Kotharian Lightning

From the Maori Folklore of the Cook Islands

The only daughter of Vaitooringa and Ngaetua was Ina (The Goddess of the Moon), whose brothers were Tangikuku and Rupe. The parents of Ina were the wealthiest people in the land of Nukutere, boasting as they did of a rich breast ornament, abundance of finely braided hair, beautiful white shells worn on the arms, and – more precious than all these – a gorgeous head-dress, ornamented with scarlet and black feathers, with a frontlet of berries of the brightest red.

Early one morning the parents for the first time left their home in the care of Ina; the mother charging her to put these treasures out to air; but should the sun be clouded, be sure to take them back into the house. For Ngaetua knew well that in the bright beams of the sun the arch-thief Ngana would not dare to come; but if exposed on a lowering, cloudy day, the envious foe would not fail to try his luck.

In a short time the sun shone brightly; not a cloud could anywhere be seen. The obedient Ina carefully spread out these treasures on a piece of purest white native cloth. But the arch-foe Ngana was on the watch. Very cautiously did he approach through the neighbouring bushes in order to get a good sight of these much-coveted articles. He forthwith used an incantation, so that the sun suddenly became obscured. Ngana now fearlessly emerged from the thicket and endeavoured to grab the long-wished-for-ornaments. But Ina was too quick in her movements to permit this. Ngana now with affected humility begged permission to admire and try on the various ornaments, for her to see how he would look in them. Ina was very loth, but after great persuasion, consented that Ngana should put them on inside the house. To prevent the possibility of his taking away any of these treasures, she closed the doors. The craft Ngana now arrayed himself in these gorgeous adornments, excepting the head-dress, which Ina still held in her hand. Ngana, by his soft words, at length induced her to give that up too. Thus completely arrayed he began to dance with delight, and contrived to make the entire circuit of the house, careering round and round in hope of seeing some loophole through which he might escape with his spoil. At last he espied a little hole at the gable end, a few inches wide, through which, at a single bound, he took his flight, and for ever disappeared with the treasures. Ina at first had been delighted with the dancing of her visitor; but was in utter despair as she witnesses his flight, and heard the parting words:

Beware of listening to vain words,

O Ina, the fair and well-meaning!

Not long afterwards the parents of Ina came back in great haste, for they had seen the arch-thief passing swiftly and proudly through the sky, magnificently attired. A fear crept over them that all was not right with their own treasures. They asked the weeping girl the cause of her tears. She said, “Your choicest possessions are gone.” “But is there nothing left?” demanded the parents. “Nothing whatever,” said the still weeping Ina. The enraged mother now broke off a green cocoa-nut tree branch and broke it to pieces on the back of the unfortunate girl. Again and again Ngaetua fetched new cocoa-nut branches and cruelly beat Ina. The father now took his turn in belabouring the girl, until a divine spirit (“manu”) entered and took possession of Ina, and in a strange voice ominously said –

Most sacred is my person;

Untouched has been my person;

I will go to the Sacred Isle,

That Tinirau alone may strike it.

The astonished father desisted: her younger brother Rupe cried over his beloved sister. After a while Ina got up, as if merely to saunter about; but no sooner had she eluded the eyes of her parents, than she ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the sandy beach. When nearly there, she fell in with her elder brother Tangikuku, who naturally asked her where she was going. She gave an evasive answer; but fearing lest he should inform her parents of her flight, she snatched his bamboo fishing-rod, broke it in pieces with her foot, and selected one of the fragments as a knife. She now said to her brother, “Put out your tongue.” In an instant she cut off its tip. Tangikuku vainly essayed to speak; so that Ina was certain that he could not reveal the secret of her sudden departure. She kissed her maimed brother and pressed on to the shore, where she gazed long and wistfully towards the setting sun, where the Sacred Isle is. Looking about for some means of transit, she noticed at her feet a small fish named the avini. Knowing that all fishes are subjects to the royal Tinirau, she thus addressed the little avini that gazed at the disconsolate girl:

Ah, little fish! Art thou a shore-loving avini?

Af, little fish! Art thou an ocean-loving avini?

Come bear me on thy back

To my royal husband Tinirau,

With him to live and die.

The little fish at once intimated its consent by touching her feet. Ina mounted on its narrow back; but when only halfway to the edge of the reef, unable any longer to bear so unaccustomed a burden, it turned over, and Ina fell into the shallow water. Angry at this wetting, she repeatedly struck the avini; hence the beautiful stripes on the sides of that fish to this day, called “Ina’s tattooing.”

The disappointed girl returned to the sandy beach to seek for some other means of transit to the Sacred Isle. A fish named the paoro, larger than the avini, approached Ina. The intended bride of the god Tinirau addressed this fish just as she had the little avini; and then, mounted on its back, started a second time on her voyage. But like its predecessor, the paoro was unable long to endure the burden, and dropping Ina in shallow water sped on its way. Ina struck the paoro in her anger, producing for the first time those beautiful blue marks which have ever since been the glory of this fish.

