The Wandering Mountains

 The Wandering Mountains 

(A Story from New Zealand)

In the centre of the North Island there were once many more mountains standing together than there are today. There was Tongariro, the chief; at that time his top had not broken off, and his snow-covered peak pointed to the sky. Tongariro also comprised Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. Taranaki, Putauaki and Tauhara were nearby. They were all males, proud and aggressive. 

The only female was Pihanga, a smaller mountain with soft and gentle curves, clothed in a cloak of brilliant green. Pihanga was desired by all the warrior mountains, and eventually they came to blows over who was to have her as his wife. 

The winner of the battle was Tongariro; with a mighty roar he blew his top right off and frightened the other suitors away. That night Putauaki and Tauhara decided to head east, in the direction of the rising sun. Putauaki travelled to the farthest edge of the Kaingaroa Plain before he was stopped by the light of day. 

Tauhara, on the other hand, kept turning back to look once more at his lost love, so that he managed to go no further than the northern shore of Lake Taupo, from where he still gazes at Pihanga. 

The hole left by the departure of these two mountains filled with water and became known as Rotoaira. 

Taranaki, the mightiest of the three, declared that he would seek the place where the sun sets. With a roar he set off to the west, digging a great chasm as he went, down which now flows the Wanganui River. 

Pihanga still remains with Tongariro, and when the people of the mountains see the mists enfolding her green cloak, sent from Tongariro’s warm springs, they say: ‘See! The Great One sends greetings, as in the days of old!’ 

Source 

Maori Legends

1993

Pages: 39-43

The Fight with Oroi and the Killing of Oroi

 The Fight with Oroi and the Killing of Oroi

(A Legend from Rapa Nui)

In the homeland Marae renga, Oroi was full of hate for Hotu matua; he killed the children of that chief. 

When Hotu matua the king and Tu’u ko ihu the navigator came in their canoes to this land, Oroi hid himself beneath the cargo of the priest's canoe. They were large canoes, those ships; their hulls were as long as fifteen tall men swimming head to foot; one tall man standing up inside could not be seen. Oroi concealed himself beneath the yams and taro, the sugar-canes, bagana stems, and other plants. 

The ship of Tu’u ko ihu came to shore, the people sprang out to stretch their legs. Oroi remained concealed. At night he came ashore and hid. 

When the children were born—the new-born son of Hotu matua and the daughter of Tu’u ko ihu—their navel cords were cut. Tu’u ko ihu bit them off and said the chants. Then was held a gathering of all the people—Hotu’s people, Tu’u’s people. They held a gathering and feast to mark the cutting of the cords. Oroi stayed, he remained hidden. 

The people lived quietly together. Again children were born to Hotu matua the king; they grew well. 

These six children of Hotu matua went down to the beach to bathe, at Rotokahi—that was the bathing place of Hotu’s children. They bathed in the sea, they came out on the sand, they lay with their backs in the sun to warm themselves, grew drowsy, fell asleep. 

Then came Oroi from his hiding place, came to the beach where Hotu’s children were in the sun. He brought his crayfish tail, he put it into the holes in thein. bottoms and drew out all their guts. 

Oroi pulled out the intestines of all those children with his crayfish tail, he left them lying there. Those sons all died, Oroi killed them with his crayfish tail. 

In the evening Hotu matua was looking at the rocks of Roto kahi pahenga; he thought they were his sons coming out of the water. He went to meet them on the beach, came there, saw. They were seen at low tide only, those children-rocks. All were dead with their intestines pulled out from behind. Then Hotu matua knew the work of Oroi. Bad was his stomach with passion against that man. Again he spoke his word. ‘When the tide is low we die few. When the tide is high we die many.’ 

Hotu matua did not know that Oroi was in this land, he thought that person was left behind in Marae renga. But he knew what work was done by Oroi with a crayfish tail; he had seen the pulled intestines in the distant land. Then his heart grew bad with passion against that person. Said Hotu matua the king:

‘O, Oroi! You are going on with our quarrel, from abroad to here!’ 

