The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-05
SOME MAORI CUSTOMS
Strange Funeral Rites and
Burial Ceremonies.
some CURIOUS suPERsTITIoNs
a Eesiaezs of seattle. FormsriY Of Neu
Zealand. Conirilutes an Interesting
Descriptive Letter.

essayist, Montague. Was fond Of reading
minute accounts OF the de2zh Of various
remarkable persons. he even wished 70
Be learned enough 10 sorm 8 collection Of
these deaths 70 observe their words, tEesr
sections and what sort Of eountsnance they
pat upon il. IL nav not ~ uninteresting
% emulate his example ard study for
hrieg period the native New ZesaRnder Of
the oiaen time II his diving moments-to
watch the manner OF his encounter with
the swfui foe TIE dying chief did not
seem 20 dread death He seemed rather 10
await il with that caimness which denoted
early familiarity with IL. In fact. .he
ooaFted it. persuaded BY his religious belief
than an undyinE stats of Immortality
awaited him. A feeling Of exultirg pride
cheered his last moments; as bis apotheosis
vas about to take place he gloated and
pr0rhesied numerous fancifui IDEAS worthy
an epicurean, on the animal elimination
OF his remains, when the valorous deeds OF
bis youth and the proves he displayed Of
we're would be sung IL loud chornssz by
hundreds Of his afFectionate followers. in
terrupted only by tears of hopeless regret
that they could no longer do hins honor.
personal honor. in this life The customs
relating 10 the dead varied in every part OF
the island. Ii viii be within the scope of
this paper 10 note the most Important
only.
The inteFment Of the dead was consid-
Ell duty Of the highest importance. es-
peciaiiy that Of the chiefs. As for poor
slaves, little thought was bestowed on
them. When chief died the mournful
event was Immediately made known: a
together. who joined In the doieful cry.
Since the introduction Of firearms the Gus
tom of firing of guns has been adoytea as
powerful aid to the human voice in teS-
tifying sorrow for the dead. A native has
no idea OF silent grief. The greater the
noise the greater the sorrow. and the
longer IL Is kept mp the greater the honor
paid. Every friend or relative shoKs his.
respect for the dead by the number OF guns
discharged; this is called he ssaiHsai ayeAa.
Certainly in the imprisoned expression Of
passionate grief the natives surpass the
Europeans. who are regarded by this
simple people as a harsi-hearted race, from
theiF being less obstreperoGs in their dis
tress. Then, again, 10 show the extent OF
their grief many OF the women, friends
and relatives. would cut their faces. arms
and breasts with sharp shells. The mourn
ers did certainly present CHASTITY sight as
they stood around the corpse, altering
deep and touching cries and deplorable
means. and bleeding At every pore from
self-inficfed. CHASTITY wounds. In this re-
spect they followed the habits OF the an
cients-the grief OF the early nations OF
Palestine and the Greeks was demonstrated
by beating Of the breasts aud thighs and
tearing the cheek with fnger-nails. Scion
forbade these rites. The Lacedemonians
tore the flesh from their foreheadS with
pins itwas : general belief that blood
shedding was grateful to the ghosts Of the
departed. The Hebrews mourned for
Aaron thirty days, and for Moses also
thirty days. The Romans hired mourn
ers. as do the MooTS OF Barbary at this
day and the generality of Musselmans.
The modern Hebrews mourn closely seven
days for their dead. termed Siuaa. ard
thirty days cease from shaving. Elijah
Knocked the heathens who ''eried aloud
aud cut themselves after their manner
with knives and laacetS till the blood
gushed out upon them.
The Arahians cut their hands TO this day
These practices were also coamon "a the
ChaldeanS-~the Romans, on the other
hand. killed cattle 10 feast the propensity
Of ghosts for blood. Among the Greeks
mourning continued for a long time. the
corpse often lying in state for fortnight.
After the death of a New Zealand chiestain,
and while the laments already described
we're going on, tie body Of the deceased
would he Iaat out in state hy the priests
nearest in relation to hlEa The head was
ornAmented with = profusloa Of the most
valued feathers Of the albatross. the
hair carefully comhed and ornamentcd
With a profuxion Of shark OIL and tied az
IT the crown in knot with 3 inland OF
kspa. In the bored loles Of the ears some
waite down from the breast OF sea fowl was
nang pendant and the fGoe fabricated with
profuSe quantity Of red oehre tkakosaail.
A garland Of white and PINK flowers Of the
pesaons hstafoa would, Il pgnCarahle en-
circle slse head. The face then received a
wash 81 oil. Several beautiful mats woven
from The sslken FAX would be carefully
thrown On the noay, and the corpse then
paced IN a sitting posture. The several
skulls and esSeous remains OF the tribes
who had been enemies Of the deceased
would be brought forth and ranged AZ his
feet. The exhumed remnants u his Ances-
tors we're then placed on settle In the vi
cinsty Of the bread. Aiong with the ssers and
spear. the insignia of the aeceAssdss rank.
IL Is very interesting 20 note bow the ma
tives u New Zealand. though isolated as
they xsre from the rest al ths world. vet
.ossoWea ths same customs ~ The majority
81 the cotemporAxv races. We and that
Ali nations % oadea time painted The faces
vi their dead.
As.ssssltnr "a Do in his stfs az Nero the
face ot aae murdered Rriiaaens WAS
dAaksd oEar with whitewash to prevent
TIE liQais discolaeaHoa Of TIE face hs3ag
seen, arising from the posssz given 80 alma
/ We and also that al the aneieats an
noiRsea sheir aeaa The nzsions O. New
Zealand, alter their dsath, generally lay IN
sgAte toF thsee or fouv DAYS the grave Was
then dug IA the house os The deeeasa5 w5sh
the sacred spade. sna the bo4v placed IN i
ia a sitting posture. t5e Hsabs being re-
tanned II thai position By hans3aevs. Tue
egsiy sssa being dressed is the n<St gar
naenfs, 8sarusd wlsA tas Easily ornaments
q green stone and shsxks teata. was thsn
zranFssS1 up IN 3 iSns ssasriF.g mat, aaa the
grave covered over wigh psanks ARD = Ettss
so3l Eaxorise maskeGS, mats. tryakeEs.
gaapswdes. and variety af articles Eal-
mxsAs 1T their kind. were generally Inferred
w1sA The h0s3y IN soEAe parts Il ~as Gus
1azsAry for the wssa@ 70 sTsTead her nat
essr Asr husbands grave and constantly
sisep sEroa Il. bar IN fnrEseE tinaes oae o.
mere 81 k1fe ehsef gixes woaa3 strange
themselves 70 accompany ard vast upon
tAear koT8 IA ths ether wegsa for tass par
pase. asso. several slavss weEe ktsasA. taAG
thu rtzSeF might YssSs tss wftAssst as1efE A t.