Cultural Inheritances Of Mythology example essay topic

The poetical work of Albert Wendt, Apirana Taylor, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Hone Tuwhare, Keri Hulme, Gloria Rawlinson, J.C. Sturm, and Roma Potiki all have voices that are informed by and reflect their Polynesian cultural inheritances in various ways. The main ways in which these inheritances can be seen to be reflected, is by showing the poets inclusion of their culture's mythology, customs, and civilisation. The way in which these poets voices have been informed by their cultures, can be seen with describing the way these poets address their culture's concerns. Albert Wendt was born in Western Samoa. The reflections of his Polynesian cultural inheritances is evident in the way he uses their mythologies in his poetry.

In his poem No Return there is an obvious use of culture's mythology: her journey to Pulotu has no dawn. (p 109) Pulotu is the spirit world in Polynesian mythology. In The Mountains of Ta u he draws on the famous legend of Maui: like spinning tops or Maui's endlessly / inventing mind. (p 110) Maui is an important part of Polynesian mythology; Maui is a demigod who is used to tell of many stories. There are also reflections of Polynesian cultural inheritances in Hone Tuwhare's use of mythology in his poetry. Tuwhare was born in Kaikohe, and belongs to the Ngapuhi hap us Ngati Korokoro, Ngati Taut ahi, Te Popo to, and Uri-O-Hau.

In his poem Papa-tu-a-nuku, he uses Maori mythology. The title, Papa-tu-a-nuku, means Earth Mother, which is part of a number of nature's elements that are personified in Maori mythology. He nse, the earth being personified as a mother, and the content of the poem involving this interaction with the earth: We are massaging the ricked bac of the land with our sore but ever-loving feet: hell, she loves it! Squirming, the land wriggles in delight. (p 242) The reflections of Polynesian cultural inheritances are also evident in Apirana Taylor's use of Maori mythology. Taylor is of Te Whanau-a-Apa nui, Ngati Porous and Ngati Ruan ui descent.

In his poem The Womb, when describing the grievances of the land because of the settlers damaging it, he describes the land's retaliation in the form of a Maori myth: that of the god Ruamoko: I am the land the womb of life and death Ruamoko the unborn god rumbles within me and the fires of Ruapehu still live. (p 101) Further, In the poetry of Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, there are also reflections of Polynesian cultural inheritances of mythology. Throughout the voice of Sanctuary of Spirits many Polynesian legends are referred to; such as Te Rauparaha, Tama, Hakitara, Phi, Te Hike, Tamaiharanui, etc. Throughout the voice of The Dark Lord of Savaii legends such as Paro a and Patou are mentioned. The name in the title itself is synonymous with his culture's mythology.

In Soul Traps, the legend of Maui is present again, as in Wendt's The Mountains of Ta u; Maui is often referred to in Polynesian poetry. It is not only the poets use of mythology in their poetry that reflects their cultural inheritances; it is also in the content of many of their poems that show the customs and civilisation of their culture. This is evident in the poetry of Tuwhare; such as in Tangi. A Tangi is the maori meaning for a funeral, which is a traditional ritual that Maoris undertake with the goodbyes and burial of the dead. The bowed heads / of old women (p 237) invokes an image that is synonymous with a Tangi. In the poem Dear Cousin, there is reference to food (or kai) that is synonymous with Maori's preference for such.

This includes Puha, Kamokamo, riwai, etc, which is represented in the following extract: and on it place a steaming pot of puha, / kamokamo, riwai. (p 245) The poetry of Keri Hulme also shows a reflecting of Maori cultural inheritances through her inclusions of their customs in her poetry. This is evident in her poetry from Fishing the Ole aria Tree. In this, the food that is described is synonymous with Maori kai; such as kumara, yams, muttonbirds, etc: pink flesh of smoked eels, the tangy succulence of oysters, muttonbirds grilled so their skin crackles and the sweet fat bastes the kumara, the baked yams, the wrinkled salmon-pink yams. (p 86) Throughout the poetry of Gloria Rawlinson; her inclusion of the civilisation of her culture, reflects the cultural inheritances from her old home of Tonga. This is evident in her poem The Islands Where I Was Born. The poem is about the memories of her home, as suggested by the title. Consequently, many aspects of her cultural inheritances from Tonga's civilisation are reflected.

The imagery is synonymous with Tonga's culture, in which there is much imagery of coral, palm trees, and the ocean: When I saw the Pacific skyward beyond our coral; / Farewells fluttered... palm-trees turned away (p 394) There are also islands, whales, etc: Once on an island voyage / A mating of whales. (p 395) More particular, in describing the poets use of their culture's customs and civilisation, there is their use of language. Wendt's cultural inheritances from Polynesia is reflected in the way he incorporates Samoan language into his poetry. This is evident in his poem The Mountains of Ta u. A lot of the words used are of the Samoan dialect, such as a itu and atua. Many of the nouns that are used are also of Samoan origin; such as the the sweet black berries of mos ooi and the lau maile leaves. (p 110) Tuwhare also reflects his cultural inheritances by incorporating his culture's language into his poetry. This is evident in his poem Sun o, where the speaker uses an informal style of speaking, synonymous with some Maoris way of speaking the English language.

