Auroa swordfish

One day Honora left with his warriors. His troop left first on their canoe and Honora joined them with his own, which was called Aratai Havini. But the wind eased and the warriors' canoe drifted while that of Honoura remained alone in the open sea to meet the giant swordfish.

To distinguish the approach of the swordfish Auroa, it was necessary to identify the three kinds of waves which followed one another and which announced it: the furious waves, the running waves and the slow waves created by the wake of its nose.

It didn't take long to show up and the two adversaries began to challenge each other as it has always been customary to do before coming to blows. Auroa was the first to speak to Honoura and said to her: “I will prick you with my rostrum”

Honora replied, “Faahipahipa io Toa. I'll smash your stomach with my spear! »

On these words the furious fish, with a jerk of its tail came out of the water and rushed at Honoura who parried the blow with her spear. Twice Auroa tried to pierce Honoura, but the latter, very calm, parried the blow.

Auroa was so terrified of Hono'ura's mastery and skill that, coming out of the water for the third time, he set off in the direction of Mou'a Tamaiti (Mountain of Papara) to seek help from the two witches, the ruahine Tauauri and Tauatea, who dwelt at the bottom of the valley of Taharu'u.

Auroa flew so fast that arrived at the bottom of the valley, carried away by its momentum, it could not stop and plunged its rostrum into the mountain. Despite his desperate efforts to free himself he did not succeed and died there.

After Auroa's departure, Honoura first sought out his warriors. He found them on an unknown land to which he gave his name "Hono" and that of the wind which softens "Ruru" (lulu): Honolulu.

Then he went in search of Auroa. Arrived at the foot of the mountain Moua Tamaiti, in front of the corpse of Auroa he exclaimed with an air of contempt:

“Te pohe a te maa e. That's a lot of wasted food"