Polynesian Mythology · The Legend of Hatupatu and His Brothers (2/2)

But they said to him, “Pooh! pooh! Come now, you be off home again. What can you do? The only thing you are fit to destroy is food.” He, the young man, said no more, but at once left his brothers, and on the same night he sought out a rough thicket as his resting place; and when he saw how convenient for his purpose was the place he had selected, he turned to and began to tie together in bundles the roots of the creeping plants, and of the bushes, and dressed them up with the cloaks he had with him; and when he had finished, the war band of these figures, which the young man had made, looked just like a band of real warriors. The day had hardly dawned, when the inhabitants of the place they had come to attack saw their enemies, and sent off messengers to tell the warriors, on this side and that side, that they should come and fight with them against the common enemy.

In the meantime, all the warriors of the columns of Hatupatu’s, brothers were exhorting their men, and encouraging them by warlike speeches; first one chief stood up to speak, and then another, and when they had all ended, Hatupatu himself got up, to encourage his mock party. He had been sitting down, and as he gracefully arose, it was beautiful to see his plumes and ornaments of feathers fluttering in the breeze; the long hair of the young man was tied up in four knots, or clubs, in each of which was stuck a bunch of feathers; you would have thought he had just come from the gannet island of Kārewa (in the Bay of Plenty), where birds’ feathers abound; and when he had done speaking to one party of his column, he unloosened his hair, leaving but one clump of it over the centre of his forehead, and now he wore a cloak of red feathers; then he made another speech, encouraging his men to be brave; then after sitting down again, he ran to the rear, and took all the feathers and knots from his hair, and he this time wore a cloak of flax with a broidered border; again he addressed his men, and this being finished, he was seen again in the centre of the body, standing up to speak, naked, and stripped for the fight. Once more he appeared at the head of the column; this time he had the hair at the back of his head tied up in a knot and ornamented with feathers; he wore a cloak made of the skins of dogs, and the long wooden war axe was the weapon he had in his hands. Having concluded this speech, he appeared again in a different place, with his hair tied in five bunches, each ornamented with feathers, whilst a large rough dog-skin formed his cloak; and the weapon in his hand was a mere22 made of white whalebone: thus he ended his speeches to his party. When the people of the place he had come to attack saw how numerous were the chiefs in the column of Hatupatu, and what clothes and weapons they had, they dreaded his division much more than those of his brothers.

His brothers’ divisions had many warriors in them, although the number of chiefs was only equal in number to the divisions: thus there were three divisions, and also three chiefs; whilst, although Hatupatu had only one division, it appeared to be commanded by a multitude of chiefs, who had superb dresses. Thence the enemy burnt with fear of that division, which they accounted to be composed of men; but no, it was only formed of clumps of grass dressed up.

Now the people of the place they were attacking drew out to the battle, and as they pressed nearer and nearer, they pushed forth long heavy spears, and sent forth volleys of light spears made of the branches of manuka trees, at the column of Hānui⁠—Alas! it is broken; they retreat, they fly, they fall back on the division of Hāroa; they are here rallied, and ordered to charge; but they do not⁠—they only poke forward their heads as if intending to go; the enemy has reached them, and is on them again; they are again broken and disordered; they run in now upon the third line, that of Karika; they are rallied, and again ordered to charge; but they only press forward the upper part of their bodies, as if intending to advance, when the enemy is already upon them in full charge. It is over; all the divisions of Hatupatu’s brothers are broken and flying in confusion. What did it matter whether they were many or few, they were all cowards. Their enemies saw no brave men’s faces, only the black backs of heads running away.

All this time the division of Hatupatu appears to be sitting quietly upon the ground, and when the men in full retreat came running in upon it, Hatupatu rose up to order them to charge again. He cried out, “Turn on them again, turn on them again.” For a long time the enemy and Hatupatu were hidden from each other’s view. At last they saw him. Then rushes forward Hatupatu from one party, and a chief of the enemy, named also Karika (like his brother), from the other, and the latter aims a fierce blow at Hatupatu with a short spear; he parries it and strikes down Karika with his two-handed sword, who dies without a struggle, motionless, as food hidden in a bag. Hatupatu draws forth his whalebone mere, cuts off Karika’s head, and grasps it by the hair. It is enough⁠—the enemy break⁠—fall back⁠—fly; then his brothers and their warriors turn again on the foes, and slay them. Many thousands of them fall. Whilst his brothers are thus slaying the enemy, he is eagerly seeking for Raumati. He is found; Hatupatu catches him; his head is cut off; it is concealed. The slaughter being ended, they return to their encampment; they cook the bodies of their enemies; they devour them; they smoke their heads and carefully preserve them: and when all is done, each makes speeches boasting of his deeds; and one after the other vaunting to have slain the great chief Raumati. But Hatupatu said not a word of his having Raumati’s head.

They return to Rotorua. This time he goes in the canoe with them. They draw near to the island of Mokoia, and his brothers, as they are in the canoe, chant songs of triumph to the gods of war. They cease. Their father inquires from the shore, “Which of you has the head of Raumati?” and one, holding up the head he had taken, said,

“I have;” and another said,

“I have.”

At last their father calls out, “Alas, alas! Raumati has escaped.”

Then Hatupatu stands up in the canoe, and chants a prayer to the god of war over a basket heaped up with heads, whilst holding up in his hand the head of Karika.

Then his hand grasps the head of Raumati, which he had kept his under his cloak, and he cries, “There, there; I have the head of Raumati.” All rejoice. Their father strips off his cloak, rushes into the lake, and repeats a thanksgiving to the gods.

When he had ended this, he promoted in honour his lastborn child, and debased in rank his eldest sons.

Thus at last was revenge obtained for the burning of the Arawa, and the descendants of Tamatekapua emigrated, and came and dwelt in Pakotore, and Rangitihi was born there, and his children, and one of them came to Rangiwhakakapua, or Rotorua, and dwelt there; and afterwards one of his daughters went to the Whakatōhea tribe, at Ōpōtiki. After that Rangitihi and all his sons went to Ahuriri, to revenge the death of the husband of Rongomaipāpā, and she was given up to them as a reward. Then grew up to manhood Uenukukōpako, and began to visit all the people subject to him at Whakamaru, at Māroa, at Tutukau, at Tuata, and he went and afterwards returned to Pakotore, and whilst going backwards and forwards he lost his dog, named Pōtakatawhiti, at Mokoia; it was killed by Mataaho and Kawaarero.

He came back from Whakamaru to look for it, and when he found it had been killed a great war was commenced against Rotorua, and some were slain of each party. After this, Rangiteaorere, the son of Rangiwhakaekeau, grew up to man’s estate. In his time they stormed and took the island of Mokoia, and Rotorua was conquered by the sons of Rangitihi, who kept it still and still, until the multitude of men there increased very greatly, and spread themselves in all parts; and the descendants of Ngātoroirangi also multiplied there, and some of them still remain at Rotorua. Tumakoha begat Tarāwhai, and Te Rongitakaroro was one of his sons; his second son was Tarewa, and his third was Taporahitaua.