Whaitiri- Polynesian GodDeity"Thunder Goddess"
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Description
Whaitiri descended from the heavens to marry the "man-eater" Kaitangata, expecting a fellow cannibal. When she discovered the name was just a warrior's title, she returned to the sky, blind and diminished, waiting until her grandson Tāwhaki climbed up to restore her sight.
Mythology & Lore
Descent
Whaitiri heard of a man called Kaitangata. The name means "man-eater," and this delighted her. She descended from the sky to take him as a husband, expecting someone who shared her appetite for human flesh.
Kaitangata was a warrior. The name was a boast, not a menu. George Grey recorded that Whaitiri married him and bore children, but the marriage soured once she understood the truth. He did not eat people. He never had. Whaitiri abandoned the household in disgust and climbed back to the heavens, leaving her children on earth.
The Blind Goddess
By the time her grandson Tāwhaki climbed to the sky on his own quest, Whaitiri was blind. In the accounts recorded by Grey and John White, Tāwhaki found the old goddess sitting alone, counting food laid out before her. He stole pieces from her pile. When she counted again and found the number wrong, she knew someone was there. Tāwhaki revealed himself and restored her sight.
The grandmother recognized her grandson. She aided his quest, giving him the knowledge he needed to succeed in the heavens. In storms, the two are together still: Whaitiri the thunder, Tāwhaki the lightning.