Key Info

- Sent by the sky god to rule 'Ata and give good winds to sailors

- Gave mortals the putalinga, ngū and tua-'ata yams and the 'Ata net

Brief Bio

Tamapoʻuliʻalamafoa was the king of the sky, commanded some of the Tangaloa gods to tell the faʻahikehe (sub-god) Laufakanaʻa to go down to the realm of light (i.e. the earth, not Pulotu) to become ruler of ʻAta and also ruler of the winds. Whenever a boat came to ʻAta in stormy weather, Laufakanaʻa had to listen to the prayers of the crew and give them a good wind to sail on. The prayer had to consist of an offering of mā (meal of fermented breadfruit) cooked in the oil of the grated coconut.

Laufakanaʻa also brought a special fishing net with him. This typical ʻAta-net was used by the islanders on special occasions, as when they went fishing for the Tuʻi Tonga. As well, the putalinga (a kind of plantain), the sī (plant), the ngū-ʻata and tua-ʻata yams were brought down from the sky by Laufakanaʻa and first grew on ʻAta, before they spread to the other islands.