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Paoa, a MythSource painting
Polynesian

Paoa

01Identity

Paoa in Polynesian tradition

In the account collected and translated by George Grey, Paoa comes from the south to settle by the Thames, Waihou and Piako rivers. After a quarrel, his wife leaves; he sets out with an enslaved attendant to search for her, but she hides when she hears his voice. The search reaches Waikato, where the villagers offer him a local maiden and he marries her. This is a bounded episode from one mediated Māori witness, not a general account of Māori history or present-day custom.

SourcePolynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The History of Paoa, the Ancestor of the Ngatipaoa Tribe (EPUB text block 1)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The History of Paoa, the Ancestor of the Ngatipaoa Tribe (EPUB text block 2)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The History of Paoa, the Ancestor of the Ngatipaoa Tribe (EPUB text block 3)· Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race (George Grey): The History of Paoa, the Ancestor of the Ngatipaoa Tribe (EPUB text block 6)

Top questions

The quick answers

02Family

Paoa’s family, at a glance

Rongo-tiu-moe-whara
Paoa
03The names

The names Paoa answers to

Paoa

04The myths

The myths of Paoa

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Paoa Searches for His Wife and Marries in Waikato

Grey's account introduces Paoa as a man who came from the south to live by the Thames, Waihou and Piako rivers. While he is living with his father, he quarrels with his wife. She leaves in shame to mourn how he treated her. Paoa waits for her return; after many days pass, he decides to search for her.

He sets out with the enslaved attendant described in Grey's text. They travel through villages, but Paoa's wife hides whenever she hears his voice. Unable to find her, he returns to his father and relatives. His father tells him to take some brothers along on another search. Paoa agrees, but says that if they fail he will continue with the attendant until they have searched every town and village.

They cross forests and reach Taupo without finding her. Paoa sends his brothers home and continues alone with the attendant. They reach a village on the Waikato, where local people ask the attendant who Paoa is and why they have travelled. The attendant tells them that they have searched everywhere for Paoa's wife but have not found her. The villagers ask why he should keep searching and offer a local maiden as a wife. Grey says that Paoa marries her there.

Paoa Searches for His Wife and Marries in Waikato, a MythSource painting of the scene

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Paoa, each on that figure’s page.