Atua Mata Riri

A creation chant collected by Thomson in 1886 is supposed to give a list of gods and goddesses who mated and produced most of the natural objects known to natives. This chant was obtained from old Ure-vai-ko, who recited it as the text of a tablet. Unfortunately the spelling of many native words is inaccurate and inconsistent. A translation made by Salmon is equally free, as he assumed that the procreators were all gods whose names were meaningless, and thus misunderstood the true nature of the chant. The text given here is based on Thomson's and corrected by natives, but many verses are not intelligible.

Atua-matariri ki ai ki roto ki a te Poro, ka pu te poporo.
God-of-the-angry-look by copulating with Roundness (?) produced the poporo (Solanum nigrum).

Himahima-marao ki ai ki roto te Kihi-tupu-henua, ka pu te kihihi.
Himahima-marao by copulating with Lichen-growing-on-the-soil produced the lichen.

A Oevai ki ai ki roto Kava-kohe-kohe, ka pu te kohe.
Oevai (?) by copulating with Fern produced the fern.

Matua-anua ki ai ki roto ki a Pipiri-hai-tau, ka pu te miro.
The Parent-mother by copulating with Pipiri-hai-tau produced wood.

A Ngingi-e-ai ki ai ki roto ki a Humu-toti, ka pu te mahute.
Dryness by copulating with Humu-toti (Tattooing-of-the-leg) produced the paper mulberry.

He Ti ki ai ki roto ki a he Ta, ka pu te ti.
Ti by copulating with Ta [Tattooing] produced the ti.

A Tura ki ai ki roto ki a Tei, ka pu te mauku-uta.
Elevation (?) by copulating with Highness produced the inland-grass.

A Hau [or Heu] ki ai ki roto Vava, ka pu te tureme.
Hau tree by copulating with Vava produced the tureme (Dichelachne sciurea).

A he Kai ki ai ki roto He Peue, ka pu te mataa.
Sharpness by copulating with Adz produced obsidian.

Viri-koue ki ai ki roto Aringa-rehe-uru-arero, ka pu te rona.
Twining by copulating with Beautiful-face-with-penetrating-tongue produced the morning-glory plant.

Atua-Metua ki ai ki roto kia Riri-tuna-rai, ka pu te niu.
Parent-god by copulating with Angry-eel produced the coconut.

Atua-Metua ki ai ki roto ki te Vuhi-atua, ka pu te toro-miro.
Parent-god by copulating with Vuhi-the-god produced the toro-miro tree.

Atua-Metua ki ai ki roto ki te Puhavao-atua, ka pu te moana.
Parent-god by copulating with Puhavao-the-god produced green-leaves.

A he Uru ki ai ki roto te Tumu, ka pu te marikuru.
Grove by copulating with Trunk produced the ashwood tree (Sapindus saponaria).

A te Veke ki ai ki roto Pohuhutuhutu-tere-vai-mangaro, ka pu te veke.
Dragonfly by copulating with Bug-that-flies-on-fresh-water produced the dragonfly.

A Hahamea ki ai ki roto Hohio, ka pu te takaure.
Stinging-fly by copulating with Swarm-of-flies produced the fly.

A Ukia ki ai ki roto More-manga, ka pu te ngarava.
Branch by copulating with Broken-crotch produced the beetle-living-in-rotten-wood.

Vie Moko ki ai ki roto kia Tea, ka pu te kena.
Goddess Moko by copulating with Whiteness produced the gannet.

Te Reheue ki ai ki roto Vie Raupa ka pu te raupa.
Reheue (?) by copulating with dess-leaf produced the leaves.

A he Roe ki ai ki roto Uuhipura [or Nuhepura], ka pu te roe.
Ant by copulating with Uuhipura [or Nuhepura, Glowworm?] produced the ant.

Te Hatu ki ai ki roto kia te Api-ai-raro, ka pu te toa.
Hard-soil by copulating with Covering-below produced the sugar cane.

Ira-pupue ki ai ki roto Ira-kaka, ka pu te pia.
Irrigation by copulating with Leaves produced the arrowroot.

Mangeongeo ki ai ki roto he Rake-rake, ka pu te kape.
Acridness by copulating with Bad-taste produced the arum.

A Hue ki ai ki roto Pana, ka pu te hue.
Calabash by copulating with Pana (?) produced calabash.

