Tui Iti (ˈtʉ.i ˈi.ti)
"Every war is a crime, and every battle an atrocity"
The Tui Iti are the people of Iti Motu. They are related to the Tāngata people of Atu Motu, but have long since diverged from their cousins. The Tui Iti are best known in the islands for their uncompromising pacifism, an ethical stance which many of the Tui Iti have died for over the centuries.
The Tui Iti are a small group, with only about seven hundred members, all resident on the Iti Motu. They consider the island to be a paradise, and they live off the abundant fruit and fish the island and the ocean provides. The Tui Iti primarily use of net traps that require little tending to catch fish, and spend much of their free time enjoying life.
Physical Appearance
The Tui Iti are tall and lean, with an average height a little above that of other ethnicities of human. The average woman on the island is about five foot ten inches in height, with the men averaging about three inches taller. Their skin is a medium to dark brown, and they have dark wavy hair. Their eyes are almost universally dark brown.
Common Dress & Style
The Tui Iti wear colorful clothing made from lightweight fabrics. The most common cloth is known as harake, and is woven from the leaves of the hara plant. This resembles linen, and typically has a loose weave to allow air to pass through the garment. Rain cloaks made of overlapping layers of harake are worn when the weather demands it. Other fibers are also used, sometimes as decoration and other times to create warmer or more waterproof clothing.
Jewelry is common for all Tui Iti, with necklaces, bracelets, and anklets being the most common. They frequently consist of a fibrous string that holds medallions or charms made from gold, shells, stone, or feathers. Earrings are common for women, who also frequently weave flowers into their hair. Both men and women will grow their hair long and wear it in braids. Cosmetics are uncommon, but Tui Iti women frequently will place a Rangiapa on their foreheads - this is a red mark that indicates their connection to the Atua Rēkohu.
Religion & Folklore
The Tui Iti revere the Atua, who are the spirits and gods of the physical world. Most especially, they worship the god of Iti Motu, Rēkohu. This Atua is a spirit of peace and empathy, and is very protective of the Tui Iti. All women of the Tui Iti are considered priestesses of Rēkohu, with the eldest woman on the island being the god's messenger to the people. They do not have scheduled holidays or feasts in Rēkohu's honor - instead, they will thank the Atua throughout their day for the gifts of fruit and fish and sunshine, and all good things the natural world provides.
One tenet of the Tui Iti religion is a focus on complete pacifism. According to legend, shortly after their ancestors arrived on Iti Motu they fell to fighting amongst themselves. This fight escalated into a disastrous war that left only a few of the original Tui Iti alive. The conflict ended when the great chief Kukunu brought the survivors together and convinced them of the utter futility of their violence, and established the Hamata, a body of laws that forbade war, cannibalism, and murder. This grew into the current prohibition against all violence, and Rēkohu became the patron of the Hamata as their worship of the Atua developed.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Main Article: Ta Rē Iti
The Tui Iti speak Ta Rē Iti, which is related to Tāngatāiki, but has diverged so much as to become mutually unintelligible.
Foods & Cuisine
The Tui Iti primarily eat seafood and the fruits of their island. They do not cook their food much, preferring to preserve the natural flavors as much as possible. A common dish among them will consist of lightly seared fish, accompanied by breadfruit, coconut, and mango.
Rēkohu's Blessing
Several hundred years ago, Iti Motu was invaded by the Tamatunga Aiga from Motu. When the Tui Iti refused to fight the invaders and fled into the jungle, the Tamatunga hunted them for sport, laughing at their weakness and cowardice. Rēkohu, the Atua of Iti Motu, was grieved to see their people treated so, and laid a curse upon those who committed violence upon the island. Rēkohu granted them a moment of divine empathy, connecting them to all the pain and suffering their actions caused, including all the pain it would cause in the future. Every act of violence, especially one that resulted in death, immersed the perpetrator in a cataclysm of emotional trauma. The attacker would carry the burden of their action for the rest of their life, feeling the grief and pain they caused to their victim, and to the friends and family of their victim. A few people attempted to expunge the pain by killing more, hoping to end the pain they received by eliminating those who felt it, but this only amplified the effect. The Tamatunga fled before the wall of sorrow erected by Rēkohu, and the remaining Tui Iti have lived under this protection ever since.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I hope their pacifism won't be their downfall, though they have managed to survive this long. I really like the sound of their carefree culture.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
Rēkohu's Blessing has provided them a strong shield against external violence, and right now it looks like it will keep them safe for a while.