WELCOME TO AOTEA HARBOUR - AOTEAROA ~ NEW ZEALAND
Okapu Marae logo design by Terewai Awhitu and coloured by Trish Apiti
(colour version reproduced with permission from Trish Apiti)
Okapu Marae's original logo design by Terewai Awhitu
Te Wehi with Karioi-Mutu and Piipii-te-Wai
From Nga Iwi o Tainui – The traditional history of the Tainui people – Nga korero tuku iho a nga tuupuna
Te Wehi
c. l700
42.1 While Te Wehi was at Te Maari he heard that Tautini-moko had returned. Te Wehi decided to disregard Kaawharu's peace-making and to kill Tautini-moko in revenge for his father Pakaue, and for the taking of the valuables Piipii-te- wai and Karioi-mutu. No one else agreed with Te Wehi's cause.
42.2 Faced by this disagreement Te Wehi decided to go to Waikato, to Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue, to [get them to] avenge the death of his father, Pakaue. When he arrived, Te Wehi found Tapaue and Whare-tiipeti building a house. Te Wehi went straight to another house without turning aside towards Tapaue and the others, and he did not eat. He went into the house and lay down right away. In the morning he was just the same. Then Whare-tiipeti got up and said to Tapaue, 'Friend, what is the matter with the young fellow?' Tapaue said, 'We'd better get him and ask him. He was fetched and questioned but he would not answer their questions. It was like that for three days.
42.3 Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue tried to discover Te Wehi's reasons. They hastened their work on the house as they realised Te Wehi would not answer their questions because it was not yet completed. On the third day the house was finished and they went to Te Wehi and said, 'Son why are you lying there?'
42.4 Te Wehi knew the house was finished. He did not reply to the question. He stood up and went outside, ran and climbed up and sat on top of the house they had built. He spoke from there, 'I came so that my death might be avenged.' The old men said, 'Speak on!' Te Wehi continued, 'Tautini-moko, who killed Pakaue, has returned. So I came to you two.'
42.5 When Te Wehi said this Whare-tiipeti turned to to his people and called out, 'Gird yourselves!' Te Wehi came down, glad that his call had been honoured. So Waikato went, and came to Raorao-kauere. The fort there which was named The Huia's-nest, was attacked immediately. Tautini-moko was sought, but when the fort was attacked he had jumped up and run off to save himself. Te Wehi saw this and called, 'Whare', Tautini-moko has gone!'
42.6 Tautini' was chased by Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue and a swift runner named Uekaha. When they ran off after Tautini-moko, Te Wehi thought of Karioi- mutu and Piipii-te-wai. He was afraid that they were with Tautini' when he ran off, and that if he were caught they would be taken by Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue. Then Te Wehi 'bent his knees' and sped forward in pursuit of Tautini'. Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue were good runners, but so eager was Te Wehi that they were left behind and gave up running. Uekaha ran on ahead of Te Wehi.
42.7 They ran on to the mouth of Aotea harbour. Tautini-moko reached the edge of his leap. He jumped and so did Te Wehi and Uekaha. Before they all hit the water he was caught by them. They killed him and took the club and the cloak that he was carrying. Te Wehi hid the club among his clothing. Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue arrived and Whare' asked, 'Where is the club, Karioi-mutu?' Uekaha revealed that it was under the cloak in Te Wehi's armpit. Whare-tiipeti demanded it and Te Wehi gave it up. Whare-tiipeti and Tapaue returned to Waikato taking the cloak and the club with them.
The original of this chapter is the holograph (Jones 1944:52-57). The information was recorded by PH on 15/11/32 (Jones n.d.6:87). (Kelly 1949:228-9) follows (Jones n.d.1:181-193) literally.
Ko Te Wehi
42.1 I Te Maari a Te Wehi e noho ana ka tae te rongo ki a ia kua hoki mai a Tautini-moko. Ka puta te whakaaro i a Te Wehi me takahi te houhanga-a-rongo a Kaawharu ka patu a Tautini-moko hei utu mo tana paapaa mo Pakaue, mo te rirongo hoki o Piipii-te-wai me Karioi-mutu. Kaaore he tangata i whakaae ki te take a Te Wehi.
