Atua (religion)
Atua is the name for the gods and spirits of the Polynesians : Māori , Hawaiians and others. The Polynesian word literally means "power" or "strength". The concept behind it is comparable to the Austronesian “ Mana ”. Today it is also used for the monotheistic concept of God . Particularly powerful atua are:
- Rongo - god of agriculture and peace
- Tane - creator of all living things (animals, birds, trees)
- Tangaroa - god of the sea
- Tu - god of war
- Whiro - god of darkness and evil
In Samoa the overall meaning of atua is "God". The traditional Peʻa ( tattoo ) was also associated with the divine principle, but rather assigned to guardian spirits . On the island of Upolu in Samoa there is also a political district (itūmālō) called Atua .
Related words in other Austronesian cultures are: Polynesian “ aitu ”, Micronesian “ aniti ”, Bunun “ hanitu ”, Filipino and Tao “ anito ”, as well as Malay and Indonesian “ hantu ” or “ antu ”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ George McLean, Vensus A. George: Paths to The Divine: Ancient and Indian. 2008. ISBN 9781565182486
- ↑ George Pratt [1893]: A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan vocabulary , 3rd and revised. Edition, R. McMillan, Papakura, New Zealand 1984, ISBN 978-0-908712-09-0 , p. 270, (accessed July 8, 2010).
- ^ Friedrich Ratzel: The History of Mankind. MacMillan 1896.
- ↑ Leberecht Funk: Monster Anthropology in Australasia and Beyond. Entanglements between Tao People and Anito on Lanyu Island, Taiwan. In: Y. Musharbash & GH Presterudstuen, Palgrave Macmillan 2014: 143–159. ISBN 9781137448651 doi = 10.1057 / 9781137448651_9