Te Putu

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Te Putu lived his life at Taupiri, and there also stayed his son Tawhia-ki-te-rangi. The time came when Ngati-raukawa, the people of Maungatautari, began to encroach upon the territory of Ngati-mahuta. Gradually moving northward they established themselves at Nukuhau and Tamahere, on the Horotiu or that part of the river between Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) and Ngaruawahia. Naturally this move was strongly resented by Waikato, and open hostilities broke out, with the result that Ngati-raukawa, under their chief Ngatokowaru, paddled down stream and attacked the chief Kakeha at Pepepe.

Te Putu was by this time an old man, and it now fell upon his son Tawhia-ki-te-rangi to lead the people. News that Pepepe was beseiged was soon communicated to Ngati-mahuta and messengers hurried off to rally their kinsmen to assist in repelling the invaders. In answer to the call a detachment of Ngati-te-ata, Ngati-tipa and Ngati-tahinga came up the river in the war canoe Taraweka and anchored opposite Pepepe, where they were joined by other canoes belonging to Tawhia-ki-te-rangi and Ngati-mahuta.

A landing was now made, and a battle raged in the open in front of the palisades of the pa. Seeing their enemies attacked by fresh warriors Kakeha and his people rushed forth to assist their friends; and thus assailed, Ngati-raukawa were badly defeated, losing many of their men, the survivors being literally driven into the river. Numbers of prisoners were taken, and among those captured was Ngatokowaru; and as he was about to be killed, he requested that he should first be allowed to see Te Putu. He was therefore temporarily allowed to live.

The victorious Waikato now paddled across to Taupiri, taking with them their prisoners and the heads of the slain chiefs, and these they set up on posts in a long row along the bank of the river. It is said that a hundred heads formed the grim line which started below Taupiri and stretched for over a quarter of a mile along the river. This part of the bank was from then on called Te Rau-angaanga.

The captive Ngatokowaru was conducted into the presence of Te Putu who was informed of what had transpired, and of the request made by the prisoner. The aged Te Putu, little knowing the sinister reason which actuated the request, came over to greet Ngatokowaru. Knowing full well that his life was forfeit, Ngatokowaru had concealed beneath his cloak a tete or dagger made from the barb of a stingray, and as Te Putu leaned forward to press noses, he suddenly stabbed him in the throat; and as the blood gushed forth, quickly smeared it over himself. Ngatokowaru was instantly seized by the horrified warriors, but because he was covered with the sacred blood of Te Putu, he was beaten to death and his body buried instead of being eaten. This incident took place at the home of Te Putu, the name of which was Te Mata-o-tutonga. The site is just outside the pa by the banks of the river and just below the present quarry entrance.

The killing of old Te Putu fully aroused Waikato, and it now became the duty of Tawhia-ki-te-rangi to avenge the death of his father. Furthermore, Ngati-raukawa had not yet been driven out of Waikato territory. Before active operations were commenced, however, Tawhia-ki-te-rangi went down the river to Waingaro, at the rear of Waahi, where he interviewed a noted tohunga and requested that he be given the assistance of a certain mana (power) that existed in the waters of the lake.

The old man immersed himself in the mud of the lake shore and recited an incantation, and when finally these rites had been performed, he instructed Tawhia-ki-te-rangi to go forward with his plans and that, when he arrived at a certain spot on the river, he would receive the mana he desired.

Accordingly Tawhia-ki-te-rangi gathered his forces, and embarking in canoes, paddled up the river. As they came to the big bend opposite Taupiri, a phantom canoe appeared in front of the war-party and led them up the river. No canoe could be seen but they could clearly hear the chant of the canoe-paddling song, the swish of the paddles, and trace the course of the vessel by the disturbance in the water.

With the power of this mana before them they continued up the Waikato and landed, in turn, at the villages of Ngati-raukawa where they found the inhabitants prostrate and helpless, so that in derision they put aside their weapons and killed them with the stalks of toetoe bushes. Such was the power of that mana! Having destroyed the enemy settlements on the Horotiu, Tawhia-ki-te-rangi attacked other outposts of Ngati-raukawa and only ceased his operations after the enemy had retired from Waikato territory to their own country in the vicinity of Maungatautari.

The history of the Taupiri pa ceases with the death of Te Putu, and there seems little doubt that his tragic death was the cause of it being abandoned. For many years it was tapu; early European travellers in the Waikato record the fact that when they neared Taupiri they were obliged by the natives to cross to the other side of the river and completely avoid touching its sacred soil.

(Kelly, 1940).

Sources:

Kelly, L. G. (1940). Taupiri Pa [Includes whakapapa chart]. The Journal of the Polynesian Society 49(149). 148-159.
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_49_1940/Volume_49%2C_No._193/Taupiri_Pa%2C_by_Leslie_G._Kelly%2C_p_148-159/p1'''

Te Hurinui, Pei. (1958). Maori Genealogies. The Journal of the Polynesian Society 67(2). 162-165.
https://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_67_1958/Volume_67%2C...