hau
1. (noun) vital essence, vitality - of a person, place or object.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 227;)
E mōhio ana ahau kei te patu mai koe i a māua ko taku hau; e kore taku hau e riro i tō karakia (JPS 1893:223). / I am well aware that you are trying to kill me and my vital essence, but my vital essence will not succumb to your incantation.
Ko te hau o te tangata he mea riro i te karakia mākutu, erangi kia kite tonu atu i te tangata ka tangohia mai tōna hau. Ka riro mai, ka mate ia. Tētehi, kei mua e haere ana, ka kitea te takahanga o ngā waewae, ka tangohia te hau, ka riro (JPS 1894:169). / The vital essence of a man will succumb to a bewitching incantation, but it is necessary to actually see the person when his hau is taken. When it is taken, the person will die. Sometimes, in the case of one who has gone on before, when his footsteps are seen, his vital essence can be taken from them, and he will succumb.
2. (noun) ceremonial offering of food to an atua - a rite of presenting the hau to the atua with an offering or incantation. .
Kaua hoki e kotikotia tā tātou ika; engari waiho kia tae atu au ki te kawe atu i te hau o tēnei tānga ika; ā kia tae atu au ki te tohunga, kia whāngaia ki te atua (NM 1928:16). / And do not cut up our fish, but leave it alone until I've been to take the vital essence of this catch to the tohunga to be offered to the atua.
See also whāngai hau
