Aitutaki. Cook Island. Polynesia. South Pacific Ocean. A plane flies over the islands between the Aitutaki Island and Atiu Islan
Aitutaki. Cook Island. Polynesia. South Pacific Ocean. A plane flies over the islands between the Aitutaki Island and Atiu Island with a rainbow background. THE first man who came to Aitutaki from Avaiki [Hawaiki] was Ru. He came in a canoe named Nga-Puariki, seeking for new lands. The canoe was a large double one, a katea, namely two canoes fastened together. The name of the cross-pieces of wood which fasten on the outriggers are called kiato. The names of the kiato were as follows: the foremost Tane-mai-tai, the centre one Te-pou-o-Tangaroa, and the after one Rima-auru. They arrived at the island and entered a passage named Aumoana. They landed and erected a Ma, which they named Pauriki, after their canoe. (Ma means a place of evil spirits.) They also erected a Ma inland, which they named Vaikuriri, which was the name of Ru’s god, Kuriri, brought with them from Avaiki. Ru called the land Araura, which means, the place to which the wind drove him in his search for land. He appointed a number of Koromatua as lords of the island, (Koromatua=literally, old people, or tupuna.) Their names were: E Rongo-turu-kiau, E Rongo-te-Pureiau, Mata-ngaae-kotingarua, Tai-teke-te-ivi-o-te-rangi, Iva-ii-marae-ara, Ukui-e-Veri, Taakoi-i-tetaora. These were the lords of the island as appointed by Ru. There remained the rest of the people who came with him, consisting of men, women and children. Ru’s people must have numbered over 200. These people settled down on the land and increased to a large number. It was said that it was Ru who raised the heavens, as they were resting before his time on the broad leaves of plants, called rau-teve. Hence his name, Ru-Te-toko-rangi. He sent for the gods (tini atua) of night and the gods of day, the god Iti, and the god Tonga, from the west and North, to assist him in his work. He prayed to them: “Come, all of you and help me to lift up the heavens.” And they came in answer to his call. He then chanted the following song: “O son! O son! Raise my
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