Family: Pediculidae
These are small dorso-ventrally flattened insects without wings. They have biting or sucking mouthparts. The human head louse is Pediculus humanus capitis.
TABLE 2.56 Lice
Māori name Meaning Author
Kutu Pediculus humanus. Polack, 1838/1974, p. 320
Kutu; rika, riia Louse; Nit. Taylor, 1848, pp. 5, 6
Kutu A louse. Williams, 1852, pp. 66
Kutu; Kutukutu;184
Riha
Louse, Vermin of any kind infesting human beings; Vermin of any kind; Nit.
Williams, 1871, p. 69, 135
Kutu; Riha Louse, Vermin of any kind infesting human
beings; Nit.
Williams, 1892, pp. 80, 158
Kutu; Riha Louse; Nits. Stowell, 1911, p. 109
Kutu; Riha Louse, Vermin of any kind infesting human
beings; Nit.
Williams, 1915, pp. 76, 152
Eo; Kutu; Riha, rihariha
Louse; Louse; Nit. Williams, 1917, p. 33, 187, 396
Kutu Lice; Together with the flea, was thought to have
been brought by the Maori from Hawaiki.
Beattie, 1920/2009, pp. 186, 347, 508
In his early account, Polack (1838/1974, pp. 320-321) noted that,
[Kutu] crawl in numbers about the person and apparel of the natives. Notwithstanding the fact that the houses are kept in good order, yet the habits of the people are quite the contrary … It is the sacred function of the native barber, after cutting the hair of the sitter, to place the quantity he has polled in a Wai tapu, or sacred place. In the discharge of this office, not a few of the ‘creeping things’ above mentioned are exposed to the light; the barbarous discoverer, ever alive to the ‘kaore māomāo, or never waste,’ immediately places them between his teeth, and swallows these obnoxious vermin principally from ‘having a taste that way,’ and the most effectual method of depriving them of future liberty.
Table 2.57 Lice eggs
Māori name Meaning Author
Riki Eggs of the louse. Taylor, 1848, p. 6
Riha Egg of a louse. Williams, 1852, p. 142
Riha [Louse] eggs. Miller, 1955, p. 60
Grey (1885, English, pp. 50, 51) recorded and translated the narrative concerning Rupe who in search of his sister, climbed the heavens to speak with and seek advice from his ancestor, Rehua. As the host, Rehua called his servants to light a fire in anticipation of a meal. He then loosened his headband to release his hair, and out flew great numbers of tui that had been living and feeding on the lice there.185 The tui were then caught and killed for the meal. But Rupe would not eat them. He said, “Nay, but I cannot eat this food: I saw these birds loosened and take wing from thy locks; who would dare to eat birds that had fed upon lice in thy sacred head?” 186 In another account recorded by Grey (1885, pp. 91-93), Whakaotirangi, the wife of Rua was taken away by Tama-te-kapua in the Arawa waka to Aotearoa. But an angry Rua pursued and reached land first. A fight ensued, and to shame and insult Tama, Rua purposefully rubbed kutu on Tama-te-kapua’s head and ears, making him itch and scratch incessantly.
Predictably, parasites with their negative connotations, featured in songs of war as in the following kai oraora187 recorded by Best (1902, pp. 149, 150). An analogous comparison is made between fleas and lice eggs in lines 18-22,
Kai te puruhi rere mai.
Piri ana i te hukahuka, i te weruweru Te kuri poapoa whangainga nei ki te kai Miti ana mai i te pae o te hangi
Ko te rite i a Riki.
Like the flea coming uninvited Striking in thrums in the garments Like the homeless dog fed by anyone, Licking up fragments by the oven’s side This is the habit of Riki.
For the complete waiata, refer to p. 326 (Vol. 3) of thesis.
185 In te reo Māori, (Grey, 1885, Māori, p. 35) “Ka rere ki waho nga pokai koko e kai nei i nga kutu o te upoko o
Rehua.”
186 In te reo, (Grey, 1885, Māori, p. 35) “E kore au e kai, titiro rawa atu au e watea ana mai i roto i tou upoko: na
wai hoki te kai, i kai ai i nga kutu o tou upoko?” This is because, for Māori, the most sacred part of the body is the head and therefore considered tapu. Food on the other-hand is noa or ordinary.
187 This is a song of curses, - 'eat-you-alive’ song, composed by Kiri-tapoa, wife of slain Piki-huia from Ngāti Hine-
Reference was made to kutu (and wētā) in the kai oraora waiata188 recorded by Best, (1902b, pp. 147, 148). Refer to p. 315 (Vol. 3) for complete waiata. Lines 29 and 30 read,
Ma te Whata-nui, ma Tukino e wero, Ngākutu o te tipuaki.
It shall be for Te Whata-nui and Tukino To spear the parasites of thy head.
And a reference to both kutu and riha, appear in another kai oraora189 (Best, 1902b, pp. 150, 151). Refer to p. 327 for complete waiata. Line 28 reads,
Ko tona taina te kutu, te riha. – He is the brother of loathsome parasites.
Tregear (1891, pp. 48, 470) listed hapaki and tapaki as “to catch lice; to squeeze or crack as fleas.” Williams (1917, pp. 39, 40, 184) listed hākure (whakure) to “catch lice,” hāmure to “catch vermin in the hair” and kura (hakura) to “remove lice from the hair.”
Best (1982, p. 270) noted that according to Ngati Awa, kutu sprang from Ruaeo.