earth science

Pōmare II

Pōmare II is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pōmare II rather than just read about it. In short: Pōmare II (c. 1782 – 7 December 1821) (fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II; historically misspelled as Tu Tunuiea'aite-a-tua), was the second king of Tahiti between 1791 and 1821. He was installed by his father Pōmare I at Tarahoi, 13 February 1791.

Key takeaways

Pōmare II belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pōmare II to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pōmare II from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pōmare II (c. 1782 – 7 December 1821) (fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II; historically misspelled as Tu Tunuiea'aite-a-tua), was the second king of Tahiti between 1791 and 1821. He was installed by his father Pōmare I at Tarahoi, 13 February 1791. He ruled under regency from 1791 to 1803.

Coronation On 13 February 1791, James Morisson attended the ceremony in which the young king Pōmare II was invested with the Maro 'Ura, or Royal Sash. The event took place in the district of Pare, on the newly constructed marae. On that day, thirty human sacrifices were offered, some of whom had been killed nearly a month earlier. He ruled under regency from 1791 until his father's death on 3 September 1803.

Titles According to the writings of English missionary in 1799, Pōmare II's title was "Otoo.noo.ey te Ātoo'ā" (O Tu nui ai te Atua). He was revered as a divine figure. His celestial residence was known as "Yow Rye" ('A'o Ra'i, meaning "clouds of heaven"), and his double canoe was called "Ān'ooānooā" (Anuanua, or "rainbow"). His manner of riding on the shoulders of an attendant was known as Māh'owtā (Mahuta, meaning "flying". His torch, "Oowe'erā" (O Uira, or "lightning"), and the drum "Pāte'ere" (Patiri, or "thunder"), which was frequently played for his amusement, further emphasized his embodiment of elemental forces. According to their writings in 1806, Pōmare II had different names in various districts. In Pare, he was called "Tunu-e-ae-tɛ-tua" (Tu nui ai te atua); in Faaʻa, "Tʻ-Ɛree vaɛ.ɛ.tua" (Te ariʻi vae atua); in Atehuru, "Tɛ-vahe-atua" (Te vahi atua); in Taiarapu, "Tʻ-Ɛree-navahoroa" (Te ariʻi na vaho roa); and in Eimeo (Moʻorea), "Punua-tɛ-rae-ɛ-tua" (Punua te raʻi atua). These names, given to the king, signified his authority as one invested with the power that traditionally belonged to the various chiefs presiding over different districts and were used on special occasions.

Life Initially recognised as supreme sovereign and Ariʻi-maro-ʻura by the ruler of Huahine, he was subsequently forced from Tahiti and took refuge in Moʻorea on 22 December 1808, but returned and defeated his enemies at the Battle of Te Feipī, on 11 November 1815. He was thereafter recognised as undisputed king (Te Ariʻi-nui-o-Tahiti) of Tahiti, Moʻorea and its dependencies. On 15 November 1815, he proclaimed himself King of Tahiti and Moʻorea in the name of the Christian God. Pōmare II extended his realm to land outside of the Society Islands. He inherited his father's dominion over the Tuamotus and settled many conflicts between the disparate local chieftains in 1817 and 1821. However, his family's rule only extended to the eastern and central portions of the Tuamotus archipelago. In 1819, the king took nominal possession of Raivavae and Tubuai in the Austral Islands, although control was relegated to the local chiefs.

Conversion to Christianity Pomare II believed that he lost favour with the god 'Oro, and, aided by the missionary Henry Nott, he began paying more attention to the God of the Christians. He was baptised on 16 May 1819 at the Royal Chapel, Papeʻete – Christianity and the support of English missionaries aided the centralisation of monarchic power. Three London Missionary Society missionaries, Henry Bicknell, William Henry, and Charles Wilson preached at the baptism of King Pōmare II. Afterwards, "Henry Bicknell stood on the steps of the pulpit, took water from a basin held by William Henry, and poured it" on King Pōmare's head. Today a majority of 54% of the French Polynesian population belongs to various Protestant churches, especially the Maohi Protestant Church which is the largest and accounts for more than 50% of the population. It traces its origins to Pomare II, the king of Tahiti, who converted from traditional beliefs to the Reformed tradition brought to the islands by the London Missionary Society.

Family Pōmare II was married first before March 1797 (betrothed January 1792) to his double first cousin Tetua-nui Taro-vahine, Ariʻi of Vaiari (now Papeari), who died at ʻArue, on 21 July 1806. Around 1809, he married two sisters: Teriʻitoʻoterai Teremoemoe and Teriʻitariʻa who were daughters of Tamatoa III, Ariʻi Rahi of Raiatea. With his second wife Teriʻitoʻoterai Teremoemoe, he had three children:

ʻAimata (28 February 1813 – 17 September 1877), who ruled as Pōmare IV Teinaiti (21 November 1817 – 20 March 1818), who died young Teriʻitariʻa (25 June 1820 – 8 January 1827), who ruled as Pōmare III

Death Pōmare died of alcohol-related causes at Motu Uta, Papeete, Tahiti on 7 December 1821. He was succeeded by his son Pōmare III, who reigned 1821–1827.

Ancestry

See also Pōmare Dynasty Kingdom of Tahiti List of monarchs of Tahiti List of deaths through alcohol

First missionaries in Polynesia

Notes

References

Bibliography

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pōmare II

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pōmare II claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pōmare II before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pōmare II ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pōmare II

In research: Pōmare II appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pōmare II in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pōmare II is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1780s births, 1821 deaths, 18th-century monarchs in Oceania, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pōmare II outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pōmare II in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pōmare II means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pōmare II out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pōmare II in simple terms?

Why does Pōmare II matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pōmare II?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pōmare II.