Page:Maori Religion and Mythology.djvu/51

CH. iv. his right arm for a pillow, if the arm starts so as to strike his head, on awaking he will not mention it to his companions; for he knows by this omen that in the next battle which takes place it will be his good fortune to kill the first man of the enemy.

The unlucky takiri are—

The kohera, a starting of the arm and leg of one side of the body in an outward direction.

The peke, a starting of the arm outwards from the body.

The whawhati, a sleep in which the legs, the neck, and the head are bent doubled up towards the belly. This is very unlucky. The evil will not come to another person, but attends the man himself.

The former takiri do not necessarily denote evil to the individual sleeper, but to any of his companions.