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offering all over Polynesia。 In the excellent work of the Rev。
George Turner； entitled Nineteen Years in Polynesia
（p。 241）； I find it said of the Samoans （near neighbours of
the Tongans）：
The offerings were principally cooked food。 As in ancient
Greece so in Samoa； the first cup was in honour of the god。
It was either poured out on the ground or waved towards
the heavens； reminding us again of the Mosaic ceremonies。
The chiefs all drank a portion out of the same cup； according to
rank； and after that； the food brought as an offering was
divided and eaten 'there before the Lord。'
In Tonga； when they consulted a god who had a priest； the
latter； as representative of the god； had the first cup； but if
the god； like Ta…li…y…Tooboo； had no priest； then the chief
place was left vacant； and was supposed to be occupied by the
god himself。 When the first cup of kava was filled； the
mataboole who acted as master of the ceremonies said； 〃Give it
to your god；〃 and it was offered； though only as a matter of
form。 In Tonga and Samoa there were many sacred places or
morais； with houses of the ordinary construction； but
which served as temples in consequence of being dedicated to
various gods； and there were altars on which the sacrifices were
offered； nevertheless there were few or no images。 Mariner
mentions none in Tonga； and the Samoans seem to have been
regarded as no better than atheists by other Polynesians because
they had none。 It does not appear that either of these peoples
had images even of their family or ancestral gods。
In Tahiti and the adjacent islands； Moerenhout （t。 i。 p。 471）
makes the very interesting observation； not only that idols were
often absent； but that； where they existed； the images of the
gods served merely as depositories for the proper
representatives of the divinity。 Each of these was called a
maro aurou； and was a kind of girdle artistically adorned
with red； yellow； blue； and black feathersthe red feathers
being especially importantwhich were consecrated and kept as
sacred objects within the idols。 They were worn by great
personages on solemn occasions； and conferred upon their wearers
a sacred and almost divine character。 There is no distinct
evidence that the maro aurou was supposed to have any
special efficacy in divination； but one cannot fail to see a
certain parallelism between this holy girdle； which endowed its
wearer with a particular sanctity； and the ephod。
According to the Rev。 R。 Taylor； the New Zealanders formerly
used the word karakia （now employed for 〃prayer〃） to
signify a 〃spell； charm； or incantation；〃 and the utterance of
these karakias constituted the chief part of their cult。 In the
south； the officiating priest had a small image； 〃about eighteen
inches long； resembling a peg with a carved head；〃 which reminds
one of the form commonly attributed to the teraphim。
The priest first bandaged a fillet of red parrot feathers under
the god's chin； which was called his pahau or beard； this
bandage was made of a certain kind of sennet； which was tied on
in a peculiar way。 When this was done it was taken possession of
by the Atua； whose spirit entered it。 The priest then either
held it in the hand and vibrated it in the air whilst the
powerful karakia was repeated； or he tied a piece of string
（formed of the centre of a flax leaf） round the neck of the
image and stuck it in the ground。 He sat at a little distance
from it； leaning against a tuahu； a short stone pillar stuck in
the ground in a slanting position and； holding the string in his
hand； he gave the god a jerk to arrest his attention； lest he
should be otherwise engaged； like Baal of old； either hunting；
fishing； or sleeping； and therefore must be awaked。 。。。 The god
is supposed to make use of the priest's tongue in giving a
reply。 Image…worship appears to have been confined to one part
of the island。 The Atua was supposed only to enter the image for
the occasion。 The natives declare they did not worship the image
itself； but only the Atua it represented； and that the image was
merely used as a way of approaching him。
This is the excuse for image…worship which the more intelligent
idolaters make all the world over； but it is more interesting to
observe that； in the present case； we seem to have the
equivalents of divination by teraphim； with the aid of something
like an ephod （which； however； is used to sanctify the image and
not the priest） mixed up together。 Many Hebrew archaeologists
have supposed that the term 〃ephod〃 is sometimes used for an
image （particularly in the case of Gideon's ephod）； and the
story of Micah； in the book of Judges； shows that images were；
at any rate； employed in close association with the ephod。
If the pulling of the string to call the attention of the god
seems as absurd to us as it appears to have done to the worthy
missionary； who tells us of the practice； it should be
recollected that the high priest of Jahveh was ordered to wear a
garment fringed with golden bells。
And it shall be upon Aaron to minister； and the sound thereof
shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before
Jahveh； and when he cometh out； that he die not （Exod。
xxviii。 35）。
An escape from the obvious conclusion suggested by this passage
has been sought in the supposition that these bells rang for the
sake of the worshippers； as at the elevation of the host in the
Roman Catholic ritual； but then why should the priest be
threatened with the well…known penalty for inadvisedly beholding
the divinity？
In truth； the intermediate step between the Maori practice and
that of the old Israelites is furnished by the Kami temples in
Japan。 These are provided with bells which the worshippers who
present themselves ring； in order to call the attention of the
ancestor…god to their presence。 Grant the fundamental assumption
of the essentially human character of the spirit； whether Atua；
Kami； or Elohim； and all these practices are equally rational。
The sacrifices to the gods in Tonga； and elsewhere in Polynesia；
were ordinarily social gatherings； in which the god； either in
his own person or in that of his priestly representative； was
supposed to take part。 These sacrifices were offered on every
occasion of importance； and even the daily meals were prefaced
by oblations and libations of food and drink； exactly answering
to those offered by the old Romans to their manes； penates； and
lares。 The sacrifices had no moral significance； but were the
necessary result of the theory that the god was either a deified
ghost of an ancestor or chief； or； at any rate； a being of like
nature to these。 If one wanted to get anything out of him；
therefore； the first step was to put him in good humour by
gifts； and if one desired to escape his wrath； which might be
excited by the most trifling neglect or unintentional
disrespect； the great thing was to pacify him by costly
presents。 King Finow appears to have been somewhat of a
freethinker （to the great horror of his subjects）； and it was
only his untimely death which prevented him from dealing with
the priest of a god； who had not returned a favourable answer to
his supplications； as Saul dealt with the priests of the
sanctuary of Jahveh at Nob。 Nevertheless； Finow showed his
practical belief in the gods during the sickness of a daughter；
to whom he was fondly attached； in a fashion which has a close
parallel in the history of Israel。
〃If the gods have any resentment against us； let the whole
weight of vengeance fall on my head。 I fear not their vengeance
but spare my child； and I earnestly entreat you； Toobo Totai
＇the god whom he had evoked＇； to exert all your influence with
the other gods that I alone may suffer all the punishment they
desire to inflict （vol。 i。 p。 354）。
So when the king of Israel has sinned by 〃numbering the people；〃
and they are punished for his fault by a pestilence which slays
seventy thousand innocent men； David cries to Jahveh：
Lo； I have sinned； and I have done perversely； but these sheep；
what have they done？ let thine hand； I pray thee； be against me；
and against my father's house〃 （2 Sam。 xxiv。 17）。
Human sacrifices were extremely common in Polynesia； and； in
Tonga； the 〃devotion〃 of a child by strangling was a favourite
method of averting the wrath of the gods。 The well…known
instances of Jephthah's sacrifice of his daughter and of David's
giving up the seven sons of Saul to be sacrificed by the
Gibeonites 〃before Jahveh；〃 appear to me to leave no doubt that
the old Israelites； even when devout worshippers of Jahveh；
considered human sacrifices； under certain circumstances； to be
not only permissible but laudable。 Sa