The informal pronunciations and morphology of words can be seen as distinctively inherent with some people of his culture: G issa smile Sun, gis yr best good mawkin one, fresh n cool like yore still comin - still half in an half outa the lan scape (p 242) Despite the reflections of the poets Polynesian inheritances, the way that they have been informed by their Polynesian culture must be discussed. The way in which these poets voices have been informed by their cultures, can be seen by describing the way these poets address their culture's concerns. It is evident that the voice of Wendt's poetry is informed by his Polynesian culture, with his concern of the way that the Settlers have forced Colonialism upon them. This is a view held by many people because of the injustices that occured with it. He indicates this in his poem Colonialism: Independence. In this poem, Colonialism has attempted to mould the natives into the same shape as the Settlers, while rejecting their beliefs: The palagi Governor, he teach me the white face of his God and Government.

I learnt that. The palagi governor slyly tries to acheive this by giving him gifts, such as the materials to build him a strong house and the following: Then the palagi Governor, he reward / me with a musket. The over-persistence in which the Governor is trying to mould the natives into the shape of the settlers culture is indicated: when he refused / for to leave my house. The natives defiance to the Government trying to shape him into somebody else is indicated: I shot to him / and he is dead. (p 108) It is evident in the poetry of J.C. Sturm, that she is also informed by Polynesian culture, with her concerns for them. In her poem Maori to Pakeha it is evident that she is concerned with the settlers forceful colonialism. It is asserted that the settlers have been colonizing too much and that they do not belong; while the Maori assert their place in having every right to live their way on their land: Where do you think you re going You must be colour blind.

Can t you see you ve strayed Into another colour zone This is brown country, man Brown on the inside As well as the outside Brown through and through The unjust way in which the europeans have colonial ised is described. The Maoris are being held captive by the invading settlers: Meanwhile holding me gently Firmly captive Here, in the tight curve Of your alien arm. (p 75) Throughout the poetry of Taylor, it is evident that he is informed of Maori concerns, in that he also addresses the injustice of the settler's colonialism. This is evident in the poem The Womb. In The Womb the speaker is the native land, and is describing the way in which the settlers wrecking it; this is addressed in the following: Your fires burnt my forests leaving only the charred bones of to ara rim and kahikatea Your ploughs like the fingernails of a woman scarred my face It seems I became a domestic giant. (p 101) Taylor addresses the concerns of Maoris, also in the way that the langauge and culture of Maoris is dying.

This is evident in the poem Sad Joke on a Marae. In this poem, the speaker is Maori but the only maori words that he knows is Tihei Mauriora; implying that the language is dying: though I said nothing but Tihei Mauriora for that's all I knew. (p 99) In his poem Tai aha Haka Poem, he implies that Maori culture has become artificial. It is implied that there is no longer any authenticity or spirit to their cultural customs; but only plastic maoridom. So, Maori culture has been reduced to merely aesthetics with no soul: I am the t aiha left among people who dance and twirl poi in gaudy halls of plastic maoridom. (p 100) Taylor further emphasises the loss of Maori culture and spirit in his poem Te Kooti. The legend of Te Kooti with his rebellion on the settlers and his enigmatic spirit is described as dead. In other words, what he is implying is that the spirit of the Maori people today is spent.

This is made clear in the following extract: Now the stones are cold. Te Kooti is dead under incubus earth. We are ashes of his fire dead a hundred years. (p 99) This can be further elaborated, by discussing the poetry of Roma Potiki. Her poem Compulsory Class Visits suggests that maori culture is falling because their own people are being moulded into the shape of the settlers: and even the maori start to call themselves new zealanders. The only interest in maori culture now only comes through compulsory class visits.

Further, the class visits are suggested as simply aesthetic, synonymous with plastic maoridom: at the powhiri they are directed to sing there is no kae a there is no ihi. holding their papers, they look at the words - Ao-te-a-roa. (p 9) It is now evident, in the work of Albert Wendt, Apirana Taylor, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Hone Tuwhare, Keri Hulme, Gloria Rawlinson, J.C. Sturm, and Roma Potiki, that their Polynesian inheritances to their poetical voices are from their culture's mythology, customs, civilisation, and language. Following this, their voices being informed by their Polynesian culture, has been shown to be from their addressing of their culture's concerns.

Bibliography

Bornholdt, O'Brian, and Williams (eds). An Anthology of New Zealand Poetry in English. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1997.35 c.