari’i
Te-a-pata (The entrapper)
1.
Va’o (Rustic), t.
2.
Ta’aroa-nui-fa’aoti-hara, t.
3. Tetua-nui-i-te-ra’i-atea, v.
Te-ra’i-e-fa ( The-sky-appearing)
Va’o
2.
Ari’i-’oe-hau, t.
Te-atua-nui-mata’uta’u
3.
Vehî-atua,
1.
12.
Ari’i-’oe-hau
( Great-princess-roaming-in-spacious-
3.
Te-atua-nui-po-’ura (Great-god-of-red-night), v.
Te-atua-nui-po-‘ura
Hau-tinana ( Stable-government)
2.
g.
(Redness-that-became-sover-
(The-stand-for-trumpet-of-fame), t.
Tohe-ao (Seat-of-[the]-world) of Nu’urua
(Two-armies), the national marae
at Vaiari, Mo’orea
(Moon) t.
Tetua-e-huri (Princess-turning), of Afare-
•
1.
8.
sec¬
(Ceasing-pleasantly), t.
3.
7.
of Mai’ao,
Ari’i-’oe-hau
I.
Marama,
v.
(The-great-dread-god),
v.
Ru-roa
v.
(Great-haste), of Papeari
of
13.
I.Teri’-
Bernice P.
270
Marama
1.
2.
3.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
\
Tupu-a-Ta’aroa (Growth-of-Ta’aroa),
of Tati I,
High Chief of Papara
Mrs. Alexander Salmon, v.
son
Ta’aroa-ari’i, or
Te-ra’i-a-po Ninito (The-sky-of-night, or Mrs. John Sumner of
Honolulu), V.
Teri’i-tau-mai-te-ra’i (Sovereign-alighting-frora-the-sky) or Mahe-
Ari’i-’oe-hau
anu’u vahiné, v.
This and the preceding genealogy show that the two familles of Pômare and
are blended together in
relationship of highest rank in Tahiti and Moorea and
that they both trace ownership to the national marae Nu’urua at Varari, Ha’apiti,
Moorea.
This pedigree is completed in the following genealogy of the high chiefs
of Papara.
Tati
Genealogy
I.
High Chiefs
of
Papara^’’
Teri’i-tû-a’a-i-te-ra’i
(Sovereign-who- Te-roro-e-ora (The-brain-that-heals),
settled-the-sky) or Te-’ura-i-te-ra’i
Fare-ro’i at Ha’apape
( Redness-in-the-sky )
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2.
oe
Amo
Te-hare-tua-nui (The-great-backed-cavalla-fish), t.
Tetua-imu-rau (Princes's-with-many-mafae-carvings),
Amo (Blink or Flash), t.
of
t.
Taura’a-atua (Alighting-of-the-gods), t.
Te-varua-o-te-meharo (The-spirit-that-ponders), t.
(Prayed-for), of Matavai, called
Captain Cook.
(Flying-sovereign), t., so named by Teu, father of
Purea
Oberea by
Pômare I, after one of his ancestors shown in the fourth list of
généalogies of the high chiefs of Tahiti. Fie succeeded his father
to the chieftainship of Papara, and was also named Te-ma-ri’i
3-
Te-varua-o-te-meharo
1.
2.
3.
4.
4-
Te
vahiné fa’ara’a atua i te-pû-o-te-aio
(The - woman - who-rendered-sacred-the gods - with - the - trumpet-for-eating-foodofferings), of Atitara, Pa’ea
Tati (Résistance), t., boni in 1774, died July 16, 1854.
’Opu-hara (Violated-stomach), t.
Tetua-nui (Great-princess), v.
Te-pô-ma-te-ao (From-night-to-day), v.
As Teri’i-rere lived
a bachelor’s
he left no children, and was
ceeded by his cousin Tati as
chief of Papara, who married
1.
-
-
life,
S-
2.
3.
”
From
Mare’s
Ari’i-’o’e-hau
Te-ra’i-a-pô Ninito, v.
Teri’i-tau-mai-te-ra’i, v.
(Moon), of Mo’orea
Ari’i-ta’i-mai, v., adopted
Marama
Ta’aroa-ari’i
Queen Pômare IV
collection.
(Growth-of-Ta’aroa-in-shaded-sky),
(Sullen-face), t.
Tupu-a-Ta’aroa
1.
-
high
Tupu-a-Ta’aroa-i-te-ra’i-maru
Mata-huira
-
Tehea (Which-one), of Porapora
suc¬
t.
2.
-
sister
of
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
6.
Ari’i-oe-hau, high chiefess of Paborn in 1821 ; succeeded her
grandfather Tati to the chieftainship after his death, and died June
24, 1897
Alexander Salmon, an Englishman
para,
1.
Tetua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea,
her grandmother.
2.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
6.
In later
v., so
years
named by Queen Pômare, after
was also named Titaua
Tetua-nui
(Songht-after)
Te-pa’u-ari’i-i-Ahura’i (The-royal-splash-of-Ahura’i), t., who
drowned in
3.
271
infancy
was
Ari’i-’ino-’ore (Faultless-sovereign). v., later named Moeti’i (Reason-for-sleeping)
Te-’ura-i-te-ra’i Tati, t., known as Tati, high chief of Papara.
Alexander Ari’i-paea (Sovereign-elect), t.
Na-ri’i-vai-hoa
(Quiet-a-little-with-friends), t.
(Many-cleans'ing Unique The-
Joanna Ma-rau Ta’aroa Te-pâ’û
splash), V.
Te-fa’atau-vahine Manihinihi (The-woman-lazy Sympathizer),
Te-ra’i-a-pô
Ninito, v., rightfully
high chiefess of Papeari, which title
she forfeited by living in Hawaii
They had no children
John Sumner,
a
v.
Hawaiian
6.
Teri’i-tau-mai-te-ra’i
7-
(See first genealogy of King Ma’i of Porapora for their progeny)
Tetua-nui-reia-i-te-ra’i-atea Salmon
John Brander, a Scotchman, first husband
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Ma-hea-nu’u-a-Ma’î
Margaret Teri’i-nui Taha-ra’i (Great-sovereign Sky-border),
Mrs. Schlubah, in Germany.
Marrian Te’ura-i-te-ra’i Ari’i-oe-hau
or
(Redness-in-the-sky Princessof-peace), v., formerly married ot a German named Godfroy;
widowed, and then married to a French doctor, named Davilé;
now widowed a second time and
living in France
Alexander Teri’i Nohora’i (Sovereign Abiding-in-the-sky), t., was
drowned with wife and daughter in a cyclone at the Tuamotus
John Teri’i Te-maeva-rau (Sovereign The-many-hailings)
Arthur Te-râ-tane (The-man-sun)
Norman Teri’i-tua (Ocean-sovereign)
Winifred Teri’i-tino-rua Marama (Prince-dual-body Moon)
Titaua Ari’i-ta’i-mai Te-na-ni’a Teri’i-rua Marae ( Sought-after
Sovereign-weeping Going-above Two-sovereigns Temple), or Mrs.
MacLachlan, in Scotland
Na-ta’i-ari’i 'Pe-mana-manu Ari’i-hei-’ura May (Royal-weepers
Greatness-of-birds Sovereign-with-ura-wreath), or Mrs'. Berwick,
in Scotland.
George Darsie, also
husband
10.
11.
12.
a
Scotchman, second
Georgina Alleen, now Mrs. Murray, in Scotland
George
Tetua-nui-ha’amaru-ra’i
(Great-princess-who-overshadowed-the-palace)
Te-tû-ra’i Te-pà’u
(The-stander-in-the-sky The-splash) Lieumonte
7-
Ari’i-’ino-’ore Moetia
Without issue
Dorence
Atwater, United States Consul
Bernice P.
272
7.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
Tati Salmon, the présent high chief Tu-ria Ta’ata-ê (Recent-standing Stranger)
Papara, succeeded his mother to
the chieftainship of that district in
1890, s'he retaining the title of honof
orary
chiefess for the remainder of
her life
1.
2.
3.
5.
6.
7.
Na-ri’ivai-hoa
’Opti-hara, t., deceased.
Porapora)
(See genealogy of the Ma’i family of
Te-ra’i-e-fà (The-s'ky-appearing),
Taura’a-atua, t.
Hotutû (Flatulence),
Te-’e’eva
v.,
deceased
v.
(The-ascension), Irene,
Tita Tetua (Fruit Princess),.
v.
t.
Cicile Guilliasse, of Papeete
James, who with his father was lost at sea at the Tuamotus in
the cyclone of February, 1906
7.
Joanna Marau Ta’aroa Te-pâ’ô
King Poinare V
(For record of children see p. 250.)
This genealogy is continued by other progeny, some in
Tahiti, and some too
far away to be traced in their foreign homes.
Owing to intermarriages ail the chiefs
of the realm were linked together in ties of
relationship with one another, and it was
the ambition of their daughters to strengthen and extend the interests of
their own
districts by becoming the wives and mothers of the chiefs of
others, sometimes
being passive agents of their parents in doing so.
7.
I.
A DIRGE TO
Hotana
I
tamari’i,
Tahu’a ho’i
te
e
Metua
Ari’i,
nana
QUEEN POMARE
tatou
nona tatou e ora
.
Onaona fa’afafe i te pu o te matai.
Mea ’arofa rahi ’oe Pômare maha
na
live,
ai !
Hanahana to ’oe e te Ari’i Vahiné
la ora ho’i ’oe i te Atua o te Rai,
la ora ho’i ’oe e Pômare Vahiné,
Te Ari’i rahi o Tahiti nei.
Teie mai nei to Aimeo,
Aimeo teie i te raravaru
Ua reva ho’i ’oe i te fenua rumaruma
Te vahi e ’ore e ho’i fa’ahou mai.
Teie mai nei to mau tamari’i,
Haere mai nei e heva ia ’oe,
Hopu mai nei i te ’are no te moana
Aue ra ho’i te ’aroha e !
la ora ho’i ’oe e Pômare maha,
Ua mate a’enei ’oe te Ari’i tuiro’o
I te tapeara’a i te evaneria
I rotopu i to ’oe nei hau.
Te vi ho’i ’oe e tupu i te moana,
I to ’oe
Hosannah
te
moera’a ia .matou.
From the people of Mo’orea.
“Radiations” or “divisions.”
The Pômare dynasty was compared to
extended to many islands over the sea.
to
the
Father in whom
we
To the priest and king by whom we’re
saved.
Greatness, is thine, O Queen,
May life be thine in God in Heaven,
Hail to thee, O Queen Pômare,
Great sovereign of Tahiti.
Here are we of Aimeo,
Aimeo [we] of eight radiations”"
Thou hast gone to the shadowy land,
From whence thou wilt not return.
Here are [we] thy children,
Corne hither to mourn for thee,
Diving through the waves of the deep ;
Alas, indeed, how sad !
Farewell to thee, O Pômare the Fourth,
Deceased art thou, O Queen, so famed
For holding fast to the evangel
In the midst of thy kingdom.
The vi tree” thou that grew in the
océan,
Gloriously bending the strength of the
wind,
[Our] great regrets for thee, O Pô¬
mare
the Fourth,
In thy removal from us !
the vi
tree
in
this
manner,
because its dominion
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
273
GREETINGS TO KING POMARE"'
la ora ho’i ’oe e Pômare pae e,
Te ari’i rahi o Tahiti nei,
’Oe ho’i tei mono ia Pômare maha,
Tei mate a’enei.
Teie te parau e
Pômare
pae,
Tapea maite i
te evaneria
Ei fifi auro i ni’a ia ’oe,
la ra’atututo ’oe maitai,
Taraire ai to ’oe hau.
Na fa’atahinu hia ’oe ei Ari’i,
I ni’a iho i to ’oe torono,
la riro ho’i ’oe mai te aeto ra
I te ineinera’a i ni’a iho i Tahiti nei.
Teie mai nei to Aimeo,
Aimeo teie i te raravaru ;
Hopu mai nei i te ’are no te moana,
te poroi na ’oe,
Faaro’o a’e nei i
Ta’ii Ari’i e ia
Written
on
ora
na
\
his accession to the throne.
Hail to thee, O Pômare the Fifth,
Great sovereign of Tahiti.
Thon who hast succeeded Queen Pô¬
mare
the Fourth,
Who now is dead.
Here is our message [to thee], Pômare
the Fifth.
Flold fast to the evangel,
As' a cliain of gold about thee.
And that thy goodness be glorious.
And thy reign be prospérons.
Thon art anointed king
Upon thy throne.
Eike the eagle may’st thon be.
In thine e.xpansion over Tahiti.
Here are [we] of Aimeo,
Aimeo [we] of eight radiations.
Diving through the waves of the sea
We hâve obéyed thy summons.
Hail to thee, O our King!
From the people of Mo’orea.
Bernice P.
274
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
THE INDIVIDUAL
INFANCY
Great
has
always been bestowed by the natives upon the develop¬
It soon becomes hardy, being lightly clad, and being
cleansed generally by lightly washing at first, and soon by bathing in cold
water.
For the first three or four months, when in bed, the child is kept
lying on its back with a very low pillow slightly pushed up on either side,
not only to flatten the back of the head andTeep it from
becoming lopsided
but also to keep the back straight and allow freedom of motion for the limbs.
Prominent bumps on the head are gradually leveled down by frequent rubbing
with the finger tips; and a prominent forehead is also ameliorated
by
gentle pressure with the palm of the hand. Sweet-scented oil; generally of
sandalwood or tiare, keeps the scalp in a healthy condition.
It is also
applied to the body and limbs when massage is required to rectify defect.
For girls, the eye-lashes are bitten short to make them grow long, and the
finger tips are rolled between the thumb and finger to make them taper.
ment of
The
care
an
infant.
nurses are
careful not to strain the
spine of the infant.
After three
four months, as it gets .strong, it is kept much of the time upon a mat
on the floor instead of the bed, and then it soon turns and learns to crawl.
When the child is first carried in a sitting posture the nurse carefully props
or
its back with
hand, called faati’ati’a (raising), and continues to do so
sit up alone. When it can crawl and walk it is carried
sitting astride upon the hip of the nurse, who passes one arm under the
child’s arm and around its waist to hold it in position, a mode called tuta.
until the child
one
can
In the eyes of the Tahitian, stoutness was.a mark of beauty and characteristic of royal personages. As thin people were thought to be sick, a
business was made by metua-pori (fattening-parents) of fattening children
by stufïing them with the best of food, mostly préparations of fruit and
vegetables, and also by making them steam in closely covered sheets. After
two or three months of this treatment, patients became stout and fair,
objects of much admiration. Women, and sometimes men, took this treat¬
ment to beautify themselves.
Tahitians hâve always been fond of children, those having none
some, and parents with large familles adopting others while
adoptgiving
away some of their own, adoption being a bond of love and union between
relatives and dear friends.
Such children frequently-divide their time happily between their two homes. Ofifspring is well received under any ciring
cumstances.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
275
Notwithstanding their great affection for children, infanticide was
formerly so common in these islands that it came to the notice of Captain
Cook, who expostulated with King Pômare against it, but with no perma¬
nent effect.
When the missionaries first came among them, they found that
upwards of two-thirds of the children were thus destroyed, generally before
seeing the light of day. Sometimes in drawing their first breath they were
throttled to death, being called tamari’i \iumi hia (children throttled).
Female infants were sometimes deprived of life because of their sex. The
chief reasons for infanticide were to keep the abyss wide between the royal
family and commonalty, and for the régulation of the arioi society, which
proscribed progeny for certain reasons (p. 235).
perpetrated by the parents and near relatives of the little
victims; and sometimes great contention took place between the maternai
and paternal parties at the birth of a child, one side wishing to save, the
Infanticide
was
destroy. If it survived until it had properly drawn its breath and
opened its eyes, its life was spared, as it was then regarded as having its
other to
(personality) and
own
iho
of
child
a
was
called puaru.
as
having
a
daim
on
this life.
The destruction
AMUSEMENTS
people of the Society Islands hâve had
resembling European games. Unlike the people of some of the neighboring islands
gambling was unknown to them, their gratification being found in the
pastime itself. Since the introduction of gambling by their ciyilized friends.
they hâve adopted the words pere for “play” and parie for parier or “bet.”
From time immémorial the
many
amusements, which they called heiva, several of them greatly
Faareareara’a is the modem word for “amusement.”
inauguration of a sovereign and the arrivai of distinguished
guests and during national festivities the entertainment lasted several days.
Several dances were given : the orira’a dances in many forms, of which the
most attractive were the hiira (impelling), also called the purotu (commonly), and the otea, men’s dance with spurt. (Other dances are given
on page 236.)
The purotu or hura was danced only by women of rank,
the queen often taking the lead (Atlas of Cook’s Last Voyage, PL 28).
Their headdress was generally a triple wreath of flowers and leaves of
sweet odor, sometimes a turban dotted with the beautiful starlike tiare.
The upaupa music that accompanied this dancing consisted of cylindric and
light hand drums (p. 157), the ihara, and the vivo. The ihara, a noisy
instrument still made by children, is a joint of a large bamboo, eut off
outside of each joint and slit up in several places from end to end with a
stick inserted through two slits across the middle to keep it open; it was
At the
276
Bernice P. Bisliop Muséum—Bulletin 48
beaten with
use,
light sticks. The vivo (bamboo flûte), an instrument still in
is about twelve inches long and a little over half an inch in diameter.
