The Consequence

The Consequence

(A Legend from Tonga)

Listen, you of enlightened minds,

While I tell you a tale of the shore.

Two sisters who lived together Hava and Ila,

They were wives of Naa ana moana.

They lived together then they quarrelled.

What a sad thing is jealousy-

Ala!

Here in Tongatapu long ago a chief named Naa ana moana had two wives who were sisters. Hava and Ila. They-two came from across the sea at Nukunukumotu, and Ila was the favourite wife.

Tongatapu Island

Those wives went fishing for Naa's food, they always tried to please him with their catch. When there was a raui on fishing in the lagoon, they went out on the reef for crabs. But the time came for the raui to be lifted, therefore they tied up leaves for torches and went night fishing in the lagoon once more. But they went off separately, those two.

Hava went along the shore past the mangroves and Ila went on the shallow part of the lagoon. With their spears and torches, they looked for good food.

Beyond the mangroves, Hava came to a cave in the land, and in that cave, she found a hole that was covered with a stone.

Came and opened it,

She thought it was a crab-hole.

Looking in she saw the fish with

pouting mouths.

Brought her basket,

Opened it out,

Chose the biggest fish,

Lifted up her load,

Wishing to have something to take to her husband.

Indeed Hava lifted the stone from that hole and found that it was filled with mullet: all the mullet of the world were in that hole. Therefore she fetched her basket and picked out the biggest fish and took them to Naa. When she had gone the hole was teeming with mullet again.

Mullet fish

Now Ila her sister brought home only crabs that night, and when she saw the many mullet which Naa was scaling and cutting she was jealous, for Naa was pleased with Hava.

Those wives again went fishing on another night, and Ila thought there was something Hava knew. They-two went down to the mangroves and they fished there for a while. Then Ila set off for her lagoon-place again, and seeing her go, Hava left her torch burning on a mangrove tree and went on to her cave.

Ila also deceived her sister. She too left her torch burning in a mangrove tree, and in the dark, she followed Hava.

And Hava, thinking that she was alone, went in and lifted up the stone and filled her basket to the brim with fish. Then she returned to her husband.

Ila went in also and lifted the stone, she filled her basket with fish to take to Naa. But she was angry with Hava, angry because of her secret. Therefore she threw away the stone and called to the fish:

‘You come out and you go!’

And all those mullet came, they streamed in thousands from the hole and leapt into the sea. They were the first mullet in the world.

When Hava reached their home at midnight she was cold. She, therefore, put on clothes while Naa cleaned the fish. But while he was doing this Hava heard a great rushing sound like thunder and she cried, ‘The fish! The mullet! They have all been let out by Ila!’

Straight off she rushed, she dashed out in the night to prevent her mullet from escaping.

She looked for rocks to block their way, that woman. And with her hands indeed she pulled in the islands Kanatea and Nuku to close the cave. When they would not do so she pulled Houmaniu close. Then the teeming fishes turned in their flight and like a wind, they rushed to the other shore, which caused the small bay which is there today.

Then Hava seeing them escaping pulled with all her strength at Toa as well, but the fishes sped back to Folaha, and dented that shore also with their rushing force.

Still, Hava persevered, she pulled the ends of the land, Haaloausi and Houmatoloa. She also tugged at Mataaho, the island where the giant ironwood tree is growing; but that tree would not move.

Was nearly dragged along the toa tree;

But the fish turned,

Which made the inlet at Lifuka,

And the inlet at Faihavata,

And the beach at Fatufala-

Ala!

Pulled out Haaloausi,

Turned the fish to the other side,

Which caused the inlet at Umusi

Near to the rock called Tuungasili,

Afterwards known as Tui-

Ala!

When daylight came and the flowing of the fish had not been stopped Hava grew intensely angry, she cried out to her own land across the sea, to Nukunukumotu, for all her people to come and catch the fish.

All Nukunukumotu stood and waited for the fish, but they escaped at Fota, Nukunukumotu could not stop them, those mullet utterly escaped.

Then indeed Hava turned herself into a coral rock. And the mullet escaped and increased, and mullet thenceforward were everywhere.

After this Hava was a coral rock forever, but her husband joined her. From his love for her, Naa also became a stone. And Ila said what is the use of living and became a stone as well.

