Hawe-pōtiki

The son of Ue-nuku, the high priest in Hawaiki. Hawe-pōtiki was killed in revenge for the death of Pōtiki-roroa, a relative of Turi, who had been murdered by Ue-nuku. On one hot day, Turi ordered all the little children to run and bathe in the river Waimatuhirangi. Hawe-pōtiki, seeing all the other lads playing and swimming in the river, let down his guard and ran to the river. There he was waylaid by Turi who killed him in a moment. The boy's heart was cut out and his body eaten by Turi and his friends. The heart they placed among food offerings for Ue-nuku, that he might eat it. Ue-nuku had just ended his meal when one of his friends, who had found out what had been done, came and told him that he had eaten a part of his son.

This led to the trouble by which Turi was driven out in the Aotea canoe to New Zealand.

❧