Tagroa Siria ("
God Above", or "God the Highest" in the
Rotuman language
Rotuman, also referred to as ''Rotunan'', ''Rutuman'' or ''Fäeag Rotuạm'' (citation form: ''Faega Rotuma''), is an Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the South Pacific island group of Rotuma, an island with a Polynesia ...
) was the supreme deity in pre-Christian
Rotuman society. He is understood to be the Rotuman version of the pan-Pacific deity
Tangaroa
Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...
.
[Aubrey L. Parke: ''Seksek ʿe Hatana: Trolling on Hatana''. Page 29.]
In Rotuman mythology, he was said to live in
'Oroi ta (literally "the hidden", meaning the
underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
-like spirit region), and was the
most powerful of all the deities in the Rotuman
pantheon
Pantheon may refer to:
* Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building
Arts and entertainment Comics
*Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization
* ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...
. Like most faith systems at the time, his main role was as part of the
fertility cult, ensuring the prosperity of the island and its people.
First born sons in Rotuman families were tossed in the air as a dedication to Tagroa.
See also
*
Tagaloa
In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa (also known as Tagaloa-Lagi or Tagaloa, Lagi of the Heavens/Skies) is generally accepted as the supreme ruler,
*
Tangaroa
Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...
Notes
Fijian deities
Fertility gods
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