They are standing together in the lagoon-entrance of Tanumapopo. Hava on the one side and Ila on the other, and Naa ana moana in between them. This is true.

Source:

Legends of the South Seas

Antony Alpers

1970

Pages 285-288

A Fijian Fable

A Fijian Fable

(A Tale from Fiji)

Everyone loves a feast, and the birds, beasts and insects are no exception.

One day the frog, the grasshopper, the land crab, the sandpiper bird, the tree spider and the bull ant all met together and decided to have a feast.

Polynesian sandpipers (Prosobonia leucoptera)

“Each one must do his share to help,” said the sandpiper. “I, being a fisherman, will bring fish." And on he flew to the beach and began to wade among the small pools left by the tide to see what he could find.

“I will bring nuts for a vegetable," chirruped the grasshopper, and with a great hop he went off to climb an ivi tree in search of its delicious nuts.

“I have strong and powerful claws that are useful for digging," said the crab, “so I will dig out the hollow pit for the oven, and I will bring stones for lining it."

The ant went to break off branches to cover the food in the oven, but in climbing up a breadfruit tree she stuck to the sticky gum on the bark and there she died.

The grasshopper, in trying to bite off the stem of an ivi nut, broke all his teeth and descended sadly to the ground, where he also died.

“Ha, ha! That is very funny," laughed the spider, and he slapped his thighs so hard that he broke them both. Then the frog shook with laughter at this mishap, and he puffed himself up and up till he burst.

The crab had been digging away all this time. He had almost finished the oven pit, but he had chosen a place with too many stones and in trying to move a heavy one, he broke his claws and was therefore quite helpless.

Meanwhile, the sandpiper had been the lucky one and had caught plenty of fish. He returned feeling well pleased with himself, only to find that his friends had each come to grief and that there was no one left. Without friends to share the feast, he found no enjoyment in dining on the fish he had worked so hard to catch.

Source:

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 26-27

How the Masi Dived for a Sunbeam

How the Masi Dived for a Sunbeam

(A Tale from the Solomon Islands)

Long ago there was said to be a tribe of people called the Masi who lived in the Solomon Islands. They were noted for their foolishness and ignorance.

Solomon Islands (Wikimedia Commons)

One day six of the Masi fishermen found some bait that could be used for catching porpoises, so they decided to launch a small canoe and go fishing. Paddling the boat swiftly, they kept a lookout for a porpoise, singing as they went along.

After a little while one of the men looked down into the water beneath him, and there he saw a sunbeam.

“Friends," he said, “there is a beautiful shining pearly ornament down there. Let us try to get it. Now then, backwater with your paddles and do not make too many ripples on the surface.”

They followed his bidding and then sat very still. Gazing into the depths, they saw the sunbeam, and each one thought it was a mother-of-pearl shell.

I will dive down and get it," said the leader. So the rest kept their paddles stiff to steady the canoe, and he jumped into the water, but, alas, he could not reach the bottom. Then each one tried in turn, but not one of them was able to reach the sunbeam, for the water was too deep. Back they paddled to the shore, and there they searched for large stones with holes in them, and for long pieces of tough creeper, and these were put into the canoe. Then they paddled back once more to the place where they had seen the sunbeam.

“There it is, comrades! Steady the canoe, and I will go down,” cried the leader. He tied a large stone to his foot and told the men to wait a long time for him to come up, for it might be difficult to gather up the ornament in his arms. They lowered him over the side, and down he went, deeper and deeper-but he never came up again. They waited about, watching the bubbles float up to the surface, and told each other that he was certain to get it. He was gone such a long time that the second man said. “I will dive down also and give him a hand.” So he too tied a stone to his foot and dived into the water, while the rest waited for the two to return. When neither of them came up with the prize, the others went down one after the other.

Not one of the foolish Masi came to the surface again, and none of them lived to tell their friends of the beautiful sunbeam at the bottom of the sea.

