Tawhaki
European children have fairy tales about Jack exchanging his
mother's milk for seeds forming a beanstalk that enabled him to
challenge 'giant' authoritarian adults in the wider world and meet a
woman
who gave him great
powers. And generations of Polynesian infants have been charmed by
similar tales about Tawhaki climbing a vine to higher worlds and
meeting a heavenly woman there.Tāwhaki was the epitome of a Polynesian chief, in appearance, mana, deeds and character. By climbing to these personal heights, Tāwhaki found a woman who had also achieved that "heavenly" status. By quoting this old "nursery rhyme," the chief is encouraging the the boy to strive for these same chiefly attributes, and wishing him success with the opposite sex. Although this rhyme introduces the boy to the notion that there are higher realms beyond his safely defended little village, the boy is being urged to use daring and charm to rise up in status, and not literally climb a rope hanging down from the clouds. This also tells us the adults knew these stories were allegorical morality stories and not historical fact.
Elsewhere in Polynesia Tāwhaki is known as Tafaki, Tafa'i, Kaha'i, Tahaki or Tava'i and there are many variants of his adventure. Some versions say he stayed in the sixth heaven, where he now displays his great power with lightning and thunder. Perhaps the boy was told this thunderflash story also, to introduce the story of his baptism, when a thunderflash from heaven gave him the special ability later in life to remove the effects of "Tūranganui witchcraft."
You can read the full Story of Tāwhaki by Henare Potae (Ngati Porou, c.1880)