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Motoro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Motoro is a god in Polynesian mythology, the tribal god of the Ngariki of Mangaia.[1][2] He is the son of Tangiia and the brother of Ruanuku, Kereteki and Utakea.[3] While travelling to Mangaia he argued with his two eldest brothers, was thrown into the sea, and devoured by sharks. His spirit then floated to Mangaia on a piece of hibiscus.[3] He was known as i'o ora ("god of the living") because his followers could not be used as human sacrifices.[4]

References

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  1. ^ William Wyatt Gill (1876). Myths and Songs from the South Pacific. H. S. King & Company. p. 19. Motoro.
  2. ^ The Journal of the Polynesian Society. Polynesian Society. 1911. p. 143. Motoro.
  3. ^ a b Te Rangi Hiroa. Mangaian Society. p. 22 – via NZETC.
  4. ^ Johannes C. Andersen (1969). Myths & Legends of the Polynesians. Tokyo: Tuttle. p. 349.