Source:

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 88-89

The Boy Pu-nia and the King of the Sharks

The Boy Pu-nia and the King of the Sharks

(A Tale from Hawaii)

On one side of the island there lived a great shark: Kai-ale-ale he was named; he was the King of the Sharks of that place, and he had ten sharks under him. He lived near a cave that was filled with lobsters. But no one dared to dive down, and go into that cave, and take lobsters out of it, on account of Kai-ale-ale and the ten sharks he had under him; they stayed around the cave night and day, and if a diver ventured near they would bite him and devour him.

Maui Island, Hawaii (Wikimedia Commons)

There was a boy named Pu-nia, whose father had been killed by the sharks. Now after his father had been killed, there was no one to catch fish for Pu-nia and his mother; they had sweet potatoes to eat, but they never had any fish to eat with them. Often Pu-nia heard his mother say that she wished she had a fish or lobster to eat with the sweet potatoes. He made up his mind that they should have lobsters.

He came above the cave where the lobsters were. Looking down he saw the sharks-Kai-ale-ale and his ten sharks; they were all asleep. While he was watching them, they wakened up. Pu-nia pretended that he did not know that the sharks had wakened. He spoke loudly so that they would hear him, and he said: “Here am I, Pu-nia, and I am going into the cave to get lobsters for myself and my mother. That great shark, Kai-ale-ale, is asleep now, and I can dive to the point over there, and then go into the cave; I will take two lobsters in my hands, and my mother and I will have something to eat with our sweet potatoes.” So Pu-nia said, speaking loudly and pretending that he thought the sharks were still asleep.

Said Kai-ale-ale, speaking softly to the other sharks: “Let us rush to the place where Pu-nia dives, and let us devour him as we devoured his father.” But Pu-nia was a very cunning boy and not at all the sort that could be caught by the stupid sharks. He had a stone upon his hand while he was speaking, and he flung it toward the point that he said he was going to dive to. Just as soon as the stone struck the water the sharks made a rush to the place, leaving the cave of the lobsters unguarded. Then Pu-nia dived. He went into the cave, took two lobsters in his hands, and came upon the place that he had spoken from before.

He shouted down to the sharks: “Here is Pu-nia, and he has come back safely. He has two lobsters, and he and his mother have something to live on. It was the first shark, the second shark, the third shark, the fourth shark, the fifth shark, the sixth shark, the seventh shark, the eighth shark, the ninth shark, the tenth shark-it was the tenth shark, the one with the thin tail, that showed Pu-nia what to do.”

When the King of the Sharks, Kai-ale-ale, heard this from Pu-nia, he ordered all the sharks to come together and stay in a row. He counted them, and there were ten of them, and the tenth one had a thin tail. “So it was you, Thin Tail.” He said, “that told the boy Pu-nia what to do. You shall die." Then, according to the orders of Kai-ale-ale, the thin-tailed shark was killed. Pu-nia called out to them, “You have killed one of your own kind." With the two lobsters in his hands, he went back to his mother.

Pu-nia and his mother now had something to eat with their sweet potatoes. And when the lobsters were all eaten, Pu-nia went back to the place above the cave. He called out, as he had done the first time: “I can dive to the place over there and then slip into the cave, for the sharks are all asleep; I can get two lobsters for myself and my mother so that we’ll have something to eat with our sweet potatoes.” Then he threw down a stone and made ready to dive to another point.

When the stone struck the water the sharks rushed over, leaving the cave unguarded. Then Pu-nia dived down and went into the cave. He took two lobsters in his hands and swam back to the top of the water, and when he got to the place that he had spoken from before, he shouted down to the sharks: “It was the first shark, the second shark, the third shark, the fourth shark, the fifth shark, the sixth shark, the seventh shark, the eighth shark, the ninth shark-it was the ninth shark, the one with the big stomach, that told Pu-nia what to do."

Then the King of the Sharks, Kai-ale-ale, ordered the sharks to get into a line. He counted them, and he found that the ninth shark had a big stomach. “So it was you that told Pu-nia what to do," he said; and he ordered the big-stomached shark to be killed. After that Pu-nia went home with his two lobsters, and he and his mother had something to eat with their sweet potatoes.

