Kaitangata- Polynesian HeroHero"Man-Eater"
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Description
Whaitiri the thunder goddess descended from the heavens to marry the famous "man-eater" Kaitangata, only to discover that his fearsome name was a warrior's title. Horrified that he ate ordinary food, she abandoned him and returned to the sky.
Mythology & Lore
The Thunder Goddess Descends
Whaitiri lived in the sky and ate human flesh. When she heard of a man called Kaitangata, "the man-eater," she assumed she had found her match. She descended from the heavens and offered herself in marriage. Kaitangata accepted.
The marriage held until Whaitiri asked her husband to bring her a meal of human flesh. In Grey's account, Kaitangata was horrified. He brought her ordinary food instead. Whaitiri watched him eat it. The man-eater did not eat men. His name was a warrior's boast, nothing more.
Return to the Sky
Whaitiri left. She ascended to the heavens she had come from. But she had borne Kaitangata a son: Hema. Through Hema came Tāwhaki, who would one day climb to those same heavens searching for his grandmother.