# Tāwhaki — Polynesian Mythology character guide

> Tāwhaki in Polynesian Mythology by George Grey.

**Role:** major

**First appearance:** 0005-the-legend-of-t-whaki

## Snapshot

A legendary hero whose ascent into the heavens to seek revenge and knowledge makes him a bridge between the mortal world and the divine.

## Who they are

Tāwhaki is a hero whose story moves from earthly struggles to the skies, where he is said to dwell still, worshipped as a god whose footsteps cause thunder and lightning. His ascent is driven by the need for revenge and for knowledge that only the heavens can provide, and his presence in the collection links human genealogy to the great gods of wind, sea, and forest. He matters because his journey shows the Polynesian cosmos as a place where a determined hero can climb from the human world into the realm of the gods and return—or remain—as a lasting presence.

## Relationships

### [Tangotango](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/characters/tangotango)

_family_

Tangotango is Tāwhaki's wife, and their relationship involves celestial journeys.

### [Tangotango](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/characters/tangotango)

_family_

Tangotango is Tāwhaki's wife, and their relationship involves celestial journeys.

### [Tangotango](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/characters/tangotango)

_family_

Tangotango is Tāwhaki's wife, and their relationship involves celestial journeys.

## In the story

### [Polynesian Mythology](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/chapters/polynesian-mythology)

Heroic figure associated with supernatural adventures and rescues.

### [The Legend of Tāwhaki](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/chapters/the-legend-of-t-whaki)

The protagonist who survives an attack by his brothers-in-law, calls down a flood, and seeks revenge against the Ponaturi for his father's death.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/chapters/endnotes)

Noted as dwelling in the skies and worshipped as a god, associated with thunder and lightning.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/characters/tawhaki
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/polynesian_mythology_se/characters