Pu-nia continued to do this. He would deceive the sharks by throwing a stone to the place that he said he was going to dive to; when he got the sharks away from the cave, he would dive down, slip in, and take two lobsters in his hands. And always, when he got to the top of the water, he would name a shark. “The first shark, the second shark, the third shark-the shark with the little eye, the shark with the grey spot on him-told Pu-nia what to do,” he would say; and each time he would get one of the sharks killed. He kept on doing this until only one of the sharks was left; this one was Kai-ale-ale, the King of the Sharks.

After that, Pu-nia went into the forest; he hewed out two hard pieces of wood, each about a yard long; then he took sticks for lighting a fire -the au-li-ma to rub with, and the au-na-ki to rub on; he got charcoal to burn as a fire, and he got food. He put all into a bag, and he carried the bag down to the beach. He came above the cave that Kai-ale-ale was watching, and he said, speaking in a loud voice: “If I dive now, and if Kai-ale-ale bites me, my blood will come to the top of the water, and my mother will see the blood and will bring me back to life again. But if I dive down and Kai-ale-ale takes me into his mouth whole, I shall die and never come back to life again.” Kai-ale-ale was listening, of course. He said to himself: “No, I will not bite you, you cunning boy; I will take you into my mouth and swallow you whole, and then you will never come back to life again. I shall open my mouth wide enough to take you in. Yes, indeed, this time I will get you."

Pu-nia dived holding his bag. Kai-ale-ale opened his mouth wide and got Pu-nia into it. But as soon as the boy got within, he opened his bag and took out the two pieces of wood which he had hewn out in the forest. He put them between the jaws of the shark so that Kai-ale-ale was not able to close his jaws. With his mouth held open, Kai-ale-ale went dashing through the water.

Pu-nia was now inside the big shark; he took the fire sticks out of his bag and rubbed them together, making a fire. He kindled the charcoal that he had brought, and he cooked his food at the fire that he had made. With the fire in his insides, the shark could not keep still; he went dashing here and there through the ocean.

At last, the shark came near the Island of Hawaii again. “If he brings me near the breakers, I am saved,” said Pu-nia, speaking aloud; “but if he takes me to the sand near where the grass grows, I shall die; I cannot be saved.” Kai-ale-ale, when he heard Pu-nia say this, said to himself: “I will not take him near the breakers; I will take him where the dry sand is, near the grass.” Saying this, he dashed in from the ocean and up to where the shrubs grew on the shore. No shark had ever gone there before; and when Kai-ale-ale got there, he could not get back again.

Then Pu-nia came out of the shark. He shouted out, “Kai-ale-ale, Kai-ale-ale, the King of the Sharks, has come to visit us.” And the people, hearing about their enemy Kai-ale-ale, came down to the shore with their spears and their knives and killed him. And that was the end of the ugly and wicked King of the Sharks.

Great White Shark (Wikipedia Commons)

Every day after that, Pu-nia was able to go down into the cave and get lobsters for himself and his mother. And all the people rejoiced when they knew that the eleven sharks that guarded the cave had been got rid of by the boy Pu-nia.

Source:

Legends of Hawaii

Padraic Colum

1973

Pages: 82-85

How Counting Came to be from One to Ten

How Counting Came to be from One to Ten

(A Legend from Tokelau)

Here in Fakaofo old Sina had a daughter called Sina, and ten sons. The names of these sons were Ten to One, that is to say, Ulu, Iva, Valu, Fitu, Ono, Lima, Fa, Tolu, Lua and Tasi.

Fakaofo Atoll

When young Sina was a small girl she was taken away to Fiti by a bad person. Her mother grieved long for Sina, therefore one day the ten sons said that they would build canoes and go in search of her. Each son went into the bush to fell his tree, and as Ulu went along he came across two persons fighting. Their names were Sinota and Te Gata (that is ‘Sea-snake'), and just as Ulu came along Sea-snake had got Sinota by the throat. Cried Sinota, “Help me, Ulu!” But Sea-snake said angrily to Ulu. ‘Do not interfere, you owl.' and Ulu was frightened and went away.

Soon the next brother, Iva, came that way, and Sinota asked him for his help, but Iva also was afraid of Sea-snake. Then came Valu; he also ran away. Each brother came in turn, and was afraid of Sea-snake, until Tasi the last arrived.

Sinota was nearly dead, and Tasi only just heard his cry. He did not wait for Sea-snake's words, he jumped and cut off his head. The fight was finished.

