Tefolaha
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- Pai
- Vau
- Tulaapoupou
- Tongan Warriors
Tefolaha | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Era | Between the 13th and 16th centuries |
| Known for | Founding the settlement on Nanumea |
| Opponents |
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| Relatives |
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Tefolaha was the founder of the community on Nanumea in Tuvalu.
Kaumaile
Tefolaha is described by Nanumean oral tradition as a great warrior who came from either Samoa (by most sources) or Tonga (by some sources). Tefolaha found Nanumea inhabited by two women, Pai and Vau. Tefolaha made an agreement with Pai and Vau that he could have Nanumea if he could guess their names and they could guess his, because in Polynesian culture to know someone's name was to have power over them. Tefolaha climbed a palm tree and used a wooden hook on a piece of twine to trick the women into shouting their names. He guessed their names correctly, but they could not guess his and were forced to leave.[1][2] The islets Te Motu Foliki, Lafogaki, and Teaafua a Taepoa are said to have formed when sand spilled from the baskets of the women as they fled Nanumea.[3]
Tefolaha brought with him from Nanumea a magical spear called Kaumaile. He used it in battle, and some legends claim he used it to slay giants. The spear was passed down to each of Tefolaha's descendants and is presently kept by the Nanumean tribal chief. There have been roughly 23 generations since Tefolaha passed on the spear.[4]
Accelerator mass spectrometry testing has estimated that the Kaumaile was made in the 11th century.[5]