Page:Maori Religion and Mythology.djvu/37

This page has been validated.
CH. ii.
AND MYTHOLOGY.
23

and the woman understood, and her heart was dark, and she gave herself up to mourning, and fled away to Rikiriki, and to Naonao, to Rekoreko, to Waewae-te-Po, and to Po.[1] The woman fled away, hanging down her head. [2]Then she took the name of Hine-nui-te-Po (=great woman of Night). Her farewell words to Tane were—"Remain, O Tane, to pull up our offspring to Day; while I go below to drag down our offspring to Night."[3]

Tane sorrowed for his daughter-wife, and cherished his daughter Hinetitamauri; and when she grew up he gave her to Tiki to be his wife, and their first-born child was Tiki-te-pou-mua.[4]

The following narrative is a continuation of the history of Hinenuitepo from another source:—

After Hinenuitepo fled away to her ancestors in the realms of Night, she gave birth to Te Po-uriuri (=The Dark one), and to Te Po-tangotango (=The very dark), and afterwards to Pare-koritawa, who married Tawaki, one of the race of Rangi. Hence the proverb when the sky is seen covered with small clouds "Parekoritawa is tilling her garden." When Tawaki climbed to Heaven with Parekoritawa, he repeated this karakia:

Ascend, O Tawaki, by the narrow path,
By which the path of Rangi was followed;
The path of Tu-kai-te-uru.
  1. These were all ancestors of the race of Powers of Night.
  2. He oti, ka rere te wahine: ka anga ko te pane ki raro, tuwhera tonu nga kuwha, hamama tonu te puapua.
  3. "Heikona, e Tane, hei kukume ake ia taua hua ki te Ao; kia haere au ki raro hei kukume iho i a taua hua ki te Po."
  4. Vid. Genealogical Table.