'Oro

'Oro is the great war-god of Ra'iātea and, by the time of European contact, the principal deity of Tahiti — son of Ta'aroa and of Hina in her aspect Hina-tu-a-uta, born and enshrined at the international marae Taputapuātea in 'Opoa on Ra'iātea, the mythic seat of his cult. In war he received human sacrifice and his to'o-image was carried to battle; in peace he was the god of the fine arts and the founder-patron of the 'arioi, the high-ranking society of itinerant player-priests (its twin patrons Orotetefa and Uretetefa made by 'Oro's sisters). The Vairaumati cycle tells how, dwelling on Mount Paia in Borabora with his sisters Te-ouri and 'Oa'oa, he descended on the rainbow as a warrior to wed the mortal maiden Vairaumati of Vaitape. His signature object is the to'o, a sennit-bound wooden image dressed in the red and yellow feathers that were his emblem. Authored as a son of Ta'aroa and Hina and a brother of the elder great gods Tāne, Tū and Ro'o.

Parentage

• father: Ta'aroa
• mother: Hina

Domains

• war
• the fine arts in peace
• patron of the arioi society
• fertility and rain

Powers

• Command and decide war
• Descend from the heavens to earth upon the rainbow
• Found and patronize the 'arioi society of player-priests

Epithets

• 'Oro-maro-'ura Tahitian · 'Oro-maro-'ura · cult'Oro of the red-feather girdleTeuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (Bishop Museum, 1928) (primary)
• 'Oro-taua Tahitian · 'Oro-taua · cult'Oro the warrior / 'Oro-at-warTeuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (Bishop Museum, 1928) (primary)

Relations

• child: Ta'aroaReciprocal of tahitian_taaroa.parent — 'Oro is the son of Ta'aroa.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro the son of Ta'aroa and Hina-tu-a-uta (primary)
• child: HinaReciprocal of tahitian_hina.parent — 'Oro is the son of Hina in her aspect Hina-tu-a-uta.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro the son of Ta'aroa and Hina-tu-a-uta (primary)
• sibling: TāneReciprocal of tahitian_tane.sibling — half-brother as a son of Ta'aroa.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro reckoned among the sons of Ta'aroa with the great gods (primary)
• sibling: TūReciprocal of tahitian_tu.sibling — half-brother as a son of Ta'aroa; 'Oro succeeds the elder Tū as Tahiti's war-god.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro reckoned among the sons of Ta'aroa with the great gods (primary)
• sibling: Ro'oReciprocal of tahitian_roo.sibling — half-brother as a son of Ta'aroa.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro reckoned among the sons of Ta'aroa with the great gods (primary)
• spouse: Vairaumati (mortal maiden of Vaitape, Borabora, whom 'Oro wed; below the registry's individuated-deity threshold) · TahitianExternalref-only — the human wife Vairaumati is not registered as a figure.Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (1928): 'Oro takes the mortal Vairaumati to wife (primary)
• sibling: OaoaReciprocal of tahitian_oaoa.sibling (alphabetical family sweep). (auto reciprocal)
• sibling: Te-ouriReciprocal of tahitian_teouri.sibling (alphabetical family sweep). (auto reciprocal)

Sources

• existence: Teuira Henry, Ancient Tahiti (Bishop Museum Bulletin 48, 1928), the 'Oro / Vairaumati / 'arioi cycle (primary); William Ellis, Polynesian Researches (1829), 'Oro the great war-god and the 'arioi society (primary)