twin-god. The division was made on this principle: all the RED on earth or in the ocean became Tangaroa's; the rest, i.e. the great bulk, was Rongo's. Thus of the numerous varieties of taro, only one-a reddish sort (kakā kura) was Tangaroa's; the rest being sacred to Rongo. Amongst the multitudinous varieties of meikas,"1 only the plantain was the property of Tangaroa's, on account of the redness and uprightness of its fruit. The very name, "the upright-fruit" (uatu), testifying to the dignity of the eldest of the gods. Bananas of all sorts belonged to Rongo. The plantain, being the kokira, or head, of the great "meika” family, does not bend its head; just as Tangaroa is the kokira, or the first in the family of the gods. Of three kinds of chestnuts, but one, the red-leafed, is sacred to Tangaroa. Of the two sorts of the indigenous yam, the red is Tangaroa's. Of the double variety of cocoa-nuts, one belongs to Tangaroa. All bread-fruit was sacred to Rongo. In regard to the wealth of the ocean, Rongo was decidedly the gainer. But four sorts of fish-all scarlet, besides lobsters, fell to Tangaroa. The silvery, striped, spotted, and black were all Rongo's. Thus Rongo became very rich; Tangaroa comparatively poor. The twin gods made a grand feast, each collecting only his own food, to which Vātea and Papa were invited. Tangaroa made one great pile of red taro, yams, chestnuts, cocoa-nuts; the top garnished with red land-crabs and all the red fish he could find in the sea, etc. Rongo's pile was immensely greater. The treasures of earth and ocean were there. The parents declared that Tangaroa carried the palm for beauty; whilst Rongo excelled in abundance. The term "meika" includes bananas and plantains. Upon the same principle all fair-haired children (rauru keu) in after ages were considered to be Tangaroa's (the god himself had sandy hair); whilst the dark-haired, which form the great majority, are Rongo's. Now Rongo's hair was raven black, Now as became E atua po, or God-whose-home-is-the-shades. and then a stray child might be claimed for Tangaroa, whose home is in the sky, i.e. far beyond the horizon; the majority of his fair-haired children live with the fair-haired god in distant lands. Very few natives have light hair, a colour greatly disliked amongst themselves, but in their view suitable to foreigners. To this day a golden-haired child is invariably addressed in playful allusion to this myth, as "the fair-haired progeny of Tangaroa." Hence, in the ancient legend about Tarauri, the prince of reedthrowers, this famous son of Tangaroa is represented as being, with his brother, fair-haired. Hence, when Cook discovered Mangaia, the men of that day were greatly surprised at the fair hair and skin of their visitors, and at once concluded that these were some of the long-lost fair children of Tangaroa ! It was but natural that Tangaroa should be displeased at the preference always shown to his brother Rongo. He therefore collected a vast quantity of red food of all kinds, and set out on a voyage in search of some other land, where he could reign alone. He made a long journey, and touched at many islands, scattering everywhere the blessings of food piled up for the purpose in his canoe. Finally, he settled down on his beloved islands, Rarotonga and Aitutaki, leaving Auau, or, as it was afterwards designated, Mangaia, in the quiet possession of Rongo The Resounder. = In winter tree-fruits disappear; whereas taro, bananas, etc., are in season all the year round. The reason for this is, that the former belong to Tangaroa, who merely permits his gifts to be seen and tasted here in the land of Rongo on their way (in winter) to realms where he reigns undisturbed. On this account these fruits were not regarded as private property, but as belonging to all the inhabitants of the district in which they grew. Ro(ng)o or O Rō was the chief object of worship at Tahiti and most of the Leeward Islands. His seat was the marae,1 or sacred grove, at Opoa, on the island of Raiatea; whence this worship extended to all the neighbouring islands, and throughout the Paumotu Group. Human sacrifices were continually offered to the great Polynesian god of war, to obtain success in their cruel enterprises.2 1 These maraes were planted with callophylla inophylla, etc., etc., which, untouched by the hand of man from generation to generation, threw a sacred gloom over the mysteries of idol-worship. The trees were accounted sacred, not for their own sake, but on account of the place where they grew. 2 At Atiu Te-rongo, as a son of Tangaroa. the Rongo, the Rongo of Mangaia, was represented At Raiata Oro was in like manner regarded as a At Samoa Longo is represented as the son of was When Captain Cook visited the Sandwich Islands, he was regarded as the incarnation of Rongo, or, in their dialect, Orono, or Rono, and accordingly received divine honours. An ancient prophecy asserted that Rongo, or Rono, who had gone to Tahiti, would return to Hawaii in a canoe of a remarkable shape. This seemed realized in the visits of Captain Cook with his two wonderful vessels from Tahiti. The great navigator counted forty-nine skulls on the marae of Oro at Tahiti, and witnessed the placing of the fiftieth. When he himself received divine honours at the Sandwich Islands, he was not aware that it as the blood-stained Rongo, whose home was supposed to be in these southern islands, and at whose shrine those fifty reeking heads had been offered during a single generation. On Mangaia it was Tangaroa that was expatriated, without hope of return; Rongo was regarded as being in possession,' although resident in the shades. His marae is called O-Rongo, and was first set up on the eastern side of the island, but was ultimately removed to the west, where the great navigator held communication with these islanders. It is singular that the "Voyages" do not allude to his great stone image, the secondary representation of Rongo, which must have been visible from the boat of the Resolution. Reference is made to the residence of the shore king, the guardian of the great national idol. The principal god of Rimatara was Rono or Rongo, to whom human sacrifices were offered. The wife of Rongo was Tākā, who bare a daughter named Tavake. In the course of time Tavake grew up and gave birth 1 The word is often used as equivalent to "deadly hate:" "Kua noo Rongo i roto " "Rongo (i.e. deadly hate) fills his heart ;" in allusion to his being the author of bloodshed and war. = successively to Rangi, to Mokoiro, and to Akatauira—all illegitimate. Rongo wished his three grandsons, who were also his sons,' to live with him in Auau, in the shades. But Rangi was resolved to pull up this land Auau, afterwards called Mangaia, from Avaiki. This was a most arduous task; but, with the assistance of his brothers, the brave Rangi succeeded in dragging up the little island to the light of day. Rangi, Mokoiro, and Akatauira took up their permanent abode in this upper world. Thus the three brothers were the first inhabitants of Mangaia, and in the course of years gave rise to the original tribes which peopled this island. Three small rocks, united at the base, close to the marae of Rongo and the altar for human sacrifice, are pointed out as symbolizing the threefold lords of the soil. Rongo continued to live in Avaiki, in the invisible or nether Auau, of which this island was asserted to be but the outward expression! 2 He directed Rangi to offer bleeding sacrifices on 1 That these children of Tavake were Rongo's is attested by the wellknown couplet :— Tai anau kakaoa Na Rongo paa ïa tama e ! The three royal bastards, 2 The Hervey Group consists of seven inhabited islets. Each is supposed to be the body, or outward form, to which a spirit, bearing a distinct name, .located in Avaiki, belongs. |