To Macgregor Index

To Various Legends

Rotuman Custom as told to Gordon Macgregor in 1932
from notes archived at
Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i

Legends: Turtles of Juju

Category:

Legends

Topic:

Turtles

Consultant:

C.M. Churchward

Macgregor's Notes

Comments

When some people were out fishing with a large net (vau roa) in the deep water (li'u) in a large canoe they saw two boys shitting over the cliff. They shouted and scared them and they fell into the sea. One had lime on his hair, the other turmeric or brown stuff. These show on the heads of the two turtles who still appear in the water when sung to. The mother, Tupunga, stayed up there in her grief.