42.2 I te korenga i whakaaetia o tana take ka puta te whakaaro i a Te Wehi me haere ia ki Waikato ki a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue kei takitaki i te mate o tana matua, o Pakaue. Te taenga o Te Wehi rokohanga atu e ia e hanga ana a Tapaue raaua ko Whare-tiipeti i te whare. Haere tonu atu a Te Wehi ki teetehi o nga whare, kaaore i peka atu ki a Tapaue maa, kaaore hoki i kai. Te urunga atu ki te whare, takoto tonu atu a Te Wehi. Hii ake i te ata ka peeraa tonu te tangata ra. Kaatahi ka oho ake a Whate-tiipeti ka mea atu ki a Tapaue, ‘E hoa, he aha ra te mate o te tamiti nei?’ Ka mea atu a Tapaue, ‘Me tiki me paatai.’ Ka tiikina ka paataia. Kaaore e whakautua e Te Wehi nga paati. E toru nga raa e peenei ana.
42.3 Kei te rapu a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue he aha rawa te take a Te Wehi. Ka kaikaa ta raaua mahi i te whare i te mea kua tae te moohio ki a raaua, na te kore anoo kia oti te whare i kore ai e whakautua e Te Wehi nga paatai ki a ia. I te toru o nga rangi ka oti te whare, ko to raaua haerenga atu ki a Te Wehi ka mea atu, ‘E tama, he aha taau e takoto nei koe?’
42.4 Kua moohio a Te Wehi kua oti te whare. Kaaore a Te Wehi i whakautu i te paatai ra. Ko tana matikatanga atu ka puta ki waho, rere tika tonu atu kua piki, aa, noho rawa ma ii runga o te whare i mahia ra. Ka korero iho i reira, ‘I haere mai ahau ki a koorua ko taku mate kia takitakina.’ Ka mea atu nga kaumaatua ra, ‘Koorero!’ Ka korero anoo a Te Wehi, ‘Ko Tautini-moko, te tangata nana i patu a Pakaue, kua hoki mai. No reira ahau i haere mai ai ki a koorua.’
42.5 I teera korero a Te Wehi, ka huri ake a Whare-tiipeti ki te iwi ko te karangatanga, Whiitiki!’ Ko te tukunga iho o Te Wehi, ka koa hoki mo te mananga o tana reo. Kaatahi ka haere a Waikato, aa, ka tae ki Raorao-kauere. Ko te paa i reira ko Te Rua-o-te-huia ka whakaekea tonutia. Ka tahuri ki te kimi i a Tautini-moko. I te waa anoo i huakina ai te paa ka peke ia, ka oma ki te kaawhaki i a ia nei. Ko te Wehi te mea i kite i te pekenga, ko tana karangatanga, ‘E Whare e-e! Ka riro a Tautini-moko!’
42.6 Ka whaaia a Tautini’ e Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue me teetehi tangata tere ki te oma, ko Uekaha te ingoa. Ko te omanga o eeraa ki te whai i a Tautini-moko, kaatahi ka puta ake te whakaaro o Te Wehi mo Karioi-mutu me Piipii-te-wai. Ka maanawapaa ai kei tuupono kei a Tautini’ tonu nga taonga i a ia e oma ra, aa, kei mau ia, aa, ka riro kee i a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue. Kaatahi a Te Wehi ka peepeke te turi ka papaki whakamua ko toona omanga hoki ki te whai i a Tautini’. He tangata tere a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue ki te oma engari, i te kaha o te oma a Te Wehi mahue ana raaua i a ia, aa, ko te ngehenga o te oma a eeraa. Ka oma ko Uehaka i mua i a Te Wehi.
42.7 E oma ana ki te takiwaa ki te puuaha o Aotea. Ka tae a Tautini-moko ki te pareparenga o tana pekenga. E peke ana, kua peke atu hoki a Te Wehi raaua ko Uekaha. Kaaore i tae ki te wai ka mau i a raaua a Tautini-moko. Ka patua te tangata ra ka riro mai te patu ra me te kahu waero i a ia tonu e hari haere ana. Ka kuhunga e Te Wehi te patu ki roto i a ia. Aa, kua tae rawa atu a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue. Ka paatai a Whare’, ‘Kei whea te patu, a Karioi-mutu?’ Ka whakaaturia atu e Uekaha kei raro i te kaakahu, aa, i te kaokao o Te Wehi. Ka tonoa nga taonga ra e Whare-tiipeti, aa, ka tae a Te Wehi ka hoatu. Ka hoki a Whare-tiipeti raaua ko Tapaue ki Waikato, ka riro i a raaua nga taonga ra.
(Source: Jones, Pei Te Hurinui and Biggs, Bruce, 1995. Nga Iwi o Tainui – The traditional history of the Tainui people – Nga korero tuku iho a nga tuupuna, Auckland University Press, Auckland. pp268-271)
