The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-18
MAGIC OF THE MAORI
Strange Powers Exercised by the
Tribal Priests.
DAzE0 AN ENGLISH BISHOP.

] Pathct. End Of the Last Of the Old
Heather Tohunsas.
! What IN the past has been termed
magic presents itself now to the sci
entihc mind as an imperfect use OF
forces th, full knowledge OF which we
have yet 10 acquire. The Maori priest
| Of old. or tohunga. as he was called.
was master Of many powers which
can now be explained 10y hypnotism.
although his methods OF pretending TO
procure messages from the gods were
! doubtless due To- craft Nentrilouuism
also was practiccd by the priests. par.
! ticularly when communication was de
sired with deceased relative. There
remains, however. a mass ~ evidence
| proving that these men possessed pow.
ers which can only be explained. says
correspondent OF the Pail Mall Ga.
zette. by processes into which we are
only now beginning TO have any in.
sight.
Many white men are familiar with
some Of the outward forms of the oh
servanccs Of the Maori priests. but %
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
pupil was put 10 several tests ia order
TO prove his proficiency.
First he bad To take IN his hand
hard. smooth and round stone and.
I repeating II karukin, or iucantation
called hoa. To shatter the stone into
fragments, and that only 10y the mental
operation of willing, without any phys.
ical effort. To all the priests opera
tions the karHkia was . necessary ad-
junct 1t supplied to the Polyuesiun
mind an outward sign connecting cause
and effect. The old time Maori Ice.
liev@d. indeed. that the karakia. the
form Of words used. wrought the de
sired effect, aud the efficacy Of this In.
cantation depended on the absolute
fidelity with which the formula was
pronounced.
If the pupil was successful In the
, stone test he was next made To try his
powers ON some animate object. such
as a flying bird. the process being the
same as before. According to the
Maoris. the bird was always killed II
the pupil was proficient Or he might
hoa fleeing enemy and cause him
to be seized with all those agonics of
retardation which we are all familiar
with when suffering from nightmare.
Then came the final test. the pupil
being ordered TO exercise the power
OF willing to death some near relative
OF his own In order To show that IN
the exercise OF his powers he could
rise superior to the feelings OF natural
affection. This was the dread makuku.
and II Is well known that If Maori
believed he was thus bewitched he
wns sure to die Here we see the ef.
feet of hypnotlsm and suggestion con
veyed by telcpathy. Sometimes
priest who considered himself deeply
affronted has been known to will To
death whole family for the act of
one individual, and all. even the babe
at the breast. have wilted away.
The tohunga was even credited with
the power Of influencing the dead. The
present writer was n witness OF the
following Incident: A branch OF the
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