This is all I know of the origin of Pai Marire which no doubt was set on foot by Horopapara Te Ua. The hymn of the Angel is now used in their daily religious service; and the sign of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon any of them is a cold shivering at the time they are performing the circle marching round the “ Niu ”. After the cold shivering has passed off they are inspired with the gift of languages. Some of which I have heard attempted. A perfectly unintelligible jargon both to themselves and to others. Sometimes may be heard a word of English intermixed.

This “ speaking in tongues ” or glossolalia has a parallel in pentecostal Christian services. In Pai Marire ritual it was combined with the power of traditional forms of incantation. Clark (1975, pp. 97-98) commented:

Speaking in tongues at the niu and the linguistic invention of the karakia both illustrated the inadequacy of the literacy that the missionaries had provided. Their books and prayers had failed to offer the salvation anticipated; literacy proved not to be the key to understanding and coming to terms with European culture. The lock, and indeed the door, was of Pakeha manufacture. Pai Marire language was a uniquely Maori means of access to the controller of events, Jehovah, without European intermediaries.

Flags and streamers were usually flown from the top of the niu. E.W. Puckey described a flaq flown at Okahukura, a village on the Waihou River in the Thames Valley (AJHR 1865, E4, p. 7): “ The most conspicuous object at that place was the Pai Marire flag, which consisted of a white flag with a small red cross; there being a long blue streamer hoisted above it. ” Flagstaffs figured prominently in the drawings in Ua Rongopai and the drawings of Aporo (Clark, 1975). Meade (1871, p. 126) claimed to be the first European to see Pai Marire ritual around the niu when he was captured in the Taupo area by a Pai Marire party on their way to the east coast from Taranaki in 1864.

The “ Prophet ’ s staff ” which had been set up in the middle of the open space, was a stout spar, some 30 feet [9m] high, from which floated first the “ Riki ” or war flag, a long red pendant with a white cross. Beneath it, a large handsome flag, very carefully made - black, with a white cross next the staff, and a blue fly, the whole surrounded by a narrow scarlet border, and beneath that again another red pendant, much larger than the upper one, with a St. Andrew ’ s cross and some other design which I forget. The priest stood near the staff which was further “ supported ” as they say in Heraldry by three little children who stood with their backs against it, while two men with drawn cutlasses walked up and down the inner sides of the square to prevent anyone approaching too close to the sacred staff, or the high priest, whilst he was under the influence of divine inspiration.

As soon as silence and order were established, Te Aokato [priest] commenced gabbling away at a tremendous rate, varying the performance with occasional yells; he then being supposed to be the favoured mouthpiece of the Deity, and to have the gift of divers tongues. Thus I was told at one time that he was speaking English, at another French, and then Hebrew - I need hardly say that it was all gibberish. At intervals he would stop to make obeisance to the staff and to the four points of the compass, with the usual