Manu-Tongātea
Manu-Tongātea was a Māori rangatira of Ngāti Ruanui and Mātaatua descent, who was probably based at Marokopa in Waikato, New Zealand and led a military expedition to the Bay of Plenty area, in around the late sixteenth century.
Background
Manu-Tongātea's mother was a lady of Marokopa called Peha-nui or Pēhā-nui, who was the daughter of Tongātea of Ngāti Ruanui, a descendant of Turi, the captain of the Aotea canoe, and a local lady called Manu. His father was Kai-ahi, from the Whakatāne area, a direct descendant of Toroa, who captained the Mātaatua canoe. Kai-ahi met Peha when travelling with a group and had relations with her before returning to Whakatane, telling her that he would return later.After Kai-ahi left, Peha-nui gave birth to Manu-Tongātea, whose full name was Te-Tehe-o-Manu-Tongātea, referring to the fact that his grandfather had been circumcised.
Kai-ahi's attack on Marokopa
After a few years, Kai-ahi returned, leading a raiding party. The locals fled, but Manu-Tongātea, now a young boy, was caught and tied up in a kete basket in order to be eaten in the morning. During the night, he cried out "Manu-Tongātea's skin is chilled by the wind. Peha-nui of Manu, Peha-nui of Kai-ahi," and Kai-ahi realised who he was, released him, and promised that he would get vengeance in the future.Expedition to Rotoiti
When Manu-Tongātea was an adult, his mother told him that he could find Kai-ahi's homeland in the east and he raised a war party to go in search of him. When the party arrived at Lake Rotoiti, they found a village that had been attacked by Kai-ahi and the local chief married his daughter Wawara to Manu-Tongātea, although she was already engaged to another man.Pei Te Hurinui Jones records a mournful waiata which Wawara sang about the arranged marriage, in which she weeps for the loss of her betrothed, describes her new husband as a 'shadow', and concludes:
After the marriage, Manu-Tongātea's party sacked two villages, but when the war party reached Kai-ahi's village, Manu-Tongātea called the war-party to a halt, walked up to Kai-ahi and made peace with him.