S1-E40: Marquesas Islands : The Turtle King

Podcast 01 October 2025

After months of frost and famine, the HMS Resolution anchors off Tahuata in the Marquesas Islands—where warriors are tattooed head to toe, women vanish into the hills, and a king wears barkcloth and a feathered crown. His name is Honu—turtle—and his island offers peace after death.

In April 1774, Captain Cook’s crew makes landfall on Tahuata, a volcanic gem in the Marquesas chain. Suffering from disease and scurvy, they come in search of water, food, and goodwill—and find all three, against the odds. Just days after one islander is shot for theft, the locals accept apologies, trade pigs and bananas, and offer peace with pepper roots and calm gazes.

**King Honu of Tahuata receives Captain Cook with no crown, no throne—only feathers, tattoos, and the weight of his people’s silence. – Click on the image to listen to this episode on YouTube.**

The episode centers on Honu, a quiet king whose power lies not in grandeur but in poise. His people are adorned with feathers, shells, and human hair; their tattoos form intricate patterns from head to foot. Though women stay hidden at first, some later appear—statuesque, barefoot, and draped in mulberry bark.

Botanical discoveries mix with philosophical reflections, and Cook's men climb the mountains in search of sacred palisades—yet never reach the summit. Instead, they leave with food, forgiveness, and a reminder: true strength needs no crown.