Tahaki the Bold
大胆な タハキ
大胆な タハキ
Tahaki the Bold is a legendary Kanaui warrior said to have lived during the Age of Sail. He features in a variety of stories, called the Feats of Tahaki, in which his companions dare him to complete more and more audacious challenges.
Although there are many stories associated with Tahaki, the most famous is the chronologically last story, in which he accepts a challenge to “sail east to where the sun rises.” Initially, even the boastful Tahaki doubts that he can accomplish such a feat, and he spends a hundred days enduring the ridicule of his comrades. Finally, pride compels him to act.
Because no ship on Matomai is seaworthy enough for the task, Tahaki constructs his own ship, which has two hulls packed to the brim with supplies. He sets off eastward on the first day of spring and promises to return the following year. After he crosses the horizon, to punish him for his hubris, the nature spirits summon , preventing Tahaki from ever returning home.
In modern times, the figure of Tahaki has been conflated with other early explorers in the poem His stories are popular among modern Kanaui , who regard him as an inspirational predecessor. Nonetheless, his final fate is often shared as a cautionary tale for Kanaui sailors, reminding them to remember their place under the Universal Law.
