They cursed the trees, which caused their leaves to turn yellow and their fruit to go out of season; but Hina saved their lives, which caused new leaves ever to succeed the old and the fruit to return in their seasons. And so it would have been with people, they would have withered under the curse of the gods, while Hina would have saved their lives, had it not been that Ti’i conjured them to death.
Hina said, “Oh, Ti’i! do not persist in invoking man to death. When he suffers under the curse of the gods, I shall resuscitate him. Behold, my moon and glittering stars, my budding trees and my fruit that come in seasons, are they not more comely than thy dying men?”
But her husband was unyielding, and he replied, “My master, Ta’aroa, whose curse is death, loves to slay, and I shall conjure to death all whom I cause my white heron to enter.” So, according to the Tahitians, the man and not the woman caused people to lose eternal life, and at length he fell and died beneath his own curse.
—Teuira Henry. “Tahitian Folklore.” Journal of the Polynesian Society, 1901, 10 (37), 51–52. Wellington: Polynesian Society.
TUAMOTU ISLANDS
Cosmic Chant East of the Society Islands and south of the Marquesas, the Tuamotu Islands or Low Archipelago comprise seventy-six atolls in a 1,000-mile chain. Annexed by France in 1881, they were originally “discovered” by the Spanish in 1606.
A cosmic chant from the Takaroa Atoll describes the source of life appearing first in Havaiki, a sacred land of the spirits or ancestors existing in the sky or to the west. Sleeping, this source remains passive in the evolution of the world from nothingness (the night) through various stages of pre-being.
LIFE appears in the world,
Life springs up in Havaiki.
The Source-of-night sleeps below
in the void of the world,
in the taking form of the world,
in the growth of the world,
the life of the world,
the leafing of the world,
the unfolding of the world,
the darkening of the world,
the branching of the world,
the bending down of the world.
—Kenneth Emory (trans.). “Cosmic Chant from the Takaroa Atoll of the Tuamotus.” Journal of the Polynesian Society. 1920, 47 (5), 14.
TUAMOTU ISLANDS
The Dwelling Places of Kiho Like the Maori myth of the primordial creator Io, this Tuamotuan cosmogony celebrates Kiho, the “source of sources.” Dwelling before or outside creation in the void, Kiho first produced chaos (the dark-teeming waters) “through the potency of his eloquence”; that is, through the fertile power of his word. The connection between words and semen is clearly made here; the metaphors blur, but in their mixture, the unity of mental and physical creation is asserted.
Floating to the top of the chaotic waters, rich in potentiality, Kiho created the foundation of night (not-being) and light (being) and then, as he gradually turned over and stood up, the various realms of the heavens and earth. Finally he produced Atea-ragi (a masculine principle, like the sky god Rangi of the Maori myth) and Fakahotu-henua (a feminine principle, the fructifier-of-the-soil, akin to the Maori’s Papa, but here connected more specifically with coral than with earth). And after ordering the sea, soil, and sand, Kiho embodied the inspirited Atea, his objective self, to rule the world. Lastly, Kiho left his sacred red girdle (the dawning horizon?) to Atea and retreated back beyond being and activity to the nothingness and passivity from which he came.
IT IS SAID that Kiho dwelt in the Void. It was said that Kiho dwelt beneath the foundations of Havaiki (in a place) which was called the Black-gleamless-realm-of-Havaiki.
Dwelling there below Kiho had no parents; he had no friend; he had no mate; there was none but him; he was not the root, he was the stability.
It was said that, at that time, Kiho conversed only with his Astral-double (Activating Self).
His musings were within himself; his acts were performed by his Activating-self.
That place wherein Kiho dwelt was said to be the Nonexistence-of-the-land; the name of that place was the Black-gleamless-realm-of-Havaiki.
It was there that Kiho dwelt: indeed, in that place he created all things whatsoever.
Hereafter (I give) the names of his dwelling places.
Kiho dwelt in his heaven at the nadir of the Night-realm,
Kiho dwelt in his heaven in the Black-gleamless-realm,
Kiho dwelt in his heaven in the Many-portioned-realm-of-night,
Kiho dwelt in his heaven in the Many-portioned-realm-of-night,
These places were situated within the Night-sphere,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-of-waters,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-unstable,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-thrust-upward.
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-solidifying,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-quaking,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-extending,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-separated,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-(first)-appearing,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-tipping,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-moving-hither-and-thither,
Kiho dwelt below in Foundation-uprisen.
These rock-formations were situated in the Dark-teeming-waters; they were said to be the places wherein Kiho dwelt.
Kiho dwelt in the Zenith-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Narrow-borderlands-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Upper-regions-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Lower-regions-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Navel-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Planes-of-the-heavens,
Kiho dwelt in the Red-glow-of-the-heavens.
