Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. In Tahitian mythology, Vahieroa is a son of Tafa''i and his wife Hina, and is born at his father''s house in the Tapahi hills of Mahina in north Tahiti. He weds Maemae-a-rohi, sister of the ruling chief Tumu-nui. When Tumu-nui sails with his supporters in the canoes Matie-roa and Matie-poto to recover his daughter Hau-van''a who has sailed away to marry King Tu-i-hiti of Hiti-au-revareva, a giant clam attacks them, and the entire party of Tumu-nui is swallowed up. His younger brother ''Iore-roa (big rat)and his brother in law Vahieroa go to seek him and are swallowed in their turn.