Long ago, on the lush island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, there lived a maiden named Roimata a name that means “tear” in the language of her people. Her beauty was spoken of from reef to ridge, but it was her gentle heart and devotion to nature that truly set her apart. Roimata loved to walk alone at dawn, collecting shells and singing to the sea. She believed the ocean could hear her. Perhaps it could.
One day, while gathering hibiscus blossoms near a freshwater spring, Roimata met Tama, a young warrior from a distant village. Their eyes met, and from that first moment, something ancient stirred between them. Their love blossomed like the wild frangipani soft, fragrant, and fierce.
But love in old island stories is rarely simple.
Tama belonged to a tribe with whom Roimata’s people had a long-standing rivalry. Though the two lovers tried to keep their union secret, word drifted on the wind, as it always does.
Roimata’s father, the chief, forbade her from seeing Tama again. “Our waters do not mix,” he said, his voice like thunder. “This love brings dishonor.”
War and Tears
But hearts do not bow to commands.
Roimata and Tama continued to meet in secret, beneath the moonlight, beside the same spring where they first spoke. It was there that they made a promise: if ever they were torn apart, they would return to this spot, even in spirit.
Then came the war.
As tensions erupted between the two tribes, Tama was called to fight. He carved a token from coral and gave it to Roimata.
“If I do not return,” he said, pressing it into her hand, “know that my love does.”
She kissed his brow, and he vanished into the jungle mist.
Days passed. Then weeks.
When the warriors returned, Tama was not among them.
River of Tears
Roimata waited by the spring, holding the coral pendant, her songs now silent, her eyes dry despite the weight in her chest. For many days she sat beneath the same tree, refusing food, refusing comfort. Then, one morning, a strange thing happened.
Water began to pool where she sat not from rain, nor from the stream.
They were tears. Her tears.
She wept without sound, without end. And the ground, moved by her grief, softened and drank every drop. Her sorrow seeped into the earth and changed it. The water that rose from beneath the roots of the tree became clearer, purer, unlike any water found elsewhere.
That place became sacred.
They say Roimata’s body was never found, only her coral pendant, resting in the shallows. Some claim her spirit merged with the spring. Others believe that in death, she joined Tama in the deep beyond.
To this day, that spring is called “Vai Roimata” the Water of Tears. Villagers believe its waters can heal, not just the body but the heart. Mothers bring children to bathe. Lovers sip from it before marriage. And in the quietest hours before dawn, some swear they hear a woman’s voice humming a tune to the sea.
Moral / Life Lesson
Roimata’s Tears teaches that love, even when met with loss, leaves a lasting legacy. Grief, when honored, can give birth to something sacred. The story reminds us that the deepest emotions can shape not just hearts, but the land itself.
Knowledge Check
- What is the main message of “Roimata’s Tears”?
The story reveals how love and grief can create something eternal and sacred, showing that emotional pain can lead to beauty and healing. - Where is this folktale from?
This tale originates from the Cook Islands, part of Polynesia in the South Pacific. - Who are the main characters in the story?
Roimata, a gentle maiden, and Tama, a warrior from a rival tribe. - What happens to Roimata after Tama does not return from battle?
Roimata grieves deeply, weeping by the spring until her tears create a sacred water source. - What is the name of the spring that forms from Roimata’s sorrow?
The spring is called “Vai Roimata,” which means “Water of Tears.” - How does this story reflect traditional Polynesian beliefs?
It shows the deep spiritual connection between emotion, nature, and ancestry common themes in Polynesian oral traditions.
Cultural Origin: This folktale comes from the oral tradition of the Cook Islands people of Oceania.
