CHAPTER VII. MISCELLANEOUS MYTHS. A BACHELOR GOD IN SEARCH OF A WIFE. AMONGST the thirteen principal gods of Mangaia which at the establishment of Christianity were surrendered to the missionaries were four bearing the name of Tane. They were simply pieces of iron-wood carved roughly into the human shape, once well wrapped up in numerous folds of the finest native cloth. Of these four Tanes three-Tane Ngakiau, Tane-i-te-ata, and Tane Kió-were considered to be inferior to the first, who was usually called Tane, sometimes, however, Tane Papa-kai, i.e. Tane-pilerup-of-food. In order of rank Tane came after Rongo and Motoro, the chief deities of Mangaia. Tane was said to be the fifth son of Vatea, born in Avaiki, or nether-world. The following is the extravagant myth of Tane's exploits when in search of a wife. At Ukupolu there lived a woman named Tekura-i-Tanoa, i.e. The-ruddy-one of Tanoa, possessed of uncommon attractions. 1 Tane = husband, or the generative principle in nature. Tane is equivalent toy. Innumerable modifications of this dance-loving god were worshipped throughout eastern Polynesia. But she had one sad defect,—her right foot was afflicted with elephantiasis. The chief Ako was violently in love with her; but the fair one disdained his advances, saying, "If it had been Tane, she would have thought favourably of the proposition." Now Ako was a great friend of Tane's; so that he at once paddled off to Avaiki to fetch Tane, who cheerfully consented to accompany him. The two friends started for Ukupolu, each in his own canoe. A day or two after their arrival Ako confessed to Tane the real motive of getting him to pay a visit to Ukupolu, and earnestly entreated his assistance in winning The-ruddy-one of Tanoa. Tane good-humouredly promised his aid. Ako had two sisters, to whom he applied for two garlands for the neck, of sweet-scented flowers—one for himself and one for his friend, against their projected visit to the inexorable beauty. The sisters were to arrange it so that the fragrant garland intended for Ako should have numerous sprigs of myrtle intermixed with the flowers; whilst Tane's should be spoiled by the admixture of offensively smelling leaves. When tastefully arranged, these garlands were carefully enclosed in a thin white layer of the banana stalk, according to the invariable custom of the olden times. A mark was set upon the outside, so as to prevent mistake. Now Tane was a god, and was not to be deceived in this way. Accordingly, when these friends, now become at heart rivals in love, were both arrayed in their best garments, and their hair glistening with sweet-scented oil, Tane took out the fragrant garland of flowers and put it on. Ako, to his dismay, perceived that his crafty friend had by some means got possession of the best garland: being thus outwitted, he declined to put on his own, lest Tane should twit him with his ill-faith. Off these rivals started to the dwelling of The-ruddy-one of Tanoa. Tane first entered, bearing in his hands a gift consisting of several highlyscented garments; the rich perfume filled the house. Ako now made his appearance. Each pleaded his suit with great earnestness, for Tane was at first sight smitten with the charms of the fair girl. But the capricious Tekura-i-Tanoa accepted the advances of Ako, and Tane retired in disgust. He resolved to return at once to Avaiki. With this purpose in view he walked to the sandy beach to launch his canoe and start for his home; but upon examination found a large hole in its bottom made by his treacherous friend Ako. Tane sat down and loudly bewailed his misfortunes in these words : Kua viivii e! Kua vavaiia ra taû vaka e Ako I tua o Avaiki. Ringiringiia toku nei roimata Unhappy me! My canoe has been destroyed by Ako. How shall I return to Avaiki ? I will rain down my tears. Tane fell musing what he had best do. Upon looking up he now for the first time noticed a gigantic bua tree (beslaria laurifolia) spreading forth its noble branches. In a trice Tane got up the trunk of this tree and clambered to the extremity of one of the longest branches. Tane gave the far-stretching limb on which he sat a mighty jerk, and thus swung himself fairly into another land, Enuakura, i.e. The-land-of-red-parrot-feathers. After walking about this newly discovered land, he came upon an old woman named Kui-the-Blind, who was busy cooking yams on a fire. In all she had ten yams cooking; at her side were ten calabashes of After awhile the old blind woman took a yam off the fire and scraped it clean with a cockle shell. She then devoured the entire yam, washing it down with a calabash of water. But Kuithe-Blind did not know that the moment she took up a yam, Tane helped himself too, and at the same time emptied a calabash of water. water. The old woman had no sooner finished her first yam and her first calabash of water, than she carefully counted the remainder with her fingers, when to her amazement she found a yam and a calabash missing. She angrily exclaimed, "What thief has come here? Had I my sight I would devour him." Having thus vented her indignation, she ate another yam and drank another calabash of water; Tane helping himself in silence as before. Again the old woman counted the remaining yams and calabashes with her fingers, and found that only six of each remained. Once more she gave vent to her anger against the unknown thief. Tane uttered not a word to reveal his presence. In this way the ten yams and ten calabashes of water disappeared. Each time Kui-the-Blind missed a yam and a calabash of water her anger grew hotter. At last her meal, but half the usual quantum, was finished, and she resolved upon immediate vengeance. Accordingly, she rose and entering her house felt in the accustomed place for her great-fish-hook, which she had never yet used in vain. Whilst adjusting the long line she slowly chanted this ominous couplet : Oi au ka rave, ka rave i te tautai a Kui matapo. Aā poiri i te ika a te tupuna e! Ara tatia Here am I about to fish. It is the angling of Kui-the-Blind. The old woman must have her fish (i.e. human victim). Here goes for it! As she uttered these last words she violently swung round the dreadful sharp-pointed fish-hook. Tane, prepared for this, held in his hand a banana stump to catch the hook, which he retained for a second, deluding Kui into the belief that she had caught the struggling thief. The malicious old creature pulled vigorously at the line, hoping to get a victim to eat, when she grasped a mise rable banana-stalk. Chafing with indignation at her failure, she disengaged the stump and again whirled the hook, uttering the same words. This time a low bush, bearing edible red berries, was used by Tane to tease the old woman. Kui pulled away at her hook with great satisfaction, but found only a bush. Her anger now knew no bounds, having never before missed her victim. A third time she threw her hook, using the old formula. This time Tane allowed himself to be caught. Kui was delighted that she had at last secured the thief. She grabbed him tightly whilst demanding his name. He calmly said, "I am Tane." Kui instantly forgot her anger, and exclaimed, "Why, you are my own grandson Tane! Stay with me." Some time afterwards Tane, again feeling very thirsty, asked his old grandmother for some water to drink. Kui-the-Blind said, "There is no water in this country, save in the nuts of yonder tall cocoa-nut tree. But you had better not attempt to climb it, or you will surely die. You will be slain by my children, the guardians of the tree, viz. the lizard, the centipede, the beetle, and the mantis." Tane resolved to climb the tree, whose top seemed to reach the sky. Kui said to the fearless Tane as he began to ascend, "Do not injure my children who live in this tree." This solitary cocoa-nut tree, the property of the blind grandmother, was remarkable for the wonderful profusion of fruit on it, and for a great accumulation of dry branches underneath the green limbs. In these withered branches were hidden the fairy guardians of the fruit, excepting the mantis, who kept watch on the under side of the green leaves. Their duty was to see that no one stole any of the fruit. At the sight of the intruder Tane climbing up the tree, a large lizard advanced boldly from its hiding-place to drive him away. Tane caught the lizard, tore it in two, and threw |