Editing Auraka (section)

==Claims of mythological associations==
In a few sources on the Internet, Auraka is erroneously described as a Polynesian god of death; these sources also claim that Auraka translates as 'all-devouring'. However, the word 'auraka' in [[Cook Islands Māori]] is a prohibitive adverb, with the approximate meaning 'do not'; it does not mean 'all-devouring'.<ref>For example, ''Auraka e mataku!'' "Don't be afraid!"; ''Auraka e tunu kia roa'' "Don't cook it for too long"; ''Auraka e riri!'' "Don't be angry!'</ref> The idea that Auraka is an all-devouring god of death appears to be a false assumption deriving from a misreading of Gill, where 'all-devouring' is his translation of the word 'maumau' in a line from a Mangaian song of mourning. The line that Gill translates as "From all-devouring Auraka" is ''O Rākā maumau e!'' (1846b:243). Gill comments on the same page that this is a reference to "Auraka, the last resting-place of the dead", and he makes no suggestion that Auraka is a god of death rather than a burial cave. 'All-devouring' is certainly possible as a poetic translation of 'maumau', the basic sense of which is 'to be wasteful'; in the song, it is clear that 'maumau' (and therefore 'all-devouring') is a poetic description, rather than a translation of the name.