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Pe'e

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Pe'e

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First lines from recording:

E uru tupu ariki te 'apai a te pepe

E uru tupu ariki, e ika na Rongo

 
Date Recorded: 21 Nov 1967
Location: Ka'umata, Mangaia, Cook Islands
 
 
Accession Number: 83/149.05

Notes:

About Rongo’s fish, which Matarau stole. Rongo and Matarau were both gods. Matarau was said to have 150 eyes. He was the god of Tongaiti (an old family). In the song, the word pepe refers to a butterfly. There are two kinds of butterfly, the pepe tako (black butterfly) and pepe rengarenga (yellow butterfly). A black butterfly was sent by Rongo to look for his fish, and on returning without the fish sang the first part of the Pe‘e (“E uru tupu ariki” etc.) to Rongo. Rongo then sent a yellow butterfly on he same errand. It came back with the fish and recited to Rongo “Ua ariri te ika i te kupua e kiritia e”. According to the Mangaian missionary, William Wyatt Gill, the myth of Rongo’s fish and the butterflies actually refers metaphorically to the stealing away of a human sacrifice, which was termed a “fish”, from Rongo’s altar. The following version of the story, as told to Gill has changed substantially in later telling: Three varieties of butterflies are indigenous on Mangaia: a large, velvety, purple beauty; a somewhat smaller one, with red spots ; and a small, unattractive, yellow sort. One day Rongo missed from his altar a fine sword-fish (aku): it had been stolen by the Lizard-god, Matarau, whose marae is at Aumoana, at Tamarua. Rongo ordered his swift messengers, the birds, to fly to that marae to see whether it was not hidden there. The birds obeyed, and found the stolen sword-fish in the sacred shade of the marae. Hard by, in a gloomy little recess, the Lizard kept constant watch. Now this Lizard had, as its name Matarau implies, two hundred eyes, besides eight heads and eight tails. So that all that the bird-messengers could do was to look on with awe at a distance, from the branches of the sacred trees. They returned to great Rongo, and told what they had seen. They were chided by Rongo, and bidden to return to the grove of the Lizard-god, and endeavour to bring away the “fish” stolen from his altar. The birds returned, and in their zeal venturing too near the cave of the god possessed of two hundred eyes, were all summarily devoured. Several other bird-messengers shared a similar fate. Rongo now commissioned rich velvety butterflies to attempt the rescue; but they, too, were all snapped up by the Lizard-god. The red butterflies fared no better. At last Rongo at his wits’ end, hit upon a notable device to get back his stolen sacrifice: two little yellow butterflies were summoned to his presence, and were directed to a banyan tree growing out of the rocks just over the entrance to the cave where the ever-vigilant Lizard kept watch. Adhering to the inside of two sere yellow leaves, their presence would not be noticed. The trusty little messengers, so utterly insignificant in appearance, easily made their way unnoticed to the banyan tree. All the butterflies and moths of Mangaia hid themselves amongst the leaves in the immediate neighbourhood, in order to render assistance. Rongo now caused the “moio “ (W. by N.) wind to blow violently across the island (in a straight line from the grove of Rongo to that of the Lizard-god). Down came a shower of yellow leaves with the two yellow butterflies upon the stolen “fish.” Little did the Lizard suspect that two messengers of his rival Rongo were hidden underneath the multitude of leaves which caused his eyes to blink for a moment. The clever little butterflies inwardly chuckled, as success was now certain, for they had seized their prey. And now myriads of butterflies and moths of all sorts and colours came to the aid of their friends. The ears of the astonished Lizard-god were assailed by the defiant shouts of the war-dance, as the sword-fish was borne on the wings of the army of butterflies through the air across the island to the altar of Rongo. With infinite chagrin the Lizard-god helplessly watched the disappearance of his stolen “fish.” As they fled they sang:- E uru tupu ariki, e ika na Rongo Dance in triumph before this (fish) offering to Rongo E apai e takitaki aere. Lift it on high; bear it carefully on. “Aumoana” is the ancient marae of the Tongan tribe, to whom Vaioeve belonged. Unquestionably this is an allegorical account of the loss and recovery of Vaioeve, or some other very early victim; the object being to conceal the fact from the vulgar. That an ambush was formed, and two clever fellows dared the anger of the Lizard-god, in order to recover a stolen sacrifice (or “fish,” as it was invariably termed) is very probable.

Use this link to cite or share this resource: http://ampm.auckland.ac.nz/handle/id/68615

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