The joint of the bamboo forms the closed end, near which is the hole for
blowing through with the nostril. It has four or five holes on the upper
side for the Angers and one on the under side for the thumb : it
produces
a soft,
sensitive, and plaintive sound. It was formerly ornamented by
being partially burnt with a hot stone and neatly entwined with finely
braided hair and twisted cord of coconut husk ; but such
pains are no longer
taken. The otea has undergone such great
changes in the course of time
that the ancient dancers would
Some
not
recognize the modem form.
pahi songs were improvised for the occasion, as was donc
Captain Cook, while others were historical ballads adaptec! to every
circumstance, rank and station. They were accompanied with the vivo,
and pantomimic acting suiting the words, sometimes varied
by the dance,
frequently verging upon immoral license. Great pains were taken in
recording events in this manner not to create dissension among the listeners.
ute
or
for
The natives
still
poetic and fond of singing, but European tunes
generally applied to Tahitian words, and the name himene (hymn) has
been adopted. The ute or pipe and common drum are the
accompaniments
for surviving native dances.
are
are
Te’ara
was
a
a, archery, was the most refined of the native athletic sports, and
favorite amusement of the upper classes.
The archers underwent
purification ceremonies and prayers before engaging their neatly made bows
arrows.
Spécial dress, called puhipuhi-te’a (blow-for-archery), was
worn for the occasion and as it was
regarded as exceedingly sacred, was
kept in a house set apart for that purpose on the grounds of the marae of
Paruatetava’e, god of archers. There also the archers dressed. They
bathed themselves in changing their sacred clothes to take refreshment and
and
return to their
homes.
The te’a grounds were
that
nicely kept lawns on public property. The site
Papaoa was where now stands the
farther on to the land now under
apart for that purpose at
Roman Catholic church and extending
was
set
cultivation.
The archers excelled in
aiming, sometimes reaching a goal at a distance
yards, which brought great applause. They had umpires of about half a dozen men, one on each side holding small white flags
which they waved as signais of success.
For failure they held the flags
down and said, “Ua pau” (It is gone).
of
three hundred
Patia-fa, spearing a banana trunk as a target, was also done with great
dexterity and practised with less formality than the te’a.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Maona
277
taputora'a, wrestling, was sometimes engaged in by women
and was much practised by ail classes. When a fanions
champion was shorter than his antagonist, sometimes, he would not wait
to seize him by the arms or
grapple his head, which was often done, but he
would suddenly run the crown of his head against the temple of his
antagonist and thus lay him on the ground. Great interest and attention
were shown by the numerous
spectators of the struggle, and as soon as
as
well
one
as
was
or
by
men
thrown shouts of exultation from the friends of the victor rent
the air, drums were beaten, and women danced and sang in praise
victor or in défiance of the defeated; meanwhile the opponent’s side
of the
would
applaud and predict a speedy reverse of afifairs. If the fallen man had a
champion friend near at hand and he challenged the victor to engage again
in hopes of avenging his friend, it was the victor’s right to accept or refuse.
But having gained one triumph, he was justified in retiring on his laurels.
Then new wrestlers came forward, and the same untiring interest was
shown by the spectators until ail the champions had shown their prowess,
some Corning out equal in strength and unconquered, when loud acclamation
of applause on both sides of spectators would ensue. After the contest, the
visitors repaired to the marae with offerings of young plantain shoots to
the gods in thanksgiving for their victories.
Motora’a, boxing, the most harbarous of ail the games, was practised
by muscular men of the lowest type, who were proud
to boast of the number of men they had maimed or killed.
They fought
bare bodied, wearing only a close maro, and aimed at each other’s heads.
Serions results followed; at one blow a boxer sometimes knocked the
with the naked fists
whole skin off the forehead of the other.
heathen Tahiti that there
were
Be it said to the crédit of ancient
fewer spectators at
this kind of performance
than at any other, although it greatly fascinated and demoralized some, and
the combat was much sooner ended. No one interfered in the engagement,
stopped as soon as the man losing hold fell,
something, or evaded his opponent, when he was
the victor was applauded as in wrestling.
But
closed the scene the people wildly dispersed, while
bore away the unfortunate champion.
but it
stooped as if to recover
regarded as beaten, and
when disaster or death
friends uncomplainingly
Celebrated archers, wrestlers, and boxers were famed
island, and
of
on
equal force.
Fa’atitora’a-moa, cock-fighting,
harmless in the islands.
fowls for this purpose.
and
throughout the
great occasions one party received challenges from another
taught them to
open
favorite amusement and the most
district were young men who trained
They made house pets of them, fed them well,
their mouths wide to reçoive food and water from
was a
In every
278
Bernice P.
their master’s
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
hand; in
warm weather they were sprinkled with water to
plumage of these fowls was never trimmed, the young
men preferring to see them in ail their natural
beauty, and no artificial
spurs were applied.
Rua-i-fa’atoa (Source-of-bravery), whose diversion
was
cockfighting, presided over this amusement.
The
refresh them.
The young members of the compartments or districts would
challenge
other, and sometimes in the early morning while the air was cool, for
several consecutive days they would indulge in this amusement with
great
zest.
As soon as one bird became cowed by the other, he was considered
vi (beaten) and was immediately parted from his
strutting opponent.
each
Fa’ahe’e, surf-riding, was much indulged in, mostly by young men and
in favorable places where the sea rolled in breakers over sunken
rocks.
The board used was called papa-fa’ahe’e (board-for-surfriding).
The pleasure in this sport would hâve been unalloyed but for sharks that
women
sometimes
came
timely help.
and wounded
or
carried away someone out of reach of
Surf-riding is still practised
to a small extent.
plunging into water, has always been a favorite pastime
of children and grown peuple. They plunge off high cliffs into the
deep sea
or off rocks and trees into
deep fresh-water pools, and they swim and dive
like fishes.
Diving is called titi-aho-roa (holding-long-breath), and swimming is called au.
Neue
or
naue,
Fa’atitiahemora’a
fa’atitiauara’a, racing, included foot races and
were not only the most exciting pas¬
time for the young athlètes but for ail the peuple.
For these races the
young men prepared themselves by long practice.
They anointed their
bodies with oil to gain suppleness, and they were well fed. On the
day of the
contest the closely girded maro was their
only clothing, and they wore their
laurels in advance, having upon their heads to keep them cool wreaths of
canoë
races
on
or
smooth water, which
fresh leaves adorned with flowers.
prize, which
arriving there.
a
was
To those who
won
Arora’a, fighting, consisted of sham fights
or
race was
was
awarded
to be taken
military reviews
and sea, also created intense interest in ail classes.
their
the
placed within reach at the goal and
on
The warriors
on
land
wore
regalia, and went skilfully through ail the maneuverings of real
battles.
The apai or paipai,
beating, a game much resembling cricket, was
The bail was made of shredded pièces of tapa tightly
tied round with cord, or of soft purau wood.
Fuira’a popo, football, was practised by both sexes with much enthusiasm, great numbers sometimes playing at once.
The bail was light, being
practised by
men.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
made of
together.
279
dry flexible shreds of the banana trunk closely rolled and bound
This game bas not quite gone ont of date.
Harura’a-pu’u, seizing the bail, was a favorite game played by women
only. The bail was big and was made in the same way as the popo. The
game was played upon the open seabeach, where two groups sat about sixty
yards apart, a stone marking the boundary line for throwing the bail.
Either party began by seizing the bail from the center of the space and
endeavoring to throw it over the boundary line of the opposite side. Then
both parties went after it, scrambling over and against each other to get it.
Sometimes the bail escaped into the sea, and thither they ail went to seize
it, regardless of waves rising up to their waists and breaking around them.
Meanwhile the excited spectators on shore shouted wildly and cheered.
Ha’apu-uo
or
ha’apu-pauma, kite-flying,
was a
pastime enjoyed by
men
lads, and they excelled in it. The kites were of varions shapes, representing men, turtles, the man-of-war bird, and other things. Sacred 'ura
and
feathers
were
attached to them to
were
immense and
high
up
secure
them from thieves.
required three or four men to hold them
until they appeared like mere specks in the sky.
as
Some kites
they soared
Rare, stilts,
were used as an amusement by boys and men and were
six feet high. The method of the game was for two parties
wearing them to corne in contact and endeavor to throw each other down,
and this was not easy to do.
made up to
Timora’a, stone-hitting,
to
handle, in which
and received
was a game
one was
of throwing pebbles of
held in the hands while another
a
size easy
was
thrown
it fell upon the stationary one, knocking it through the
ground, when a new stone was picked up to be treated
in the same way, and so on to the end. Children and grown people of ail
ranks had their parties to play this game, the fun being in excluding from
the set those who missed in throwing. In the legend of Hiro is mention of
a heap
of great stones at Porapora called the timora’a o Hiro (Hiro’s
up
as
hands down to the
stone-hitting).
Fa’aoro’a marae,
imitating marae ceremonies, was practised to perfection
by children. They used a piece of wood for a human sacrifice and a rat for
a pig ofïering.
The children also had many ideas of play resembling those of children
in the Antipodes. They made tops of wood which they sent off with a cord
and beat along the ground afterwards. Some tops they made of the fruit
of the miro by piercing it through the center with a piece of the rib of
the coconut leaf, which protruded about a quarter of an inch from the
under side and about four inches from the upper; this they spun by run-
Bernice P.
28o
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
ning the long stem briskly between the two hands and letting it go on a
or hard-trodden ground.
They had two kinds of swings : the taere consisting of a single hanging
rope to the free end of which was attached a stick, upon which to sit astride;
and the tahoro, two ropes like the former being tied together above, upon
which two children whirled around each other first one way and then the
board
other.
They had toy canoës, called roroie, which they sailed in the sea and
Tapunipuou, hide and seek, they played among the trees and rocks.
Titipauru or tupaurupauru, blind man’s buffj was also original with them.
A game of which the Tahitians were very fond maintained the System
of counting.
Two or three players took small sticks, generally the rib of
the coconut leaf, and broke them into short lengths.
After placing them
in a central heap, the players would take them ofï one by one, mentioning
the number as they reached the tens, the hundreds, and the thousands,
respectively, each of which was represented by a spécial length of stick.
The aim was to reach the million, the first to do so was the winner and
closed the game. Umpires closely watched the proceedings.
rivers.
OCCUPATIONS
drawn by the navigator Tupaia^ and from other sources,
Smith has shown that the Polynesian navigators generally, among
whom the Tahitians stood prominent, were masters of the Pacific Océan,
boldly traversing its broad waters in their canoës, while Europeans were
merely coasting the borders of the eastern continents in more finished ships.
The Tahitians excelled in the art of fishing and noted the time for the
varions kinds of fishes to succeed each other, as designated in the native
calendar.
(See p. 327.)
The fishermen made fishhooks of bone and shells, spears of bone and
sharpened bamboo, and fine nets of varions textures. Similar implements
but generally of foreign manufacture they still use.
They also hâve a
way of catching fishes of the shoals, small and large, with a long, thick,
From the map
S. Percy
intertwined
line
of
fresh coconut
fronds
or
This is dragged out
vines
from
the
seashore,
far as possible, until fish
collect, then it is closed in and drawn upon the beach, where women and
children aid in securing the fish, which they either place in baskets to take
home or in great bamboo fish préservés, which are kept anchored in the sea.
which
they call
raoere.
as
Small slender fishes, called ouma, which resemble sardines,
are
thus
caught and kept for bait, when bonitos {auhopu, formerly called atu) and
albicores (aahi) of the open océan are in season.
Fishermen go out in
^
Incorrectly written “Tupaea” in Captain Cook’s work.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
single
281
with spécial strong rods to catch bonitos, and they go in a
an immense movable rod like a bowsprit (tira)
attached to a beam across the space between the two bows, for the albicores, which when caught, the men on both sides draw up.
Turtles are
caught in nets or by turning them over on their backs and thus landing
them. Deep-sea fishes are often kept in walls of coral rock in the lagoons
and bays and are picked up in nets when wanted.
Such places are numcanoës
great double canoë, with
erous
on
the leeward islands.
Fishing by torchlight is
an exciting and pleasant pastime.
The spear
deep water, and shellfish are picked up on the reefs with the
hands or secured with the spear.
The torch is called rama.
Sometimes a great wickerwork basket ifa’a) is used as a trap. This
is round or bottle-shaped. If left for a day or two in the haunts of fishes,
many are entrapped.
There were two classes of canoë builders, the tahu'a papai va’a or
is used in
(canoe-hewers), who were at the service of the public,
(stable-agreement), who built sacred canoës upon spécial
marae grounds, where they lived consecrated Nazaritish lives, not cutting
their hair or beard until the work was completed. The building of large
canoës was an art of so great importance that the artisans were held in
high esteem and were well paid for their work. A canoë with hull hewn
out of a single log was called a va’a simply, and a canoë made of planks
sewn together as described in the legend of Hiro (p. 54^) was called a pahi
(ship) as well as va’a.
tahu’a tarai va’a
and the ahi-tû
In old illustrations
canoës
of former times
are
shown built with high
men or birds or
(figurehead-before) and reimuri (figurehead-behind). But modem canoës are made straight and
plain. Being long and narrow, a canoë is balanced in the sea with an
outrigger, called the ama, attached at each end to a beam, called the
’iato, which is fastened firmly across the hull of the canoë with strong
cord.
Double canoës, attached with beams to each other about six feet
apart, do not rec[uire outriggers.
bows and sterns and ornamented with carved
other
animais, which
were
figures of
called rei-mua
BETEOTHAL AND MARRIAGE
(momoaraa) in the royal family and the upper classes were
frequently made by parents and counsellors for children, most of whom
when they grew up gracefully submitted to their parents’ plans. Among ail
classes parents were free to make the proposai and when it was accepted
they announced the engagement to the public by planting a branch of ti
upon the floor of their dwellings, thus making the promise sacred.
Then
Betrothals
came
a
betrothal feast.
Bernice P.
282
As the time for
a
Bishop Museim—Bulletin 48
marriage (fa’aipoipora’a) of importance approached,
great préparations were made for the event by the families of the father
parties. Food in abundance was cultivated,
pigs and fowls were collected for the feast, and cloth and wearing
apparel and feather ornaments were manufactured and kept in readiness
and of the mother of both
fatted
for the occasion.
of the wedding ceremonies, ail the relatives and friends of
assembled at the respective homes of the young people, and
members of the arioi society also came to them with music, singing, and
dancing. On the morrow représentatives of the household of the bridegroom, who was then called the papa-i-nia (upper rock), came to escort
the bride, called the papa-i raro (lower rock), to his home for the first
wedding ceremonies, called oro’a-ai-huno’a (ceremony of feasting the sonin-law). With them they brought appropriate présents called the o.
Then the bride’s party, including ail those just mentioned, set out in a
grand parade by land if not far to walk, and in new canoës made for the
occasion if they had a long way to go, no old canoës being used for weddings. Following them in canoës were their présents, or o (welcome insurer), which consisted of everything that had been prepared for the
wedding, in two equal divisions, one from the side of the father and the
other from the side of the mother. On arriving at the bridegroom’s home,
they were welcomed by a great party assembled in the same order as their
own and the food and livestock they brought were presented and received
in due form by the family.
In the house a large mat was laid out, and
upon it the father and mother of the bridegroom each spread a new sheet
of white tapa, one overlapping the other, as an emblem of their two
families, and there the young pair were seated. To the right and left of
them were placed the rolls of cloth, mats, capes, and feather wreaths, those
on one side being presented,
by the father and the others by the mother of
the bride to the bridegroom in the name of their daughter. At the end of
the performance the mothers and aunts of the young couple, called the
hui-metua-vahine, class of mothers, punctured their heads and faces causing
On the
eve
each party
the blood to flow,^ as a manifestation of love and union of blood.
Then was given a great feast in honor of the bride, at which the bride¬
and other men'sat apart from the
women, as at ail ordinary feasts,
When night came, the bride, still
the other guests at the house of
the bridegroom to await further ceremonies on the morrow. In the morning, the bride and bridegroom, dressed in beautiful fresh white tapa, which
was prettily relieved with patterns of délicate fern fronds, and
accompanied
groom
and the arioi danced and made merry.
in charge of her parents, remained with
A weapon of shark’s teeth set
(ahark’s-teeth-digger), was used.
upon
a
stick with breadfruit
gum,
called
a
paoniho-niho
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
283
by ail the relatives, went to perform the religious rites at the ancestral
marae of the papa-i-ni’a, where were
exposed for the occasion the skulls of
ancestors
A
with other fétiches.
priest attired in the habiliments of his office
met them upon
the pave¬
awning covered with
fei (wild plantain) leaves was erected for the
the closure of the marae, where sometimes an
ment at
green coconut
leaves
or green
The bridegroom took his station
wedding.
at one corner and the bride at
the other, and before each of them assembled their respective relatives.
The
priest, approaching the young couple, then said, first to the bridegroom,
a fa’arue i te ’oe vahiné?”
(Wilt thou not forsake thy
wife?), to which the bridegroom replied, “’B’ita!” (No!). The same
question was put to the wife respecting her husband, and she also responded
in the négative.
Then thei priest answered, ‘‘B maitai ia mai te nua ra e e
na reira ’orua” (It will be well if thus it be with
you), and he admonished
them after the manner of the sages of old and concluded with
prayer to the
gods to bless their union and keep them in the bonds of affection one to
“’B'ita anéi ’oe
the other.
The father and mother of the bridegroom then came forward, each
with
a
white sheet, called a vanvau (underspread), and placed them upon
marae in the same
way and for the same reasons as on
the closure of the
There the young couple were seated, one holding the
by them, keeping on their own sides, sat the relatives, both
sexes puncturing themselves and
causing the blood to drop on to the sheet,
thus further blending family ties.
The groom’s parents then placed the
juice of a young coconut leaf and of sugar-cane mixed in a coconut shell,
upon a miro leaf, and held it first on their son’s head then on the head of
their daughter-in-law, after which they placed it beside the one as a pledge
of unity, which they sealed with blood by puncturing themselves in the
presence of ail the company, each one causing some drops to fall upon a
miro leaf which was placed upon the back stones of the marae. Then the
bridegroom’s parents joined their family and ail the company on both sides
arose.