This is indeed that heaven which Kiho gave over to Atea.
It was also said that the Dark-teeming-waters were the first thing that Kiho evolved.
It was there that he dwelt in the house called Upholding-house-of-the-heavenly-regions.
THERE WERE THREE principal heaven-spheres (not-Earth-regions) created by Kiho; these were:
1. The Night-sphere-of-darkness of Kiho, or Region-of-the-spirit-world,
2. The Day-sphere-of-light of Atea, or Region-of-the-Earth-world,
3. The Sky-sphere of Tane, or Region-of-the-skies.
KIHO-THE-SOURCE, of whom I tell, is he who was said to be the god whose deeds are here recounted; and these are the deeds he performed up to the time of Atea.
Whilst Kiho was, the heavens were not;—there was no land, there was no man; there was no thing whatsoever.
Kiho-the-sleeper slumbered immemorially in the Void.
Kiho-the-precursor awoke.
Then Kiho glanced upward into the Black-gleamless-night, that is to say, the first beginning of all things whatsoever.
Thereupon Kiho glanced down at his dwelling-place within the Black-gleamless-night, and thus spake Kiho, “This is indeed the utterly black night of Havaiki.”
Then Kiho mused of all (potential) things whatsoever; and he caused his thought to be evoked, and thereupon he spake to his Activating-self, saying, “May I be eloquent of my indwelling occult knowledge; may I be expressive of my outpouring eloquence, in order that all assembled beings shall give ear!”
Began to stir the inner-urge of the Dark-teeming-waters,
Began to stir the inner-urge of the land,
Began to stir the inner-urge of Havaiki.
(The night world lay in deep sleep beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land.)
It was the inner-urge stirring,
It was the inner-urge burgeoning,
It was the inner-urge sheath-wrapped,
It was the inner-urge reaching upward,
It was the inner-urge branching out above,
It was the inner-urge taking root below.
It was the inner-urge that would soon stand erect upon the Earth.
It was the inner-urge that would soon stand erect in Twilight-dar
k-Havaiki.
Non-existent was the upward urge of the land.
Non-existent was the stratification of the land,
Non-existent was the viscosity of the land,
Non-existent was the rigidity of the land,
Non-existent was the deployment of the land,
Non-existent was the multiplicity of the land,
Non-existent was the…of the land,
Non-existent was the divarication of the land,
Non-existent was the overhanging rim of the land,
Non-existent was the…of the land.
Foundation-darkness was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Foundation-light was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Foundation-fissured was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Foundation-thundering was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Columnar-support-of-land was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Sky foundation was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,…was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Dark-concave-dome was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Gushing-murmur-of-waters was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Contiguous-support was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Standing-in-small segments were sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Long-standing-scintillation was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Havaiki was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Peaha was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land.
Fruitfulness was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
Sky-expanse was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land.
Intense-desire-speeding-to-the-night was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
The-foundation-of-Kuporu was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land,
The radiant-realm-of-Tane was sleeping beneath the Non-existence-of-the-land.
Then Kiho created the Primordial-waters through the potency of his outpouring eloquence.
And they commenced to evolve.
And they were evolved.
Now indeed Kiho spake to his Activating-self, saying, “Make thou violently to quake the rock-base of Havaiki that I become cognizant of all things,—that all things whatsoever be set apart in their rightful places!”
And at once Kiho made his eyes to glow with flame—and the darkness became light.
Now indeed his Activating-self caused the Rock-foundation of Havaiki to quake, and Kiho saw the position of all things where they were.
Then Kiho floated up upon the surface of the Primordial-waters,—it was his Activating-self who did so; he lay there floating upon his back.
Then Kiho created Foundation-of-the-night-world; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Foundation-of-the-light-world; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the first plane.)
Now Kiho turned over upon his face in that place.
Then Kiho created Foundation-fissured; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Foundation-thundering; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the second plane.)
Now Kiho raised himself up on an elbow in that place.
Then Kiho created Columnar-support-of-the-land; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Sky-base; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the third plane.)
Now Kiho raised himself up on his hands and knees in that place.
Then Kiho created Matau-heti; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Dark-concavity; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the fourth plane.)
Now Kiho arose to a stooping posture in that place.
Then Kiho created Gushing-murmur-of-waters; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Contiguous-support; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the fifth plane.)
Now Kiho arose to a forward-leaning posture in that place.
Then Kiho created Standing-in-small-segments; it was a land-realm, it was above.
Then Kiho created Long-standing-scintillation; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the sixth plane.)
Now Kiho straightened up to a shortened posture in that place.
Then Kiho created Havaiki; it was a land-realm, it was below.
The Kiho created Peaha; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the seventh plane.)
Now Kiho straightened up to a fully extended posture in that place.
Then Kiho created Fructifier-of-the-soil; it was a land-realm, it was below.
