A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Two brothers preparing food for a Samoan council fish before dawn. The younger, Matapule, dives to anchor their net to a suitable rock but fastens it to a turtle’s foot. The animal pulls them and their canoe to a distant turtle place, leaving Savai’i out of sight. A misleading star, mistaken for the morning star, also figures in their displacement.

The turtle brings them back at night to the original reef entrance. Afterwards it is prepared and eaten; illness and deaths follow in the community. This is the narrative’s sequence, not independently established causation. Although recorded under Churchward, the note credits Penamena with obtaining the legend in Samoa and comparing it to a Rotuman account. The page title does not expressly supply the turtle’s personal name.

Canoe towingMistaken foot-anchorDistant turtle placeNight return
01

Origins & earliest records

The Rotuma archive presents MacGregor’s 1932 notes with named consultants. Its editors explain orthographic standardization and clarification; originals are deposited at Bishop Museum.

02

Records & interpretation

Fuafua Rioro: Churchward record; Penamena’s Samoan acquisition noted.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    MacGregor’s Rotuma Notes: Canoe-Carrying Turtle in Fuafua Rioro

    Gordon MacGregor, recorder; consultant identified in the record · 1932 fieldwork

    Fuafua Rioro: Churchward record; Penamena’s Samoan acquisition noted.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Edited primary field-note transcriptionRotuma archive: Canoe-Carrying Turtle in Fuafua RioroResearch access: 2026-10-05
  2. Custodial and editorial contextMacGregor collection editorial explanationResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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