Hinau is the Maori name for this New Zealand tree. One particular specimen, in North Island, was famous with the Maori as a fertility smbol. A childless woman embraced the tree while her husband recited the necessary charm. The east side of the tree was the male side, the west the female, and the woman would make her choice of east or west according to whether she wanted a boy or girl child (Andersen).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment