Chapter XVI
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people, sons of a woman called Te aropoanaa, planned to take part in the race of kites, though they were not invited. They belonged to the part of the district which the Atiroos had taken, and had suffered under their domineering treatment, until, like boys in other countries, they wanted to pick a quarrel, especially as they knew their superiority at kite-flying. When the feast-day arrived, the Atiroos flew their kites, and while they were watching eagerly to see which flew best, from a neighboring hill four kites started up, more beautiful than theirs, and much faster. These flew over the Atiroos’ kites, catching them up and passing them so quickly that the crowd of gazers were struck with awe, not knowing where the strange kites could come from.
The awe quickly gave way to anger. The Atiroos were furious at the insult, and eager to know who had been guilty of it. The elders gave orders to their young men to follow the kites till they fell, to lie in wait for the owners, and to kill them when they appeared. The kites flew high and far; the young men followed them across the mountains into the territory of Taaua itata nuurua, the descendant of Punua teraitua; and at last the kites fell near the Marae of Nuurua. The Atiroos were first on the ground, and when the four boys, following their kites, reached the spot, they were all murdered with the cruelty which was intended in these native feuds to show the utmost expression of contempt, hatred and defiance. The Atiroos had thus committed every possible outrage, including sacrilege.
The boy’s mother, Tearopoanaa, waited their return until she knew that they must be in trouble, and then she followed. Of course, such an affair was instantly known to everyone in the neighbourhood. The mother soon found the mutilated bodies of her sons; and probably in presence of crowds of people, with the forms of the most sacred custom, she bathed herself with their blood, and swore revenge.
She was herself not a chief, and could do nothing unless some chief would take up her quarrel. The nearest Arii was the one in whose district, near whose Marae, the sacrilege had been committed, -- Taau-aitatanuurua. To him she went first, and in the due forms claimed his aid. He refused. She then went to Tauraatua, chief of Faatoai,
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Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the revised Paris edition of 1901 page 164, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-marua-164.html