Polynesia is a vast region of the Pacific Ocean consisting of many hundreds of widely separated, culturally and politically diverse island groups. Ranging from Midway and Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south, the triangular area called Polynesia also includes Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotu (pronounced too-ah-MOH-too), the Cook Islands, and the Pitcairn Islands. Although the mythology of Polynesia varies from one island to the next, many of the basic stories, themes, and gods are surprisingly similar throughout the region.
Scholars believe that humans first migrated to Polynesia from Southeast Asia about two thousand years ago. These people carried with them their mythological traditions about events, deities, and heroes. As time passed and people moved to different island groups, they adapted their mythology and religious beliefs to suit their new environments. In the process, they added new characters and events to the traditional myths and legends. Nevertheless, the basic elements of religion and myth remained relatively unchanged throughout the island groups, and a fairly distinct pantheon—group of recognized gods and goddesses—emerged.
Polynesian religion and mythology placed great emphasis on nature, particularly the ocean environment. The Polynesians became masters of navigation and other seafaring skills, and their religion and myths strongly reflected the importance of nature and the sea. Polynesians believed that all things in nature, including humans, contained a sacred and supernatural power called mana. Mana could be good or evil, and individuals, animals, and objects contained varying amounts of mana.
Because mana was sacred, Polynesians invented complicated rules— known as tapus, the source of the word “taboo”—to protect it. For example, ordinary people were not allowed to touch even the shadow of a great chief, nor could they step inside sacred groves or temples. The punishment for breaking important rules was often death, while illness and misfortune were believed to be the penalties for breaking minor tapus.
The Polynesian religion included many gods, local deities as well as the great gods of their pantheon. The people felt a close personal connection to their deities and to the various heroes, demigods (half human and half god), and tricksters of their mythology. The most popular character was Maui (pronounced MOU-ee), a hero-trickster well known throughout Polynesia.
Worship of the gods involved chants and prayers, elaborate rituals or ceremonies, and sacrifices (including human sacrifice). Magic was also important among the Polynesians, who used chants, charms, and spells to summon the gods or ask for their guidance or assistance. Priests usually organized and led religious festivals and celebrations. In some places, special groups consisting of storytellers, musicians, dancers, and other performers took charge of staging ceremonial activities. Sacred ceremonies often included singing, dancing, storytelling, and dramatic performances. The Hawaiian hula dance originated as a sacred ceremonial dance.
World History
