| Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian peoples such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also Kupua); the Polynesian word literally means "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of mana. Today, it is also used for the monotheistic conception of God. Especially powerful atua included:
Rongo-mā-Tāne – god of agriculture and peace
Tāne Mahuta – creator of all living things such as animals, birds and trees
Tangaroa – god of the sea
Tūmatauenga – a god of war
Whiro – god of darkness and evilIn Samoa, where atua means "god" in the Samoan language, traditional tattooing was based on the doctrine of tutelary spirits. There is also a district on the island of Upolu in Samoa called Atua.
Atua or gods were also the center of Māori religion. In Māori's belief, there was no such word as "religion" because the natural and supernatural world were one.In other Austronesian cultures, cognates of atua include the Polynesian aitu, Micronesian aniti, Bunun hanitu, Filipino and Tao anito, and Malaysian and Indonesian hantu or antu. |
