Pe`e

Item — crate: R043838626, Reel: 5000027018400

Identifier: AMPS 2023/01. Series 2. Item 2/69

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

First lines begin: "E uru tupu ariki te `apai a te pepe | E uru tupu ariki, e ika na Rongo"

Dates

1967-11-21

Creator

From the Collection: McLean, Mervyn (1930-2022) (Person)
From the Collection: Mokotupu, Tepaki (Person)
From the Collection: Naku, Simona (Person)

To request or comment

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Biographical / Historical

About Rongo's fish, which Matarau stole. Ronga and Matarau were both gods. Matarau was said to have 150 eyes. He was the god of Tongaiti (an old family). In the song, the word pepe refers to a butterfly. There are two kinds of butterfly, the pepe tako (black butterfly) and pepe rengarenga (yellow butterfly). A black butterfly was sent by Rongo to look for his fish, and on returning without fish sang the first part of the Pe`e ("E uru tapu ariki..."). Rongo then sent a yellow butterfly on the same errand. It came back with the fish and recited to Rongo "Ua ariri te ika i te kupua e kiritia e".