When Rātā ground his adzes (toki) on the back of Hine-tūa-hōanga she spoke the words, "Kia koi! Kia koi!" (Be sharp! Be sharp!) Whenever his adzes got blunt he would go back to her. By saying the words, "Kia koi! Kia koi!", with this he could put a keen edge on his blades.
The following karakia (incantation) was said to be sung while the process of grinding stone tools was in operation and widely used by tohunga whakairo across Aotearoa.
Māori
Kāore rā ia, e Hine,
He putanga ki Te Tonga,
Nōu anake rā te putanga
Ko Whakahewa-i-te-rangi,
Nāna i kimi ko Poutini, ko Wharaua
Ko Poutini, ko Wharaua,
Ko te wai rā i rere ai te toki
Ka kitea i reira, e tuhi ana, e rapa ana
I raro i Whatukura-o-Tangaroa
Ko Whatu Uira rā tēnā
Ko Whatu ramarama rā tēnā
Ka hewa e rua Tūmata-kurukuru
Tūmata-kārewa,
Homai, whakapiritia ki a Hine-tūā-Hōanga,
Hai oro i te toki
He pua tōtara kauorohia
He pua tōtara kauorohia
Kauorohia te ati tipua
Kauorohia te ati tawhito
Hai whakakoi rā, e Hine
I te mata o te toki
Hai tuatua i te Wao-a-Tāne
I te maramara o Tūkehu
I te tamaiara na Mumuhanga
Hai ara mō taua, kia whiti ai tāua
Ki rāwāhi o te awa, e Hine.
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English
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