Then the twin Aitos, or warriors, came down the hill, among the sticks which looked like an army of men, and standing out in full view cried: "You make a mistake! String your fish for the Marae of Marae Tefano!" The Atiroo chief called back: "Who dares order sacrifice for Marae Tefano?" "I" called back Tapuhote; "I, with my spear Havivorai! the Sky-swinger! I will swing your head, who call yourself chief of the Atiroos, and I will take you before Marama, and you shall be taken as a sacrifice for Marae Marae Tefano."

With that, throwing his spear, he killed the chief of the Atiroos, and the warriors of Marama, getting among the Atiroos in the confusion that followed their chief’s death, led by Tetunania, destroyed them. The bodies of all the chief’s family were strung together, and sent to Marama for the Marae of Marae Tefano. The bodies of the common people were also strung together, and sent as an insult to the Marae of Nuurua, for its chief who had first refused to take up the quarrel. The chief of Nuurua sent messengers to say that he would not accept common fish -- pahoros -- as a sacrifice; that at his Marae only the best fish -- uruas -- could be offered. The twins returned word that the Uruas were only for Marae Tefano; and that if pahoros did not satisfy him, he should have a sight of Havivorai. The chief of Nuurua did not venture to take up the challenge, and had to accept the pahoros.

Then the twins gathered their warriors and, crossing the mountains to Opunohu, on the north shore, killed every Atiroo, and took possession of the district for Marama, making of it two new districts called Tupa Ururu and Amehiti.

Then they crossed to Paopao, on the next bay. But some of their warriors had gone ahead of them, and they found on their road the bodies of twins whom the warriors had killed and mutilated. Ashamed to pass them, the Aitos turned off over the mountains to Afare aitu, which they found deserted. One woman named Poivai, a noted beauty came out to meet them, and asked them what they wanted. "We came to kill the Atiroos", they said: "a race we mean

Indigenous Histories