Another sheet, called the tapai, was spread over the young couple
who were still sitting, and under it they remained a few seconds and
received the first wedding greetings. When it was taken off they also arose.
the
previous day.
other’s‘ hand, and
Then the sheets of the
were
vauvau
were
torn in
stained with the blood of the relatives
the mixture
of cloth
halves, and the two sides that
folded together, enveloping
the leaf, and buried near the marae ; the other two pièces
also folded together and were given with the oyersheet and
were
on
were
the wedding clothes and change for others to the'arioi for their religious
pantomimes. Thus ended the first part of the marriage.
Bernice P. Bishop
284
The double party
Muséum—Bidletin 48
then proceeded to the house of the bride, the parents
bridegroom taking présents as their o equal to those that had been
brought by the bride’s parents, and also another great supply of things in
readiness for the wedding feast. On arriving at their destination, the same
réception and présentations as before were repeated on behalf of the papai-ni’a] and on the following day the bride and bridegroom, attired in new
wedding clothes, went through the same religious ceremonies at the marae
of the papa-i-raro and with the same termination as on the previous occa¬
sion. Handsome présents were always given to the priests who performed
the marriage rites.
Sojourners used the seashore in place of a marae.
of the
Any différences of rank that may hâve existed between the two families
forever annulled by these ceremonies.
were
wedding feast, which lasted several days at the house of the
bride, both families vied with each other in making a grand display of
goods and food. Eloquent speeches were exchanged. To the young couple
At the
which it had been previously agreed that they should
the native people of the présent time.
If one
it was at once noticed and recorded in
song by the merrymaking arioi.
they
bear,
gave a name
a
custom still existing among
side gave less than the other,
national célébrations they were performed at
they were free from human
sacrifices.
Marriages of the arioi were always performed at a marae of
’Oro, the accredited founder of their society. Widows were married with
very little formality, the festivities being optional.
As
royal marriages
the national
maraes
were
of the contracting parties;
Notwithstanding that the matrimonial knot was so well tied by these
was frequently disregarded, especially among the higher classes,
v/here rank licensed much freedom in both sexes. Yet their folklore shows
islanders, it
many faithful attachments that would hâve donc crédit to
people, and it also shows the same violations of the marriage rite
incurred bitter revenge and murder of the rival or of the offending spouse.
Long possession of each other without marriage and with children has
always been regarded by them as binding as marriage ties.
that there
were
any
royal family formée! a misalliance which the parents
equalize, they refused to solemnize the marriage rites on
their side, which lowered the erring one to the level of the inferior party,
at whose home alone the marriage was performed.
Such a person and
the children of such a union, were called tamari’i taahi hia (children trodWhen
a
child of the
did not wish to
den down of
as
degraded).
In such
cases,
when they could gain popularity
the people, they sometimes asserted themselves and regained prestige
rival members of the family that had disowned them.
among
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Polygamy
285
much practised by these people, especially those of the
plural wives standing on equality with each other. But
a king had but one queen whose children could
by right inherit the throne
—bis children by other women of high rank did not always enjoy the same
privilège as those of the members of the legitimate circle.
was
ra’atira class, their
CLOTHING
The ancient dress for
(loin girdle), their
working apparel; the pa-u or pareu (waist cloth), a piece of
cloth about two yards long, which was drawn round the waist and fastened
jauntily on one side, falling like a petticoat to the calf of the leg (which
was beautifully
tattooed) ; and the tiputa (poncho), plain or ornamented.
The maro and the pareu, differing only in material—now of modem cloth—
are still worn, the maro
by fishermen and other working men in the country ;
the pareu, most of the population, in undress. Their best clothes were ahuundress
men
consisted of the
maro
or
puupuu, made from bark of the breadfruit tree, and
beautifully white.
banyan
and paper-mulberry trees.
Such clothes are no longer in the Society Islands.
Fancy capes were braided from purau bark, and they are still sometimes
made on festival occasions. The children, often nude, were dressed the
same as grown people.
The women wore a pareu and an over-covering of
tapa, called ’ahu-pu, which they wound round the body, leaving the arms
bare, and fastened over one shoulder—a mode of dressing admii'ed and.
described by Europeans who first visited these shores.
The cotton pareu
they still wear in place of a petticoat under the Mother Hubbard dress,
called ’ahu-tua (dress with a yoke).
Common clothes
were
brown and
were
were
made from the bark of the
During public festivities, the king and other men of rank wore as
pareu fine flexible mats, called vane, interwoven with light patterns and
edged with a fringe. Their tiputa were of red, black, and yellow feathers,
or of white tapa, plain or fringed, bordered with ’ura feathers (as ermine
is used upon robes for European nobility) ; and they were decorated round
the neck with rosettes, some of the bright red and black seeds of the
pipitio (black-eyed Susan), connected with rows of the same, and others
of feathers of bright or somber hue, according to taste.
They also wore
capes of the revareva made from the young coconut leaf, and headdresses to
match—décorations still occasionally manufactured and worn on festive
occasions.
Queen Pômare gave one to Prince Alfred when he visited Tahiti,
and some French admirais hâve been presented with them.
The king’s
councillors of high or obscure birth wore vane with rich black feather capes.
286
Bernice P. Bishop
Muséum—Bulletin 48
Hëaddrëss
People of rank had headdresses called taupo’o (cap or hat), hei
(wreath),, and taumi-upoo (turban). The sovereign’s royal dress was a
toque exquisitely made of ’ura feathers to match the spécial blendings of
the dress of the kingdom represented.
(See p. 120.) It was called te-ata-oTû (the-cloud-of-Tû), being emblematical of the cloud in which the god
Tû found the babe Ro’o-te-ro’oro’o (p. 369).
The most showy headdress worn officially by the king and princes and
high chiefs was the taumi, a superb heliiiet made of clusters of crimson
feathers of the moora ’ura (red-feathered duck), set upon a light framework and covering the head like a bird, with a glossy terminal behind of outspreading red, black, and white feathers tastily mixed together. This
helmet, standing out from a closely fitting band round the head and
towering high above, seeming to yield or bend with every movement,
presented a formidable appearance. On public occasions, when meeting a
man held in high esteem by his countrymen for valuable services, a king
wearing a taumi would pass it on to his head as a mark of appréciation.
After courteously receiving it the hero would return it to the king amid
admiring acclamations.
The counselor’s coronet, which was worn officially in the presence of
the king, was called a hei-’or0’or0 (wreath-of-feather-clusters) and was
made of glossy black feathers set upright, and standing high around the
head. This with his black cape well befltted the office of the wearer.
One time at a célébration of the French emperor’s birthday, at the request of Commandant de Bouset, the native chiefs and dignitaries pre¬
sented themselves in capes and headgear.
The women of rank set off
their dainty wrappers with beautiful wreaths of ’ura feathers, yellow, red,
and alternate red, green, or yellow, or otherwise diversffied, tied around a
same manner as threaded beads ; around these were sometimes
strings of pearls. They also wore eardrops of jet-black hair
tightly braided, called tipua, which were sometimes ornamented with
pearls. Women of the people made wreaths and garlands as they chose, but
not of ’ura feathers.
They also wore pearls and eardrops.
Turbans, called ta’amu’upo’o, were of two kinds and were made of tapa.
One was worn by the warrior to screen his head from spears and was very
bulky, the cloth being closely bound together with cords. The other was
light and was tastefully or plainly made, being worn as a hat to protect
the head from the sun or in place of a wig in case of baldness.
Leaves
of the ti and other plants were cool substitutes for the turban.
Garlands and wreaths of sweet odor were then as now much worn by
both sexes of ail classes, and a flower set over the ear or in place of an
cord in the
entwined
287
Henry—-Ancient Tahiti
eardrop in the
ear was
which in former
agent
characteristic.
The tiare (single-petaled Gardénia),
days only decked the maiden’s brow, has become the chief
of flirtation.
children of nature.
Rich is the language of flowers with those happy
Tattooing
The art of tattooing, called tatau (tapping) or naonao (checkered),
formerly commonly known but gradually becoming an art of the past in
Polynesia, was nowhere more artistically practiced than in the Society
Islands, as is stated by Ellis,^ when he and his brother missionaries had
the advantage of seeing it in the height of its perfection and of comparing
the spécial characteristics of the art by which the people of one group
early distinguished those of another. To Ellis, the figures chosen in tattoo¬
ing appeared to serve as an index to the disposition and character of the
individual operated upon; and to Edward Tregear^ they seem to hâve
indicated
tions of
arioi
the
to
a
recollection
of the ancient
hieroglyphic System.
Représenta¬
objects from nature or handicraft and the spécifie marks
were
used.
of the
According to Tahitian folklore, tattooing originated among the gods, in
pô (dark period), and was considered highly ornamental and pleasing
themselves and to man. It was invented by Matamata-arahu (Printer-
in-charcoal), who was aided by Tu-ra’i-po ( Stander-in-dark-sky) or
Ti’iti’i-po (Fetcher-in-darkness)—two gods who were of the body of
artisans of Ta’ere, god of ail skill,—and Hina-’ere’ere-manu’a (Gray-thehasty-tempered), eldest daughter of the first man and woman, Ti’i and
Hina, whom they succeeded in abducting from an enclosure where she
had been closely kept by her parents by exhibiting the patterns upon them¬
selves to her great admiration and selfforgetfulness.
At the shrine of Matamata-arahu and Tu-rai-po the tatatau or
talm’atatau (tattoo artist) always performed his work, invoking their aid
in its execution and the healing of the perforations.
His art was most
remunerative, as people in days of yore thought such marks set off their
beauty and dress. The process was a most painful one and sometimes resulted fatally.
It was done gradually, commencing upon a person at the
âge of ten or twelve and ending at maturity.
The instrument generally used by Polynesians for tattooing was made
of finely sharpened boues of birds, or of the slender pointed teeth of
fishes, ingeniously tied with fine sennit to a slender hard stick; and the
dye, of a beautiful jet hue, was the sooty dripping of oil obtained in burn^
^
Ellis, Wm., Polynesian researches, Eondon, 1831.
Of Wellington, New Zealand, a meinber of the Polynesian
Society.
288
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
ing the tutui or candlenut {Aleurites triloba), which when deposited in the
skin produces a bluish tint.
bamboo joints were chosen according to taste,
either first sketched. upon the skin with cliarcoal, or the
performance was simply guided by the eye of the tatatau, who, holding
in the left hand the instrument dipped in the dye, carefully laid it upon
the skin and with an elastic tap from a heavier stick held by the right
hand, the punctures were made, and the coloring was thus dextrously
deposited beneath the skin at the same time.
Many men were tattooed upon the Tîmbs and body as far as the back
of the neck and even to the ears and the roots of the hair.
Upon the
chest every variety of figure was to be seen.
Coconuts and breadfruit
trees, gracefuly entwined with Convolvulus vines, and boys gathering the
fruit; men engaged in battle, fleeing from or pursuing the enemy, triuniphing over a fallen foe, or carrjdng a human sacrifice to the marae : diagrams,
bii'ds, quadrupeds, fishes, war weapons, primitive and modem, or other
objects were imprinted there and also upon the arnis, on the inner sides
of which were the lighter tattoos of little insects, stars, strokes, circles, and
lozenges. Ellis States that he often admired the taste displayed in the
marking of a chief’s legs, when he saw a coconut tree correctly and distinctly drawn with roots spreading out at the heel, its elastic stalk pencilled, as it were, along the tendon, and its waving plume gracefully spread
out on the broad part of the calf.
Sometimes a couple of stems twined up
from the heel and divided on the calf, each bearing a plume of leaves.
Some tattooing upon the feet gave the appearance of the owners wearing élégant eastern sandals. On some men the sides of the legs and upwards to the waist were also tattooed, which gave the appearance of pantaloons with ornamental seams—the same form of tattooing but elaborately
covering ail the leg is still to be seen in Samoa, where the natives hâve
not ceased to regard it as ornamental.
The Tahitians seldom tattooed the
throat or face, some priests or warriors, only, having a print upon
Patterns traced upoii
tliey
and
were
their foreheads.
Women had their hands marked
as
though covered with mittens
or
gioves of fine network, with circles around the wrists and fingers like
bracelets and finger rings. They also had the sandal-like print upon their
feet, terminating in a tastily traced circle around the ankle.
Hawaiians had
of tattoo marks.
that
exquisite taste and
Mrs. Brickwood,
were most
fastidious in their choice
well-informed Hawaiian, has stated
they limited their décorations to light prints upon the arms and
wrists, and ankles, in place of rings, bracelets,
anklets, and that they disdained the zigzag fines, curves, and diagrams
circles around the hands,
and
a
289
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
neighbors, comparing such designs to those upon their
(which they excelled in making).
of their Southern
Niihau mats
CEREMONIES AND CUSTOMS FOR THE SICK AND DEAD
been cleanly people, being fond of bathing
hour of the day. Laborers never change their working garb for
clean apparel without first bathing.
Most Tahitians are strong and hardy,
and before foreign diseases were introduced among them, they were seldom sick; many lived to be over a hundred years of âge.
The Tahitians hâve always
at any
people in their primitive State were : ’o'dvi
(scrofula), tutoo (tuberculosis), hotate (asthma), and feefee (elephantiasis), the last three being contracted by exposure to inclement weather,
going too much in the wet, or living in damp places. When they became
ill, they thought that they had offended the gods and the family took offerings of food and ’nra feathers to the ancestral marae. They called in a
doctor, who anointed the patient with oil and administered his medicines,
invoking the gods for the patient’s recovery. When this means failed, a
priest of the social marae was applied to ; and after confessing, anointing
with oil, and praying over the patient, he took to the marae a young pig,
holding it by the leg so as to make it squeal and thus attract the attention
of the gods. He invoked the gods to remove their anger as far as the east
was from the west and to remove sickness of the day and sickness of the
night to the “wall of jaw bones.” He then presented the live pig as a peace
offering (utupo) and passed it on to another priest, who marked its ear
with sennit and turned it loose among the sacred marae pigs.
He also
ofïered ’ura rosettes and other présents provided by the family, together
with a “man-long” banana, presenting it in the same way as in the pa’i-atua
The diseases known to these
service.
bed
patient to enjoy them. Members of the family also went to the seaside
ofïered to the sea gods prayers and confessions called tarotaro.
and
(See p. 289.') The family placed valuable objects about the
of the sick one, hoping to create pity in Ta’aroa that he might spare
Finally, the parents
“Here
ings responded,
representing them came forward with
and the priests presented them saying as he
or persons
cords tied around their necks,
held the cords,
the
are
the parents to atone for the patient.”
The offer-
human pigs; cease to be angry.”
“Yes, here
are your
After this
performance, nothing more could be done for the patient,
by faith or died. In cases of fatal sickiress, the priest
the patient to the end.
who either recovered
remained with
Bernice P.
290
royal family fall ill, the high priest was in
the local marae,
place of the parents a band of strong men presented themselves as
Should
a
member of the
attendance in extreme
and in
Bîshop Muséum—Bulletin 48
atonements
but
no
Great offerings were taken to
cases.
life
was
sacrificed.
dying, many people made oral bequests, wliich
faithfully carried out.,
In
and
were
usually respected
a short illness, the patient was anointed with
(oil scented with Gardénia). Then, going to the social marae,
he presented a cavalla fish to the priest, who ofïered it to the gods in the
name of the giver, for whose recovery he returned tlianks.
After a long
and serious illness, the patient was anointed with oil and accompanied by
the family went with food and goods for the priests, who presented them
in thanksgiving at the social marae, last of ail presenting an tiira feather
wreath to Te-vahine-nui-tahu-rai
(The-wornen-wlio-set-fire-to-the-sky).
(This deified heroine was also invoked in the umu ti ceremony, see
page 214.)
When a very learned man was about to expire and wished to transmit
his knowledge to his son, even though the son were very young, he would
say, “My son, stay by me and draw my last breath into thy mouth and
swallow it that my learning may become thine.”
So when the moment
came, the son would open his mouth over his father’s and receive his last
breath. It was affirmed that this means never failed to produce the precious
knowledge.'* A scholar of this kind was called atiti-pau or ae-pau (ail
knowledge absorbed). It is said that he thus came in touch with the spirit
of his deceased father, which visited and taught him ail his knowledge, in
deep sleep sometimes bordering upon trances. At Porapora Mr. Orsmond
knew a fine orator and scholar named Moe-‘ore (Not-lost), the son and
successor of the king’s previous orator and counsellor then dead, who had
made his début in public, speaking before the king as an ae-pau when a
mere lad,.shortly after his father’s death.
As an important oration known
only to his father was needed, the king sent to the mother for the boy,
saying, “If he be an ae-pau let him corne to us.” So the mother placed on
Upon recovering from
monoi-tiare
her
son
his father’s official clothes and bonnet and sent him
as
bidden, and
promptly recited the speech needed, so well that ail
présent were moved to tears, saying, “The father still lives in his son.”
It was believed that people died at the same time of day or night as
they were born, and when they lingered before breathing their last, it was
it
was
said that he
in Hawaii, where the old customs are still fresh in the
living in Honolulu, I knew a very clever young Hawaiian
Avalilco, who said that when his maternai grandfather, a
very learned man of the old school, was about to die he wished George to absorb his knowledge
in the way described.
But as the idea was répugnant to George, he refused.
Then the old
man said “Ah, modem civilization lias prejudiced you,
and the old knowledge must die out with
my génération!”
George lias silice regretted that he did not acquiesce in the request.
°
This practice was also known
minds of the people.
In 1905, while
from Hilo, Hawaii, named George K.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
291
they were liai poi (awaiting the hour of birth). When in the
dying State the priest in attendance attached an uraiaeiae {’ura feather
amulet) to each little finger of the patient to ward ofï evil spirits, and he
got four or six fronds of maire'fern (Polypodiiim pustulatum), formed
them into a drooping cluster, called a fare maire
(maire house),
and placed it against the pillow of the patient so as to overshadow the
head. Thus the soûl might enter the fare maire through the cranium, which
was the way they believed the soûl left the body.
