Page:Maori Division of Time.djvu/33

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THE MAORI DIVISION OF TIME
29
26. Otane A good day. Eel-fishing night.
27. Orongonui A desirable day. The inanga now migrate if the proper moon has arrived.
28. Mauri The morning is fine. The moon is now darkened.
29. Omutu A bad day.
30. Mutuwhenua An exceedingly bad day. The moon has expired.

In the above list we note a displacement of some names. Ari appears as the 9th night, owing to the omission of two of the Tamatea nights. It is noticeable that lists of these names prepared by the same individual for different lunar months do not agree with each other, and there must be some reason for this. Evidently the remarks attached to Metera's list above have some bearing on this subject. The omission noted displaces the Ohua or full-moon name by two nights, which would appear to render the name a misnomer.

A note appended to the above list states that June is the lunar month Te Tahi o Pipiri, though there is some overlapping. Thus in this year (1922) the lunar month Te Tahi o Pipiri commences on Saturday, the 27th May, and ends on Saturday, the 24th June, according to a native almanac. The second lunar month of the Maori year will commence this year on the 25th June, which will be the Whiro night, according to the above almanac. In this first month the Pleiades, or Matariki, is said to be preceding Rigel. Matariki spends seven nights in Papawhakatangitangi, and then enters Mahutu, wherein it abides until the Tangaroa nights arrive.

A list collected by the late Mr. S. Locke contains but twenty-seven names. The authority explained that the moon was invisible for the other three nights. He begins the list with Tirea and ends with Omutu. Of the Atua night he says: "High tides now commence. The inanga are moving." These remarks concerning the movements of fish, however, apply only to certain months. The Korekore nights are so named because no food products of land or sea can then be obtained. The name Ohua is omitted in the above list.

A list contributed by Wi Kingi, of Okirihau, in 1849 appears in Mr. White's MS. matter. It has the peculiarity of commencing with the disappearing of the old moon. It resembles a list given by the Rev. R. Taylor, and contains names not known on the eastern side of the Island:—

No. 7.
1. Nonihape The moon disappears; sinks into the underworld.
2. Takataka-putea The moon moves in the under world.
3. Whitikiraua The moon begins to ascend from the underworld.
4. Ohoata The moon is visible.
5. Ouenuku.
6. Mawete.
7. Tutahi.
8. Otama.
9. Pa He and his wife Haere-ahiahi are together. When the moon is seen early in the morning it is called Pa.
10. Ari.