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Planting.
The planting usually commenced about October and extended more or less up to Christmas, according to the variation of the season, the state of the weather, the locality, and the condition of the soil. Various natural signs and portents assisted in determining the proper time for the work. Thus, when the kumarahou (Pomaderris elliptica), a small shrub with a sage-like leaf and yellow tufted blossom, which had been in bud all the winter, suddenly shot out into flower it was known that the season was approaching; and when a “mackerel sky”† showed an exact picture of a kumara-plot extending across the heavens the Maoris knew that the atua were busy at their planting above, and that they themselves ought to be doing the same below. As a matter of fact, the celestial phenomenon, portending as it does, according to the English farmer's proverb, a state of weather which is “neither wet nor dry,” indicates an atmospheric condition exactly suited for starting the young plants.
Up to the time when the planting commenced everything was noa, or “common,” but once the seed began to be handled until the crop was harvested the whole thing became tapu, or consecrated, including the ground, the plants, and even the workers so long as they were engaged in the cultivation. The tapu was invoked by the tohunga (priest) or the kaumatua (head chief), the two offices being often combined in the one person, by the performance of a karakia or religious service consisting of certain symbolical actions, accompanied by the chanting of an address to the atua (ancestral deity), its object being to ward off evil influences in the shape of injurious weather, insect pests, decay, &c., to protect the cultivation from intrusion, and generally to secure the blessing of heaven on the growing crop. Any breach of the tapu was a crime against the atua, and was punishable with death; and until it was removed by a second karakia by the tohunga it was unlawful for any “common” person to enter the plantation or even approach too closely to it under any circumstance what-ever.
[Footnote] † Ranqi kotingotingo, literally “spotted sky.”
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While agreeing in essentials, there appears to have been great variety in the details of these karakias, especially in the invocations, every tohunga of standing having his own particular form of words, some of which were handed down from immemorial antiquity. Many of the ceremonies were very expressive, among which was one that used to be performed on the Island of Mokoia, in Lake Rotorua. It was described to me by Miss M. Bedggood, of Waimate North, who heard of it from some of the old natives living on the spot. On the day before the planting, when the seed kumaras were to be consecrated, the tohunga brought a small quantity in a basket made of dry raupo, shaped like a canoe, and presented it to the matua atua (ancestral god), of whom a little stone image stood in a wooden shrine on the island. Then, after the waiata (song) had been chanted, the vessel was set adrift on the lake, and was supposed to find its way to Hawaiki, whence the image was said to have been brought, and which was still the abode of the god.* By being thus made a sharer in the plantation it was believed that the atua would be reminded of the wants of his children and take the crop under his protection. A somewhat similar ceremony is related by Dr. Shortland in his “Maori Mythology” (p. 56).
It was considered absolutely essential that the planting of the entire plot, however large, should be completed in a single day, and in order to accomplish this a plan was often adopted similar to that of the Canadian “working-bee.” In a large hapu, or division of a tribe living together, every principal man would have one or more plots of his own, and when one of these was to be planted his neighbours would come to assist at the work.
The business commenced with the consecration of the seed, which was done on the day previous to the planting, the seed consisting of the tubers which were too small to be eaten. If these were not sufficient, they were supplemented by the heads — the end containing the eyes — of the larger ones broken off for the purpose.
Early in the morning the workers, men and women, assembled. They were all of the rangatira class, no slave of either sex being allowed on the ground. After partaking of a plentiful meal provided by the owner they were made tapu, and henceforth they could eat no food until the work was completed, when the tapu was taken off. This, of course, had the effect of stimulating their exertions.
[Footnote] * Possibly this image may be identical with the matua tonga in the Grey collection, Auckland, which is stated to have come to New Zealand in the canoe “Arawa,” and of which the later history does not appear to be known.
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When all was ready several of the leading women of the hapu, taking each a basket of the seed, threw it right and left over the ground as they walked up and down chanting a waiata, the actual planting being done by the rest of the party. The sets were placed one in each hill, about 2 in. or 3 in. below the surface, with the head slightly raised and pointing towards the north, the approximate meridian being marked by conspicuous hilltops or other natural objects. It was believed that the sun, rising in summer in the south-east and passing round by the north to the south-west, had the effect of producing tubers on both sides of the plant.
As the business drew near completion the kaumatua, or head chief, chanted a long piece, partly as a stimulus to the workers and partly as a signal to the slaves to get ready the evening meal; and when the party left the field they were relieved of the tapu by a further ceremony conducted by the tohunga.
The tapu, however, remained on the plantation during the whole period of growth, during which, as before stated, it was unlawful for any one not under tapu to enter it, while even a tapu person was obliged to use the greatest circumspection. It was unlawful to enter the cultivation either from the south, the east, or the west. The south was the worst of all, as a person coming from that quarter might bring in the cold cutting wind that was so injurious to the kumara, while on the east or west the wairua (shadow) cast by the sun might spoil the crop. From the north, however, a person, if properly tapu, might enter, as it was thence that the warm breezes came that gave health and vigour to the plants.