When the person wp.s
dead the priest called the tahua faatere (presiding priest) and other members of the fraternity to aid him and the family in performing the obsequies.
said that
These commenced with hautiraa tupapaau.
invoked the spirit to return to the body; then after
bidding the corpse awake (faaara tupapau) and finding no signs of life
remaining, they said “Ua unuhi te varua e te attrn” (The spirit is drawn
out by the gods).
A. great outburst of grief followed among the anxiously
The priests first
waiting relatives and friends, who bathed, oiled, and dressed the body and
laid it out while a priest called a tahu’a tutera went out in a canoë, paddling
slowly along the coast facing the house of the deceased, to find out the.
cause of the death by watching the flight of the spirit, which it was believed,
would approach him with an emblem revealing the cause.
If the spirit
appeared to him in a flame of fire, it was a sign that the deceased had been
a victim of the black art, fire being used by sorcerers in their incantations.
If the spirit came out with a feather amulet in its hand, it showed that some
one had used it to bring down the displeasure of the gods upon the.
deceased. If it looked dejected, some personal matter had been the trouble;
but if it looked happy, ail concluded that it had been the proper time for
the deceased to go.
Soon the soûl seeker returned and gave his report,
according to which the presiding priest worded his invocation to Romatane and ail the gods of the spiritual abodes.
faarairai or tui liana (soûl reposing
in progress, a straight branch of the ti, which lias broad,
spreading leaves and was supposed to be full of magical power, was stood
erect by the corpse to conduct the soûl to the spirit world.
Breadfruit
flower spikes and the tips of the stems of banana leaves, each one representing a member of the household of the deceased, were placed under the
arms of the corpse while an address suited to the circumstances was made
in the foliowing manner :
While the invocation called tui
prayer)
was
ta ’oe metua tane; teie ta ’oe
vahiné; teie ta oe vahiné (or ta
’oe tane) ; teie ta ’oe tamaiti ; teie ta
Teie
metua
Here is thy_ father; here is thy
mother; here is thy wife (or husband) ; here is thy son ; here is thy
Bernice P.
292
’oe tamahine ; teie ta ’oe fetii
A huri i to mata i te po ;
fariu mai i to te ao nei. Ei
BisJiop Muséum—Bulletin 48
(o mea).
eiaha
.
.
.
e
.
daughter ; here are thy relatives (and
so 011).
Turn thy face to Hades ; look
back to this
end with thee.
not
world.
Let sickness
family had nb more sickness and saw no signs of
ghost hovering around them, they said, “B tui Iiana niait ai roa teia” (This
is a very good soul-reposing prayer).
But if the illness followed, they
called the prayer a tui pee (prayer that missed) and sought the aid of
another priest to obtain the desired effect. Ail the household and relatives
contributed towards pa5dng the priests well, so as to secure their good will ;
their displeasure was carefully avoided by the people, who believed that
their curse could bring sickness and death.
If after this tui the
a
corpse was kept three or four days in the
covered with fine white cloth decorated with
Usually the
hier and
was
wreaths of sweet-scented flowers and leaves.
The
mourners
house
upon a
garlands and
in charge sat
wailing and trying to awaken the dead and lacerated themselves
they received visits from relatives and friends, who joined in loud lamen¬
around
as
tations.
Some of the
women
eut
themselves with
teeth and stained with their blood small aprons
an
instrument of shark’s
which they
wore
for the
and left with the family as a sacred token of love. The visitors
brought with them gifts called otohaa or taihaa (mourning for the dead),
rvhich consisted of cloth and mats for the people generally.
But for the
royal family, as a token of loyal sympathy, called tapu-oho (foremost
pledge), the nation brought ’ura feathers. On such occasions, among ail
classes, many were the pathetic dirges chanted and cloquent speeches
cxchanged.
The lying-in-state of a sovereign or of an heir apparent lasted longer
than for other people, so that opportunity was given for the subjects and
kindred people of the nation to corne in.
At such times besides strewing
sweet-scented leaves and flowers around the dead, beneath the body and
about the house, sandalwood was constantly burned as a disinfectant. Then
the taimara (restriction) was observed throughout the realm, just as for
the pai-at'ua; the clans led by their chiefs and chiefesses came in silence
until they reached the scene of mourning, when there would be loud and
prolonged wailing, lamentation, and frantic lacération.
The body, saturated with oil to préservé the skin from décomposition,
was next placed upon a high altar in a neat little temporary house erected
for the occasion at the family marae,“ there to be guarded by a priest,
who was paid by the family of the deceased if they could aflford it, by the
near relatives of both sexes if they were poor.
The keepers, who were called
iai-mate for a royal body, lived in a temporary house; and others came and
purpose
®
Atlas, Third
voyage
of Capt. Cook, pl. 26, London, 1784.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
293
who wished still to
indulge iii weeping for the dead one. This lasted
period, until their grief was maha (spent). Those who
became thin from watching and eating little were called tiai mata
poopoo
(with sunken eyes). As soon as the body was taken to the little house at
the marae, the bedding, mats, and other
things that had corne in contact
with the deceased during illness and after death were
carefully collected
and burned. This funeral pile was called anahi-tutaee
(fire to change or
purify), and ail associations of the deathbed were removed when the priest
pronounced the pani-tutui (closed by burning) bénédiction, stating that
ail the mahuruhuru (pollution) was gone and that the
family could occnpy
the place of the deceased without fear of evil
conséquences.
went
for
an
For
indefinite
member of the
royal family the mourning did not end with the
just described ; but after they were over, the }mung men and
lads of the collateral lines and of the retainers
performed their part in a
tragedy called heva-tupapa’u (mourning for the corpse). They paid adepts
to make them hideous with
long stripes or circles painted in black, white
and red on their bodies and limbs.
The only coloring materials were soot
from the candlenut, white clay, made adhesive with gum from the breadfruit bark, and red sap from the mati (Ficus tinctoria). Faces, ears, and
necks were painted in varions ways with soot and red
sap. Wearing nothing but a close maro about their loins, the boys went inland, where they
decorated their heads with fern fronds relieved with bright-colored berries
and fara blossoms, making wild-looking headdresses. This band of
young people was called nevaneva (bewildered), the appellation suiting
their wild actions.
They followed a priest of the gods of mourning,
■Oviri-moe-aihere (Wild-man-sleeping-in-weeds), Pautu-roa
(Long-mourning-dress), Tane, and Tara-pa’a (Strong-thorned), to the marae of these
gods up on the mountain side. There they erected two sheds covered with
green leaves in which to encamp during their heva-tupapa’u—a small one
for the priest and a large one for the nevaneva and there
they were well
fed by their relatives.
a
ceremonies
When the deceased was a sovereign or an heir
apparent the priest was
elaborately dressed, wearing a petticoat of purau fringe, called tihi-parau,
a waist
girdle, called a moeho, and a head gear, or fa’aupo’o. The fa’aupo’o consisted of a close turban of cloth, above which diverged like rays
beautiful, snow}' red-tipi>ed tail feathers of the troioic bird, and a parae, or
mask, of bright pearl shell. From the mask was suspended over the chest
with the corners turned upwards a bright
crescent-shaped board about a
foot deep covered with a brilliant network of thin chips of
mother-of-pearl
about one inch long and a quarter of an inch wide. These were threaded
together through little perforations at each end and bordered with a
Bernice P. BisJiop Muséum—Bulletin 48
294
the man-of-war-bird, terminating at each
the same feathers.
This ornament, called ahu-parau (pearl-cloth) was considered very sacred.
From it hung a drapery of pièces of yellow and black cloth, called a pautu
(mourning cloth), attached hehind and meeting the spreading fronds of
the fare-rupe fern {Pteris-milneana) set in the girdle against the back.
But when the deceased was not of the highest rank the priest wore the
fringy petticoat, girdle, and the fern frond, without the headdress and other
paraphernalia. At any time of day the bancl came out from the marae
in procession, making frantic gesticulations.- The pidest took the lead, now
and then jingling in his hands tete (clappers) made of two finely polished
pearl shells, one larger than the other, and carrying a paeho (scythe) about
five feet long armed with large, strong shark’s teeth set along the inner
edge, and ornamented with black feathers at the tip. At the same time the
nevaneva flourished spears, with which they felt licensed to wound and
even kill hapless persons who crossed their path.
The Sound of the tete and the appearance of these persons as they
approached terrified the community. The priest sometimes struck the side
of a house menacingly with his scythe, while the inmates remained in
breathless silence. Some of the people out-of-doors had time to flee to the
local marae where they were secure from molestation; but others, particularly if they were not in favor with the terrible party, were either
caught and mercilessly beaten with a club, or in fleeing were liable to be
fringe of rich black feathers of
corner
hit
with
a
bunch and
a
tassel exquisitely made of
by scythe, spear, or stone.
of terror lasted an indefinite period, the moon coming in,
waxing, waning, and passing on some occasions when gi'eat love for their ■
lost ruler was being expressed. When people of other districts thought it
had lasted long enough, they would corne to calm their zest by overpowering
them. This was called fa’atihaehae i te heva (aggravating the mourners).
A hand to hand fight followed, which became serions when allied parties
This reign
Sometimes whole districts were involved, many being killed
interposed. When the priest changed his dress it was the
sign that the heva was marau (faded or ended) and then tranquility was
re-established in the land. The people of ail the other classes mourned
their dead with ail the solemnity they could muster, but without cruelty.
After the introduction of firearms, these were also used in the hevatupapa’u. Ellis^ mentions that in one of the last of these events which
took place in Huahine, where he was a missionary, a man was shot dead in
the fray, although the barbarous customs connected with mourning were
done away with as Christianity was established in the land, the taihaa
joined in.
before the chiefs
’
EIHs, William,
Polynesian researches, lyondon, 1830.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
295
(weeping) and bringing présents to the bereaved ones bas continued to
more or less observed
by the native people. Floral offerings are now
superseding other gifts among those who are in contact with Europeans,
and condolences without présents are
widely becoming the custom. For
a royal death, the
people of the districts corne in as formerly and sing
their dirges to modem tunes, their chiefs and orators,
always éloquent,
delivering touching orations. The last great taihaa for a prince in Tahiti,
accompanied with présents, was in 1885 at the death of Ari’i-aue, eldest
son of Queen Pômare, when hundreds of men and women of the districts
of Faaa came in procession. They carried mats and cloth opened out and
attached one to the other overhead like an awning, and wailed and lamented
as they
passed through the town to the palace where the prince was
lying in State.
be
In the upper
classes, when the time for burial of the dead (hunara’a
tupapa’u) arrived, the body was wrapped in sweet-scented tapa, placed in a
cofïin hewn from the trunk of a tree, and secretly placed in a marae vault,
later being removed to a mountain cave by the family priest and a chosen
few.
(See p. 149.) People of low degree also made coffins or simply wrap¬
ped their dead in tapa, scented or otherwise, and then in a mat, placing
the corpse in a cave or burying it in their marae with or without a priest
officiating. Some of the bodies were interred in a sitting posture, three or
four feet deep, and at the présent time skeletons are occasionally unearthed
in that position. The skull of a parent or other revered relative was sometimes retained by the family, by whom it was cleaned, saturated with sweetscented oil, and aired many days in the sun.
Then after invoking to it,
the spirit of the departed one, it became enshrined among the household
fétiches.
The finger nails were plucked from corpses, polished, threaded
together, and worn in the hair by young girls as charms.
Embalming
The
embalming the dead in a simple way was still retained by
long removed from ancient civilization.® As an adept at this
Work, called a tapua miri, required great rémunération for his services, only
the wealthy could afford them. When the
obsequies were ended, the body
was placed upon a
portable altar about three feet high, which stood over a
small pit in the fare tupapaiu.
There the tapua miri drew out ail the
viscera through the anus, sucked out the brain
through the nostrils, and
buried them in a secret spot of the marae.
Then he let the body drain
into the pit through an opening in the altar heneath it, saturated the skin
with oil (sandalwood being preferred), and filled the
cavity to its natural
art
Tahitians
®
of
so
Atlas, Last
voyage
of Capt. Cook, pl. 26, London, 1784.,
296
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
size with tapa soaked in oil.
He rendered the limbs pliant by frequently
moving them, and by massage he toughened and detached the skin from
the flesh, which he squeezed from perforations under the joints and
dropped also into the pit. When this process was ended he placed in the
pit a small pillar representing the dead body and filled it up, saying as he
did so, “Bi ona ra ’oe” (Now remain thou there), as a respectful nianner
of disposing of the contents. After this process, the body was exposed to
the sun and turned over and on its sides frequently until well dried, when
it was placed in a house made for it and enclosed in a fence of reeds.
There it was adjusted in a sitting posture'upon a litter and was dressed
in choice tapa, with a cape over the shoulders and a turban upon the head,
and was covered closely with a sheet most of the time.
When the hair
chanced to fall ofï it was carefully placed back with gum.
family or a priest was always in charge of the
around which were draped cloth and mats (which Captain Cook
describes as having a pleasing effect), and the family daily brought it
flowers, food dry and crisp, and fresh fruit, from which it was supposed
to absorb the essence.
It was addressed as a living being. Though occasionally exposed to public view from outside of the place, none but the family
An elder member of the
mummy,
or
intimate friends
were
admitted inside.®
living when the missionaries came to Tahiti
Mahitua, who had preserved the body of the chief, Vehiatua; Otai,
who had embalmed Tau, wife of Temaru, a chief of Papara; and Maiaha,
The embalmers who
were
were:
Ariipaea, Prince Consort of the Queen of Huahine.
poisoning in conséquence of following this vocation somelives of tapua miri.
who had embalmed
Incurable blood
times ended the
Owing to
exposure to
the atmosphère and lack of
proper means
of
pré¬
servation, the Tahitian mummies moldered and decomposed after about
when they
places.
year,
were
laid in coffms and put
away
a
in their final resting
Captain Cook saw it and even he whom
onlÿ from without; but it was uncovered and drawn
found it well preserved, even having ail the finger
nails in good order.
He also saw the body of the chief, Vehiatua at Vai-te-piha in Tautira,
which was preserved and kept in a similar manner to that of Ti’i, uncle of Tu (Cook, James, A
voyage to the Pacific Islands, Tondon, 1784, p. 52).
®
Ti’i’s body had been embalmed four months when
the natives favored was allowed to behold it
out into the open air for him to view.
He
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
297
WARFARE’
INTRODUCTION
The
going to war were: the breaking of a treaty, which was
’0’oti-apito (cutting-the-cord), in doing which the perpetrators offered
human sacrifice to propitiate their god for treachery; the murder of a
person of one district who went to another, which was called rima-pa (laying-of-hands) ; a tuhi (curse) uttered by one king upon another; rébellion
of the people against a sovereign who was mean and oppressed them, and
whose family illtreated the children of their servants; feu or jeolousy of
one
kingdom towards another, and seeking self-aggrandisement. When
Tahiti was divided into many sovereignities, the high priests ambitions to
extend their dominions were frequently invading those of their neighbors.
In agitating war, the king or queen held council with the chiefs and
cther statesmen of the realm while the priests songht direction of the gods
in their usual way and diligently studied auguries.
If in starting ont to
seek omens, the priests met with dérision from a thoughtless group, it was
regardée! as a sign that defeat awaited the warriors, and that sufficed to
cause abandonment of the project.
If in seeking omens at night a priest
chanced to touch something soft and pleasant with his toes, he said that
the army would be victoriens; but if his whole foot went in he said that
the army would lose.
If his face got covered with a spider’s web in the
bushes he returned home feeling that he was not inspired and advised the
sovereign not to venture in the project. If he paddled out in a canoë at
night and a school of fishes jumped into his canoë, he said the enemy would
reasons
for
called
thus fall into their hands.
When at last the council met, the speakers sat in a central group, the
sovereign and counselors sitting in a row at one end facing them and the
chiefs and priests in a row to the right and to the left of the orators. The
lower end of the two lines remained open for ingress and egress; but no
one dared to cross the space between the sovereign and the orators, on
pain of death. Outside of this ofhcial assembly sat an audience of the
people, who had no voice in the meeting but felt a lively interest in what
the orators said and were generally greatly impressed with their éloquence
—the deliberations sometimes lasting over a day.
The sovereign introduced the subject, and the speakers took it up each
in his turn, with the greatest décorum, viewing the matter in ail its phases,
each chief
^
or
Received
war
stating how
in
1821
from
agitator of Mo’orea.
many men
Moo,
his district could muster.
priest of Porapora,
and
in
1840
Finally when
from Haapu-taata,
a
rauti
298
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
the
speakers had ended, the sovereigii’s word decided the matter. If he
day for action was fixed, all dispersed to make active
préparation, and the sovereign’s herald went forth with the royal ensign
to proclaim war to the
people. Provision was first made for the fare hua
(house of the helpless). In bringing in their forces, the greatest order
was
observed in regard to the position for their
encampments, called
puhapara a, and for their canoës when a fleet collected.
declared war, the
As in all countries,
warriors, called toa or aito, were very higlily
by these people as protectors of their land, the renowned ones
standing high among the princes of the realm. The reason for sparing
more boys than
girls at birth was that they might become useful in warfare (tama’i) as fighting men.
esteemed
WEAPONS
Their wooden
war
weapons were mostly made of aito (Casuarina),
formerly called toa (warrior), some of coconut and of toi
(Alphitonia sp.), very hard woods. The weapons were highly polished,
but not carved, as those of some other
groups, and consisted of :
The tao or long spear, about eighteen feet in
length, two inches in
diameter, and tapering to a fine point at one end.
which
was
The to’oto’o
(walking stick), used also
(See
as a spear.
p.
519.)
The ’omore parahurahu, a flat-bladed spear, more slender than the
tao,
being about twelve feet long, and an inch and a half in diameter. A slender
lozenge-shaped blade
a
was at one
end, the other
The 'omore ’o (pointed spear), of the
Sharp point at one end.
