The press reported a drowning death, presumably a maori, off Mana Island lying just south of Kapiti Island.
Local unnamed maoris then declared a 7 days Rahui, this a superstitious practise prohibiting the catching of fish in the area for a week. The police appealed to the public to respect the maoris wish, albeit they didn’t explain why.
This is nonsense and an all too common event which I suspect is subscribed to by few maoris. However, those who buy into it are of course free to adhere to it.
I read a fortnight back that surprisingly, some Catholics still practise the nonsense of not eating meat on Fridays.
Would the police back a call from a priest (assuming there are still some not yet in prison), asking everyone to respect the belief and not eat meat on Fridays? We know the answer.
Diverse superstitious beliefs are held by about 40% of New Zealanders. They’re mostly religious in nature. But none demand the wider public also subscribe to them, this Rahui rubbish excepted.
7 Comments
You’re absolutely correct again! Thank you👍🏻
I demand to know why the Labour party and NZ University academics do not respect Ramadan ?
They dis-respect my religion?
I am offended.
This is the most sensible comment on Maori customs and religion in general. Believe what you like but don’t expect others to follow you. Fortunately there are no bears in NZ or I’d be asking, actually insisting, that pedestrians avoid footpath cracks.
I agree. It must have meant something at some time, to appease the angry god of water or whatever, but it doesn’t make much sense now. And, I wonder if on busy Fridays, as priests rush from one nefarious deed to the next, whether they stop for a mince pie, or a savoury something.
Thank God for democracy! Oh, I might need to edit that statement…
Get used to it. When co governance is acheived with the accompanying maori control rahui will likely be rcognised in legislation. I feel especially for tourist operators in the Ruapehu area who suffer a stop on activities for days whenever some maori gets run over in the area.
I am reminded of the old cartoon about two fleas arguing over who owns the dog, the earth has been carrying on drowning things, growing things, exploding things and circling the sun for countless millenia. The strange religious ideas that the various people who briefly populate it count for absolutely nothing. Believe all the mumbo jumbo you want, but don’t ask me to get involved.