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Polynesian Mythology · Character

Tatau

A chief involved in the story of the Arawa canoe.

minor

First appearance: the voyage to new zealand

Tatau shows up with force in The Legend of Tāwhaki. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Urutonga, Tāwhaki's mother, who is held captive by the Ponaturi and forced to watch for dawn; she helps her sons plan the destruction of the Ponaturi.
In the storyThe Legend of TāwhakiOpen this moment free

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In The Legend of Tāwhaki: Urutonga, Tāwhaki's mother, who is held captive by the Ponaturi and forced to watch for dawn; she helps her sons…

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The fuller portrait of Tatau sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

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Character Web

4 connections

A slice of how Tatau sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

TUTuriHOHouKAKarihiTĀTāwhakiTATatau

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Miscellaneous figures and ancestors
  • Discoverers and migrants
  • Arawa migration leaders
  • Ascent to heaven

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This excerpt marks the story's dramatic climax because it presents the psychological peak of the narrator's in…

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In the story

Tatau appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Tatau unlock in the free preview.

See Tatau in the voyage to new zealand