Was Pierced By A Spear
p. 86 · Read in the full issue
Mooreds Holey Mountain Was Pierced By A Spear
One of the curiosities of the island of Moorea in French Polynesia that is frequently pointed out to visitors is the pierced mountain pictured below. Legend has it that the hole in the mountain got there when an ancient chief threw his spear across from neighbouring Tahiti to show how strong he was.
Tourists, of course, scoff at this legend as being a bit of Polyne sian blarney; but in the Cook Islands, there are not only people who vouch for the story’s authenticity, but they claim to be descended from the man who threw the spear.
One such descendant, C. T. Cowan (otherwise known as Tumu Korero), recently told the story of the famous spear thrust in the Cook Islands News.
From this we learn that after put ting the hole in Moorea’s mountain,
the spear sailed on and did some damage in another island—Huahine— about 100 miles away.
Mr. Cowan wrote: “In the days of long ago, Pai-tua-tini was a man famous for his enormous strength and the outstanding warrior of Tahiti.
Being a friend of Tangiia Ariki, they spent much time together in Tahiti and other islands across the sea, and both of them had several children in those islands.
“Two remarkable signs of his strength were left by Pai for the wonderment of later generations until this present day. One of these is the channel named Utuura in Moorea, which he himself dug with immense labour. The other is the remarkable hole in a mountain in Moorea, which is still known by the name Puta-a-pai.
“Pai created this hole as the result of his determination to perform a great feat that would cause men in time to come to wonder at this fantastic strength. The feat he actually contemplated was to pierce the mountain in Moorea with his vast spear hurled from Tahiti-iti across the 10-mile wide channel of the open sea.
Friends Scoffed “Some of Pai’s friends scoffed at this idea. ‘No man amongst us could hurl a spear so far’, they declared, ‘even though ours is the greatest generation of warriors that our race has ever produced’.
“Pai forebore to reply. Picking up his long and heavy spear, he strode to a beach in Tahiti-iti which looks across the sea to Moorea. There he paused to call upon his god to grant him the necessary skill and strength to hurl his spear as he desired.
“Then he raised the spear, drew it back so that it balanced well in his hands, and launched it into the air with a great and well-timed thrust.
“The spear, to which Pai had given the name Tumu-enua, flew fast and high through the air. It struck the mountain at which Pai had aimed.
“So great and swift was the force of the impact that the spearhead
Topographical
Curiosities Of The South Pacific Have
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drove right through the mounta and shattered the nearby island Huahine into two pieces, “That is why Huahine consists two separate islands, the one beii named Huahine-nui, and the oth Huahine-iti, And the shaft of Tun enua, the great spear hurled by Pi still stands in the sea between tl two islands.
“The action of the sea on it h turned its stout wood into stone durii the centuries that have passed sin Pai made his mighty throw.
“It was about this time that the arose gradually the famous quan between Tangiia and Tutapu Tahiti. The story of this dispute fairly well known, relating as it do the accounts of their eventual arriv at Rarotonga, and Tutapu’s death Avana Valley.
“When the quarrel was at its heigl Tangiia came to Rarotonga; about tl same time Tamarua-Pai-Tua-Tini al arrived in his canoe containing number of his own family.
“Both leaders remained in Rar tonga for some time thereafter. F was given the rank of Mataiap Tutuara in the district of Rangiate Takitumu.
“This is the story of Tamarua-P; Tua-Tini whose descendants still li in Rarotonga in this present year 1964.
“(1) Ngati Tamarua-nui (Mai iapo) of Pouara, Rangiatea, (Ma: surviving descendants).
“(2) Ngati Tamarua Te-kaki (Mataiapo) Ngatangiia. (The or surviving member of this family Meameaau).
“(3) Ngati Tamarua Tumu-rak Pitimani (Rangatira) Ngatangi (Many surviving descendants).
“NOTE: The writer of this sto is a descendant of Pai-tua-tini.”
When this picture of Moorea's pierced mountain was sent to PIM in 1942, the writer gave the mountain's name as Moua Puta, not Puta-a-pai as does C. T. Cowan in the accompanying article. However, it is the same mountain, and the hole in the peak can be seen as a small dot just below the top.