Kāhu ki Rotorua: Warrior hunts priest who wants to do him harm

Purākāu:

Ka hī te atatū, kai te nehenehe a Apumoana e whakamomoka ana, kai tētehi ringaringa ko tana tao, ka nui ki mua, ka nui ki muri, kai te whakarongo pīkari ōna taringa.

Kai te takiwā tētehi reo pure e haere ana.

Ka tūturi a Apumoana kai te whenua ia e ngāoki ana, kātahi ia ka tae ki tētehi wāhi ururua, engari ko te reo o te tangata e taki karakia haere ana.

Ka whakapūarengia e ia te taekai, ki tūā ko tana hoa riri ko Taiapua e taki karakia ana.

E noho puku nei a Apumoana kai te whai haere ōna taringa i te tangi o te tohunga, kātahi ka whakahuangia e te tohunga te ingoa o tō tātau rangatira, ko Apumoana.

E karakia ana a Taiapua hai whakatāmī i te kaha me te wairua ora o Apumoana.

He tohunga hoki a Apumoana, wheoi anō kai te ringaringa tana tao. Hūpana ake tō tātau rangatira me tana tao, whaititiri papā, ka ngāwhātia te rae o Taiapua. Ka okaina tana manawa hai kai mā Maru. Ka tapā te tūarahiwaroa o te wāhi i patua ai tēnei tangata e Apumoana ko, “Te taumata o te tuahu i tahuna ai te ahi tapoa i tunutunu ai te manawa o Taiapua”. Ko Apumoana te whakapakanga o ngā tamariki a Rangitihi. Ko tana makau tuawha nana ko Apumoana ko Manawakotokoto. Ka puta ki waho ko Rākeiao, ka rere i muri ko Kawatapuarangi, ā, ko Apumoana. He waimarie nō tātau e tū ana tēnei tupuna whare ki raro i ngā taketake o Tokotokorangi pā, kai te āhua takiwā o Ngapuna.

E hoki ana ki te wā o ngā tuatahi e tū kē nei tō tātau tupuna whare ki te whenua āhua tata iti nei ki te pā o Te Kata. Ki tua iti nei i te pā whakahirahira o Rangiwhakakapua.

Wheoi anō rā, ko ngā whenua e takoto mai na i Owhata haere tonu, haere tonu ka tū ki Ōwhatiura.

Ka huri ngā mārama, ka huri ngā kaupeka, ka haere tū ngā waewae o tana hūnuku, ka whaka-te-tonga katoa āna tangata ki te moana o Rotokākahi. Ki reira rātau tau atu ai.

Nō te matenga o Rangitihi ka puta ia ki te kawe i ngā karakia ki runga ki tō rātau matua tāne āpiti atu ki tēnei mahi rangatira nā te mea e kūware ana ōna tuakana ki te tākai i tō rātau matua tāne ka waiho māna mā Apumoana tēnei e whakatika.

Nā reira te pepeha e kaha pepehangia nei e tātau, ngā waru pūmanawa o Rangitihiwhakahirahira te ūpoko i ngāwhātia i tākaia ki te akatea.

Kai reira hoki tētehi tātai kōrero e mea ana nānā hoki, nā Apumoana te ūpoko wāwahi o tōna matua tāne i hereherea, i tākaia ki te akatea.

Apumoana made his home at Rotokakahi.

Ka moe a Apumoana i a Te Aowheoro. He tamāhine nā Tūhourangi me Rongomaipapa ka puta ki waho ko te tini tangata.

Koia e rite nei ki tōna mātua tāne ka mate hoki ia. Ka kawea tēnei tupuna ki tētehi ana whakahirahira ki te tihi o Tarawera hai poukaiāwha mō te iwi.

Nō te hūtanga o te maunga ka horo katoa te takiwā ka pau hoki ngā kōiwi i te riri o te maunga.

Ko āna uri ko Te Anaunaua-o-Apumoana, ko Ngāti Kahuupoko, ko Ngāti Tumatawera, ko Ngāti Wāhiao, ko Ngai Tūhourangi.

Purākāu:

The rays of the morning sun found Apumoana deep in the forest hunting; in one hand, he held his long spear. There was still a vast field ahead of him; despite the significant area, he had already covered his ears on high alert, scanning the bush for signs of potential prey.

Then, in the air, a low murmuring recital of fast rhythmic words caught his attention. Captured by this sound, Apumoana continued moving cautiously towards the sound on his hands and knees.

Ahead, in an area not too far from where he decided to pause, he pushed aside some shrubs to view who was reciting the chant and from where.

Not too far away was his neighbour and enemy, Taiapua, who continued with his chant, which now included the name of Apumoana himself.

This chanting in seclusion was Taiapua’s attempt to weaken Apumoana through witchcraft.

Apumoana was also a priest, so instead of succumbing, he tightened his grip on his spear and immediately surged forward towards Taiapua.

His hunting spear fell strong upon the forehead of Taiapua, opening his skull. Apumoana took the heart of Taiapua and offered it to the war god Marutewhareaitu.

The range where this encounter took place was named ‘the hill of the altar where the fire of witchcraft was kindled, the fire in which was cooked the heart of Taiapua’.

Apumoana, when he came of age, acquired land that stretched from Owhata to Ōwhatiura, and over time, his family departed from this area, moving out to occupy Rotokākahi.

Of the stories that have survived regarding Apumoana, it is said that on the death of the great chief Rangitihi, his older siblings encountered complications during the preparation of their father’s body.

Apumoana, without hesitation, was quick to rectify the awkward situation, unifying his siblings. Hence the rising of the saying, ‘the eight hearts of Rangitihi’.

It is also espoused that it was Apumoana who bound the split head of their father.

Apumoana, the young priest, would marry his niece Te Aowheoro, a daughter of Tūhourangi and Rongimaipapa.

Through this union, many children were born who today still identify themselves as Te Anaunaua-o-Apumoana, Ngāti Kahuupoko, Ngāti Tūmatawera, Ngāti Wāhiao and Ngai Tūhourangi.