The hoto ihe
same
was
rounded.
dimension, but tapering to
maehae, a short spear with rugged fishbones set in one
end, which did deadly work, as it could not be extracted except by forcing
it through the wounded part and
drawing it out in the opposite direction.
or
The paeho or scythe of shark’s teeth, which was used to saw
up or
Another kind of paeho, resembling a sword with several
blades edged with shark’s teeth, was made out of a forked aito branch
sharpened at the tips. This was used in close combat, and if drawn across
disembowel the foe.
a
bare
body, terribly mutilated it.
The tiea
or
tiora,
a
four-cornered club attached
to
a
cord
was
most
dexterously used in hand-to-hand fighting, one opponent warding ofï the
other by fencing with it as with a sword; and it was thrown with
deadly
effect at the head of a foe a little way off, after which it was drawn baCk
again with the cord.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
299
Their other
implements of war were: The aero fai, or serrated backsting-ray fish, a most deadly weapon; the ma’a e te ofai (sling
and stone) ; the ofai taora, ofai hamu, or ofai pahi, throwing stones
used by a great number of warriors; the par au (pearl shell), highly
polished and whetted round the edge and attached to a wooden handle, used
to sever the head or eut up the body of a fallen foe.
Spears were not poisoned in the Society Islands as in the Marquesas
and other islands.
Warriors fought to the bitter end for life or death.
In times of peace, the weapons of a warrior were carefully tied up
against the sides of his house, giving it the appearance of an armory, and
were kept well polished and
sharpened.
Fortifications, called pa, were strongholds in the mountains, rendered
more secure by
walling and fencing in weak parts, and embankments upon
bone of the
ground, fonned of trees hewn down and piled over with sand and
Inside'the pa were buts for the men (warriors), in the rear of
which was also a camp for brave women, who aided the men by cooking
for them, dressing their wounds, and joining in the fight.
In secluded places were houses of safety called the fare hua (house of
the helpless), for old or disabled men and for women and children, places
which in war time were under the protection of a priest of the gods cricket.
No hostile party dared molest the fare hua during action, but afterwards
their sacredness no longer existed.
low
earth.
The warriors
land and
comprised the hui-toa (body of warriors),
(leaders), tahu’a ra’au (doctors), the
tahu’a-pure (chaplains), the ’iipo’o ’aha (sennit binders), 'priests who
bound up a fallen foe in sennit, haere pô (night sentinels), and the rau-ti
(Dracaena leaves), orators who dressed in ti leaves and stimulated the
warriors on to battle. They were headed by the ari’i or chiefs of the dis¬
tricts from whence they came who were often themselves the tarai-aro
(warriors).
The priests went to war dressed in their official garb. The tarai-aro
wore over an armor
{haana-tama’i) of closely braided coconut husk his
best clothes, girded round the waist with sennit, the arms bare, and around
the neck an élégant gorget of pearl shell mixed with varions colored
feathers and fringed with dog’s hair, upon his head he wore the towering black feathered fau (helmet) and upon his broad shoulder he
proudly carried the tao. The warriors next in grade wore their best clothes
the chief
or
on
whom
were
sea
the tarai-aro
without ai'mor, and the immense turban, which
penetrated to the skull of the wearer; and
they carried tiora and other spears according to their ranks. The slingers
and other stone throwers went simply in maro and light tiputa, or capes.
in the
same
manner,
with
or
the terrible ’omore sometimes
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
300
girded in at the waist, and light turbans.
Ail except the priests anointed
their heads with oil and decorated themselves with flowers.
using firearms the warriors
When first
clumsy in handling them and did
less destructive work than with the native weapons ; yet they highly
prized
the guns. They called them pupuhi (blower), from a false
conception of
their actions, supposing that the tire and smoke were blown through
by the
men using them.
This name is still retained, the cannon being called a
pupuhi-fenua (land-blower), the musket a pupuhi-roa (long-blower). The
natives hâve long since become very good marksmen with the gun ; but
they
hâve never adopted the use of the sword.
were
very
DRILLING
Standing upon an open field the
Toto’o i te tahua ia mata tahua roa.
Toto’o i te tahua ia mata tahua poto.
Tahi pae ia rupe-a-iiu’u.
Tahi pae i tai ia rupe-i-tai.
E ’ori tatavi e ha’a ta te va.
E mataitai ta pua i te fau.
E ’ori te heiva ia orea.
Na atua i uta e, a haere mai !
Na atua
Na atua
Na atua
A haere
i tai e, a haere mai !
i ni’a e a haere mai !
i raro e, a haere mai !
mai ei atua a’e i ta tatou
I te tia
raau.
Ei ha’api’i i teienei
E
E
E
E
I
i te
i te
tata
te
i te vai
ta
noaa
Then
o
Tu’.
(war).
’ura !
This club is red !
they would drill first with the club in six
(l) E ’ura teo; (2) e ’ura teni ;
(3) E ’ura teo; (4) e ’ura teni;
(s) E ’ura pitara; (6) e ’ura faau.
E fa’a’a, e hoa ia Tane
Atua O
riro
te
la
te
mau
mea
purotu,
hui ra’atira
Ei papa rahi,
Ei tahe vai pue i te ’ite;
Ei
ueue
Ei
manuu
la
la
vi
a
a
horo ;
poiri i vaho,
marama
i roto.
The
mountain-pigeon
was
movements.
(i) Exaltation red; (2)
(3) Exaltation red; (4)
(s) Raising red; (6)
Suit it, O friends, to
God of beauty,
That the people may
Become a great rock,
A fres'het in dexterity,
boastful red;
boastful red;
striking red.
Tane,
Become subduers,
Become fast runners ;
That darkness be [thrown]
That the light be let in.
They went through ail their drilling thoroughly
2
obtain his fish.
may
Long legs (slain men).
roroa.
e
March out upon the long course.
Mardi out upon the short course.
One side for mountain-pigeon” inland.
One side for mountain-pigeon coastwis'e.
Emotion will dance, the waves [peoplel
will work.
Fau flower will look on.
Drilling will be the lively game.
O gods inland, corne forth !
O gods coastwise, corne forth !
O gods above, corne forth !
O gods below, corne forth !
Corne as gods in our amusement,
To teach these pupils
The use of wood weapons'.
Rest in the lord,
Res't in the lord, Ta’aroa,
The user of the wood must strike,
Must strike the waters of stability
That he
i’a,
tana
E vaevae
Tana tiea
pipi
Fatu,
Fatu, Ta’aroa,
tapua ra’au,
moe
moe
mau
drilling master said :
on
land and
the shadow of the wild man’s ghost (p. 386).
sea.
out,
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
WAR
ON
301
LAND
Prëliminary War Ceremonies
About three
days before engaging in spear warfare the priests of the
either side commenced the ofifering of human sacrifices, at
which the king shared divine homage with the
gods.
royal
marae on
The first ceremony was called the matea
(awakener), to waken the
god for war and to secure his favor for their sides. His image was
brought ont by the tiri (god’s nurse) in its ark, which was placed, exposed
to view in front of the avaa, side
by side with a bundle containing the
king’s maro ’ura {’nra girdle). There they remained unopened, the image
being uncovered only within the avaa for the pa’i-atua and coronation cer¬
tutelar
emonies.
The
king took his place in front of the marae with the drummers behind
him, whereupon the priest deferentially laid a miro brandi and a banana
shoot at his feet and placing in his hands two ’ura amulets from the ark
with another he touched the king’s feet. Besides being offered to the
gods
as “man
long banana” the banana shoot was an emblem of deference to
the sovereign and of conciliation to antagonistic parties.
In a heated
quarrel if one man presented a banana shoot to the other, the latter calmed
down at once and they parted friends.
It was the olive brandi to tliese
people. Each priest also holding a sacred amulet in his hand commenced
invocations around the human sacrifice, enveloped at full length in a
coconut-leaf basket, and they placed upon it several more banana shoots to
represent more
nien.
this, aniid continued invocations, the banana shoots were set aside
was taken out of the basket and attached to a pôle, ready to be
renioved.
Sonie hair was plucked ofif the victini’s head, to be placed later
among the relies of the marae, and one of his eyes was taken out and
profifered upon a miro leaf by the high priest to the king, as his choice
portion of the gods’ food. This the king pretended to receive into lus
iiiouth, but left untouched as he returned one of the amulets to the high
After
body
and the
priest, who gracefully placed it upon the ark
the stones of the marae.^
the eye among
Then while the toere druni
as
unperceived he deposited
beaten
slowly, the victim was carried
by two priests, each bearing an end of the pôle upon his shoulder, and
placed upon the stone altar for human sacrifices before the ark on the
marae, the high priest standing by and chanting the matea (awakener) as
follows
was
;
A queen was not required to be présent at marae immolations.
Only for tlie
coronation ceremonies when the god was uncovered did she officiate in t'he marae.
^
pa’i-atua and
Bernice P.
302
Teie te
te
pae
mai
e
e
matea
a mata.
te atua
e
atu.
no
E
te
ara
mata
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
moe,
mai ’oe,
eiaha to mata
e
e
no
hi’o
fariu
Here
eyes,
thon
not
is
the
awakener
for awakening the
and look this way,
thy face elsewhere !
sieeping
Awake
O god, turn
for
eyes.
présentation, amid prolonged prayers, the victim, called an
(fish) was generally suspended by means of sennit passed through the
ears, upon a spreading tree for a day or two and then buried; but when
not fresh it was at once interred near the marae.
It was supposed that the
gods partook spiritually of it, while the man’s spirit was safe w'ith them.
After this
i’a
conclusion, the amulets were replaced in the ark, and the sacrificial
pua’a tapena—pig made sacred with marae sennit in its ear was ofifered.
As in the pa’i-atua ceremony the pig was strangled to death, cleaned over
fire, besmeared with its own blood from the opening made in the abdomen in
taki'ng out the intestines and vitals, and then placed upon one of the long
high altars of food. In the meanwhile, the flare, liver, and heart were
roasted on hot stones and placed upon a fata ’ai’ai (altar) of small eating,
in front of the shrine of the tutelar god, and the hair and intestines were
consumed by the fire.
In
priests whistled or called in shrill tones to the gods to corne
banquet laid out before them, the drums beat loud to announce that
the ceremonies were ended, and finally the priests chanted a leave-taking
Then the
to
the
gods. After retiring with the ark and the king’s maro to the fare(house-of-sacred goods), the priests changed their sacred clothes
ordinary ones and then went home.^
of the
ia-manaha
for
priests, who were unremitting in their sacred duties, were next
thought of. For their important and indispensable services the king and
chiefs put together in a great heap a présent of assorted goods—sometimes
including one or two canoës and upon it placed a bundle of ’ura feathers
and a miro branch, emblematic of the ta’amura’a-ra’a (binding together of
sacredness), which this présent was called. An éloquent speaker was
chosen from among them as spokesman, who presented the offering as
their conjoint gift in appréciation of the priests’ untiring dévotion day and
night to the common cause and at the same time urged them to use every
means to secure the favor of the gods and to bribe over to their side the
gods of the enemy. Also, large mats and sheets of brown and white tapa,
called the fairaro (under layer), which were too good to spread beneath the
heap, were spread around it. Lastly came the haameir (?) (fattener),
which consisted of a good number of fatted pigs, each bearing a spécial
name by which it was called when presented.
The
■*
Men and boys only, who usually came in a great throng, were
the distance ail the marae ceremonies save the pai-atua.
(See p. 289.)
permitted to witness in
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
303
The following day was performed the piire arïi (service of the sovereign), to bring victory to the forces. Early in the morning the priests
offered upon the great altar of food for the
gods a fine baked pig (pua’a
tapena), to
the tutelar
produce a sweet odor for the gods, and placed upon the marae
god in his ark and the maro, as on the previous day. Then
came the king, and after the
ceremonies, accompanied with a human sacri¬
fice, were again performed, the maro ’nra (’ura girdle) was taken out of
its bundle and spread upon the ground before the ark, while a
long prayer
for king and country was delivered.
Then the maro was carefully folded
and again wrapped up, and the amulets that the
king and priest had used,
as on the former
occasion, were replaced in the ark.
Meanwhile a sacred pig had been strangled and prepared in the same
way as the sacrificial pig of the day before; but in this case it was for
omens.
The body, red with blood smeared upon it was laid over the fire
several times ; stufifed tight with miro leaves, and
placed in a low crouching position upon the altar facing the ark; its intestines, still warm and
twitching, were laid upon the paving close by. Then, while the high priest
prayed for the success of the warriors, an adept from among the priests
scanned the pig. If its eyes were well closed or
partially open, if both eyes
looked alike or one eye was more open than the' other, if the head and one
eye had a tendency to turn from the land or towards the land (interpreted
to mean they were to
invade), and if the mouth was closed or showing the
teeth or tongue—ail these signs
conveyed spécial meanings to the adept.
So also with the intestines, which he next examined,
stirring them a little
with a stick as they twitched and settled down.
After this the roasted
vitals were placed with the pig for the gods, the intestines were
burned, and
the worshippers dispersed the same as on the previous occasions.'^
On the third or last day was ofifered the final human sacrifice before
going to war, figuratively called the liaea-mati (tearing of the Ficus
tinctoria), which compared the opening of hostilities to the tearing of the
fibers of a Ficus (which were made into cords for
fishing nets), and meantime that ail alliances between the two
contending parties were irreparably
severed.
Their messenger gods were invoked to go for Ra’a-maui‘-riri
(Sacredness-holding-anger) and his train of war gods and say, ‘‘Haere mai
i te ao e tamai tei te ao” (Corne to the world, there is war in the
world).
After the haea-mati oflrering followed the hau manava
(peace for the
inner man), which was a substantial feast of pork and fish with
very few
vegetables, to stay the appetite for two or three days. From this feast was
set apart a portion for the
gods, served in the same way as at the usual
feasts which was taken on to the gods’ va’a hoehoe
(cruising canoë) of
In his Works Captain Cook speaks of having seen both ceremonies
just described, calling the
latter fhe poore Eree.
(Cook describes these ceremonies in detail—see his Last voyage, London,
“
1784, vol.
2,
pp. 31-44,
and pl. 25.—Ed.)
Bernice P.
304
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
little marae in an awning
(braided coconut leaves), which always accompanied the expéditions on land and sea, as the gods were supposed to be
less disturbed there.
Upon this shrine was placed an amulet from the
image of the tutelar god of the royal marae, called the manu tahi (unique
bird) of that deity, who was supposed to possess it and to fly about in that
torm spiritually surrounded by the gods of war invoked to corne out
through the campaign.
On the va’a hoehoe
each district.
was
set up a
covered with sacred viriviri
Then the image of the tutelar god was hidden safely away to prevent
discovery by the enemy in case of the land being taken. As no religions
were performed at the marae at home during war time, so as not to
entice the gods to turn back and forsake the warriors, the image was not
needed. The victorious side was supposed to hâve given the highest bribe
to the gods.
rites
War
ment
or
on
was
land
called
black.
tama’i-tupa-uta (land-war), and a naval engage¬
tama’i-tupa-tai (sea fight). War banners were red, white,
called
was
At Batttë
expected, the priests went forth to the boundaries
dug little holes
merely prayed,
which was called maunu ( entrancing ), considering these acts potent means
of weakening the power of the enemy, who on their side were on the lookcut for disturbed-looking ground, guarding against such hui marei (hosts of
entangling démons).
When
an
invasion
was
of their frontiers where the enemy would enter, and there
in which they placed ’ura amulets as niariua (breakers), or
As two armies
approached each other
on
the battle-field, heralded with
trumpet and drum, they were sometimes led by allied sovereigns—a queen
now
and then thus
appearing—^walking
arm
in
arm
(pito)
as a
mark of
other times led by the chiefs of their respective districts,
each chief walking between four of his chief warriors, two on each side
and in pito with the two next to him.
Throughout the engagement, these
close union, and at
by the bravest and best of their men, who loyally protected them regardless of themselves. Brothers and friends, too,
stood side by side, averting for each other approaching spears or stones.
leaders
A
were
mighty
in war, in
surrounded
army
of gods
was
supposed to
accompany
and aid the armies
’Oro’s train goddesses, also led by his daughter, Toi-mata, to
198.)
opening hostilities it was customary for the opponents first to seat
themselves upon the ground, and viewing each other fan up animosity
whom
In
women
slain in battle
were
sometimes offered.
(See
p.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Then
a
famed
champion would walk out towards the rank of the opposite
boastful challenge to fight, often addressing one of their
by name, in the following manner :
side, chanting
number
305
a
E vana’a tama’i teie i ma’a
Na taua i te riri e Huri aau
A war challenge in this attained
For us two in anger, O Hunaau
Na taua i te onoono
I te iha, i te tote !
Taua ra e fa’aoti hia i
Teie heiva ’ino, e taraa’i.
A ta’i te toa,
A ta’i te nuanua i viro hia,
A ta’i i te a’e !
A vau teie, o Te-aho-roa,
No te hui toa tuiro’o vau nei.
For
(Upset reef).
us
(two) in persistence.
In vexation, in
Now we (two)
This bad play war.
Let the warrior weep,
Let the champion aimed at weep,
Weep for the slain
This is I, Te-aho-roa (Long-breath),
I
from
riors.
corne
a
alacrity the warrior challenged would spring
responding :
With
Pa’ipa’i i te rima ia huha,
A fava ei pua’a tote !
Auaa i ape au nei.i te rao!
E
Ei
Ei
E
I
fury !
shall accomplis'h
Clap the hands
race
of famous
and
up
upon
go
war-
forth,
the thighs.
Rush head first as a hog enraged !
I do not flinch at a fly this antagon-
istl
puahiohio te riri, e Te-aho-roa,
vavahi papa te riri,
oropua puai te riri,
A whirlwind is anger, O Te-aho-roa,
A rock breaker is anger,
A strong north wind is anger,
That blows away nonoha (gras's)
sheaths are clouds underrating the
ia pupu nonoha
taai hia te ata.
