'Aho'eitu
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In Tongan mythology, or oral history, ʻAhoʻeitu is a son of the god Tangaloa ʻEitumātupuʻa and a mortal woman, ʻIlaheva Vaʻepopua. He became the first king of the Tuʻi Tonga (Tonga king) dynasty in the early 10th century, dethroning the previous one with the same name but originating from the uanga (maggots) instead of divine; see Kohai, Koau, mo Momo.
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[edit] Trip to the sky
When ʻAhoʻeitu was growing up he asked his mother about his father. His mother was a human woman from an area now known as Popua near the large lagoon of Tongatapu island. Aho eitu's mother told him that his father was a god living in the sky. When he had grown up he expressed the wish to find him. ʻIlaheva directed him to the great toa tree. The lad climbed up, went over the road as his mother had said and found his father catching doves. ʻEitumātupuʻa was moved to see his son, and invited him to his house for kava and food. After that he sent him to his other sons, ʻAhoʻeitu's older halfbrothers, who were living in the sky, and at that moment playing sika-ʻulu-toa (a dart throwing game with reeds having a head made from toa wood). When those young men found out that this goodlooking boy was their brother, they got jealous, tore him in pieces, cooked him (or did not cook him, according to some sources) and ate him. Except his head, which was thrown in some hoi plants which have become poisonous ever since.
Some time after ʻEitumātupuʻa sent a woman to fetch ʻAhoʻeitu, but she returned with the message that the lad was not to be found. The god demanded his other sons to come and forced them by tickling their throats to vomit in a large wooden bowl. Noticing the head missing, ʻEitumātupuʻa sent a messenger to find the head and also the bones. Everything was put in the bowl. Water was poured on it and the leaves of the nonufiafia, which is a known medicinal plant, able to revive people who were near death. The bowl then was put behind the house. They visited it from time to time, and at last they found ʻAhoʻeitu sitting up.
They all were brought into ʻEitumātupuʻa's house, and the god spoke angrily to his elder sons that they were murderers and that for punishment they had to stay in the sky, while ʻAhoʻeitu would descend to become king of Tonga. But now his older brothers repented and begged their father that they would be allowed to follow him. At last the god gave in, but stipulated that, even though they were older, they would become servants to ʻAhoʻeitu.
[edit] Royal lineage
His older brothers were:
- Talafale; he became the Tuʻi Faleua (king of the second house), a spare dynasty in case ʻAhoʻeitu's line would ever die out (which apparently has still not happened). He also became the Tuʻi Pelehake (king rising pet), another very high title. For years Fatafehi kept both titles, but after his death in 1999, only the Tuʻi Pelehake title went to his son, and the Tuʻi Faleua returned to king Tāufaʻāhau.
- Matakehe; his descendants have disappeared. He, and his next brother were supposed to guard the Tuʻi Tonga
- Māliepō; his descendants are now known as Lauaki and they are the royal undertakers.
- Tuʻi Loloko; still exists. He and his younger brother were to govern in the name of their lord.
- Tuʻi Folaha; fate unknown.
ʻAhoʻeitu's name has been used over the centuries up to today for several other chiefly or royal descendants. For example this member of the Tongan royal family, the crownprince: Tupoutoʻa Lavaka (ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho).
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- R.D. Craig, Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology (Greenwood Press: New York, 1989), 2-3;
- N. Rutherford, Friendly Islands: History of Tonga (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1977), 27-8.
- E.W. Gifford; Tongan myths and tales, BPB Bulletin 8; 1924
