Tuhoto

Te Ao Hou, September 1965, Page 37

Tuhoto Tuhoto Ariki came of a long line of high priests of Te Arawa, and from his youth he was set apart as one who was learning the mysteries of the priesthood. He lived on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua in the early years of the last century, and was greatly feared as a tangata makutu, a wizard who could destroy men by his magic. At the time of the terrible Tarawera eruption of 1886, old Tuhoto was living at Wairoa on Lake Tarawera with his kinsmen of the Tuhourangi tribe. The people of the village believed that it was Tuhoto who had caused the disaster, by calling upon the god of volcanoes to arise and destroy the tribe. In the eruption Tuhoto was buried alive in his little house beneath a sea of mud and ashes. He was dug out four days later by a Pakcha rescue team, and to everyone's astonishment was found to be still alive. He died a few days later, aged about 100.