Homai i te toa o auta’ata
O te riri e te fatiai.
Ovau teie, O Huriaau toa hau
tau metua i ta ’oe.
E ’ore tau ’omore e mae ae ia ’oe.
enemy.
a’e
Give me the undaunted warrior
With rage and endurance.
This is I, Huriaau.
My father was
a greater warrior than yours.
You cannot lift my spear.
so they would continue
taunting each other until they came together
fought desperately with spear or club, each one stimulated by his
comrades, looking on but not interfering, for in a duel it was considered
And
and
dishonorable for others to interfère.
When
one
fell,
a
comrade would
quickly take his place, also chanting as he came, and so the fight went on
until new champions would arise and challenge each other and the two
armies become re or wholly involved.
The projected battle would rage
with ail the fury that men believing themselves and their weapons directed
by the gods could possess, the priests assuring those of their sides that they
would conc[uer.
The army was divided into the viri aro, front rank; the apoa viri
hotuoa, second rank; the tapono viri, the rear guards.
The chief modes of attack
advanced for action face to
or
were :
the fa’atia, in which two armies
face; the tu’umata, in which ail aimed one way;
3o6
Bernice P.
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
picked men United and forced their. way into thc
enemy’s ranks, to throw them into confusion and rout them ;
the aro nee, in which only a small portion of the army was open to view
and the greater part stooped low or crept along in the bushes ; the moohono
(jointless backbone), in which the different ranks held fast together; the
aro-ro (ant-fight), in which a line behind relieved the one before as it was
getting worsted by the enemy; the pu-toa, in which the army stood in a
body as a rock to resist the foe; the rapa-tahi, in which they aimed singly
at the chiefs.
Those who fled the fastest when worsted were regarded as
the
marua
in which
fiercest of the
I
the best warriors.
Indefatigable among the ranks-during the deadly conflict were the rauti
(stimulators), clad in ti-leaf petticoat, necktie, and turban, and waving in
the hand a bunch of ti leaves, in the center of which they held a deadly
weapon bf the barbed and serrated tail bone of the sting ray. These men,
who because of their weapons were supposed to be possessed with sùpernatural power, were of commanding appearance and dauntless aspect. They
also thrilled the warriors with courage and energy by their war songs,
examples of which we hâve from the rauti vétérans themselves :
E ari’i tel nia
O tapotu a
A fanoi te
auta’ata.
o
te ueue a
ra’i.
tere,
te
e
toa,
ha’apu i te tere,
E te toa, i ni’a ia Mou’a-raha
A
A Ta’aroa, tuhi mate
Auanei e huri ai
I te vero moana.
Auanei to
paepae, e
is a king above, who- is the'”*
speaker of armies;
There
nu’u,
!
tau ari’i,
E hi hee ai i te toto o te a’e.
Ei tao mato te nu’u,
E mo’o puapua tini tei roto ;
Ei ava afa te nu’u
E mao avai ava tei roto.
Horo i mua na te riri.
Te fetoitoi maira te au.
Taua e oua i roto
I te ripo o te au.
Auanei e potu mai ai
Te mata’i ia Raa-mau-riri,
e
te
The roller of the skies.
Set about your errand, O warriors, O
brave
men.
Accomplish your errand,
O warriors, upon the flat
mountain
battlefield
Of Ta’aroa, whose curse is death !
From the will send out
An océan storm battle.
Soon thy paving," O my king,
Will flow with the blood of the slain.
Let the army be as a cleft in the rock
Issuing out innumerable lizards ;
Let the army be an open passage
Within which is a furious shark.
Rush forwards enraged.
The current rage begins to s'well.
Let us leap into
The vortex of the current (beat
warfare).
of
Soon will burst forth
The wind waging war
E tiu ma te toa,
E parapu huri fenua.
of Raa-mau( Sacredness-holding-anger),
A descriptive South wind, •
Which ravages and dévastâtes coun-
E uira tutui ra’i,
E uira rapa ni’a.
Te tua o te uira
Lightning anger setting fire to the skies,
With lightning flashes above,
Upon the back of the lightning
riri
tries.
Recited in 1839 by Mahuta.
®Tlie pavings of the marae upon which would be placed the bodies of
buried close by as trophies to the gods, especially when the marae was ’Oro’s.
slain foes, to be
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
E
E
tei mûri,
vero
Will corne the storm battle.
An evil storm, an angry storm.
If the eye get pricked, relieve it;
If the breast get wounded, wear it ;
If a stone
strike you, bear it;
If the skin get eut, it is a proÿssional ornament ;
’ino,
e mata’i ho’i ri’a.
A puta na te mata, a iriti ;
A puta na te ’ouma, a ha’amahu;
A pee atu te ofai a ha’amahu ;
A motu na te ’iri, e tihi tau tana;
E
E
E
E
E
E
vero
’ava
’ava
’ava
’ava
’ava
’ava
ia
taure’are’a;
te
na
pua ; e ’ava
te aninia ;
re’a
These
matapoiri
te
mau,
E vahi iti
;
riri aitu
;
puta a’e ai te
e
E ta maa 'ai te niu i
E hopoi ia taua i te Po,
E fa’aea i raro i te tumu
gods
A little
ao,
o
E hora’a
A
mau
a
E
E
one
one
E one
E one
E one
Avari
I
T
I
I
I
te
te
te
te
BATTLE
(extension) to the land,
rock strata
(great
of
is fertile soil ;
that will produce seeds
sion ),
Soil that will be verdant
Soil
power),
(exten¬
(produce
slabs (increase of
priests),
Soil for pavings (for marae).
Soil that shifts (changes ruiers),
Soil inaugurated,
Land
was
inaugurated in Havai’i
pepee,
i
fenua
o te a’ere
a’ere ra’i, i te
a’ere miti, i te
a’ere mou’a,
a’ere ra’au, no
A tanu i te ti i te
Plavai’i
(Ra'iatea)
nu’u,
a’ere fenua,
a’ere vai,
In the présence
Space
Space
Space
Space
te fare toa.
aro
A tupu te ti, a ao te
A huaai te ti
o
te
Tumu ;
ti;
No te aro o te Tumu;
Ei pu’a te noho o te viri nu’u
Ei totara te haere.
Ei tui a i’a,
Ei reva a manu.
Ei ’uri nui fa’atuma
avae.
coconuts
Soil spread ont,
Soil for leaning
aro
te
on
War
;
paepae,
te
shall dine
men),
mahora,
tuturi,
a’enei
fvill
we
and
Spreading ont of land (population).
Take the spade (vrar weapon).
Dig the holes (drill the lines) ;
’o.
avari,
day (victory)
more
War is growth
rito,
one
the
;
Establishment
one.
E ’o a rua ;
E one tupu te tama’i
E one ao,
E
tama’i,
te
gay;
that make dizzy ;
that make faint ;
that obscure the eyes ;
indeed, the anger of
Take war to Hades,
And dwell beneath the coçonut tree".
te niu.
IN
E fa’atupura’a fenua
E tu tai a papa,
fizzing and
dawn,
When
opiates for the valiant;
are
Opiates
Opiates
Opiates
Opiates
Opiates
;
tuiaroha ;
te
307
e
of the space for waves,
for the skies, space for the land,
for sea, space for the river,
for mountains,
for trees for the house of war-
riors.
Plant the ti (war) in the presence of
the foundation ;
Let the ti grow, let it mature ;
Let the ti hâve increase (bring in
profit)
From the presence of the foundation;
Let the line of battle be as lines of
;
peepee
te
coral rock ;
Advance as the sea hedgehog.
Unité as a string of fish.
Or as a flock of birds.
Be as the great savage dog that
fleet of step.
is
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
3o8
Tamumu te taera’a ra’au
a
te
’aito ;
E rohi te auta’ata.
Ei aiata te rave a te rito ;
Ei mata piri i te rave ;
Auaa e hi’o i te taua.
A rohi, e nati poto roa hia !
Hoatu i vai poiri,
E mahuta i te ra’i piri,
I
rau
te
Let
the
together;
warrior’s
clash
weapons
Be courageous, brave men.
Let the warrior take hold unsparingly;
Let him take hold with closed eyes';
That he perceive not a friend.
Be brave and make short work !
Press into the dark waters (active en¬
gagement),
Fly into the close sky (conflict),
Let there be many battles,
Let it be a great battle of thousands,
Dread not the reserved forces of the
aro,
Ei aro rahi mata tini,
Eiaha e tata i te aratipi.
enemy.
-
A ui a’ena i te toa
Peneiae e auahi rau ’uru,
Enquire of the warriors
E marara tuaehaa,
E tipatipa haarotoa.
Flying fish appearing and disappearing,
Little frightened fish hiding in the
A tu’u ia haere a’ena !
E haere noa tu—
E haere ta’ata ’ino ia,
Let them départ !
It matters not if they go—
They will leave as' mean men.
Pale and spiritless,
Whom it -would be -wrong to feed
O -whelk and sea victims,
You are greater men than they
If there be not among
them
a
fire of
breadfruit leaves (hearts failing),
rock.
Ei uparu roru,
E hara te fa’a’ai !
E ariri ma fetue ma e,
E tau ta’ata rarahi a’e orua i tereira,
I to ’orua na valu !
!
places !
In your own
SoNG FROM RaIATLA AND TaHAA’’
Mahuta ia ahura tupu vana’a,
Mua vana’a, roto vana’a,
Tote vana’a, e heuea ’orere,
O tui ma te viea,
O pihae ma te vana’a !
Area a fa’ai tu au i tau vana’a.
Tau mahuta : ’Uporu,
O ’Uporu nei utu’afare ia no te atua,
Let fly the invocation in the chant,
O Havai’i nei
But
ra
Ei matua papa
Ei po fanaura’a no
le ho’a ie !
Na tamari’i
Vavau.
Na tamari’i nei,
nei, le !
le, e pipiri e fenua;
le, ie, e pipiri
E fenua hui a uta, hui
a
tai.
Mahuta i ni’a? A e!
Riu ?
A, e !
Na ui tua mea,
Na uparuroru,
E vauho ; ia ei tiao,
Ei fa’aora ; ei fatia no vero,
E a’era’a i tera ra mata’i rahi.
Ta morohi atu,
’
Recited in
1829 by Haapu-taata and Maoae.
Leading chant, middle chant.
Expansive chant, rousing chant,
To impel immediately,
Tear whilst speaking !
But I shall deliver my chant !
My invocation: ’Uporu (Taha’a),
As for ’Uporu it is the home of the
gods.
as for Flavai’i
(Ra’iatea)
It is strong rock
Of the night from 'whence
sprang
Vavau (Porapora).
Rouse up friends'! Ye sons here,
Ye sons here, rouse up !
Rouse up adhering to your land ;
Rouse up, rouse up, adhering
To your
■ward.
land peopled inland and coart-
Fly
up
O
génération
? Ah
yes
!
Simultaneouslv? Ah yes!
of
backs,
Be ready for action,
red
(sunburned)
troops to stand against,
To save, to break the storm (war),
To let the hurricane spend its'elf.
Be calmed dovrn.
Be
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
Ta tere ma te hinu.
E a’ere tu uta io tatou,
E vai pue ma te vai tahe,
Ua
tipu’upu’u te he i te
Putuputu mai te
'riiat
we sail as' on oil.
hâve depth inland,
Fresher and flowing water
We
ana.
toa te ’omore.
rau
Ora atua te fa’atotoro.
taravarava te
pea
a
A tahu i te auahi
A te vahiné metua
A tamaumau i te ahi
Tena te ruahine tie,
niu
a
ments).
Caterpillars (-warriors)
the cave (reserve).
As thick
And
mea.
cross
toa
leaves
are
coiled
spears
upon
up
the raging
the reJ
coco-
Keep alive (the fire of Mahui’e !*
Mahui’e.
There
is the old
off.
There is the old
woman
that carries
Tena te ruahine hau.
A hura tupu vana’a.
Tautini ra tau nei vana’a
I roto i te tare mahora.
E rohi e fa’aitoito,
E
’ore
e
fa’aherehere, ha’apohe,
ha’amou
E tahe te hou o taua tamaiti ari’i ra,
woman of peace.
Exult [ye] in the war chant.
Let my chant produce effect.
Within the field house [battle-field],
O taua tare ’aito ra.
I te ’omore nei
E tahe te roi mata o te ra’atira
Ei roi mata te haumanava.
A tu’u te rouru e te maiu’u
Ei fa’atauaroha i te a’e ra.
E maue i te ra’i piri e au taeae.
Of the warriors of that camp.
From these spears
Those gentlemen’s tears will flow.
Tears will be their méat.
Let them hâve hair and fingernails
As keepsakes from off their slain.
Te ra’atira ia roa’e mai.
in
their spears.
[men’s heads].
Kindle the fire [-war spirit]
Of the mother [land]
nuts
E pu’u te ’upo’o
ra.
strong, be energetic,
Spare not, annihilate. [Of the enemy]
Be
Sweat will flow from that prince,
Bumped will be the heads
Fly into the close sky [conflict]
brethren,
That
you
my
capture gentlemen.
Be not agitated
But bury fear.
The warmth of the warrior
Is to rush angrily, rush into
The raidi giving vitality.
Auaa e horuhoru,
E tanu ra i te matau.
Te fatia a te toa
Ei riri hea ei huru fa’ahee te rave,
Ei manava ra’a te rauti.
la tu’u te arero o tei aro mai.
Ai opupu te iri i te tahatai
Let the tongue of the enemy protrude,
Let their skin be scorched on the sea-
Ei puta tao i te ’uoma,
Atira te maro
I tena na heiva ’ino ai tama’i,
la hopu i te hau te taure ’are’a,
Ei roi no te ’ope’ope,
la turerua te tamari’i i tahatai.
Let the spear pierce their breast,
Let them no longer persist
In this bad play, fighting,
Let their valiant men sue for peace.
For a bed for their carcasses,
That their children may live tranquilly
When
sometimes
®
for
Mahui’e
war.
a
the seashore.”
battle had contintied for several consecutive
collapsed from exhaustion, in which
was
action,
side,
upon
to
as
are
(Reinforce¬
God ’Ora will direct [us],
We shall break out upon
sea
[host]
E puta i tai i mahoahoa,
E
309
the wife of Aoaomai'aia, who dîscovered fire by
case
they
days, the rauti
were
stealthily
friction, here figuratively referred
Many other songs of different style and wîth different figures of speech were collected
by Mr. Orsmond. Snatches of history, mythology, and geography are given in other parts of this
expressions and relations of famous deeds
®
Work.
There are also many more containing boastful
of ancestors, clans, and warriors which would be too
tedîous to read.
Bernice P.
310
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
removed at night to the fare hua so that the enemy might not
the misfortune or, still worse, obtain the sacred persons to slay
ci'ate
tliem.
At the fall of the first
warrior,
a
fiendish shoiit
rose
exult over
and dese-
froni the ranks of
their part to obtain him, dead or
considered a great disaster in his
camp and plunged the warriors into desperation, sometimes scattering them
in flight or causing them to sue for peace.
Meanwhile should the object
of this struggle fall into the hands of the enemy, he was delivered to the
upoo aha (sennit head) and the priest, "If still alive he was soon dispatched by the upoo aha, who drove a pin of aito wood into the crown of
his head and another through his ears.
To the upper was attached the
sennit, which was wound tightly around the head and secured with two
ends of the pin through the ears, until the features were completely hidden.
Then each member of the body was likwise bound and drawn together,
the knees against the chest and arms embracing them, the priests mean¬
while uttering over the body the following prayer, called the aha-tu (stability-sennit) :
the enemy and an attempt was made on
alive. If he was a chief or fau this was
E Tû
ma
Ta’aroa
e,
Ta’aroa nui
e
tuhi mate e, teie te ia na oe, o te i’a
O te
aitea no roto i te "Vai-o Tu.
Tû
with
your
curse
the
fish
Ta’aroa, O great Ta’aroa,
is death, here is
caught from the
fish,
Vai-o-Tu
your
("Water-of-Stability).
"Well it is, O gods, that you hâve
given this fish into our hands. There,
O gods, take it as a fish for yourselves, that ail his family be extirpated and not one be spared.
Maitai atura, e te atua, oe tu’u mai
i taua i’a nei i to matou rima. Na e te
atua, a mau, ia na ’oe, ia moopô roa
tona ra tu, te hoe e ’ore iti ia toe noa
iho.
As the
priest prayed he watched the appearance of the victim. If tears
moisture issued from his person, it was regarded
as a sure
sign that the gods invoked accepted favorably the offering and
pétition. A man thus bound was called an ’aha-ta’ata (man-sennit). It is
affirmed that if he hàd children they had no issue after this and that ail
his family soon became extinct under the curse, a survivor merely existing
flowed from his eyes or
as
one
doomed
soon
to
die and if he endeavored to assert himself
posed to taunts from his enemies
was
ex-
a remnant of the house of the
regarded as far-reaching, as it was
supposed to affect the man even when he was borne away by his own party,
provided that the invocation was ended before any woman could touch
him, as the gods accepted no sacrifice that went through féminine hands.
For this reason, a friendly woman of either camp often saved a body from
this dreaded end by rushing forward and biting his finger before the
priest and ’upo’o-’aha could get him; or in failing to get so near, if she
simply opened her mouth wide and closed it as though biting him, as she
’aha-ta’ata.
The ’aha-tu prayer was
as
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
311
him in the
distance, it was sufficient. For then he was regarded as
morally touched and was passed over to his camp, and the good woman
who interposed became a taiia (bosom
friend) of ail his family ever aftersaw
wards.
