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Ahi Whakaene.
This was a rite by which many different spells of magic were performed in the good old days. It is said to have been a sacred fire kindled by a priest, and over which the ka-mahunu and other rites were performed.
A rite is performed at the ahi whakaene whereby the personality (ahua) or the hau (intellectual and spiritual force) of man is destroyed, when the body of such man must perish. When the priest kindles the sacred fire he repeats the following charm, known as hika ahi (fire-generating):—
Hika atu ra taku ahi, Tu ma tere
Tonga tere ki te umu toko i-a-i—e
Tere tonu nga rakau
Tere tonu ki te umu—e.
Another rite performed at the ahi whakaene is that known as whakautuutu. To encounter the moko kakariki, or green lizard, or the moko tapiri was an evil omen. The person seeing one in his path would at once know that it had been sent by an enemy to destroy him and possibly his clan also. Such an occurrence is termed a “kotipu.” The first thing to do in such a case is to kill the reptile and get a woman to step over it, in order to avert the omen. This is called a “ripa” or “‘whiti.” The people then collect to perform the whakautuutu rite. The priest kindles the ahi whakaene, and the reptile is cut into pieces, which are thrown into the fire. As each piece is thrown in the name of a tribe, or sub-tribe, or noted magician is mentioned: “So-and-so shall eat you”—mentioning all people whom it is thought likely
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might have sent the ill-omened reptile. Also a charm known as “hirihiri” is repeated, in order to banish the threatened disaster to other parts. Then the people will pull out some of the hair of their heads and cast it into the fire, and all expectorate upon the dead lizard. Thus will the evil omen recoil upon he or they who sent it. Kaitoa!
I tahuna mai ahau ki te ahi whakaene
Ki mate te wairua.—Old Song.
The hirihiri is repeated by a person when he believes that some one is directing, or may shortly direct, spells of magic against him. Also, a priest will recite a hirihiri over a sick person, in order to discover who is “meddling” with him—that is to say, what magician is bewitching him. The following is an example:—
Kotahi koe ki reira
Kotahi kia Te Reretautau (name of a priest or magician)
Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga ariki
Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga mātāmua
Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga wananga
Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi ki nga tapu
Kotahi koe ki reira, kotahi kia Te Haraki.
In the particular case from which I take the above, when the patient heard the name of Te Haraki (a wizard) pronounced his life departed in a last sigh (puhanga manawa = the last expelling of breath by a dying person). Thus it was known that the worker of magic, Te Haraki, had been the cause of his death. Had the illness of the sick person been caused by that violation of tapu known as “Kai-ra-mua” (the eating of food set apart for the first-born, matamua, of a high-born family, a most intensely tapu individual), then he would have expired (ka puha ake te manawa) at the word mātāmua; and so on with the other terms.
Be clear, the offender would be afflicted in this manner during times of peace. But if he ate of the food of a mātāmua in time of war, then he would be afflicted by Tu-mata-rehurehu of dread memory; of a verity the afflictions of the pahunu, hinapo, and parahuhu would descend upon him. His strength would wane, his sight wax dim, no enemy would he slay or catch, the fear which springs from sin committed would be upon him. All of which troubles are inflicted by the gods.