When Sinota had thanked Tasi for saving his life he helped him build his canoe. He showed him where the best tree stood, then he called to all the insects to help him cut it out. He got the spiders to make its sail.

All of Tasi's brothers had already made their canoes, and by the time Tasi's was finished they had set sail and were nearly out of sight. He sailed after them, came to Lua's canoe, and said a word which Sinota had taught him. This word made Lua’s canoe stop sailing. Tasi passed it. He came to the canoes of all his brothers, said his word, passed them. He passed them all, the canoes of his elder brothers. Thus Tasi arrived first at his sister's house in Fiti. ‘I and my brothers have come to take you home to see our mother who is old and sick.‘

Sina became very frightened. She was wife to that bad person who had seized her from her home. This bad person was a terrible cannibal, his name Saipuniana. Said Sina: `This man will not let me leave. He will kill you. He watches me.’

Said Tasi: ‘I know a trick. In the middle of the night, you will tell I the husband you are very hot and want to go outside to get cool. If he suspects you, tie a piece of cord to your waist and leave the end with him.’

Sina did this. Then she tied the cord to a maile tree and ran away with Tasi to his canoe. Saipuniana waited. He pulled the string and called to Sina. He heard the noise of the tree where she was sitting and went to sleep again. Later he pulled again, pulled hard, and the branch came off. Bad was his heart with anger when that person knew he had been tricked. When daylight came he saw a canoe far oil and sailing from the land.

Saipuniana called on the Mist to come and help him. With the help of the Mist that person could walk on the sea. He walked after that canoe. When Tasi saw Saipuniana coming up he said his word that called the rain; a heavy squall of rain came down to make Saipuniana cold. Therefore when Saipuniana caught up with them he was so cold that he could only crawl into the bottom of the canoe. There Tasi rolled him in a sleeping mat.

While Saipuniana was resting, Tasi sewed up the mat. Then he tied his anchor stone to it. Saipuniana was waking up. Said Taxi, `Let me, move you. The canoe is leaking just there. You must not get wet.‘ So he lifted him; but he did not put him down in the canoe again, he tossed hint overboard. Thus it was finished with Saipuniana.

All these matters made Tasi's journey slow, and so his brothers passed him on the way, all reached Fakaofo before him. Their mother was waiting for them on the reef, she asked each brother if Sina was in his canoe. When all those brothers had come in, from Ulu to Lua, old Sina was going to drown herself from grief, but the waited for one more canoe-that of Tasi the last.

Then she found her daughter safe with Tasi. Old Sina ordered a very great feast of rejoicing for the coming home of young Sina and she said to Tasi: 'Now I know which is the first of all my sons. In future you will be the one we say first and the others will come after you.’

So counting was turned around, and we count: tasi, lua, tolu, fa, lima, ono, fitu, valu, iva, sefulu.

Source:

Legends of the South Seas

Antony Alpers

1970

Pages: 305-307

Kuikueve

Kuikueve

(A Tale from Mangareva)

Kuikueve was of both worlds, she was a woman of this world and also of the world below. Her husband's name was Tu. Kuikueve lived in his house and two children were born to them, but after a time Kuikueve grew tired of her human husband and left this world. She went down to her other world, Te Po, and left her children with their father.

Mangareva

After he had finished sorrowing for Kuikueve, Tu took another wife, whose name was Ruaia. This Ruaia was greedy, and she was unkind to her husband's children. When he was at home for meals she would give them their share of the fish, but when he was away she gave them nothing. One day they-two were sitting beside a spring and crying because they were so hungry. They cried ‘Me ko to taua kui i ara ra ko Kuikueve, e makona taua', which means, ‘If it were our other mother, Kuikueve, we'd have things to eat.’

Now the spring-water carried their voices to Kuikueve in the world below. She heard them crying and heard what they said, and she came up bringing food for them. She came up through the water of the spring from the darkness below, bringing fish and popoi, and lizard, and puputa. And they ate up all these good things, and went home with cheerful faces.

Their father had grown used to seeing them sad. When he saw their cheerful faces he asked them what had made them happy, and they told him. Then Tu, as well, wanted to see Kuikueve again. He asked them to help him catch her and bring her back so that they could all be together again. ‘Next time,’ he said, ‘you two wait here beside the spring, and when she comes out, get her to put the food as far away from the pool as you can.’

