Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1875. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... A SHORT SKETCH OF THE MAORI RACES, By EDWARD SHORTLAND. Written for the New Zealand Exhibition, 18C5. The traditions of the New Zcalanders date back to times long anterior to the first arrival of their ancestors in these islands . According to these traditions, Po, or Darkness, was the origin of all things; and in the course of successive generations, through different orders of Po, Kore, or Nothingness, was arrived at. Then, through different orders of Kore, came at last Ao, or Light. After successive generations of Ao came Rangi, the Sky. From Rangi and his wife Papa, the Earth, are descended man, beasts, birds, trees, and all things hero on earth. There is a very circumstantial tradition preserved by a few of the initiated of the Ngatiraukawa tribe, which relates how the first female of the human form was formed out of the earth at a place named Onekura (red earth). How the female so formed gave birth, first, to an egg from which came all sorts of birds; how, secondly, a female was born from the same parents, from which female and her own father was produced a daughter, who became the mother of the human race, Tiki being the father, which gave rise to the proverb, "Aitanga-a-Tiki," used to signify a person well born. Then we meet with a variety of traditions respecting certain heroes or demigods, who lived in very remote ages, long before the migration to New Zealand, which, however, give evidence that the people to whom they relate were then islanders, for whenever any expedition is about to set out, it is always related first how the canoes were repaired and equipped for sea. The great fact observable from a consideration of the traditions to which I am now referring is, that the people had no idea of a fnipreme Being, the Creator of all ihings in hea...