CHAPTER V. NOTED TOAS, OR GREAT MAORI FIGHTING MEN.
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CHAPTER V.
NOTED TOAS, OR GREAT MAORI FIGHTING MEN.
NEXT of importance to the chiefs, and in some cases of even greater importance, were the Toas, or great fighting men. Happy the tribe who could boast of one or two well-recognised toas, for their mana was great, and the superstitious Maori was ever ready to acknowledge the supernatural attributes. The success of a toa in battle was attributed not so much to his natural courage and skill as to the influence he had with his particular deity. Thus they feared not only the man, but the god he was supposed to propitiate by his secret incantations. The same mana, or supernatural power, was also believed to belong to certain weapons used by a toa, some of them being reported to have powers beyond those of human beings. This was the case with Te Heuheu's beautiful mere, which Maoris aver hid itself, and, when wanted, appeared at his call. It is also said that this mere can render itself invisible to an enemy. The taiaha of the great toa Hinatoka, who lived several generations ago, is still preserved by his tribe, Ngatiporou. This weapon, in the hands of Hinatoka, destroyed the ancient tribe of Te Wahine Iti, and secured to Ngatiporou all the lands lying between Waiapu and Tuparoa. A gap is still seen in the taiaha, caused by the skull of some unusually hard-headed Maori of that period. The possession of this weapon is not a source of unmixed gratification to the Ngatiporou, inasmuch as it is thickly covered by the strongest tapu, and woe to the man who in eating should pass over it, for death, speedy and certain, would be his reward. Its powers in the way of prophetic augury are said to be great. In the hands of those capable of performing the proper incantations the result of a battle could
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easily be ascertained beforehand. The usual method adopted was to lay the taiaha upon the ground before the war party, while the chief priest performed the usual karakia: then, if the gods were propitious, the taiaha would turn itself slowly over before the eyes of the assembled tribe and to the utter confusion of the enemy. The lapse of so many generations has rendered it slightly doubtful whether the taiaha, or Te Hinatoka, deserves the greatest amount of credit for the deeds of valour displayed, but there can be no doubt that the chief was a mighty toa and a most truculent man of war. Tradition describes him as usually leading his war party half a mile in advance, so as to encourage the enemy to an attack, all the time dancing his weapon up and down in a jaunty, affectionate manner, very inviting to those who did not know the man. After a time he became better known than trusted, and was often heard reviling the cowardice of those men who preferred to save their lives by running him off his legs.
Another really great toa of later days was the warrior Rauparaha, of Ngatitama. After a life of daring deeds against Waikato, he and ten men had a desperate encounter with over one hundred Waikato men, of whom he killed twenty, and would probably have killed the whole had he not attempted to carry off one of the men he had struck down, for the man had been only stunned, and seizing Rauparaha by the hair, he dragged his head back until he was almost strangled, and to free himself Rauparaha fell on his enemy, but before he could regain his feet he was surrounded and killed. It is said that as he lay dead his spine was so arched that no portion of his backbone touched the ground, a peculiarity of all great toas, and which immediately confirmed the Waikatos in their belief that they had killed the famous Rauparaha.
It would be impossible to name all the great toas, but Turingitoto, of Taranaki, who was killed in single combat by Puawato, of Ngaruahine, and Pomua, of the Wanganui tribe, may be mentioned as good examples of the race. The latter was famous for extreme coolness in danger. It is related on one occasion, while engaged in some private matters, his pa was attacked by a very strong war party, and his people called
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to him, "Pomua, Pomua, the pa will be taken." His reply has passed into a proverb, "Waiho kei patu taua i roto a ka patu taua i waho" (Let us kill within and then we will kill without). In other words, "Let me finish the matter I have in hand and I will attend to the enemy without," which he did by beating them thoroughly