Then Hotu cried, he wept on the beach for his children who were dead, they now were rocks. 

Oroi stayed concealed at Turtle Bay; twelve moons went past. 

The king made his inspection of the land, he saw the people in the koro houses—at the paina feasts, at the houses where they taught the rongo rongo; at the houses where they studied the signs of reckoning, at the houses with the writing about the dead; at the houses where they studied the inscriptions concerning the serfs; at the houses for the prayers to Rarai a hova. 

Oroi saw the king, he watched him going to the four parts of the land with Tu’u ko ihu the priest. Oroi twisted a long rope to catch the person of the king. He made a noose, he took his rope and put it in the middle of a path, and covered it with earth and grass. 

Came Hotu matua along that path. Oroi said within himself, ‘You will be killed by me, O Hotu matua!’ 

Hotu matua saw the thing hidden by soil and long grass; the king knew what it was, he walked slowly, stopped beside the rope, stepped here, stepped there. Oroi pulled, he tugged his noose with mighty force, but the foot of Hotu was not taken in that noose. The king went on. He said within himself, ‘O Oroi, some day you will be killed by me.’ He also spoke his word about the weeds, the height of their tide and the dying. 

Hotu matua went on, he came to Ruahaua, and to Orohie. He visited the people at Hanga te henga; then he returned to his home. 

While the king was away Oroi put his noose inside that house, within the house of Hotu matua the king. The rope was long; the noose lay in the entrance-way. The king came by, he saw Oroi’s noose. He raised his foot, trod on the rope. Oroi pulled, he tugged, and Hotu matua fell down, he lay as if his foot was caught. 

It was not caught, the foot of Hotu matua! Oroi ran to seize his man; his man sprang up—he seized, he killed! With his club he split Oroi’s skull. Oroi was killed by Hotu matua the king. 

Thus died Oroi, a chief from abroad, from Marae renga. 

When the corpse of Oroi was put in the earth-oven to cook, it came to life again. Oroi looked, he saw. Therefore they had to take him over to the far side of the land, to the ahu that is called Ahu oroi. There he was cooked properly. They ate him. 

When he was old Hotu matua divided the land between his sons, and he named as his successor Tu’u ma heke, his first child of this land. So it became the custom of this land that the new king should be the first-born son. 

The king grew old. He became blind, his breath was leaving him. His elder sons came to see him, but Hotu matua kept asking for his youngest son, his favourite Hotu iti. 

There came to him Marama, stood beside his sleeping-mat. The king felt the calf of his leg and said, ‘You are not Little Hotu, you are Marama. Where is Hotu iti?’ Next Koro answered his father as if he were Hotu iti: ‘I am here.’ But Hotu took Koro’s leg and knew he lied. ‘You are not Hotu iti.’ The same thing happened with Ngaure, with Raa, with Hamea and the others. At last came Hotu iti, and his father knew him by the slightness of his leg. 

Then he was angry with the other sons and he said to his last-born, “You are Hotu iti of Mataiti and your descendants shall thrive, and outlive all others.’ And he said to Kotu’u, one who lied: “You are Kotu’u of Matanui and your descendants shall multiply like the shells of the sea, like the reeds of the crater, like the pebbles of the beach. But they shall die and not remain.’ 

When he had said this thing, Hotu matua the king went out of his house, his sons assisted him. He went along the cliff to the place where the edge of the crater is narrowest. He stood beside it on two stones and looked over the islet Motunui toward the homeland Marae renga; and he called out to these four gods in is homeland: ‘Kuihi, Kuaha, Tongau, Opapako, make the cock crow for me, for Hotu matua.’ Then the cock crowed in Marae renga and Hotu heard it over the sea. He therefore knew it was his time to die, and he said to his sons, “Take me away.’ 

They took him to his house to die. Thus died Hotu matua the first king of this land, and he was buried at Akahanga. 

