16 Tuesday, June 2020
Today I have been learning about The Story” Tupaia,I have been reading, reading, reading all about it and
it was an amazing experience.
it was an amazing experience.
A Man of mana
Tupaia was born on Rā‘iātea – the second-largest island in East Polynesia – around 1725. He was from a
high-ranking family and showed talent from a young age. Because of his gifts, Tupaia was chosen to train
with the ‘Mario – an exclusive group of priests, navigators, warriors, musicians, and artists who worshipped
the war god, ‘Oro.
high-ranking family and showed talent from a young age. Because of his gifts, Tupaia was chosen to train
with the ‘Mario – an exclusive group of priests, navigators, warriors, musicians, and artists who worshipped
the war god, ‘Oro.
A prophecy
In the 1750s, warriors from nearby Bora Bora invaded Rā‘iātea. A local priest named Vaita went into a
trance and uttered a prophecy. One day, more people would come – a different kind of people altogether.
They would arrive on a canoe with no outrigger and would change everything: “And this land will be taken
by them,” Vanita said. “The old rules will be destroyed.” Vanita's prophecy eventually came true. On 18
June 1767, a strange vessel was seen off the coast of Tahiti, where Tupaia now lived. The next morning, ‘
arioi priests paddled out to investigate. The boat was the Dolphin, a British ship searching for the unknown
southern continent. Samuel Wallis and his crew were the first Europeans the Tahitians had ever seen.
trance and uttered a prophecy. One day, more people would come – a different kind of people altogether.
They would arrive on a canoe with no outrigger and would change everything: “And this land will be taken
by them,” Vanita said. “The old rules will be destroyed.” Vanita's prophecy eventually came true. On 18
June 1767, a strange vessel was seen off the coast of Tahiti, where Tupaia now lived. The next morning, ‘
arioi priests paddled out to investigate. The boat was the Dolphin, a British ship searching for the unknown
southern continent. Samuel Wallis and his crew were the first Europeans the Tahitians had ever seen.
