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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 include: [1]
It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian narrative, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion . The religion was officially suppressed in the 19th century, but kept alive by some practitioners to the modern day.
In Melanesian and Polynesian cultures, mana is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. [1] Anyone or anything can have mana. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a source of power. [1] It is an intentional force. [1]
It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. [3] Its shape "conveys the idea of perpetual movement," while the inner coil "suggests returning to the point of origin". [3]
Tiki Makiʻi Tauʻa Pepe (foreground) and Tiki Manuiotaa (background) from the meʻae Iʻipona on Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands. Polynesian mythology encompasses the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia (a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian Triangle) together with those of the scattered cultures known as the Polynesian outliers.
In some cases the tattoos were considered a receptor for divine strength or mana. They were manifestations of the Rapa Nui culture. Priests, warriors and chiefs had more tattoos than the rest of the population, as a symbol of their hierarchy. Both men and women were tattooed to represent their social class. [2] [3]
A protester holds up a large black power raised fist in the middle of the crowd that gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City for a Black Lives Matter Protest spurred by the death of George Floyd.
Pūloʻuloʻu, often called "kapu sticks", are symbols denoting the kapu of Hawaiian aliʻi (chiefs or royals) and symbolizing the deceased ancestors of the aliʻi. They are traditional symbols of authority which are used in modern times including the Seal of the State of Hawaii .