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Transcript

The four most

worshipped

Polynesian

gods were:

• Kane/Tane,

father of all living creatures

• Ku/Tu, the god of war

(Human Sacrifices)

• Kaneloa,

ruler of the land of departed spirits

• Lono, god of agriculture, rain,

harvest, sports, and peace.

The Big 4

a. 1

b. 3

c. 12

d. 400,000 +

How many gods

existed in ancient

Polynesian mythology?

Ancient Polynesian Myths

account for more than

400,000 gods and demi-gods.

A Supreme Being ruled over the universe,

however there were many other gods that

symbolized the objects and aspects of nature,

which had to be invoked or placated.

…or monotheistic with

departmental demi-gods to

micromanage the day-to-day

details of everyday life.

Polytheism?

Animism:

That a soul or spirit existed

in every object, even if it was inanimate.

Modern examples of animism:

Ancient Hawaiians devised scores

of wonderful tales of gods and

their interaction with man.

Mother Nature • Father Time

A Wicked Wind • Tongues of Fire

Ancient Hawaiian & Polynesian

belief systems were founded on animism.

Nature was not only alive…

it was filled with spirits and personality.

As a woman, Pele the goddess

of the volcanoes, demonstrates

the explosive damage that can

come from a woman’s temper.

Mythology attempts to

explain our surroundings.

The importance of our world, plants,

animals and the significance

of our existence.

Pele Goddess of Hawaii’s Volcanoes

Modern Day

Comparisons?

Let’s try to see the

myths of Polynesia

from each of these perspectives.

Your Homework

for Today…

Christians…particularly Catholics.

Faith in one God…

Ask for guidance and protection

of many prophets and saints

Let your skepticism and

your modern world views

take the day off.

Consider St. Francis of Assisi,

the protector of animals

Today, try to hear with the ears of true believers and to open your hearts and your minds to the truth and the revelation behind the myth.

MYTH = Make Believe

A myth is nothing more than

a story of the doings of

gods and godlike beings.

A legend tells the incredible feats

of heroes or other human beings.

St. Jude, the patron saint

of lost causes

Creation Story:

Helps us understand

where we come from.

Adam & Eve in

the Garden of Eden:

Helps us understand

our flawed nature.

What is a myth?

How is it different from a legend?

Examples:

St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers

Myths that tell us who we are,

where we came from and

our purpose for living.

By understanding myths,

we begin to understand our history,

our faith and ultimately

better understand ourselves.

These myths are not viewed

as objective truths…

But as stories that convey

a basic kernel of truth.

A myth is constructed by leaders to help shape

the views and actions of individuals and encourage

them to conform to a particular social order.

Fables and lesson-based myths conform to this pattern.

Myth can have

three different definitions:

The little boy

who cried “Wolf”

Heiau

The Ant and

the Grasshopper

MYTH:

Depiction of an ancient

Hawaiian Heiau

We have been

conditioned to believe

that a “myth” is untrue.

Every activity of Polynesian life would be started with a prayer or a religious ritual.

Polynesian Prayer

New Zealand

Maori Prayer

There must be a necessary purpose behind every act of taking life, whether a tree, a chicken, or a man.

This religious principle was also a sociologically strong guideline that preserved valuable resources.

The hero or demigod is often the secret son of a chief, who lives as a commoner. At some point in the story, his royal blood is revealed and his magical powers explained.

Anything “mythical” is

a fantastical fib…

based on unbelievable

and altogether

fictional events.

Compare to Jesus, the son of God, living as a commoner. It is in the miracles and in Jesus’ death and resurrection that we discover his divinity.

Basic Elements of

Polynesian Mythology:

Many Polynesian mythical heroes are kupua, or people with supernatural powers.

Polynesian mythology is filled with stories of dog-men,

rat-men, bird-men, shark-men, and hog-men.

Modern day myths and superheroes are almost identical…

Superman, Aquaman and Batman are examples of kupua in our modern age.

The Myths of Polynesia

The Maori Creation Myth:

Maui

Taunts

Death

The Maori Creation Myth:

Pele and

Kamapua’a

Once when Pele and her sister Kapo were travelling on the windward side of the island, they were seen by Kamapua’a. Aroused by the sight of Pele, he pursued her. He went to woo her, but she scorned him, calling him insulting names. Her taunts led to a furious battle between them.

Maui Pulls New Zealand from the Ocean

She hurled molten lava at him and chased him into the sea, but he turned himself into a little fish, the humuhumu-nukunuku-a pua’a, whose tough skin protected him from the boiling heat when Pele’s lava poured into the sea.

humuhumu-nukunuku-apua’a

Carl Jung Archetype Theory:

As civilizations have spread, the stories of our beginnings and the ways we explain our place and our surroundings are similar because we all draw from the same subconscious well of ideas…only differentiated by our environments.

Kamapua’a

How Maui Tamed the Sun

If you believe in God...

consider...

Perhaps God has revealed himself to humanity in different ways and at different times, in the ways that we were most likely to perceive and receive him.

To those at the dawn of civilization, God spoke to them as elements of nature and gods of nature,

because nature was what they best understood.

As humans became more interdependent on each other, god revealed himself through demigods and prophets.

For Christians, that revelation comes through Jesus,

the prophets and saints.

For Islam, it was Mohammed.

For Jews, Moses, the prophets and

the Messiah that is yet to come.

Then...Mythology

like religion is but a page

in the endless book of

God's revelation.

Polynesian Mythology

& Legends

By Patrick Goodness

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