Source

Legends of the South Seas

Antony Alpers

1970

Pages: 237 - 241

The legend of Manini a Ohera and Hainga Te Raumiro

The legend of Manini a Ohera and Hainga Te Raumiro

 (A Legend from Rapa Nui)

There were two men who lived in the Ana o Ike meamea cave near Moai Tuu Paro. Their names were Manini a Ohera and Hanga Te Raumiro. 

When people would go tuna fishing in the Hakanononga of Haunutu and a tuna bit the hook, the line would always cut loose. They believed that it was the tuna itself that did this, but it was really done by witchcraft. It was the two young men, Manini a Ohera and Hanga Te Raumiro. 

One day, a witch greeted the people and said, “It is those young men. They are the ones that go underwater to do this. They go up to the hook as if they were tuna. Hide, and tomorrow you shall see.” 

They hid, but first they told the people who were going out in the boat, “If that tuna bites again, lift an oar high up so that we know it has bitten. Then we will go down and hide on the shore.” 

At dawn, that tuna bit. Those who had hidden saw the oar being lifted high up and that is how they knew. They saw that when the two young men were coming ashore, the boat from the Hakahononga was coming in, too. So they saw that those young men had been doing this every day. 

The men captured them and hit them with paoa sledgehammers. That is how they died.

The corpse of one of them is in Anakena. The other corpse is on his side, in Vai Mata. 

The end. 

Source:

Legends of Easter Island

Father Sebastian Englert

2007

Page: 265

The Fight Between the Octopus and the Whale

 The Fight Between the Octopus and the Whale 

(A Legend from Yap)

A long time ago, in the ocean near Yap, an octopus saw whale and swam along beside him. That made the whale angry. 

“Why don’t you show me respect?” he roared. “Why do you swim along with me? You're only an octopus. I’m a whale, the king of the sea. You ought to swim behind me!” 

The octopus swam along as before. “I’m as important as you are,” he said. “All the fish of the sea are afraid of me.” 

“Is that so!”’ exclaimed the whale. ‘Well, I’m not afraid of anything that swims in the ocean, not even you!” 

They kept on quarreling. At last, the octopus said, “To settle this, let’s have a fight and see who is stronger. You name the day.” 

“Three months from today!” said the whale. “I'll send you word by my messenger fish, when I’m ready.” 

“Very well,” said the octopus, and he swam away. 

The whale did nothing to get ready for the fight, except to eat a great deal and grow larger. But the octopus was busy. He took from the bottom of the sea the blackest mud that he could find. He kept it in his body, even in his eyes, his ears, and his nose. Then, one day, the messenger fish came and told him that the whale would fight him the next day. 

“I’m ready,” said the octopus. 

The next day, the octopus saw the whale, who was making a great deal of noise, spouting up air and water high into the sky. 

“I'll tease him first,”’ said the octopus. He called out, ‘‘Oh, here you come, and I’m so frightened! I’m only a little girl octopus, who can’t fight very well. I’m afraid, oh, so afraid of vou !’’ 

In that way, he got the whale to come close to him. The whale was so sure of winning the fight that he was easily fooled. 

Suddenly, the octopus squirted out some of the black mud that he had in his body. He squirted it into the water, which turned black. The whale could no longer see his enemy. They had a big fight. They pushed up waves, mountain high. 

The whale hit at the octopus with his head. He struck at him with his front flippers. He swung his tail high up in the air and then smacked it down hard on the water. But where was the octopus? The whale couldn’t see him. He smacked and whacked and hit only the sea. The octopus moved around very fast and kept out of the way, squirting the black fluid all the time. 

When all the water around the whale was quite black, the octopus swam up to his enemy. He put his long, strong tentacles around the whale’s great body, around his flippers and tail, his ears, his eyes, his mouth—wherever he could get a good hold. 

The whale fought fiercely. He smacked down his heavy tail, but he could not shake off his enemy. The octopus held him tightly. Then he pushed the whale against a large rock in the ocean and held him there. He squeezed until the whale was dead. 

“This will show who is king of the sea,” he said. 

