The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-27
QUEER MAGIC Of
MAORI PRIESTS
The Strange Occult Powers OF
Which Tohungas Were
the Masters.

master Of many powers which can
/ now be explained by hypnotlsm, al
/ though his methods OF pretending 70
! procure messages from the gods were
doubtless due to craft yentriloquis-n
felso was practIsed by the priests. par
iticularIy when eommunica ton was de-
sired with a deceased relative. There
remains. however, q mass Of evidence
/ proving that these men possessed pow
ers which can only be explained, says
a correspondent Of the Pail Man Ga
zette. BY processes into which We are
only now beginning 70 have any in
sight
/ Many white men are familiar with
some Of the outward forms Of the Oh
servances Of the Maori priest, but Of
the inner meaning and origin Of their
ritual We know nothing. IN the teach
ing handed down to those chosen
among their direct descendants under
circumstances Of great secrecy the
lpupil was put 10 several tests in order
to prove his proficiency.
First he had to take il his hand a
hard. smooth and round stone, and re
Ipeaung a karakia. or Incarnation call
led 2 hoa. 70 shatter the stone into
fragments. and that only by the men
tai operation Of willing. without any
physical effort To all the priests
Operations the karakia was q. neces-
sary adjunct Il supplied 10 the Poly
nesian mind an outward sign connect
ling cause and effect The old time
Maori believed. indeed, that the kara
kia. the form Of words used. wrought
the desired effect: and the efficacy Of
this incarnation depended on the abso-
4 lutte fidelity with which the formula
was pronounced.
/ The action OF Christ in destroying
the barren fig tree presents an exact
Illustration Of this destroying by the
power OF the wiz which their word
/ hoa covers The latest guess Of scien-
fists, thai every existing object in the
universe is composed Of one element
I and The unit Of that element is the
I electric con, leads one 10 Tie gate Of
/ q field OF speculation IN which the
mind may wander far.
/ IF the pupil was successful in the
stone test he was next made 10 try
his powers On some animate object,
such as q flying bird, the process be-
ing the same as before According %
/ the Ma0ris. the bird was always killed
il the pupil was proficient. Or ne
might hoa a fleeing enemy and cause
him 10 be seized with ali those agonies
OF retardation which we are all fam
liar with when suffering from night
mare,
Then came the final test, the pupil
being ordered 10 exercise the power
Of willing 10 death some near relative
Of his own n order % show that in
the exercise Of his powers he could
rise superior 10 the feelings Of natural
affection. This was the dread ma
kuku. and Il is well known that il
Maori believed he was thus bewitched
he was sure 20 die. Here We see the
effect Of hypnotism and suggestion
: conveyed by teiepathy. Sometimes 2
+ priest who considered himself deeply
/ afronted has been known 10 viii 10
/ death a whole family for the act Of
one individual, and all, even the babe
al the breast. have wIlted away.
/ The rohUnga was even credited with
/ the power Of influencing the dead The
/ present writer was a witness Of the
following incident. a branch Of the
! Arawas. the tribe Of the district Of
/ RororUa. beiug az war. had suffered
defeat. and cne Of their braves had
/ pushed sought at once TO find out, by
some omen connected with the dead
chief. whether they would De success
fuI IN their next encounter.
The tohunga vas requested 70 pro-
cure the desired omen, the people
squattiug IN q ring about the bier. Ad-
vaucing 4 few PAGES from the dead
body. the priest began % recite a pow
erruI Incarnation. intent On making
the deceased give some sign, the eyes
OF all present being fixed on the slain
warrior. Presently the corpse was OBJ
served 70 move slightly ID one side
on which 4 great CRY Of joy rose from
The people The movement was il
re-pTete6 a. q sign OF future victory
This feat vas often performed by the
1 -0huuga Of oIden times
! Toh0ro vas the last Of the Old TO-
huugas The number Of his years
could hardly be guessed at; he was
almost Z Eethuselah Of the Maori. his
race, and. careless as 20 his personal
/ appearance, he wore his hair long I
! visited him several times IN the 'Tes.
/ but 50 extremely sacred was his person
/ held thar il was only after repeated
delays that ! was allowed % see him;
Indeed. he considered that white people
were not n % associate with, as they
/ had 10 system q taPE. nor did they
regard things which were tapu 70 the
/ Maori with any reverence. ! was deep
+ y interested II his manifestations
{ partly for rheir s-ra1gensss and part
/ y. perhaps. because 7 had myself as
/ simulated many q the Maori super
I s-f1czz By ne -ere 1oTcs % p-opin-
guilty.
/ From he H-z- he had resisted Al
e=9-- n the missionaries 70 induce
{ him 70 abandon his ancient faith for
/. Christianity As he s-fu had g large
following who for his sake refused -
! recognize Christianity. his conversion
was greatly desired. New ZeaIa1d's
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