Fuaʻamotu and the white horse

This is the story of how Fuaʻamotu got the nickname, the white horse. Ko e tala eni ʻo e hoosi teaʼ ʻa ia ko e hingoa fakateneteneʼ ʻa Fuaʻamotu.

Fuaʻamotu, a town in Tongatapu has the unusual nickname of hoosi tea’ which means the white horse. According to oral stories, this name came about during the time of Tungi vaivai, either the father or grandfather of Queen Saloteʼs husband, Tungī Mailefihi. He had a brother who lived in Fuaʻamotu and who would often ride his white horse to visit Tungī vaivai in Mu’a. On one of these occasions, Tungī vaivai heard the trotting steps of a horse and he asked his minders who was that trotting towards them.

Ko hai ‘ena ‘oku patupatū mai? his people replied “Ko e hoosi teaʼ”
Who is that trotting towards us? his people replied, it is the white horse. That is how Fuaʻamotu came to be known as ʻThe white horseʼ town.

Ko e tala ʻo e hoosi teaʼ

Ko e hingoa fakateneteneʼ ʻa Fuaʻamotu ne faʻu ia he taimiʼ ‘o Tungī vaivai ʻa ia ko e tamaiʼ pe ko e kuiʼ ʻa Tungī Mailefihi. Naʻe nofo ha tangataʻeiki ʻi Fuaʻamotu pea naʻaʼne faʻa ʻaʻahi ange ki Muʻa ʻo vakaiʻi ʻene taʻokete ko Tungī vaivaiʼ. ʻI he ʻaho e taha ne fanongo ʻa Tungī vaivai ki he patupatū ʻo pehe ʻange ki heʻene kau tauhi “Ko hai ʻena ʻoku patupatū mai?” Ne tali e kau Muʻa “Ko e hoosi teaʼ”. Aʻu ki he ʻahoʼni kuo ʻiloa hingoa fakatenetene ʻa Fuaʻamotu ko e hoosi teaʼ.

(Anyone who wants to correct my Tongan composition please feel free to do so.)