From that day, the octopus has black fluid always ready for a fight. But nobody calls him the “king of the sea,” for he doesn’t look or act like a king. He is known as the ““pirate of the sea,” and that is entirely different. 

Source

Legends of Micronesia (Book One)

Eve Grey

1951

Pages: 15-16

The Crab and the Needlefish

 The Crab and the Needlefish

(A Legend from Nomoi Islands, Chuuk)

Fish is a favorite food in the Pacific Islands. When it has been wrapped in green leaves and baked among hot stones, it is delicious. But the children of the Mortlock Islands, in the Truk District, sometimes will not eat needlefish, for it has a bitter taste.

“Never mind, it’s good food,” their parents say. Then they tell the children why the needlefish tastes bitter.

The needlefish is smooth and slender, and he can swim very fast. He has a long, sharp needle sticking out in front, ready to spear anything that gets in his way.

One day, the needlefish saw a tiny sand crab crawling along the beach. The needlefish made fun of the crab.

"How slow and clumsy you are!” he said. "Watch me. See how fast I move through the water.” He swam and dived and turned about with great speed.

The little crab watched the needlefish for a while, and then he said, “You're fast, needlefish, and I’m very slow, that’s true. But just the same, I feel sure that I can beat you, if we have a race along the shore.”

“Foolish talk!’’ cried the needlefish. “How could you beat me in a race? I go like lightning, and you crawl so slowly.”

The little crab said, "Let's have a race tomorrow morning. We'll start here, beside this rock. I'll race you to the big maras tree that stands at the edge of the water, far down on the beach. You can swim in the water, and Pll crawl along on land.”

The needlefish laughed and laughed, but he agreed to race with the little crab. ‘‘You’re so tiny,” he said. "How shall I know where you are?”

“That will be very easy,” replied the crab. "Just call to me, now and then, and I'll answer you.”

The needlefish swam away, still laughing.

Now the sand crab was small, but he was clever. He crawled along the beach all night long, telling his crab friends about the race. "The needlefish boasts too much. I want to teach him a lesson,” he said.

He asked his friends to sit at different places near the water. They would be a few yards apart from each other, all the way between the rock and the maras tree.

“Tomorrow, the needlefish will call to me,” he said, "to find out where I am. Each time he calls, one of you must answer for me. The needlefish will think that it is I who am ahead of him all the way.”

The crab’s friends thought it was a wonderful idea. They agreed to do what he asked.

Next morning, the little crab and the needlefish met at the rock and began the race. The needlefish swam off like lightning, but the little sand crab sat still. ‘‘It’s my turn to laugh,” he said, and so he laughed.

Before long, the needlefish called out from the water, “Crab, crab, where are you?”

On the shore, a small voice answered, “Here I am, just ahead of you!”

The needlefish was so surprised that he nearly jumped out of the water. He swam faster than ever. After a while, he called out again, “Crab, crab, where are you?” 

Again a crab voice replied, “Here I am, just ahead of you!"

That time, the needlefish nearly broke himself in two, trying to swim still faster in the water. He kept on calling out, “Crab, crab, where are you?”  And always, there was a little voice saying, “Here I am, just ahead of you!”

The needlefish was nearly out of his mind with anger. He raced so fast that the water whirled around him. When he reached the maras tree, there sat a little sand crab with a shell on his back. He was not at all tired.

“Well, needlefish, are you here at last?” said the crab.

The needlefish nearly burst with anger. He sprang out of the water with such force that his long needle stuck in the maras tree. There he hung for a long time. At last, he got the needle out again and dropped back into the water.

He swam away, feeling foolish. He tried to forget about the race, but he couldn’t, for some of the bitter juice of the maras tree was in his mouth. It stayed there, to teach him not to boast too much.

Ever since that day, the flesh of the needlefish has had a bitter taste. As the Trukese people say, “Much me sop me teremeimei,”or, “That’s the end of the story.”

Source

Legends of Micronesia (Book One)

Eve Grey

1951

Pages: 7-9