Then Kiho created Sky-expanse; it was a sky-realm, it was above.
(These two realms were situated in the eighth plane of the Night-region-of-the-Spirit-world.)
This is what the sages told me concerning these last two realms, that is to say, Atea-ragi (Sky-expanse) and Fakahotu-henua (Fructifier-of-the-soil):
Sky-expanse was above,
Fructifier-of-the-soil was underneath.
Whence sprang the offspring of Sky-expanse!
Now Kiho set apart the sea in its place, and set apart the soil in its place, and set apart the white sand—leaving it in Havaiki; he then set apart the reddish earth for the mountains; he set apart the black sand for Vavau; then he took the foam of the waves and the viscous clay, and cast them down beneath his feet; then he trod upon them, saying, “You are indeed the origin of stratified rock foundations; may you rise, may you thrust upward, may you become firm!”
He then left the white sand along the rocky borders of the bedrock-foundation of Havaiki, and (when) all these deeds had been accomplished, he created the upper-heavens of Atea.
Then Kiho looked upon his Astral-self (Activating-self) who was lying stretched out below (him); then he took the red sand (earth) and shaped it together; next he exhaled upon it his vitalizing breath, and the sand became imbued with life, thereupon his Astral-self entered wholly into that red sand and immediately became transformed into a sentient being; this living creature was sleeping; then it awoke.
Now Kiho spake, saying, “Thou art Atea of the legion-of-the-gods to become as a firm foundation for Havaiki-the-above, as a sanctuary for the spirit-legions.”
Atea then saw that the god was lying upon his face.
Then Kiho again spake thus to Atea:
“Thou art he who shall become far-famed through me,
Thou art he whom I shall inform with all esoteric arts and lore,
Thou shalt be the Expounder,
Thou art he whom I shall cause to beget progeny,
Thou art he whom I shall imbue with fertility that Havaiki teem with life.
Thou art he whom I shall avenge,
Thou art he whom I shall extol,
Thou art he whom I shall install in the Domed-firmament of Atea,
Thou shalt embark upon wars of reprisal,—
Thou shalt demean the prestige of my Prince,
Thou shalt impale my Prince upon thy spear;
Thou shalt be the instigator of disaster,
Thou shalt be the progenitor of fatherlands,
Thou shalt become the forefront of the Legion-of-the-gods that thou create the new Sky spheres;
Thou shalt evoke thy Activating-self,
Thou shalt make level the Sacred-heaven-of-Atea that my Prince may dwell therein, that he stand upright in his Sky-sphere;
Multitudes shall invoke him,—
See to it that thou troubles him not, and let the Spirit-legions be created;
Thou shalt rise upward,
Thou shalt soar
upward,
Thou shalt inform infinite space,
Thou shalt become established in thy Heaven-sphere;
Thou art the Pillar of the Skies,
Thou art the Tie beam—
Verily thou art the Wall-plate of thy Heaven.
Thou art the First,
Thou art the Last,
Thou art the Above,
Thou art the Below—
Thou art the Completer!”
Then Kiho undid his girdle and gave it to Atea. The name of the girdle was “The-crimson-girdle-of-Atea.”
It was said that Kiho knew not death; he turned his back upon Atea and disappeared (going) to the Black-gleamless-realm-of-Havaiki.
—Frank J. Stimson. Tuamotuan Religion. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 103. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1933, pp. 12–19.
HAWAII
The Kumulipo (A Creation Chant) At the northwest boundary of Polynesia, some 2,000 miles east of California, Hawaii was settled by Polynesians in c. 750 A.D. Although when Captain James Cook first visited the island in 1778 it was ruled by various warring native kings, Kamehameha I had won sole sovereignity by 1810. Seemingly at their height in this period of unification, Hawaiian culture and religion soon declined under the influence of the European and American traders whom Kamehameha I welcomed. Those who survived the new foreign diseases were nonetheless adversely affected by Western practices of trading for profit, warring with firearms, and drinking liquor. When the native religion crumbled along with the society, Kamehameha III (1825–1842) invited Christian missionaries to preach Christianity. And Hawaii gradually came under United States influence as American commercial interests developed and flourished; Americans came to dominate Hawaiian politics, and eventually Hawaii became the 50th state in the American union.
More than any other Polynesian myth, the Hawaiian creation chant (the Kumulipo) celebrates the wondrous fertility of the seven stages of the primordial night. “Nothing but darkness that/Nothing but darkness this,” the night is a chaos of potentiality and pre-being. Evolved from the primordial slime and divided into male and female principles, its stages give birth to staggering numbers of life forms: first simple sea creatures; then fish, insects, and birds, reptiles, mammals, and people. And finally, when all have evolved in this time of the past, the day breaks and the created world is established.
Primal Myths Page 54