So the children went to the spring when next they were crying with hunger, and they cried and waited, and their mother came, and they did as Tu had told them, and Tu was hiding in the bushes. Their mother came out, shining from the water, carrying baskets of good things for her children, and they tried to coax her from the spring. But Kuikueve would not come. She remained there, saying, ‘I can feel your father’s influence and I am afraid of him.’ So the children went on crying, out of hunger, and would not take the food from Kuikueve’s hands; and so at length, they made her come right out. Then Tu dashed into the spring, to prevent her from escape.

When she saw what had happened Kuikueve dived back like a bird, but her husband caught her in his arms and they-two struggled in the water, and Tu was laughing. He made it seem a joke and the children called out to him to hold their mother, and Kuikueve at length gave in, and she agreed to remain here in this world.

Therefore Tu went home alone, leaving his children and their mother at the spring. And he took Ruaia out in his canoe, to go fishing. They paddled over to Marutea, where certain fish are caught that are tapu to women. And Ruaia was very greedy as always and wanted to eat those forbidden fish where no one could see her do so except her husband. Tu, therefore, gave her urua and pu’i, that is cavally and sea eels, and she was so greedy, she ate till she was filled.

That woman died of eating tapu fish. In this way was Ruaia paid for her greed, and from that time on Tu and Kuikueve lived happily together with their children.

Source:

Legends of the South Seas

Antony Alpers

1970

Pages 227-228

The Creation of the Tongan Islands, People, and Kings

The Creation of the Tongan Islands, People, and Kings

(A Legend from Tonga)

Tangaloa, the god of art and invention, sat in his sky home of Bolotu, where death was not known and decay did not exist. He looked down at the vast south sea. “I am hungry. Hungry for fish." He got out his great turtle hook and let it go down, down, down to the sea far below. Soon something big and heavy pulled on the line.

Tangaloa

Tangaloa pulled and pulled, but he could not pull up the hook. He peered down at the ocean and laughed. He had not caught a fish. He had caught an enormous rock! No, a whole row of rocks. He yanked and tugged. He could not shake loose his hook. He laughed again and rubbed his empty stomach. “Today I will not eat,” he said. "Today I shall have great fun making islands."

Tangaloa pulled up the very bottom of the sea, just as the rocky tip was about to break through the surface, the fishing line broke. Instead of remaining one long continent, the land broke into dozens of islands.

If you wonder if this story is true, go to Tongatapu and there you will see a rock with a hole about two feet in diameter. This is the hole that held the great fishing hook of Tangaloa. If your doubts still are not satisfied, go speak with Tu‘i Tonga, the divine chief. Until only a few years ago, he still possessed this mighty hook. Unfortunately, when his house caught on fire and burned right to the ground, the sacred basket that held the hook was burned to ashes. Those who know this fishing story know also that the hook was made of tortoise shell from Samoa and strengthened with a whale bone.

After fishing up islands, the great Tangaloa Matua decided to create something to live on the beautiful islands. He called his two sons, Tangaloa Tufunga and Tangaloa Etumatatupua. The sons sat next to their father, who was sitting cross-legged, carving. They waited a long time. Until their father spoke, they would remain silent.

Tangaloa set down the wood he was carving. He pointed the long knife at the pile of shavings. “Look, my sons. I will shake down these wooden shavings. Let them mix with the water. Good. Now," he said to one of his sons, “become a little brown plover and fly down and tell me what you see."

His son became a plover and flew down to earth. Unfortunately, all he saw was wooden shavings floating on the sea. This he reported to his father.

Day after day Tangaloa Matua continued carving and shaking the shavings down to earth. Each day his son flew down as a plover. But each day he reported that nothing had changed.

Finally, one day when he flew down to earth. Matua’s son was amazed to see that the shavings had become a lovely little island. He flew back to his father. “What a beautiful island you have created!”

Tangaloa Matua smiled. "Good. Now put this seed in your beak. Plant it on that island.”

