Atua


Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian peoples such as the Māori or the Hawaiians ; 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:
In 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.
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.
The term appears in the first line of the Māori version of the New Zealand national anthem.

In popular culture

In the video game , the character of Angie Yonaga is a follower of a god named Atua. Her devotion becomes of key importance after she is murdered, as the nature of the cult-like group she forms causes a locked-room mystery.