Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-05-12
THE 'TABU'.
ODD CUSTOMS OF NATIVES OF
NEW ZEALAND.
Darkest Superstition. Which Has d
Picturesque >ide-W holesale Rob.
berry Sanctioned by Law Dig
Ginx Up Dead Bones.


ancient native customs are fast DYING |
out," said traveller TO a writer for |
The Star. Enough OF them remain, |
however, to furnish a very curious
study to the anthropologist. Most
is the system of 'tabu. con
cerning which much has been written.
Il is spread all over Polynesia, where
II has held control for many centuries.
dominating the people With the awe
Of a religious dread.
II can best explain the system by
describing its operation. In New
Zealand formerly a chief was always a
parsonage greatly revered All his
goods, the place where he stayed, and
anything he handled became tsbu--
that is to say, sacred. When at home.
he was surrounded by charmed cir
Gle, into which only his most intimate
friends were permitted to enter by ex-
press invitation. No one could eat in
his house or take light from his fire.
No woman was allowed to enter his
dwelling until a ceremony had been
gone through. The great man could not
carry food, lest to do SO should cause
his death by destroying his tabu The
chief could not blow fire with his m outh.
The sacred breath would communicate
his sanctity to the flames and brand
might possibly be taken by a slave or
man of another tribe, which would
cause the death Of the great man. His
food was always served separately, and
once set apart it became tabu. No one
would think of eating with him or OF
touching anything left by him. Such
leavings were always thrown away into
one of the sacred places, and woe be
to the pig which broke into one OF
these forbidden garbage repositories.
The animal was at once killed and
thrown away for its impiety. This
custom has become so far modified that
nowadays only the snont and feet are
thrown away, those being the parts
which have come into contac. with the
holy ground. The carcass is eaten-a
much more economical plan.
''To show how strong belief in the
tabu used to be in New Zealand, there
were instances where natives ate the
food OF chief by accident, and, on
being informed as to what thev had
done, they became suddenly i'll and
died in q few hours as if from poison.
TO such point will Imagination CO.
Very little of this netion now remains
The New Zealand chief is still a great
man, particularly in time Of war, but
he is approachable by the common
people, and his friends and followers
| do not hesitate to take food with him.
As things used to be, powerful chief
might break through the tabu os a
| minor one. The system afforded a
convenient means Of appropriating
any article coveted. The chief had
only TO call it his back bone, or TO give
| 1t his own name, and it was at once
taken possession of for him by his
people. II he wished TO prevent q
person from going to a certain place,
or by . certain road, he had only "a
make one or the other tabu. II 4
drop of his blood fell upon anything,
the latter at once became tabu.
| THE system VAS sometimes . use
ful one. Places were made tabu 10,
certain periods-.or example, rivers
until the fishing was ended, district.
until the hunting of rats and th.
catching OF birds we're done, wood.
until the berries we're gathered, AID
cultivated fields nntll the harvest va,
finished. All the laborers employed
in planting became tsbu, so tia. the,
could not leave the fields until theil
work Was finished. They we're 20
allowed 70 mix With society until :n.
tabu vss removed f.on them by 81 !:
sble and elaborate ceremonies Th.
tabc sometimes se.Ted good p0rpoA1
by preserving l::s. P..so-e.s 0. IA;
ve.e o.t4s saved ZOE death. Is ral
NJ, Cott<r:ll y the famous We.ya.
! massacre o. 1913. A nIood;hlrs,.
chic! had ons hand on his shoulde.
and with the other WAS raising
hatchet 20 brain him, when ano.he,
nAn OF influence !anped forward an
threw his mat over the csp:ives Thi,