Soon the seed grew at creeper vine. The vine grew and grew until it covered the island. The plover flew down. He peeked at the root until it split in two. Then the root quickly rotted. All this the plover reported back to his father.

Again Tangaloa Matua smiled. “Now you will be surprised. Fly back one more time. Look carefully in the warm damp place where the root is rotting."

The plover returned to the island and found a big juicy white worm. He pecked it. The worm split in two. From the top, a man came out. This man the gods called Kohai. The lower part of the worm also turned into a man. This man was called Kuau. The little plover felt something stuck to his beak. He shook his head. A tiny piece of the worm fell off. This third piece turned into a man called Momo.

Very pleased with what had been created, the gods then named the island Eueiki, the first island inhabited by men. These first men of Tonga began the long line of the earliest rulers, the Tu‘i Tongas. Kohai was the first man. But he came from a worm. Ahoei would be the first true man, for he would be born from a woman, a beautiful woman who mated with the great god Tangaloa His birth, the birth of Ahoei, would continue the divine line of Tongan kings. It would also cause many troubles!

Ahoei is still considered the first ruler of Tonga. Both Tongans and Western historians have calculated that Ahoei lived in AD. 950. He began the divine line of Tu‘i Tongas,  the royal kings of Tonga. The members of this royal family ruled one after the other until the death of King Laufilitoga. This forty-eighth and final Tu‘i Tonga died in 1865.

This first true man and first Tu‘i Tonga, Ahoei, was half human and half divine. Ahoei's mother was the beautiful earth maiden Ilaheva Ve‘epopua. Little is known about how she came to be.

Ahoei’s father was the god Tangaloa. This brazen young god, Tangaloa, came down to earth from heaven by climbing down a huge ironwood tree. The ironwood tree liked to tease Tangaloa. The tree was so tall its branches scraped the clouds. Sometimes it caused the rain to fall. It dared the lizards and geckoes to scamper up. It dared Tangaloa to climb down to the world.

There on earth, Tangaloa saw an irresistible scene. The beautiful maiden, Ilaheva, was wading in the tide pools searching for shellfish. Her long black hair flowed down her smooth golden back like seaweed flowing in a gentle ocean current. Her dark flashing eyes sparkled with delight as she discovered bright blue starfish hiding under coral rocks. Tangaloa stared at her. He felt as if his heart were suddenly being tossed and tumbled in the waves of the sea.

When he was in heaven, all Tangaloa could think about was returning to earth. That is exactly what he did. There the beautiful woman, Ilaheva, waited where the waves kissed the shore. Tangaloa visited her often. But he had his own wife and children in the sky. He was lonely for his sky family. His trips down the ironwood to see Ilaheva became fewer and fewer until there were none at all.

But Ilaheva found that she would soon have a child. A beautiful boy was born to her. She named him Ahoei, "day of exclamation." The boy grew to handsome manhood. Eventually, he asked to visit his father.

Ilaheva knew the journey to the heavens would be dangerous. It was important for Ahoei to know his father. The wise mother oiled her son's body with sweet-smelling sandalwood oil. She then draped a tapa cloth over his shoulders. He was ready for his dangerous journey. She showed Ahoei the ironwood tree once so often used by his father.

Many other instructions Ilaheva gave to her son to protect him. All of these instructions Ahoei followed.

Sadly, when Ahoei's divine step-brothers saw him they immediately hated him. They were afraid this earth brother would be favoured by their father. Enraged with jealousy and fear, they killed Ahoei. With one swift slice, they cut off his head, threw it into the bushes, and ate his body.

Ahoei’s father, the great god Tangalna, learned of this brutal slaying. He ordered his sons to find Ahoei’s head. He set it in a sacred kava bowl. Then he commanded his sons to vomit into the howl. All night the step-brothers were ordered to stand around the have bowl.

At dawn, a strange light filled the skies. Something began moving in the bowl. Ahoei rose up from the bowl, whole and healed.

Tangaloa commanded his sons: "Ahoei came here in peace and friendship. You treated him with hate and jealousy. Go down to earth. All of you! Ahoei shall be the earthly king ruling over all of you. He shall be known as Tu‘i Tonga, the King of Tonga. He and his children shall rule Tonga forever.”

Source:

Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia.

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

Pages: 185 - 189