my edits i rewrote somewhat to avoid a combining of the traditions of different parts of polynesia i also tried to change the emphasis in the opening line to pulotu as 'polynesian mythology' which gives the mistaken impression that the concept is found all over polynesia it is important to maintain the separation of the individual traditions otherwise we are at risk of rewriting the traditions the association made with the m ori concepts of hawaiki and te reinga i thought was taking it a little too far hawaiki is not always often conceived of that way by my people i also took out a reference to 'purotu' since there was no evidence offered that the word occuring in that form means underworld i also took out the reference to pulotu having changed in tahitian to purotu meaning a girl of marrying age the word occurs in many eastern polynesian languages with the meaning beautiful haw puuloku comely tender pki mao purotu handsome clear pleasant wms mva porotu beauty handsome person bck pen purotu beautiful rsn puk pulotu beautiful bge rar purotu pleasant pleasing agreeable sve tah purotu joli beau mte tua purotu slightly handsome attractive stn versus sam there is nothing here to suggest that the word changed in tahitian or that it is only used of women nor is there any evidence to suggest which meaning is the older the eastern polynesian 'beautiful' or the western polynesian 'residence of the gods'