Polynesian Mythology · Chapter
The Two Sorcerers explained
A tale of magical rivalry between the sorcerer Kiki, whose shadow withers plants, and the visiting chief Tāmure, who uses protective incantations and cunning to defeat Kiki in a contest of sorcery, ultimately causing Kiki's death.
What happens
A tale of magical rivalry between the sorcerer Kiki, whose shadow withers plants, and the visiting chief Tāmure, who uses protective incantations and cunning to defeat Kiki in a contest of sorcery, ultimately causing Kiki's death.
Themes in this chapter
Resistance and Resilience
Tāmure uses protective incantations and clever tactics to resist Kiki's deadly sorcery and emerge victorious.
Social Structure and Equality
The tale illustrates the transmission of magical knowledge from parent to child, reinforcing hereditary social roles.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“The offspring of Kiki wither shrubs.”
The descendants of Kiki cause plants to wither.
A proverb originating from Kiki's magical shadow that made plants tapu and wither.
“If any parties coming up the river called at his village in their canoes as they paddled by, he still remained quietly at home, and never troubled himself to come out, but just drew back the sliding door of his house, so that it might stand open, and the strangers stiffened and died.”
When canoes passed his village, Kiki would simply open his door, and the strangers would die without him leaving his house.
Describes Kiki's lethal sorcery performed from within his home.
“Tāmure thought he would go and contend in the arts of sorcery with Kiki, that it might be seen which of them was most skilled in magic.”
Tāmure decided to challenge Kiki to a contest of sorcery to determine who was more powerful.
Motivation for Tāmure's journey to Kiki's village.
“He repeated an incantation of the kind called 'Mata-tawhito,' to preserve him safe from all arts of sorcery; and he repeated other incantations, to ward off spells, to protect him from magic, to collect good genii round him, to keep off evil spirits, and to shield from demons.”
Tāmure chanted several protective spells to safeguard himself from Kiki's magic.
Tāmure's preparation before landing at Kiki's village.
“The old sorcerer now made his appearance out of his house, and he invited Tāmure to come and eat food with him; but the food was all enchanted, and his object in asking Tāmure to eat with him was, that the enchanted food might kill him.”
Kiki offered Tāmure enchanted food, intending to kill him by eating it.
Kiki's attempt to use enchanted food as a weapon.
“Tāmure said that his young daughter was very hungry, and would eat of the food offered to them; he in the meantime kept on repeating incantations of the kind called Mata-tawhito, Whakangungu, and Parepare, protections against enchanted food, and as she ate she also continued to repeat them.”
Tāmure had his daughter eat the enchanted food while both repeated protective incantations to neutralize the magic.
Tāmure's strategy to avoid eating the enchanted food himself.