THE SOCIETY ISLANDS, 367 



inferior divinities named Orotetefa and Urutetefa, and these 

 remained in a state of celibacy. Oro, the son of Taaroa, 

 desired a wife from the daughters of Taata, the first man ; and 

 having reached earth by means of a rainbow, he married the 

 fair damsel of his choice. Oro used to visit his earthly home 

 every day, and his frequent absence from the celestial regions 

 caused Orotetefa and Urutetefa to go in search of him. 

 Having discovered their high-born companion for the two 

 last-named divinities were very inferior in rank to the son of 

 Taaroa and after offering some presents (a pig and some red 

 feathers), Orotetefa and Urutetefa were by Oro constituted as 

 Areols ; and as the two brothers were celibates themselves and 

 had no descendants (though they did not enjoin celibacy on 

 their devotees) they insisted on the murder of all the offspring 

 of those who would consent to join the society. 



The Areois were a sort of strolling players and privileged 

 libertines, who spent their days in rambling from island to 

 island, exhibiting their pantomimes, and spreading a moral 

 contagion throughout society. They had various sorts of 

 public entertainments, which included dances which cannot be 

 described. There were seven regular classes of Areois, and in 

 addition there were a number of persons of both se::es who 

 attached themselves to these South Sea Island followers of the 

 motto of the ' monks ' of Medmenhain Abbey, and who per- 

 formed a variety of servile offices for the duly initiated 

 members. These people, who were called Fanaunau, were not 

 obliged to destroy their offspring, but took more or less part 

 in the public rites of this horrible confraternity. 



The Areoi society was open to all classes, but admission was 

 attended with a great number of ceremonies; a protracted 

 noviciate followed, and it was only by progressive advance- 

 ment that any were admitted to the superior distinctions. If 