The
bound tip, or
’aha-ta’ata, was kept as a precious trophy by the
who dedicated him to their tutelar god and later on buried him in
the fare-ia-manaha of their national marae as Ta a Tû ma Ta’aroa i te
Vai-o-Tû (Tû and Ta’aora’s fish from the Vai-o-Tû, the
battlefield).
man
enemy,
When the first warrior to fall
was not a prominent man, miich con¬
If the enemy succeeded in
obtaining him,
beaten flat with the broad end of the stem of a coconut branch, a
tention followed for him also.
he
was
slit
large enough for a man’s head to pass through was made through the
body, and he was worn as a tiputa ta’ata (man poncho) by a triumphant
warrior, the head hanging down in front, and the legs dangling behind him,
and he tauntingly flaunted about before the foe, thus
greatly incensed, and
who did the same on their part as soon as
opportunity offered.
Cases were known when a fallen warrior, only wounded and disabled,
obtained mercy from his captor by asking to hâve his life
spared, especially
when he could plead a former kindness shown
by himself or some member
of his family to his captor or his captor’s family. In this case the
captor
claimed him as his rightful perquisite, dressed his wounds, and returned him
to his camp.
But ordinarily no mercy was shown, as the words of the war
songs imply.
With the ’omore they disemboweled each other; and they
used ail their weapons in the most cruel manner in hand-to-hand combat.
Until the end, bodies of the slain were placed in
heaps by both armies,
when the victors, called ’upo’o-tu^° (heads erect), laid daim to those of
the defeated.
The campaign sometimes lasted several
days, the warriors
retreating from each other into their encampments to rest and
regain strength for renewing the combat.
now
and then
When
chosen
army felt that it was losing, the priest and one or two
took valuable présents, called hiamoea
(forget not), as near
one
men
the camp
of the enemy as possible, and addressing their host of gods,
they supposed were forsaking them for that side, would lay the offerings upon the ground, enumerating each object and saying pathetically :
to
who
E te atua e eiaha e fa’arue ia matou,
eiaha e haere a !
Inaha, teie toa matou,
a mauei ta’ata na ’oe, e te nu’u atua e !
Sometimes
by the
10
tion.”
enemy,
O gods, fors'ake us not, go not away!
Behold, here we are also, take us to be
your servants, O host of gods !
they would find présents already spread out for their gods
and if they were more valuable than their own they would
Opo’o-ti’a, the modem form of ’upo’o-tu, is still used in
moral
sense
meaning “justifica¬
Bernice P.
312
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
dispirited, feeling that their gods were favoring the richer
propitiation was called tafara’a-mou’a (fall-from-themountains), the priests not having it in their power to ofïer human sacri¬
fices anywhere away from the marae.
Men of the most daring side lost
no time in rushing forward and seizing the présents, to which they added
some of their own that the gods might not notice ail they were taking.
return to camp
This form of
side.
suing for
In
peace,
sometimes from chivalric sentiments by one rival
party to the other, a man or woman, called a vea mahuta hau (messenger
flying for peace), was sent to the froutier of the enemy. In one hand was
manu-faite (bird-of-truce), which consisted of a bunch of red
one end of a reed, balanced with a small red flag at the other
end, and fixed across the tip of a staff to form the letter T ; in the other
hand was a sheet of tapa, white on one side and red on the other, called
an apaapia
(pledge-of-peace). If the enemy were not ready for peace,
they rent the manu-faite in two and cast it into the sea (if close by) thus
signifying a détermination to fight to the bitter end. This was doue without further mercy, fortune sometimes seeming to favor one side and then
the other, until the fate of one was sealed, the members of which ail
perished in the struggle, save the highest leaders and a chosen few taken as
prisoners for further requirements. After this the victorious party began
the work of extirpation, which was called the atoreraa te moa ufa (disembowling of the hen), depicted in the following words of the rauti:
carried
a
feathers at
Be strong.
Work with closed eyes (ignoring)
In the présence of friends ;
E rohi.
Ei piri mata te rave
I te aro o te taua nei ;
Tutonu maite,
Auaa
e
nevaneva
te
mata.
Ei fa’arua nui tairi pu te rave.
E vaere i te mapua,
E ’imi ia poti,
Auaa te ho’e o ’ore ia toe,
Atore i te moa ufa,
Eiaha e a’a ’ura’ura a’e ia toe.
E turi tahi maeta,
E pito maite ;
Ei haruru o te tai,
Ë tu’u i te rai i raro i te
Homai i te riri
O Ta’aroa tuhi mate !
avae,
Look steadfast,
Let not the eyes wander.
Be as the great blasting
Weed out the water mint
Seek for the red taro
men).
north wind.
(refugees),
(able-bodied
Let not one be left,
Disembowel the hen,
Let not a red root be left.
Be ail deaf (to entreaties'),
Go hand-in-hand ;
Be as the roaring seas,
And put the sky (chief) beneath }'our
feet.
Let us hâve the anger
Of Ta’aroa, whose curse is death !
plains to mountain recesses they went during the rest of
day slaying ail the fugitives they could find ; the fare-hua, under the
protection of the god Cricket, was then no longer respected. Hoary-headed
old men were struck down with the club, and their jawbones were torn
off and tied to strings by their slayers, who were proud to count them as
From lowland
the
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
313
their
trophies to présent at the marae. Women of ail âges were treated
with the greatest indignity and were
put to death by inserting roughly
hewn clubs through their bodies and
disemboweling them, after which,
with savage dérision, they were thus
exposed to view as wives and daughters of the vanquished foe.
Young lads and little girls were eut down with
the Scythe, and infants were seized from their
mothers, before whose eyes
their brains were dashed out against trees.
Or their heads were
pierced
through from ear to ear with the ’omore, then strung together on a cord as
a tui ia
(string of fish), and carried at one end of a pôle balancing jawbones and other trophies at the other end. If a man of
high standing was
slain too far out of the way to
carry him whole, for convenience a warrior
eut off the head and placed it in a neat little
poinT^ (coconut-leaf basket),
then took it with a himiiT^
(young unopened coconut sheath) to represent
the body decapitated, and laid it at the feet of the
sovereign, mentioning
the name of the victim as he did so.
It was cordially accepted and sent
as a choice
offering for the gods to the marae where the head remained
and became bleached among the stones.
Only those who escaped to some
other monarchy effectively eluded their
pursuers. This practice of snatching off the heads of the people of the opposite side during hostilities has
been the custom up to
For
modem times also in Samoa.
after Christianity was established it was not uncommon
people in the interior of Tahiti who had remained
there from fear of the warriors and
slayers for the tapu marae. On being
to
some
years
find detachments of
found and taken home
killed; others
were
them to return to
some
were
terror stricken
and
begged
défiant and fled from those who endeavored
their former habitations.
not to be
to
persuade,
The ’npo’o-tu (victors), to assert their
victory and favor with the
gods, laid waste the land of the conquered, which was then called fenua ai
hua raau (land of eaters of small
wood) ; they threw down the marae,
using the stones for ovens, killed the priests and ’opu nui, and robbed the
gods of their feathers and treasures. Then they pillaged and broke down
the houses and laid waste the land, bestrewn with-the bodies of the
slaughtered dead, to which the pigs and dogs had free
range. Early on the fol-
lowing morning they held a pure ta’ata (prayer for men) over the two
heaps of dead warriors for the repose of their soûls upon the battlefield,
where they were supposed to remain.
Then the victors took the prisoners of war into a canoë in
charge of
their keepers, put their own dead into a canoë to take home for burial
by
their awaiting relatives at their respective marae. They took others of
the enemy to serve as rollers for their sacred canoës and some to
bury
Poini is now called oini.
The modem form for hnniu is faniu.
Bernice P.
314
in their national
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
grounds, especially where ’Oro ruled as god, as he
supposed to delight in slain men. The)^ took the heads oi some to
place upon the marae and of others for occasional use as boundary marks,
such as the wall of heads from which the districts of Teahuupoo derived
its name.
(See p. 86.) Some skulls were saved to be used for drinking
cups at triumphal war feasts.
Bones from arms and legs were saved for
fishhooks and for ornaments for war weapons, as they were believed to
possess magical power.
marae
was
fugitives that they killed, the body of some priest or teacher
learning was chosen for the beginning of rejoicings at home,
which were called pine. The corpse was laid out nude upon the assembly
ground, amid a multitude of men, women, and children spectators. The
upper and lower parts of the limbs were broken, the feet wei'e tied together,
in the hands were attached bunches of bamboo leaves to luake a rustling
noise, and the arms were secured at full length to a stick pressed under the
back. A man then took a piece of coconut branch and beat the corpse on
the chest, making a resounding noise which pleased ail around, after which
ropes were attached to the feet, shoulders and head, and it was drawn up
on to a branch of a tree.
There it was swung into different positions and
raised up and down in time to a chant or the beat of a drum, men taking
turns to keep it in motion ail day long.
The exhibit which fascinated the
people, even causing some to forget to go home to eat, lasted from day to
day until the body dropped to pièces, when it was thrown into a hole and
Out of the
noted for his
buried.
On their part
the king and priests performed at the national marae in
multitude ceremonies called taumi-i-te-hau (giving-weightto-the-government). The warriors’ clothes worn in the combat they dedicated to Tutae-avae-toetoe (Father-cold-legs) and buried in the fare-iamanaha; the dead of the people were delivered to those who claimed them,
and those that belonged to the royal family were placed in the marae
vaults, ready for removal to final graves. Ail the bodies of the foe were
buried in one great pit, which was called tani-a-rua (stacked-in-pit), and
dedicated to the tutelar god as “Fish from, the water of Tû,” while the
priests prayed, “Tutava’e-i te po, o Ro’o nui te ro’oro’o hamai i te ao”
(Horror of war to Hades, and great Ro’o nuiM the famous, corne to the
World of light).
the presence
of
a
The tutelar
god in his ark and the royal feather girdle were next brought
placed upon the marae (as described on page 136), the king took
his place on the marae, and the priests took theirs, having with them a
branch of miro (Thespesia), indispensable for service, a sheath of coconut
out
and
Ro’onui, the famous,
was
god of light and
peace.
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
flowers
315
token of peace,
and a banana shoot as taata 0 meia roa (man
After returning thanks for victory and praying for per¬
manent peace, whereupon the coconut sheath and banana shoot were
presented, the king arose, put on bis royal girdle, and holding his toque in his
hand faced the people. Then the
priest shouted, “Maeva te Ari’i” (Hail
King), and the people responded in the same words three times. If an
ancient and modem marae happened to be together, as was sometimes the
case, this ceremony was performed on each of them, as its purpose was to
assert the king’s undisputed
right to ail his dominions from south to north
as
a
long banana).
and from east to west.
The religions rites ended by slaying among the
high prisoners of war
the most formidable and influential and
there were districts in the kingdom.
sovereign and placed
rible deed
of ail the
was
cutting him into as many pièces as
The head was presented to the
upon the national marae in the district where the hor¬
doue ; the other portions were distributed
among the chiefs
districts, who in their turn placed them upon their local marae,
proclaiming to their people that the mata-tui (commencement-section) or
tui-ta’ata (man-section) was distributed as a token of
peace!
After
deliberation, the remaining prisoners were either put to death or released,
some for good and others reserved for sacrifices.
Throughout the realm great rejoicings followed and within a few
days the people repaired to the capital with an abundance of food and valuable gifts of ail kinds.
Part of these were presented to the gods and
sovereign as a maioi, or acknowledgment of the message delivered, with
prayers that peace and prosperity niight reign throughout the land. Another
division, called ’opu fa’ata’a na te ari’i (stomach set apart by the sover¬
eign) was given to the tarai-aro (chief-warrior), in récognition of his
services in re-establishing peace and stability to the throne of the sovereign.
A third portion, consisting only of food and
plenty of ava drink,
was
kept for a national feast, called ’upo’o-fa’ata’a (consecrated-head,
of their sovereign), in commémoration of the great event; and for
days
the people reveled in eating, dancing, and amusements.
Affairs
involving the distribution of the newly acquired land between
sovereign and the chiefs and people followed the festivity and concluded the sanguinary event.
the
When a manu faite was offered by a losing party, then called vi
(pinched), and it was accepted by those who were gaining, the same
barbarities as just described were shown the surrendering warriors in
their camp; and if there were no more home forces to resist, their land
became tributary to the conquerors. Hence the unwillingness of a side to
submit and preference to retreat.
When fleeing from victors the losing
•
Bernice P.
3i6
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
the fati (break) only ending
they arrived safely among their people or at their inland pa (fortifi¬
cation) and mountain strongholds. There they were sometimes closed
in and reduced to great straits before the ferocity of the enemy calmed
down and they were left alone, but not before the victors committed ail
the déprédation on the beseiged territories that they could, if possible,
side rushed
wildly
on
foot
or
in
canoës,
when
desecrating
marae.
NAVAL BATTLE
was called tamai tupatai.
In preparing the fleet for
called tamaho, the saine religions rites were performed
for the army. After the auguries of the sacrificial pig were con-
War
war,
as
on
which
the
sea
was
priest launched a war canoë into deep water, taking with
opaa (matured coconuts). These he broke open, praying for
success as he did so, and if the upper side with the holes was bigger than
the other, it was supposed to indicate good chances of success in the
coming war ; but if the lower side was Ijigger, the chances of the enemy
were good.
If after placing the two parts in the sea with the cavities
turned upwards, the under side overbalanced itself while sinking and
sulted,
him
a
some
the upper one remained upright, it indicated that the enemy would
But if both remained in the same position either way while sinking,
lose.
there
would be an equal struggle between the two parties.
Then another opaa
was tested the same way and perhaps a third, until the priest was satisfied that he had arrived at
sovereign to give
tional warriors
a
a
sure
conclusion, when he returned to the
report of the signs.
were
If these were unpropitious addi-
mustered for the contest
until prospects became more
On the morning of the
favorable.
or
the
war was
postponed
departure of the fleet, the enchantment cere-
called the pare'-uru-va a or papai-pauru-va’a ( striking-to-enchantcanoe), was performed. With their colors—red, black, or white—flying,
they approached the shore and formed in line, which was called ’aharaa
va’a (making sennit of canoës). First came the god’s canoë, equipped as
for the army, with a priest presiding at the shrine of the gods.
Next
came the war canoës, which were sixty or ninety feet long, each having
from one side to the other of the double hulls, a platform upon which
the fighters stood, one or two rauti and a tarai-aro (commander).
The
tarai-aro directed the maneuvering of his men and was always a man of
quick perception and great expérience. Last came the canoës with the
mony,
provisions and other supplies.
Amid a great crowd upon the shore the sovereign delivered an oration
to the people of the fleet, stimulating them to go forth courageously and
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
317
conquer.
Then the pare-uru-va’a (enchanter), sometimes the king
hiniself, walked ont to the canoë, and beginning at one end of the line
he silently struck each one with his hand, his touch
supposedly being
charged with magnetism. After this a great shout arose from the
people on both sides, and in a flourishing manner the canoës paddled
off with trumpets sounding. Thus the ceremony ended.
to
When two fleets met for
war
within
a
reef of the
beseiged
or upon a
roadstead, they formed in a line facing each other, and in the same spirit
as that of
agitators of the army one or two canoës of the opposite sides
approached each other, vehemently gesticulating with taunts and boastings
until the warlike passions of ail the warriors were aroused and
they
plunged into battle. When the struggle was long they retreated to neutral
ground to recover strength, watching for the best opportunity to renew
the attack; and when courage began to fail them the warriors would
cry,
“Te atua
te vi nei matouT’
(Gods, we are jambed up), and the priest
reply for the gods, “A rohi, a rohi! teie au” (Take courage, take
courage, here am I).
a
would
During the night the people of the lands at war were obliged to
enemy’s fleet along their borders and conceal themselves
so as to avoid
being slyly massacred in their sleeping hours, a practice for
which the warriors of Porapora were noted.
watch for the
offering a manu faite a sacred canoë went forth, and while he
spoke it was held conspicuously by a man of influence. If rejected, the
warriors fastened their canoës end to end, tied their two contending lines
side by side, and completed the battle in terrible hand-to-hand fighting
resulting in great slaughter on both sides until one became victorious.
Then the canoës of the vanquished were seized by the enemy and taken
home with a remuant of warriors as prisoners of war, who were dealt
In
with in the
same
manner
as
those
on
land.
carefully kept and taken home for burial;
The slain of the victors
were
of those of the defeated
were cast into the sea for the sharks to eat, others
kept for the gods as
“Fish from the water of Tù.” Occasionally among the slain, men feigning
to be dead made their escape by swimming
cautiously away after being
many
thrown into the water.
The
early missionaries sometimes saw canoës of the defeated, almost
being towed by the conquerors to their shores.
divested of men,
suing for peace, the vea-mahuta-hau (messenger-flying-for-truce)
poetically said to mahuta i te vai pouri (fly to the dark water, or side
hostility). When the truce was acceptable, the party yielding sur-
In
was
of
rendered themselves to the
other, and ail went to décidé the
matter at
318
Bernice P. Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
the court of the conquerors,
shoot, which lie cast
as
each of the subdued chiefs carrying a banana
offering at the feet of the victorious
a
peace
sovereign.
The
réception of the truce bearers was held either in an assembly
in the open air, under a tree or on the seaside.
The two parties
were placed a few paces
apart, each headed by an orator holding a sprig
of miro in his hand and the sovereign presiding.
house
or
The
of those who had
negotiate peace had the privilège
speaking first, after which the orator of the other side responded, and
the meeting then being opened, there followed what was called titirira’a toa
(throwing of the rock) of the speakers of the court. It was a time of
great interest and general excitement to the immense audience that
gathered.
orator
corne to
of
As he
ended, each speaker with a flourish cast down a stone from a
was still for war, he spoke in the following manner: “Tera te
toa, e toa na ta hui toa, e toa no te tania’i e mou noa tu, ia atore hia te moa
ufa, ia huri taere hia te fenua” (There is the rock, the rock of the body of
warriors, the rock for war of extermination, for disemboweling the lien,
for overturning the country heel
uppermost). But if he was for peace
he said : “Tera te toa o hau, e toa na te hui
toa, e toa fa’aora i te ta’ata,
ia ruperupa te fenua, e ia maoro te aho o te ari’i i te
fa’aea raa mai i tana
hau i te fenua nei” (There is the rock for
peace, the rocks of the body
of the warriors, the rock for the
saving man, that the land niay flourish,
and that the sovereign may reign long and
peacefully on this earth).
sling.
