Nei Tituaabine
Encyclopedia
Nei Tituaabine, is a red-skinned maiden
in Micronesian mythology
, specifically in Kiribati
.
She fell in love with the giant red-skinned chief
, Auriaria
, but they had no children. After her death
, three tree
s grew from her grave: a coconut
from her head, a pandanus
from her heel
s and an almond
from her navel
. She became a tree goddess
.
Maiden
Maiden or Maidens may refer to:* A female virgin; see virginity* Maiden name, the family name carried by a woman before marriage; see married and maiden names* Maiden, the first of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess...
in Micronesian mythology
Micronesian mythology
Micronesian mythology refers to the traditional belief systems of the people of Micronesia.-See also:* Anagumang* Anulap* Areop-Enap* Auriaria* Gadao* Kai-n-Tiku-Aba* Nei Tituaabine* Uekera* Nauruan indigenous religion-Sources:*...
, specifically in Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
.
She fell in love with the giant red-skinned chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, Auriaria
Auriaria
In the mythology of Kiribati, Auriaria is a red-skinned giant chieftain who fell in love with the beautiful red-skinned woman, Nei Tituaabine, but had no children. She died and, from her grave grew three trees—a coconut from her head, a pandanus from her heels and an almond from her navel. She...
, but they had no children. After her death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, three tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s grew from her grave: a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
from her head, a pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
from her heel
Heel
In human anatomy, the heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.- Human anatomy :...
s and an almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
from her navel
Navel
The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
. She became a tree goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
.