The deity is called Qat (pronounced [k͡pʷat]) in Mota, an Oceanic language which was first documented by Robert Codrington at the end of the 19th century.
The same hero is known under the same name in the languages of neighboring Banks Islands, albeit with different pronunciations (due to historical processes of sound change): Qēt [k͡pʷɪt] in Löyöp, Q̄et [ᵑᵐɡ͡bʷɛt] in Volow, Iqet [iˈk͡pʷɛt] in Mwotlap, Qet [k͡pʷɛt] in Lemerig, Vurës, and Mwesen, Qo’ [k͡pʷɔʔ] in Vera'a, Qat [k͡pʷat] in Nume and Lakon, Qāt [k͡pʷaːt] in Dorig, and Qet [kʷɛt] in Mwerlap.
[2] The neighboring Torres Islands have a mythological hero with a very similar history, yet give him names unrelated to the root *ᵐbʷatu: Mer̄avtit [məg͡ʟaβˈtit] in Hiw and Merawehih [mərawəˈhih] in Lo-Toga.
One story recounts how Marawa, envious of Qat's creations, carved his own figures and brought them to life, but then grew tired of them and buried them for a week.
The following archives, recorded by linguist A. François in the Torres and Banks Islands (Vanuatu),[6] present various stories from the mythological cycle of Qat.