Tahiti and Society Islands mythology comprises the legends, historical tales, and sayings of the ancient people of the

Society Islands The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...

, consisting of

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

Bora Bora Bora Bora ( French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of the Frenc ...

Raiatea Raiatea or Ra'iatea ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘iātea'') is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the ...

Huahine Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group ''(Îles sous le Vent).'' At the 2017 census it had a population of 6,075. ...

Moorea Moorea ( or ; Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a volcanic island in French Polynesia. It is one of the Windward Islands, a group that is part of the Society Islands, northwest of Tahiti. The name comes from the Tahitian word , meaning " ...

and other islands. It is considered a variant of a more general

Polynesian mythology The Polynesian narrative or 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 cul ...

, developing its own unique character for several centuries. The religion was officially suppressed in the 19th century, and ultimately abandoned by the natives in favor of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

Prominent figures and terms in Tahiti and Society Islands mythology

* Fati * Ro'o-i-Te-Hiripoi *

Ta'aroa Ta'aroa is the supreme creator god in the mythology of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. While the use of the ʻOkina, ʻeta is appropriate given the pronunciation of his name, as is typically the case with Tahitian language, Tahitian words ...

Taonoui In Tahiti and Society Islands mythology, Taonoui is the mother by Roua of Fati and all the star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest st ...

Tumu-nui Tumu-nui is the name of several figures in Tahitan mythology. In the creation myth of the Society Islands, Ta'aroa Ta'aroa is the supreme creator god in the mythology of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. While the use of the ʻeta is ap ...

* Māui (Tahitian mythology) *

Roua In Tahiti and Society Islands mythology, Roua (or Rahoua or Tubua), is the creator god of the Tuamotus. He is the father of Fati, the god of the Moon, and all the stars by Taonoui In Tahiti and Society Islands mythology, Taonoui is the mother by ...

Rata (Tahitian mythology) Rata, in Tahitian mythology, is said to have become king of Tahiti when his uncle, king Tumu-nui, and his father Vahieroa (Tahitian mythology) are swallowed by a great clam while they are on their way to Pitcairn. When he reaches adulthood, Rata p ...

Pahuanui In Tahiti and Society Islands mythology, Pahuanui or Pahuanuiapitaaiterai is a sea monster Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, includ ...

Pua Tu Tahi In the mythology of Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the neare ...

Aremata-Popoa and Aremata-Rorua In the Tahitian story of Rata 'Aremata-Popoto ("tidal wave") and 'Aremata-Roroa ("long wave") are two ocean-dwelling monsters that Rata must overcome. See also *Rātā (Māori mythology) In Māori mythology, accounts vary somewhat as to the ances ...

'Oro Oro is a god in Tahiti and Society Islands mythology. The veneration of Oro, although practiced in varying intensity among the islands, was a major religion of the Society Islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially Tahiti, Tahaa, Moorea, ...

References

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