The Legend of the Coconut Tree
Long ago, in the lush and mystical lands of Tahiti, there lived a beautiful young princess named Hina. She was the daughter of the chief of Pape’uriri, a place where the mountains met the sea and the winds carried the scent of blossoms. Hina was known not just for her beauty, but for her grace and strength of spirit. At the age of sixteen, her parents decided it was time for her to marry—and they had already chosen her future husband: the prince of Lake Vaihiria.
His name was Faaravaianuu, and though Hina had never met him, her parents spoke of his power and wealth, his ancient lineage, and the sacred lake over which he ruled. But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when the prince finally emerged from the lake.
Faaravaianuu was not a man.
He was an eel.
A massive, slithering creature with a glistening, dark body and eyes that gleamed with ancient knowledge. The monstrous eel rose from the waters to claim his bride, and the moment Hina laid eyes on him, terror surged through her heart. She turned and fled—running far from the lake, far from the promises of her parents—until she reached the distant peninsula of Tai’arapu, where the great demigod Maui dwelled.
Maui, protector of people and trickster of legends, welcomed Hina and listened to her story. When she told him of the prince-eel who pursued her, Maui’s expression turned grave.
Meanwhile, Faaravaianuu the eel had not given up. He slithered out of his lake and began his pursuit through the winding valley, determined to bring his bride back. He left a trail through the land as he moved—a path that twisted like a serpent, shaping the valley itself.
Maui watched the eel’s approach and knew what had to be done.
He summoned his two great stone tiki and placed them upon the cliffs for protection. Then, with divine strength, Maui cast his line into the valley and caught the monstrous creature. With great effort, he wrestled it from the earth. Before being killed, the prince of eels looked at Hina and said: “you may be afraid now, but one day, you will kiss me on the lips.”
Maui killed the eel and sliced it into three parts. Taking the eel’s head, he wrapped it in a sacred cloth of tapa and gave it to Hina.
“Take this,” he told her. “But whatever you do, do not place it on the ground until you reach your marae, your sacred home. Plant it in the center. This eel’s head contains great treasures—you will have wood for your house, food to eat, and sweet water to drink.”
Grateful and still shaken, Hina set off toward home. But the journey was long and the day hot. At one point, she and her servants came upon a cool stream, and the temptation to bathe was too great. She placed the bundle carefully on the grass… and forgot Maui’s warning.
In that moment, the earth trembled and opened, swallowing the eel’s head whole. Hina cried out, but it was too late. The ground closed, and where the bundle had been placed, a strange new plant began to grow. It stretched skyward rapidly, its trunk long and curved like the body of the eel, its leaves fanning out toward the sun. Hina stared in awe as the first coconut tree was born.
Seasons passed, and the land was struck by a great drought. Rivers dried, crops failed, and the people grew desperate. But the coconut tree endured. From its fruit poured a sweet, refreshing water, and its meat nourished those who tasted it. When people looked closely, they saw three dark marks on the coconut’s shell—two eyes and a mouth—bearing the face of the eel prince, Faaravaianuu.
Hina remained by the tree, caring for it, understanding that her fate was forever tied to the spirit of the creature she once feared.
And so, the legend lives on.
To this day, when someone drinks from a coconut, they press their lips to those three marks, just as Hina once did. It is said to be a kiss from the prince she refused—a royal kiss sealed in the fruit of the tree he became.
And if you ever fly above the valley of Vaihiria, look down. The river’s path still curves like the body of an eel, winding through the land, reminding all who see it of the prince who loved, pursued, and was transformed into the very soul of the coconut tree.
Source: Tahiti Heritage
Photo credit : Tahiti Tourisme
