HOW 'EUA WHARF (NAFANUA) GOT ITS NAME

The wharf on 'eua island Tonga is called Nafanua. This story tells of Naufauna and of her connection to 'Eua island.

Nafanua and Topukulu were twin sisters of two Gods Toki-langa-fonua and Hina. They were the mothers of Hemoana ( sea wonderer ) and Tafakula.

Naufanua and Topukulu were swimming from Samoa back to there home of ‘Eua island Tonga. On the way they gave birth to Hemoana and Tafakula. Hemoana was abandoned by his mother Topukulu on the journey as there pregnancies was due to the incest of the twins by there father and appear later in the form of a sea snake ( Tuku-hali ). Nafanua refused to abandon her daughter Tafakulu even though she was strongly urged to from Topukulu to do so, and took the child home with her to ’Eua island in Tonga.

In the process of time Hemoana came to ’Eua, to visit his relatives there. He and Tafakula added another child to the family record of unwitting incest. The unholy secession was ended when Tafakula found out the Hemoana was her brother. She battered the fruit of this union to death with a stone.

Offerings where made to Tafakula by locals of ’Eua island to ensure a fruitful season and to protect against hurricanes.

Tafakula is the goddess of light and ‘Eua island catches the first glow of the sun before all other islands in Tonga as it rises and the last few beam as it sets. Red things are associated with Tafakula with several variates of red items being spoken of as being hers.