Ina next tried the api, which was originally white, but for upsetting Ina at the outer edge of the reef was rendered intensely black, to mark her disgust at her third wetting.

She now tried the sole, and was successfully borne to the edge of the breakers, where Ina experienced a fourth mishap. Wild with rage, the girl stamped on the head of the unfortunate fish with such energy that the underneath eye was removed to the upper side. Hence it is that, unlike other fish, it is constrained now to swim flatwise, one side of its face having no eye!

At the margin of the ocean a shark came in sight. Addressing the shark in words very like those formerly used, to her great delight the huge fish came to her feet, and Ina mounted triumphantly on its broad back, carrying in her hand two cocoa-nuts to eat. When halfway on the dangerous voyage to the Sacred Isle, Ina felt very thirsty, and told the shark so. The obedient fish immediately erected its (rara tua) dorsal fin, on which Ina pierced the eye of one of her nuts. After a time she again became thirsty, and again asked the shark for help. This time the shark lifted its head, and Ina forthwith cracked the hard shell on its forehead. The shark, smarting from the blow, dived into the depths of the ocean, leaving the girl to float at best she could. From that day there had been a marked protuberance on the forehead of all sharks, called “Ina’s bump.”

The king of sharks, named Tekea the Great, now made his appearance. Ina got on his wide back, and continued her voyage. She soon espied what seemed to be eight canoes in a line rapidly approaching her. When near they proved to be eight sharks resolved to devour Ina. Ina in an agony cried to her guardian shark, “O Tekea! O Tekea!” “What is it?” inquired the shark. “See the canoes?” said the girl. “How many are they?” “Eight,” replied Ina. Said her guardian shark, “Say to them, ‘Mangamangai, mangamangaia aea koe e Tekea Nui,’ ‘Get away, or you will be torn to shreds by Tekea the Great.’ ”

As soon as Ina had uttered these words the eight monstrous sharks made off. Delivered from this peril, Ina again went on her long voyage to the Sacred Isle. But one more danger threatened her: what seemed a fleet of ten canoes, but which proved to be ten ground sharks, started off from the very shores of the Sacred Isle to make an end of Ina. Again they were driven away by the fear of the king of sharks. At length the brave girl reached the long-sought-for Sacred Isle, and Tekea the Great returned to his home in mid-ocean.

Upon going ashore, and cautiously surveying her new home, she was astonished at the salt-water ponds, full of all sorts of fish, everywhere to be seen. Entering the dwelling of Tinirau (innumerable), the lord of all fish, she found one noble fish-preserve inside. But strangely enough the owner was nowhere visible. In another part of the house she was pleased to find a great wooden drum, and sticks for beating it by the side. Wishing to test her skill, she gently beat the drum, when to her astonishment the sweet notes filled the whole land, and even reached to Pa-enua-kore (No-land-at-all), where the god Tinirau was staying that day. The king of all fish returned to his islet dwelling to discover who was beating his great drum. Ina saw him approaching, and in fear ran to hide himself behind a curtain. Tinirau entered and found the drum and sticks all right, but for a time could not discover the fair drummer. He left the house, and was on his way back to No-land-at-all, when the coy girl, unwilling to lose so noble a husband, again beat the wonderful drum. Tinirau came back and found the blushing girl, who became his cherished wife. Ina now discovered that it was the might of Tinirau that inspired her with a manu, or strange spirit, and then provided for her safety in voyaging to his home in the “sacred islet.”

In the course of time Ina gave birth to the famous Koromauariki, commonly called Koro. Besides this boy she had a girl named Ature.

Her younger brother Rupe wished much to see his sister Ina, who had long since disappeared. Rupe asked a pretty karaurau (a bird of the linnet species) kindly to convey him where Ina lived. The bird consented, and Rupe, entering the linnet, fled over the deep blue ocean, in search of the Sacred Isle, where his beloved sister had her home.

It happened one morning that Ina noticed on a bush near her dwelling a pretty linnet, just such a one as she used to see in her old home. As she complacently gazed upon it, the bird changed into a human form. It was Rupe himself! Great was Ina’s delight; but after a brief stay Rupe insisted on going back to tell his parents of the welfare of Ina. They were rejoiced to hear of their daughter, for whom they had long grieved. A feast was made, and the finest cloth prepared for Ina and her children. Mother and son now entered two obliging linnets, and laden with all these good things, flew off over the ocean in search of Ina. Arrived safely at the Sacred Isle, mother and daughter embraced each other tenderly; the past was forgiven. Three whole days were spent in festivities on account of Koro and Ature, the children of Ina. The visitors returned to their home over the sea, and Ina was left happy with Tinirau the king of all fish.

Source:

Myths and Songs From the South Pacific, William Wyatt Gill, 1876