A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Moko is Ngaru’s grandfather and king of lizards in Gill’s selected Mangaian narrative. Watching from a rock, he warns his grandson whenever the man-eating shark approaches during an eight-day contest. Later he assists Ngaru’s restoration and sends his mother to obtain hair from Tangaroa.
When Miru’s daughters offer marriage, Moko sends small lizards to investigate their mother’s underworld home. They report her intoxicating drink and oven. His two Karakerake birds later lower cords and lift Ngaru home. Against the sky-cannibal Amai-te-rangi, he first sends scouts, then adds lizards to each descending basket; they swarm the attacker and prevent an accurate blow, enabling Ngaru to seize his weapons. Moko’s protection combines observation, reconnaissance and coordinated small animals.
Origins & earliest records
William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (London: Henry S. King, 1876), X: The Adventures of Ngaru. General contributor acknowledgements name Tereavai and Sadaraka; individual prose narrator not supplied.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected prose narrative and interpretive ending read in consecutive bounded OCR sections. Variant endings and compiler judgments retained as such.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Myths and Songs from the South Pacific, X: The Adventures of Ngaru, pp. 225–237
Direct digitized printed witness; original-language scan collation remains open.
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.
- Primary collected textMyths and Songs from the South Pacific, X: The Adventures of Ngaru, pp. 225–237Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.