Rarotongan · mortal · Rarotongan traditional religion; continuing · mortal
Iro-nui-ma-oata, whose name recalls the bright moon-nights at his birth, is the great navigator of the Rarotongan learned traditions, the same voyager celebrated across eastern Polynesia as Hiro of Tahiti, Whiro of the Māori and Hilo of Hawai'i. The Rarotongan house of learning told how he was born to Moe-tara-uri and Aki-mano, grew up at Upolu among his mother's sons by another husband, was beaten to death by those half-brothers and returned to life four times, and secretly mastered the karakia of two old blind relatives before winning renown as priest and deep-sea navigator. When Tangiia fled across the ocean before Tutapu, he met Iro at sea, and Iro gave him his young son Tai-te-ariki to be ariki over his people, so binding Iro's line into the chieftainship of Rarotonga.