FUTUNA A NAME FOR MY ISLAND

Jul 17, 2026

FUTUNA: A NAME FOR MY ISLAND weaves legend and memory into a Pacific island narrative where personal sacrifice and intergenerational emotion shape destiny. Through a young sculptor’s work with wood salvaged from a king’s grave and a foreign visitor’s presence, tradition and loss converge. A name is forged in tears and attention, rooted in origin, grief, and legacy. The text presents a rewritten English edition of an earlier 2014 work, shared for a wider audience under Creative Commons terms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time20 min

Chapter 1: The Death of the King

Chapter 2: The Young Sculptor

Chapter 3: The Stranger Pierre

FUTUNA A NAME FOR MY ISLAND Chrismaela MANUHAAPAI English Fiction Blending legend and memory, this story takes us deep into a Pacific island where destinies intertwine fade and carve themselves into wood and hearts . Through the journey of a young sculptor, the tears of a king and the gaze of a foreign visitor : a name is born—FUTUNA . Rooted in tradition and emotion this tale is a tribute to origin, loss and legacy. This is a rewritten english version of my original work, first published in 2014 in the book "TOKU MOTU" . My goal is to share this story again with a wider audience . A NAME FOR MY ISLAND Cover and the illustration page 6 made by AI Chrismaela MANUHAAPAI English MATA-UTU, HAHAKE, Wallis et Futuna Copyright © 2025, Chrismaela MANUHAAPAI [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. Feel free to use the illustrations but do not use my story without my consent thanks ! This is a rewritten english version of my story publish in 2014 Chrismaela MANUHAAPAI Chapter 1 : The Death of the King On an island lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there lived a king named Futu'itoga. He was a great leader, respected by his people who affectionately called him "Futu. " One day, while his village was at war with a neighboring one, the king fell seriously ill. So he asked his youngest son, Vaa, to go in search of a cure on the island of Pulotu. The remedy came from a rare plant that grew only on certain lands in the Pacific. Healers had used it before during their visits to the island. The next morning, as the sun began to rise Vaa prepared his canoe and left without saying goodbye. After a week of sailing, he finally saw an island that matched the description his father had given him. At first glance, it looked deserted—even the animals seemed to avoid it. There was little to describe, except that its name suited it well : Pulotu; the island of demons. It looked like a cursed place as if everything had been destroyed by an evil force. When he stepped onto the land, he saw only two nearly identical bushes behind a large rock. Not knowing which one to choose, he took a branch from each. Back home, he learned that his father had died shortly after his departure, and that his three older brothers had been killed in battle. It was a great sacrifice that brought victory and earned the village's gratitude. Overcome with sadness, the young prince went to his father's grave and planted the two branches he had brought back. Once the ceremonies honoring the dead were over, the village elders crowned Vaa as king. This decision made him both proud and anxious because it was a heavy responsibility and he was only 15 years old. He decided to expand the village and build more falé (traditional houses) . He created a central square from which several paths would lead. Major construction work took place over the years, and the growing population seemed very happy with this prosperity. Vaa found a wife and together they had several children. Chapter 2 : The Young Sculptor Twenty years passed in the calm of restored peace. Then, a grand wedding was organized : Vaa had given his daughter Vai—whose name means"water" in their native language to the son of the neighboring chief to seala lasting alliance between their villages. For the occasion, a huge falé(traditional house) had to be built to welcome all the guests from both communities. As king, Vaa oversaw the construction. He decided to use the two trees that had grown over the years on his father's grave. They had become very tall and he had them cut down and taken to the carpenter. But despite the length of the trunks, there was a mistake during the cutting: the logs were too short to reach the proper height for the new falé . Seeing no further us

FAQs

What inciting event drives the story in Chapter 1?

When the king of Fututi’itoga falls seriously ill during a war, he sends his youngest son Vaa to search for a rare cure on the island of Pulotu.

How do the king’s grave trees become important later?

After the king’s family sacrifices and ceremonies, the trees growing on his father’s grave are used for building a new falé; a mistake shortens the logs, which are later thrown into the river and retrieved.

Who is the foreign visitor introduced in the later chapters?

During preparations for a major celebration, the stranger Pierre Chanel arrives from a distant land, communicates in a simple form of Futunian, and is associated with evangelizing the people.

Jul 17, 2026

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