Note 23 — Introductory material
Reading edition
It is said that when Hakau was king he used to do the following things: Whenever a man was praised for his good looks, or a woman for beauty, he would cause the death of that person. If the head of a person was praised for being flat,23 the head would be cut off; and if the body was praised, then the body was cut up; if the eyes were praised they would be gouged out, and so on. Once upon a time one of the priests of Hakau, upon seeing a young boy, said to his parents: “This child has a very fine body; he has not a single blemish.” When Hakau heard this remark, he immediately sent a messenger to bring the boy to his presence. When the boy arrived Hakau then cut the boy in two. When the parents heard that Hakau had cruelly killed their child, the father made a prophecy, saying: “He has cut my son;24 his kingdom shall also be cut from him. This shall happen on the day to be declared kapued for his god. He will die on that day.” This prophecy was, therefore, fulfilled.