For the district in Samoa, see Atua (district). For the river in Brazil, see Atuá River.
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]
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; and
Whiro – god of darkness and evil.
In Samoa, where atua means "god" in the Samoan language,[2] traditional tattooing was based on the doctrine of tutelary spirits.[3] 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.[4]
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.[5]
In popular culture, Atua is the name that is used to refer to the deity which the character Angie Yonaga worships in the English dub of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. The term "Atua" is often associated with her character.[6]
^George, Vensus A. (2008), McLean, George F. (ed.), Paths to The Divine: Ancient and Indian, Indian Philosophical Studies, vol. XII, pp. 22–23, ISBN 978-1-56518-248-6
^Pratt, George (1984) [1893]. A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan vocabulary (3rd and revised ed.). Papakura, New Zealand: R. MacMillan. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-908712-09-0. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Ratzel, Friedrich (1896), The History of Mankind, MacMillan
^Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Ngā atua – the gods". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
^Funk, Leberecht (2014). "Entanglements between Tao People and Anito on Lanyu Island, Taiwan". In Musharbash, Y.; Presterudstuen, G.H. (eds.). Monster Anthropology in Australasia and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 143–159. doi:10.1057/9781137448651_9. ISBN 978-1-137-44865-1.
^"Atua in Danganronpa: A Look at Polynesian Culture and Angie Yonaga". h-o-m-e.org. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
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