CEREMONIES FOR THE DEAD.
When a man dies his body is placed in a sitting posture, and is bound to a stake to keep it in a good position. It is seated with its face towards the sun as it rises from its cave. Then every one comes near to lament. The women in front, the men behind them. Their clothes are girded about their loins. In their hands they hold green leaves and boughs, then the song called keka commences thus:—
| Tohunga | chants | It is not a man, |
| All | „ | { It is Rangi now consigned to earth, { Alas! my friend. |
| Tohunga | „ | My evil omen, |
| All | „ | { The lightning glancing on the mountain peak { Te Waharoa doomed to death. |
After the keka, the uhunga or lament commences. The clothes in which the corpse should be dressed are the kahuwaero, the huru, the topuni, and the tatata. The lament ended, presents are spread to view, greenstone ornaments, and other offerings for the dead chief. A carved chest, ornamented with feathers, is also made, and a carved canoe, a small one resembling a large canoe, which is painted with kokowai (=red-ochre); also a stick bent at the top is set up by the way-side, in order that persons passing by may see it, and know that a chief has died. This is called a hara. The carved chest is called a whare-rangi. The corpse only is buried, the clothes are placed in the carved chest which is preserved by the family and descendants as a sacred relic.
[pg 44] On the morning following the burial, some men go to kill a small bird of the swamps called kokata, and to pluck up some reeds of wiwi. They return and come near the grave. The tohunga then asks “Whence come you?” The men reply, “From the seeking, from the searching.” The tohunga again asks “Ah! what have you got? ah! what have you gained?” Thereon the men throw on the ground the kotata and the wiwi. Then the tohunga selects a stalk of toetoe or rarauhe, and places it near the grave in a direction pointing towards Hawaiki to be a pathway for the spirit, that it may go in the straight path to those who died before him. This is named a [Tiri], and is also placed near where he died, in order that his spirit may return as an Atua for his living relations. The person to whom this Atua appears is called the [kaupapa] or waka-atua. Whenever the spirit appears to the [kaupapa] the men of the family assemble to hear its words. Hear the karakia of the [kaupapa] to prevail on the spirit to climb the path of the [Tiri].
This is your path, the path of Tawaki;
By it he climbed up to Rangi,
By it he mounted to your many,
To your Thousands;
By it you approached,
By it you clung,
By it your spirit arrived safely
To your ancestors.
I now am here sighing,
Lamenting for your departed spirit.
Come, come to me in form of a moth,
Come to me your [kaupapa],
Whom you loved,
For whom you lamented.
Here is the [Tiri] for you,
[pg 45]
The [Tiri] of your ancestors,
Of your [Wananga],
Of me this [Tauira].