4. The pair of seasons can be characterized as 'land' (Hine-raumati, the Summer Maid, dwelt on land) and 'sea' (Hine-takurua, the Winter Maid, dwelt with her elder, Tangaroa, out at sea). Makemson (a.a.): 'The Sun spends part of the year with the Winter Maid in the south, afar out on the ocean. The word south in the first sentence should read north in order to make the statement consistent with the actual situation in the latitude of New Zealand. The myth had apparently been brought intact from an ancient habitat in the northern hemisphere. In the month of June occurs the changing of the Sun and he slowly returns to his other wife, to the Summer Maid who dwells on land and whose other name is Aroaro-a-manu. This period we call summer. And so acts the Sun in all the years. The child of the Summer Maid was Hikohiko. The old folk have told me [Hamiora Pio, a learned Maori] that at the time of the winter solstice the wise men of yore would say 'The Sun is returning to land to dwell with the Summer Maid.' The solstices are the points where Sun is 'fully grown' (summer solstice) respectively 'falling on his face' (winter solstice). If Sun then will return to 'land' to once again dwell with his Summer Maid, he must surely first be reincarnated (return from the land of the dead) and his takaure must find a new body to live in: ... Let the spirit of the man be gathered to the world of being, the world of light. / Then see. Placed in the body is the flying bird, the spirit-breath. / Then breathe! / Sneeze, living spirit, to the world of being, the world of light. / Then see. Placed in the body is the flying bird, the breath. / Be breathing then, great Tu. Now live! This 'man' who came alive, who began to breathe and sneeze, could very well be Sun. I have other evidence regarding Tu, which seems to confirm it. |