If he
During ail the harangue, the sovereign
the end, as he or she arose to speak,
Word was eagerly caught and weighed
peace
the sovereign said
:
Tera te toa a te ari’i, te toa o hau,
ei hau mai te ’a’ano e te roa, mai te
hitia o te ra e te to’oa o te ra mai
te apatoa e te apatoerau : ei hau !
Te
tama’i,
iriti
ua
nei
ha’apae hia
te
ihe.
i te taupo’o
ha’ana tama’i. ua
Ua ha’amana hia
e tae noatu i tera
ari’i
te
matara
te
ari’i mai teie pae
pae.
Te taoa maitai e horoa ia tu nei
o te hau ; a tonoi te ’orero ia fa’aite i
te
hau.
Iriti i te tira o te va’a tama’i, haapae
atu i ni’a i te turu ; ha’apae i te ahu
tama’i, te ahu motumotu o te toa o te
moa i
te toto haia, tanu atu i roto i
te
te
toto
marae
na
haia,
tanu
atu
i
Tutae-avae-toetoe,
sat in silence listening, and at
the silence was breathless. Every
by the audience. If in favor of
roto
na
i
te
te ahu
There is
a
rock from the sovereign,
of peace, let there be peace
over length and
breadth, from east to
west, from south to north ; let there
be peace !
the
rock
The sovereign is putting ofï the war
the armor is loosened, the spear is
put aside.
The sovereign is respected
from one side to the other.
The treacap,
sure
is being given you here is
send forth the heralds to pro-
that
peace;
claim
peace.
Take
canoë,
down the masts of the war
draw them up onto their blocks ;
put away
the
war
clothes, the tattered
clothes of the warrior, rendered sacred
with the blood of the slain ; bury them
in the marae for Tutae-avae-toetoe [for
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
ari’i
i te
te ta’ata i te ahu api.
Ha’apae
ra’au toa, ei hau, ei hau maoro
pu’upii’u’ore, ia e tahatai i te tamari’i,
e
ia putuputu noa te ta’ata no te ra i
te omuhumuhu noa ra’a.
Fa’aea ma te
hau e te here.
la
e
atua
i te
atua_, ia tahu’a te tahu’a
te
la ari’i te ari’i e ia
ra’atira te ra’atira ei hau te nohora’a
te ta’ata i to ratou mau mataeina’a.
pure
marae.
O
la ho’i ana’e te mau tahu’a i ta ratou
ha’a ; ia taia te tahu’a tautai, e ia
ahune te fenua i te ma’a o te feia
mau
fa’a’apu.
te
Tuaru ia tutava’e i
afa
Fari’i’ i
tama’i
ei
te toa
This
a
te Po.
Tapoi i
tino ari’i te tapoi.
te Ari’i no te hau.
319
the gods of Hades].
Let the sovereign
put on royal clothes and the people
new
clothes.
Put the war weapons
away
and let there be
peace,
long
un-
broken peace, so that the children may
fill the shores and that there be a
dense mass of people ail talking together. Live on peace and love.
Let the gods be gods, and the priests
be priests in the marae, the chiefs be
chiefs, and the gentlemen be gentlemen,
dwellings of the
people in their districts.
that peace be in the
Let the artisans
ons
return
to
their vari¬
vocations'; let the fishermen fish,
and let the land be ripe -with the food
of the farmer.
Banish 'war -with ail its evils to
Hades.
Cover over the abyss of ■war '
let the chief be a covering stoue.
Receive from the soveregin the rock
of peace.
otherwise beautiful
speech contains one cruel clause : “Let a
covering stone,” meaning that he must be sacrificed as a
tm-ta’ata, as in cases 'without truce offering. (See pp. 317, 318.) But -wlien
both contending parties had become tired of 'war and 'wished to
compro¬
mise matters, no such cruelty -was required.
In either case, in concluding
peace, the sheet called the apaapia -was presented, first one by the side
that made the first advance and then
requited by the other side, -when
both sheets -were fastened together amid invocations that curses
might fall
upon those who dared to rend the alliance bet'ween them.
This was confirmed with a hei-pia (\vreath-of-pe.ace), which consisted of sacred maireor ti leaves furnished and interwoven
by both parties and an exchange of
a
couple of young dogs. Meanwhile the omen seekers took note of every
good and bad sign on the occasion.
After the religions ceremonies and tui-ta’ata followed the
public feschief be the
tivities,
in
the
aforementioned
establishment
of
peace, at which
kingdoms were represented.
The amusements ended with the hura danced by young girls, in
which a daughter of a slain chief or warrior would take up a wand and
verge out from the floor towards the slayer of her father, if he was
the
as
chiefs
and
the
people
of
both
allied
known, and touch him with it, after which he assumed the rôle of father
to
her in
most
place of the deceased, an adoption which
touching and sacred tie between them.
was
regarded
as
?
RESANCTIFICATION OF DESECRATED LAND
When
a
land had iDeen
temples profaned in
war,
trampled down by the enemy, the gods and
and peace proclaimed, and before the people of
Bernice P.
320
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
fare hua and other retreats were brought home, under the leadership
priests varions religions ceremonies, called raumatavehi (enveloping
in hallowedness), were performed to make the land habitable
again, so that
calamities and sickness might not befall the women and children and the
helpless in conséquence of desecration. Bodies that remained strewn abont
were carefnlly collected and bnried.
The national and local marae and
their appendages were set in order and pnrified with sea water and
prayers,
and the gods were restored to their places.
The water conrses that had
been broken away from irrigating ditches were tnrned on
again. Thi?
process was called pofatumatooneone er tapurehu, signifying pnrification
the
of the
of the land.
Then the
image of the tntelar god in its ark was bronght home and
the front of its marae, when a great branch of a sacred breadwas broken off
(not cnt) and présentée! upon the paving before
it, the priest saying:
laid npon
frnit tree
Teie te apaapa ’uru
e,
ia
ina
ruperupe
tipapa
nei
ruhiruhia,
tamari’i,
Eiaha
ia
e
ora
na
i
’oe
te
e
Here is a part of a breadfruit [tree]
for thee, O god; make fruitful the
land.
We are going to recall the dé¬
te atua
Te
fenua.
matou i te pu’e utaa ; te
te
vahiné, e te humaha
e fa’aho’i mai i te fenua nei.
mau i te riri i to fa’a’ai pua’a,
to
maru, e
te atua
pendent ones, the aged, and the women
children, to return home.
Hold
not anger against thy pig feeders (the
people) ; spare thy shadows (priests),
O god !
and
!
e
Then the priests turned round to
high priest said:
Teie
vahiné,
haere
tatou
’orero mai te vaha
te
ua
ra
noanoa
tatou e
pu’e fetii
This
heart
soon
was
e
fa’ahou
fa’aho’i
moe
noa
o
te
te ari’i
fenua,
mai
nei.
i
e
to
considered honor due
the
assembly of warriors, and the
Here is word from the mouth of
the queen ; the sWeet odor of the land
is restored, and now we must go and
bring back
our
families who
are
absent.
especially to the queen, whose tender
so they ail dispersed and
yearned towards the scattered people; and
brought home their families.
Then the
people performed what was called tapu-tahi (single-pledge),
restoring of their own family marae to their former
sanctity, also by purification as just described.
which
was
the
Finally, while a feast of public rejoicing was being prepared for the
happy occasion, another cruel religions solemnity, the turu-ari’i (prop of the
sovereign), was performed by the priests at the national marae to reestablish stability to the throne.
This ceremony required another human
sacrifice and was like the thanksgiving service and the
pureari’i combined,
great attention being paid to the augury of the intestines of the sacrificial pig.
During the raumatavehi ceremonies, varions other auguries
Henry—Ancient Tahiti
321
observed
by the wise, such as the appearance of the clouds, the cry
birds, and the Sound and direction of the wind. After the turuari'i, the land was supposed to be restored to its former state of purity.
were
of the
opening the festivity an abundance of food was presented to the
gods in the usual way, the people being assembled in the courtyard behind
and at the sides of the marae, the sovereign and priests in front.
Then
the priest chanted the raumataohi prayer:
In
E
te
atua
Teie,
te
e,
Ari’i,
teie matou !
O gods, here are we !
Here is the sovereign,
Here are the clans.
Corne to their land
To eat food.
Let there be no sickness,
Teie te va’a mataeina’a,
I haere mai i te fenua
E amu i te ma’a.
Eiaha ei mai,
la ora te hui ari’i,
la ora te hui toofa,
la ora te hui ra’atira,
la ora te va’a mataeina’à.
Ua fenua te fenua,
Ua marae te marae,
Ua atua te atua,
Ua ari’i te ari’i,
Ua maitai roa.
Te mai o te marae, ua ora.
Te mai o te fata, ua ora.
Te mahuruhuru.
Fano ei hau, ei hau rahi,
Ei hau hohonu,
Ei hau maoro,
Ei hau maitai roa !
After
leaving the
went to the
seashore
marae
to
Eet
Let
Let
Let
The
The
The
The
the
the
the
the
royal family live.
chieftains live,
gentlemen live,
clans live.
land is restored
as land,
temples are restored as' temples,
gods reign as gods,
sovereign is sovereign,
AU is superlatively well.
The sickness of the temples is healed,
The sickness of the altars is healed.
The sickness of the land is healed.
Extend forth peace, great peace,
Let it be deep peace,
Let it be long peace,
Let it be excellent peace !
and before commencing the festivities, ail
a unique ceremony, called the tu’ura’a va’a
perform
hara (sending off the canoë bearing away sins)—parallel to the
Jewish scapegoat—and its departure excited intense interest among ail
the people.
uta
The
well fitted out with mat
sails, flying pennants and a long
steering paddle attached firmly to the stern. It was manned with images
representing men, made of braided coconut leaves dressed in maro and
capes and with turbans upon their heads set over cloth masks for faces,
and holding paddles on each side alternately; an abundance of food was
placed around them and sonie présents for the gods of the océan. The
priests drew the canoë out to the edge of the shoal facing the open sea,
the high priest addressing the men in effigy suitably for the land they
represented. If from Te-pori-o-nu’u, he said;
canoë was
E hoe i
poto,
e
tae
tena
va’a
e
Hiti-tautau-atu,
roa
i
mairi mai Hiti-
Hiti-tautau-mai,
Tai-nui-atea.
E
ma
te
Paddle
this'
canoë
past
Hiti-poto
(Short-border), Hiti-tautau-atu (Borderreceding),
Hiti-tautau-mai
(Border-
Bernice P.
322
hara
ta’ata
te
a
te mahuru
te
o
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin 48
i Tai-nui-atea ; e ma
fenua i Tai-nui-atea.
A ui mai te aitu tu moana e ; “Nohea
va’a?” e tao e, “No Tahiti.”
“O hea
i Tahiti ?” “O Ta-pori-o-nu’u ; te mou’a
i ni’a, o Mahue ; te tahua i raro o
Vai-rota;
’outu
tai,
i
o
Pu-’o’oro;
Ahu-roa; te marae,
vai,
te
o
Tara-ho’i, fa’a ari’i
o
te
o
Tu-nui-a’e-i-te-atua.
E va’a uta hara—e huri atu i Moana-tai00.”
advancing), and onwards
Tai-nuisins of
the people will be cleansed in Tainui-atea, the pollution of the land will
be cleansed in Tai-nui-atea.
When the gods hover over the océan
and enquire,
“From whence is the
canoë?” say, “It is from Tahiti.” From
what place in Tahiti?” From Ta-porio-nu’u (Fatness of hosts) ; the moun¬
tain above is Mahue (Pushed-up) ; the
as'sembly ground is Vai-rota (Gathering-water) ; the river is Pu-’o’oro
(Gurgling-group) ; the point outside is
Ahu-roa
(Fong-wall) ; the marae is
Tara-ho’i (Thorn-returning) ; the king
there raised is Tu-nui-a’e-i-te-atua (Staatea
to
(Trackless-ocean). The
bility-greater-than-the-gods).
canoë
bearing
Moana-tai-oo
Then
setting the
sailed away:
canoë
e
na
hui tapairu.
Einaha
fa’ati’a,
la
na
ora
te fa’ataera’a o te aitu ! Tae
tae fa’amana e tae fa’aora !
na
to maru.
to
It is a
sins—cast it into
(Vortex-ocean).”
before the wind, thé high priest said
Naha te fa’atae o te aitu !
A tae
Tane a tae Ta’i-te-araara, a tae Te
Fatu a tae Rua-nuu, a tae Ta’aroa-nuitahi-tumu, te metua o te aitu ! A tae
o
’Oro ta haia, e te tamahine ra, o
To’i-mata,
away
pu’e ta’ata io nei, ia
ora
Behold
There
the
cornes
te-araara
cornes
cornes
there
as
it
arriving of the gods !
Tane, there cornes Ta’i-
(Low-cry-that-awakens) ; there
Te-fatu
Rua-nu’u
(The
lord)
;
there
(Source-of-Armies)
shadows
(priests) live.
Thus ended the ceremonies of the raumatavehi, and the
people entered
into their
pleasures with light hearts.
;
Ta’aroa-nui-tahi-tumu
(Great-unique-foundation), father of
the gods, there cornes' ’Oro, slayer of
men, and his daughter, To’i-mata (Axewith-eyes), with her waiting maids.
And behold the arrivai of the gods !
Arrived to accept, arrived to give
power, arrived to save.
May your people here live, may your
cornes
Henry—Ancient Tahîti
323
TERMINOLOGY AND MANNER OF RECKONING
INTRODUCTION
The Tahitian methods of reckoning time and
space
the end of the
were
recorded at
eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries.
The extent of the knowledge of Tahitians of numbers, time and seasons, and of geographical relation of places at a period when the
people
had little need of mental exertion and when
they had no written form
of keeping records hâve
surprised early foreign observers, and seem to
point back with certainty to an âge and a race far advanced in civilization.
NUMBERS
Numbers^
high as the ‘iu, or million, and the knowledge of
by the pastime of counting, of which the Tahitians
were very fond.
For this amusement two or three players took small
sticks, generally the rib of the coconut leaf, and broke them into short
lengths. After placing them in a central heap, the players would take
them off one by one, mentioning the number as
they reached the tens, the
hundreds, and the thousands, respectively, each of which was represented
by a spécial length of stick; and the aim was to try to reach the million
them
was
went
as
maintained
first.
There
forms of
counting : first, with the prefix a, signifying that
just completed; second, with the prefix e, signifying that the
has already been completed, or will be. For
example :
are two
the number is
number
A hia
A piti
ta’ata,
ta’ata,
a
a
hia ’tura ta’ata?
piti atura ta’ata.
How niany persons' are there now?
There
are
now
two
persons.
and.
E
E
E
E
hia ta’ata i tae mai?
How
piti ta’ata i tae mai.
hia ta’ata
piti ta’ata
e
e
many
Two persons
haere mai?
persons
came.
came?
How many persons are coming?
Two persons are coming.
haere mai.
Several of the old words expressing numbers hâve been changed for
ones, some of which hâve been taken from the English.
new
In the
following list the words printed in italics
but still extant in
some
other
groups^.
are
obsolète in Tahiti
^Numbers were given by King Pômare II in 1818; the appropriation of the higher numbers
and the four fundamental rules pf arithmetic in the Tahitian language were
taught by the I^nglish missionaries.
Records of the System of money and the weights and measures came from
varions sources.
2
In Ellis, Fornander, and others, the numerals are to be found intact, or with sliglit dévia¬
tions in some dialects, throughout Polynesia and westward, even to
Madagascar.
Bernice P.
324
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Bishop Muséum—Bulletin
tahi, ho’e.
piti, a rua.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
toru.
maha.
rima.
hitu.
va’u,
hà.
a
pae, a
ono, a
fene.
’ahuru,
ahuru, ho’e tini.
A tahi
ma-ho’e.
A tahi
rua.
A tahi
Eight.
a varu.
iva.
tahi
A tahi
ma-ha.
A tahi
rima.
A tahi
fene.
tinif
ho’e
Nine.
Ten.
tahi
tini-
Eleven.
tahi tini-ma-
Twelve.
tahi-tim-ma-
Thirteen.
tahi
a
ahuru-ma-ho’e,
’ahuru-ma-piti,
a
a
’ahuru-ma-toru,
toru.
a
’ahuru-ma-maha,
a
tahi
Fourteen.
tini-
’ahuru-ma-pae,
a
tahi tini-ma-
Fifteen.
’ahuru-ma-ono,
a
tahi tini-ma-
Sixteen.
A tahi ’ahuru-ma-hitu, a tahi tinima-hitu.
A tahi ’ahuru-ma-va’u, a tahi tini-ma-
Seventeen.
Eighteen.
varu.
A tahi
’ahuru-ma-iva,
iva.
Ail the units
are
a
tahi tmi-ma-
United with the
Nineteen.
following
A piti ’ahuru, a rua tini.
A piti ’ahuru ma ho’e.
A toru ’ahuru, a toru tini.
A maha ’ahuru, a hâ tini.
A pae ’ahuru, a rima tini.
A ono ’ahuru, a fene tini.
A hitu ’ahuru, a hitu tini.
A va’u ’ahuru, a varu tini.
A iva ’ahuru, a iva tini.
A tahi hanere, a tahi
rau, ho’e hanere,
ho’e rau.
A tahi hanere-ma-ho’e, a tahi rau-
ma-ho’e,
ho’e
ro!
Fait partie de Ancient Tahiti