Product Code Database
Atua ( Akua in Hawaii ) are the and spirits of the Polynesian people such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also Kupua). The literal meaning of the Polynesian word is "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of mana. Many of the atua that are known have originated from myths and legends of each Polynesian culture before Christianity was introduced. These days, the word atua is related to the monotheistic conception of God. However for Polynesian cultures, as opposed to having only one superior god, there are multiple atua.
For Māori, there are eight main atua – excluding the parents, Ranginui and Papatuanuku:
In the Samoan language, where atua means "god", traditional tattooing was based on the doctrine of . There is also a district on the island of Upolu in Samoa called Atua. Atua or gods are also at the centre of Māori mythology. In traditional Māori belief, there is no specific word for "religion" because the natural and supernatural world are seen as one.
In other Austronesian cultures, of atua include the Polynesian aitu, Micronesian aniti, Bunun people hanitu, Filipino people and Tao people anito, and Malaysian people and Indonesian hantu or antu.
Similar to Māori, there are many Samoa mythologies with deities ("atua"). In Samoa, there two types of atua: atua (non-human origins) and aitu (human origins). In Samoa, the atua known as Tagaloa was regarded as the creator of all beings. [6] The atua known as Savea was recognized as being the ruler over Pulotu, the underworld of spirits. He is a complex figure in Samoan mythology and represents death and life. [7] Mafui'e was known as the god of earthquakes. [8] However, since Christianity was introduced to Samoa in 1830 [9], the existence and belief of these deities were soon forgotten by the Samoan people, leaving only their myths and stories.
|
|
