Date
Name Ruatapu
Gender Masculine
Usage Maori, Cook Islands Maori
Pronounced Pron. Roo-aht-ah-pu
Edit Status Status
Meaning & History
Means "sacred abyss, sacred cave" in Maori. In Maori mythology Ruatapu tried to kill his half brother, Kahutia-te-rangi (who assumed the name Paikea) and drove him out, forcing him to survive by riding humpback whales to present day New Zealand.