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Overview
Gill’s selected Mangaian account describes Miru’s four beautiful daughters as Tapairu, or peerless ones: Kumutonga-i-te-po, Karaia-i-te-ata, Te-rauara and Te-poro. They come from Avaiki to attend dances associated with their brother Tautiti. Different bathing streams are named for performances in the northern and southern parts of the island.
When the dancing ground is covered with fresh banana leaves, they join the dance without damaging or soiling the leaves, then vanish at the morning star. Another narrated festival brings Te-poro and Te-rauara through a gorge, while four usually male visitors reach it by separate passages: Oroiti, Teauotangaroa, Marangaitaiti and Marangaitaao. The collector relates these gatherings to named dramatic songs and performances. This community of visitors is distinct from the particular two sisters who entice Ngaru and from the Rarotongan captive bride also called Tapairu.
Origins & earliest records
William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (London: Henry S. King, 1876), Chapter XI. Individual prose narrator unnamed; named songs distinguished from prose contributions.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected prose section read with printed page markers; only relevant song context inspected.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Myths and Songs from the South Pacific, XI: Tapairu, pp. 256–258
Digitized OCR witness; broader contemporary accounts remain 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, XI: Tapairu, pp. 256–258Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.