Tuna of Mangaia

Overview

Gill’s Mangaian coconut-origin telling places Ina-moe-Aitu near Tautua cave at Tamarua. A large eel repeatedly approaches her bathing stream, then assumes the form of a handsome young man. He names himself Tuna, protector of freshwater eels, and courts her in human form, returning to eel form when withdrawing beneath the rocks.

Tuna predicts a flood and offers a final gift: he will approach her house as an eel and place his head on the threshold. At his request she cuts off and buries the head. Two shoots eventually become coconut trees, one red and associated with Tangaroa, the other green and associated with Rongo. The nut’s eyes and mouth and its white kernel are explained through his face and brains. Gill’s subsequent interpretation connecting the tale with Tiaio’s priestly clan is his own explanation, not an independently demonstrated origin. The selected account is distinct from Samoan Sina and eel narratives.

Origins & earliest records

William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (London: Henry S. King, 1876). Introduction names Tereavai and Sadaraka among major contributors, but the selected tale has no individually named narrator.

Records & interpretation

Complete selected narrative and relevant collector notes read from digitized 1876 OCR. Original-language spelling on scan remains a further visual-collation queue.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Myths and Songs from the South Pacific, V: The Myth of the Cocoa-Nut Tree, pp. 77–80

   William Wyatt Gill, missionary collector and translator; F. Max Müller, preface · 1876

   Title-page imprint verified in digitized OCR; colonial religious judgments not adopted.

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. Primary collected textMyths and Songs from the South Pacific, V: The Myth of the Cocoa-Nut Tree, pp. 77–80Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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