Seketoʻa/en

Seketoʻa was a fish god from Niuatoputapu and Tafahi.

Origin

Originally Seketoʻa was a mortal, the grandson of Puakatefisi, the first of the traditional line of rulers of Niuatoputapu island, the Māʻatu dynasty. Puakatefisi had a son by a concubine of his, named Falefehi. That son had two sons, the oldest with the name Moimoi, and the younger was called Seketoʻa. As common in Polynesia, the older son could command the younger in executing the orders of their father. Still Seketoʻa was more beloved by his father than Moimoi. Or so the latter believed, and he planned to kill his younger brother.

Moimoi ordered Seketoʻa to come to his house. The latter obeyed, and sat down outside the former's house, crosslegged with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front, awaiting orders as required by custom. Moimoi told him to come in. But Seketoʻa was suspicious and said that any commands could be given to him here. Soon Moimoi got angry, went inside and came out with a pōvai (big cudgel), and threw it at the other. But Seketoʻa jumped up so quickly that it missed him. Then he grabbed the club himself and yelling bakola (Fijian for: die you wrench) he ran with it towards the other. Moimoi resigned and did not defend himself: "Do what you like to me, Seketoʻa, for I am powerless."

Thereupon Seketoʻa threw down the club and said that he would go to drown himself in the sea and become a fish, leaving Moimoi behind to run the errands for Māʻatu. And he, Seketoʻa, would watch the seas of these islands until the end of the world, that no fish would ever kill a person, and Māʻatu would have the right to call him anytime and he then would come in the shape of a fish.

This is still the right of the real chief of Niuatoputapu. He will send out two of his matāpule to throw kava roots in the sea. That will attract two suckerfish, who are the matāpule of Seketoʻa. They will come and then go. Then a small shark comes and goes. And a medium shark comes and goes. And finally a big shark comes. That is Seketoʻa, and Māʻatu will speak to him.

Tafahi

Seketoʻa had an important contribution to the creation of Tafahi. Some naughty ʻaitu from Sāmoa one night wanted to steal the mountain of Niuafoʻou to bring it to Sāmoa. It started off well for them, they got the mountain, leaving Niuafoʻou behind with a big lake in its centre, and were dragging it through the sea, already halfway near Niuatoputapu. They had to hurry because ʻaitu law prescribed that they had to complete the work before sunrise.

But the fish god Seketoʻa saw them and did not like it. He ordered his matāpule to cry as roosters, in the hope that the ʻaitu would think that dawn was close and they could as well give up. But it did not work, the ʻaitu were not ready yet to give up and only pulled harder. Then Seketoʻa himself acted. He swam in from of the ghosts, showing them his anus, which was red. The ghosts were frightened. They thought they saw the red sun rising and that it was already morning. They dropped the mountain and fled to Sāmoa.

And that is the reason that Tafahi is now there where it is.

Fehuluni

Seketoʻa also warded the Niua islands off from the advances of the goddess Fehuluni, who wanted to extend her realm from Haʻapai to the north. In such a case an arts' contest (faiva) would be held. She met the local shark god Seketoʻa at Matatolu beach in Niuatoputapu. Seketoʻa proposed a wrestling match ("Ta fangatua!"), and promptly threw Fehuluni. Her girdle of heila1a flowers was bruised and squashed. In the early morning air to this day the sand at Matatolu has a perfume reminiscent of heilala (Selui MS1971).

Tafahi people have a plainer account of the meeting between their protector and the foreign intruder: Fehuluni arrived in the form of a ravishingly beautiful woman. Seketoʻa's immediate response was to propose that they compete with each other. They agreed on three faiva: copulating, eating, and diving. Seketoʻa won the first contest by substituting a peeled kape. Fehuluni could not withstand the itching and she gave in. The eating contest. Seketoʻa won, by changing himself into a porcupine fish. He floated in Fehuluni's way and she swallowed him. He just fitted her throat nicely. Then he puffed himself up until Fehuluni's stomach was about to burst, and she gave in. In the diving contest they swam underwater from Tafahi to Vavaʻu, where both ran out of breath. Seketoʻa took in a draught of air and changed himself into a half-submerged reef; Fehuluni came up for air at the reef; Seketoʻa submerged again and continued on to Tonga. When Fehuluni arrived Seketoʻa disqualified her for taking a breath and claimed victory: "Good. You have lost. You have not won a single feat. So your influence will be confined to the maritime zone between Vavaʻu and Tongatapu." (Fakaʻosi MS1971)

Seketoʻa is also known away from Niuatoputapu and Tafahi, but less widely and more vague. There he is sometimes named as the father of ʻIlaheva Vaʻepopua. FOKI