He Hina [He ima?] ki ai ki roto kia Rui-haka-ma-rui, ka pu te raa.
Moon (?) by copulating with Darkness (?) produced Sun.

Huru-au ki ai ki roto Hina-oio, ka pu te moa.
Feather by copulating with Hina-oio (?) produced the fowl.

A Hikua ki ai ki roto Hina-oio, ka pu te uraura.
Tail (?) by copulating with Hina-oio produced the crayfish.

Tingahae ki ai ki roto Parararara-hiku-tea, ka pu te niuhi.
Killing by copulating with Flat-one-of-the-white-tail (the sting ray) produced the shark.

A Hikue ki ai ki roto Hina-oioi, ka pu te taoraha.
Tail (?) by copulating with Hina-oioi (?) produced the whale.

Tiki-te-hatu ki ai ki roto Hihohiho-ki-te-turu, ka pu te paroko.
Tiki-the-lord by copulating with Running-and-flowing-down [water] produced the rockfish.

Tiki-te-hatu ki ai ki roto Hina-popoia, ka pu te Hina-kauhara.
Tiki-the-lord by copulating with Hina-the-heaped-up produced Hina-kauhara.

Tiki-te-hatu ki ai ki roto Maea, ka pu te herahera-kiko-mea.
Tiki-the-lord by copulating with Stone produced burning-red-meat (?).

Tiki-te-hatu ki ai ki roto Rurua-tiki-te-hatu, ka pu te Ririkatea.
Tiki-the-lord by copulating with Ruruatiki-the-lord produced (king) Ririkatea.

E timo te raemea [amura he ki te aro] mo tunu te ika, mo hangai i te ariki.
He taught that the brook fish ... were to be cooked and given as food for the king.

Takoua ki ai ki roto Tukouo, ka pu te poopoo.
Takoua by copulating with Tukouo produced the poopoo-fish.

E Toto te uhi no kino no naroko no nga oreno, no nga tokotoko rua papa.
(Thomson's translation: "E Toto discovered the sweet taste of the yam and made it the principal food of the people.")

E puoko te maika no Tupa-iti no Tupa-nui.
The head of the banana is for King Tupa-iti and King Tupa-nui.

Uku ki ai ki roto kia Rori, ka pu te ngaatu.
Uku (?) by copulating with Undulation produced the bulrush.

Kuhikia ki ai ki roto Taurari, ka pu te ngaatu.
Kuhikia (?) by copulating with Wetness produced the bulrush.

Kuhikia ki ai ki roto Rupe-roa, ka pu te turi.
Kuhikia by copulating with Pigeon produced the sea-gull.

Taaria ki ai ki roto Taaria, ka pu te tau-eehu.
Small-thing by copulating with Small-thing produced the imperceptible-thing.

Hainge (?) ki ai ki roto Hatukuti, ka pu te evea.
Small-thing by copulating with Small-thing produced the imperceptible-thing.

Pauaroroko ki ai ki roto Hakukuti, ka pu te tae-rongo-veteve.
Pauaroroko (?) by copulating with Hakukuti (?) produced the free-ones-who-do-not-obey.

Hini-rere-rere ki ai ki roto Kanoho-tata-poro, ka pu te poporo.
Delaying-to-run (?) by copulating with Staying-until-tomorrow produced the poporo plant.

Numia a Tangaire turu herohero te toto o te o kovare.
It runs red, the blood of the kovare.

Ka mau te kovare, taratara te kovare.
Abundant the kovare, rough the eels.

Turu ki te ua manau ( ? ) manavai roa.
The rain falls in long drops.

Ruanuku [raituahe a ana kihorou eaa e toe tua tanu to tana moko] eaha hangai e toe e uhi, e kumara.
Ruanuku...... what was left to be fed on the yams and the sweet potatoes.

The value of this version of the chant is impaired by uncertain spellings, arbitrary translations, and the unintelligibility of the last part of the text which seems to have no connection with the first part. All attempts to discover the original sequence and meaning of the words failed despite the assistance of the natives. Though some parts of the text remain obscure, the general character is obvious. It is a typical Polynesian procreation chant patterned after the genealogical recitals stressed in eastern Polynesian society. The scheme of the chant is simple and monotonous. It consists of the enumeration of a series of natural objects, such as plants, animals, and celestial phenomena, represented as offspring of progenitors, some of whom are gods and others personified natural objects or abstract qualities belonging to the object supposed to have been produced by their union.