{"id":22623,"date":"2022-08-13T21:56:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T21:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/?page_id=22623"},"modified":"2022-08-13T22:04:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T22:04:00","slug":"tafai-et-tahiti-nui","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/southern-tahitian-mythology\/tafai-et-tahiti-nui\/","title":{"rendered":"Tafa&#039;i and Tahiti Nui"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"22623\" class=\"elementor elementor-22623\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9195a67 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9195a67\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5092d8b\" data-id=\"5092d8b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d16c7ac elementor-align-justify elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"d16c7ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/southern-tahitian-mythology\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Tahitian mythology - Austral<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3f90272\" data-id=\"3f90272\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd87074 elementor-align-justify elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"fd87074\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tahitiheritage.pf\/legende-tafai-tendons-poisson-tahiti-nui\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Wiki<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a186f58 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a186f58\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c5f26c\" data-id=\"5c5f26c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd3bccc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bd3bccc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It is probably only at&nbsp;<abbr title=\"11th century\">XI<sup>e<\/sup><\/abbr>&nbsp;century or even&nbsp;<abbr title=\"14th century\">XIV<sup>e<\/sup><\/abbr> century that the islands would have welcomed their first inhabitants, most certainly from <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/tahitian-mythology-of-the-wind\/\">Tahiti<\/a>, populated long before. here is <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/\">legend<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/tahitian-mythology-of-the-wind\/\">Tafa&#039;i<\/a> and Tahiti Nui.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9347 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/cropped-AlphaOmega-e1602613368367.png\" alt=\"Tafa&#039;i and Tahiti Nui\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" title=\"\"><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2bd9ace elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2bd9ace\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d610023\" data-id=\"d610023\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6492f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f6492f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/southern-tahitian-mythology\/tafai-et-tahiti-nui\/#Tafai-et-Tahiti-Nui-Tafai-qui-immobilisa-le-grand-poisson-Tahiti-Nui\" >Tafa&#039;i and Tahiti Nui: Tafa&#039;i who immobilized the great fish Tahiti Nui<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tafai-et-Tahiti-Nui-Tafai-qui-immobilisa-le-grand-poisson-Tahiti-Nui\"><\/span>Tafa&#039;i and Tahiti Nui: Tafa&#039;i who immobilized the great fish Tahiti Nui<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8c75470 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8c75470\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0f48a0f\" data-id=\"0f48a0f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c610ff5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c610ff5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The eel of <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/tahitian-mythology-leeward\/\">Raiatea<\/a> became the great fish Tahiti Nui who created the island of Tahiti (see legend of Terehe). But when they arrived at their destination, the fish struggled constantly. The Polynesian hero Tafa&#039;i with his magic axe, managed to immobilize him by severing his tendons and thus created the isthmus of Taravao.<\/p><p>In ancient times, the gods had all the powers on Earth. The Tahiti Nui fish that had become the island of Tahiti kept its position well, but struggled constantly. It was necessary to cut its tendons to immobilize it. Tafa&#039;i-upo&#039;o-tu, the legendary Polynesian hero said, &quot;The tendons of the fish must be severed so that the wind can blow easily around the head of the fish and the fish remain motionless!&quot; \u00bb<\/p><p>Several warriors arrived to master the Tahiti Nui fish:<br \/>\u2013 Terarai used his hands but without result;<br \/>\u2013 Taito&#039;a knocked but in vain;<br \/>\u2013 Tautai knocked but in vain;<br \/>\u2013 Tainuiatea tried but in vain;<br \/>\u2013 Taitaata doesn\u2019t succeed either.<\/p><p>Warriors came from everywhere, tried but none succeeded in cutting the tendons of the fish. Then Tafa&#039;i exclaimed, &quot;None of you have succeeded, we must appeal to the gods!&quot; O gods that I know, gods of Heaven and gods-men. Come to our aid! I will give you my strength, my possessions. I will give my strength to the moon\u201d<\/p><p>But no god answered Tafa&#039;i&#039;s call. Then, Maruato&#039;a arrived and said to Tafa&#039;i: &quot;Get your strength, prepare your canoe, give it the name of Tepatea and leave for Tupuai (old name of the island of <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/southern-tahitian-mythology\/\">Tubuai<\/a>, in the Australs)\u201d<\/p><p>Tafa&#039;i and Ohuna left for Tubuai, which symbolically designates the head of the octopus Tumurai fenua (see legend). Arrived at Tubuai, they came to prostrate themselves before King Marerenui Marua to&#039;a.<br \/>\u2013 O King, it is a very important mission that we carry out! The Tahiti fish is not stable enough, its tendons must absolutely be cut to be able to immobilize it!<br \/>\u2013 Who are the priests appointed for this work? then asked the king.<br \/>- There are not any ! The warriors tried without success! We come to ask you, O King, to come and do this work. \u00bb<\/p><p>The king thought and said, &quot;I can&#039;t go. I am going to give you this Tepahurunuimatevaitau ax belonging to Tinorua, the god of the oceans, to be able to immobilize the land of Tahiti by severing the tendons of the fish Tahiti Nui. \u00bb<\/p><p>Tafa&#039;i and Ohuna took the heavy ax and returned to Tahiti. They went to meet the warriors and said to them: \u201cHere is the magic ax to cut the tendons of the fish, its name is Tepahurunuimatevaitau. \u00bb<\/p><p>The magic and sacred ax was far too heavy to be used by the warriors, on the other hand in the hands of Tafa&#039;i, it became light and very mobile. Tafa&#039;i lifted the ax and severed the fish&#039;s tendons.<\/p><p>The land and the great mountain range, which dominated Tahiti, was divided into two parts: Tevaitai (the peninsula) and Tevaiuta. The place where Tafa&#039;i struck formed an isthmus now called Taravao. The head of the Tevaitai fish was also named Taiarapu because the ocean became cloudy during the separation.<\/p><p>This is how the territory of Greater Tahiti was founded: Tafa&#039;i and Tahiti Nui.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tahitian Mythology \u2013 Australes Wiki It was probably only in the 11th century or even the 14th century that the islands would have welcomed their first inhabitants,\u2026 <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":10103,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22623","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22623"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22632,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22623\/revisions\/22632"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}