Tahitian Mythology - Marquesas Islands

The mythology tahitian – îles des Marquises désigne les mythes et legends tahitiens se situant sur les îles des Marquises, dites « Terre des hommes ». Elles furent ainsi nommées par l’Espagnol Álvaro de Mendaña qui les approcha en 1595.

They are inhabited by Polynesians from 150 BC. AD to 100 AD. AD Ethnological observations and linguistic kinship links suggest that they came from Samoa and Tonga.

Each valley was the territory of a tribe with its own social system, an aristocracy and a clergy. Tribal wars sometimes opposed the Marquesans who then practiced ritual cannibalism with prisoners of war. According to the oral tradition of Easter Island, the first ruler of this island, Hotu Matu'a, would have come, with his tribe, from "Hiva", perhaps Nuku Hiva or Hiva Oa.

The islands are divided into two distinct groups:

• the northern group, centered around the large island of Nuku Hiva, the three smaller islands of Ua Pou to the south, Ua Huka to the east, and Motu Iti to the west, and the small islands to the north located on the same coral massif of Eiao, Hatutaa and Motu One;
• the southern group, centered around the main island of Hiva Oa, and the smaller islands very close to Tahuata, Moho Tani (or Motane) and Fatu Huku, and further south the island of Fatu Hiva and the rock Motu Nao .