CHAPTER VI. MAKUTU (WITCHCRAFT).
[Image of page 25]
CHAPTER VI.
MAKUTU (WITCHCRAFT).
ANOTHER danger to which Maori flesh is heir to is that of witchcraft, for in this a man has not only his own acts to guard against, but also those of his relations, for the wizard might be so deeply affronted as to curse the whole family for the act of one individual. If a man had either deliberately or unintentionally affronted another learned in the black art, his death was certain, unless the offender could procure the services of another, equally learned, to counteract the spells of the former. The first act of a makutu man who intended mischief was to procure a lock of hair, the paring of a finger nail, or even some of his victim's clothing. If this could be accomplished his power as a wizard was intensified, and the bewitched would surely die. Whole families have died by the mere knowledge that they had been cursed. Poharama's children at Taranaki died one after the other, even to the baby at the breast, after a curse. A really great makutu man like Te Uhi, of Ngatipukeko, was held in great dread, and his life was very precarious, for all men's hands were against him, and if it had not been for the influence of his relatives, he would have been put out of the way long before.
Within the last fifteen years upwards of twenty Maoris have been destroyed under the supposition that they had compassed the death of others by witchcraft. A most remarkable instance occurred about two years since among the Uriweras. An old Maori who had a great reputation for makutu lived with his sons near Waikari Moana. One of his sons had occasion to go to some distant village, and left his wife and child with his grandfather, who was known to be very much attached to his grandson. On the husband's return he found his wife crying, and learned on inquiry that soon after he had set out on his
[Image of page 26]
journey the grandfather took sole charge of the child, and when the mother objected, threatened her with the power of his makutu. She further informed her husband that the old man had taken the child with him that morning, and was then digging potatoes in an adjacent plantation. The husband at once had a consultation with his brother, and they decided to put an end to the state of fear in which they had lived so long. Accordingly the husband armed himself with gun and tomahawk, and crawled up to the plantation, where, keeping carefully under cover, he saw the old Maori working, and the child sitting on a mat close to him with evident contentment. This sight might have touched the heart of many, but not of a Maori half mad with fear of bewitchment, and smarting under the loss of his child. So the son acted under the circumstances as any other brave Maori would, and stalking his father, as a dangerous enemy, shot him dead; then seizing the child, fled for his life, lest in dying the old man should recognise his murderer, and curse him. Let no one suppose that this deed of horror met with reprobation from the tribe. No, it was quite clear to them that the son was the only man entitled by Maori Tikanga to do the deed, and having behaved with perfect propriety in consulting his brother, the tribe looked upon the whole affair as painful, but patriotic and necessary. The kaanga, or curse, whether intentional or otherwise, was also a most serious cause of war, and a thing to be specially avoided, not only as dangerous to the speaker himself, but as a probable cause of destruction to his tribe. In the Ika a maui it is related that a young Maori seeing a chief at work, and the perspiration running down his cheeks, said, thoughtlessly, that the vapour rose from his head like steam from an oven. This remark was considered by the tribe as a most horrible curse, for to mention a chief's head in any way was bad enough, but to liken a sacred head to an oven in which food was cooking, made the whole tribe literally shudder; the effect being that the speaker's whole tribe was actually destroyed in revenge for the curse. In like manner the Ngatihine tribe of Patea, while cutting down a pine tree with stone axes for the purpose of building
[Image of page 27]
a canoe, found it a very difficult job. They tied ropes to the branches, and the tribe tugged and tugged in vain, until a chief, losing his temper, said, "This tree is as tough as the head of Turoa" (the great chief of Wanganui). The remark was overheard by a boy of the Wanganui tribe, who happened to be living amongst the Ngatihine. Luckily for him he at the moment made no sign, but biding his time, escaped during the night and fled to Wanganui, but not unpursued, for the Pakakohi tribe, knowing the danger such a speech placed them in, had kept a half watch on the boy, but they failed in overtaking him, and from that moment made the best of their time in summoning their friends, the Ngatiruanui and Taranaki, to their assistance. One thousand men soon mustered at Te Puia Pa, inland of Patea, and there awaited the onset of Wanganui, who, 350 strong only, under Te Mawae and Tahana Turoa, attacked them one morning at early dawn and defeated them, with the loss of 100 men. The introduction of Christianity shortly after put an end to this feud, which might otherwise have been prolonged to this day.
