to have brought men their first
fire.[56] One day, when his wife was making bark-cloth and had not time
to finish it before night, Maui laid his hand on the sun and prevented
it from going down till the work was completed.[57]

[56] E. Tregear, _Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary_, p.
236, _s.v._ "Maui"; A. Marcuse, _Die Haiwaiischen Inseln_, p.
98.

[57] Tyerman and Bennet, _op. cit._ i. 433; J. J. Jarves, _op.
cit._ p. 26.

The national war-god of Hawaii was named Tairi (Kaili). In the evening
he used to be seen flitting about near his temple in the form of a sort
of luminous vapour, like a flame or the tail of a comet. A similar
appearance is also occasionally seen in the Society Islands, where the
terrified natives formerly identified it with their god Tane, and
supposed that the meteor was the deity flying from temple to temple or
seeking whom he might destroy.[58] The image of the war-god Tairi used
to be carried to battle by the priest, who held it aloft above the
ranks. It was four or five feet high; the upper part was of wicker-work,
covered with red feathers; the face grinned hideously; the mouth
displayed triple rows of dog's or shark's teeth; the eyes gleamed with
mother of pearl; and the head was crowned with a helmet crested with
long tresses of human hair. In the battle the priest used to distort his
face into a variety of frightful grimaces and to utter appalling yells,
which were supposed to proceed from the god whom he bore or attended.
But the national war-god was not the only deity whose image was borne to
battle. Other chiefs of rank had their war-gods carried near them by
their priests; and if the king or chief was killed or taken, the god
himself was usually captured also. The presence of their deities
inspired the warriors with courage; for they imagined the divine
influence to be essential to victory.[59] The diviners were consulted
immediately before a battle. They slew the victims, and noticed the face
of the heavens, the passage of clouds over the sun, and the appearance
of a rainbow. If the omens were favourable, the image of the principal
war-god was brought out in front of the whole army and placed near the
king. The priest then prayed to the gods, beseeching them to prove
themselves stronger than the gods of the enemy in the ensuing
engagement, and promising them hecatombs of victims in the event of
victory. The bodies of foes slain in the battle were dragged