Aitu - in Polynesian mythology, ghosts or spirits , often malicious and malevolent. The word aitu is present in many languages of Eastern and Western Polynesia.
Content
Maori
In Maori language, “disease” , “misfortune” or “demons” means, and the single-root word aituā means “ failure” , “accident” , “catastrophe” [1]
Cook Islands
On the Cook Islands, aitu is also the name of the ancient tribes that came from the east.
According to the traditions, some of the Aitu tribes settled on the islands of Aitutaki, Atiu and Mangaia. On Aitutaki, they were destroyed or expelled. On Mangaia, they were killed from time to time to sacrifice to the gods. Mangaia still has the remains of a huge oven called te umu Aitu (te umu Aitu), in which these people were roasted after they were killed. |
[2]
Samoa
In the mythology of the Samoan Islands, aitu were gods who sowed wars, as well as patron deities of individual families or villages and protectors of merchants and workers, who could be turned to on special occasions and whose anger or revenge could be predicted by special priests . The most important Samoan Aitu were Saveasiuleo , the ruler of Pulotho (underground world in Samoan mythology) and his daughter Nathanua , goddess of war. According to the ideas of the ancient Samoans, the priests were representatives of the spirits of war, although sometimes they could take the form of birds, fish, reptiles, or even humans. During the wars, the ancient Samoans carefully watched the birds or other animals, which, in their opinion, could predict the course of the war. Some of these Aitus lived in Pulota (the underworld), others - under volcanic locations.
Each family had its own Aita, which was treated with special reverence. Those trees, fish, reptiles, or other animals in which the ait moved in, were forbidden to eat. Numerous feasts were held in honor of these spirits to avoid wars, punishments, diseases, or death.
In addition to the ability to take a human form, Aitu were endowed with a number of human characteristics. They were social creatures, their temperament ranged from mild and harmless to evil and vindictive. In Samoa, even traditional places of refuge were distinguished. It was possible to soften the aitu by making some kind of presentation [3] .
Tokelau
On the mythology of the islands of Tokelau, aitu are the souls of people who were less powerful than atua and could not control natural phenomena. They helped their descendants in times of hardship and disease [4] .
See also: afa .
Tonga
In the mythology of Tonga , for example, ʻaitu or ʻeitu are the small gods who are patrons of individual villages and families. They often take the form of plants or animals and are more cruel than other gods. According to beliefs, Aita came from Samoa [5] . In Tongan, there is a stable phrase tangi lauʻaitu , which translates as "crying as ait" and means "crying with grief, grieving . "
Other Nations
In Tahitian language, the word aitu (synonyms - atua , raita ) means "god" or "spirit . " In other languages, including Kuk , Samoan , Sikayana , Kapingamarangi , Takuu , Tuamotuan and Niouen , Aitu means “ghosts” , “spirits”
Notes
- ↑ The suffix -ā in the word aituā conveys the meaning “filled with aita” .
- ↑ " A dictionary of the Maori language of Rarotonga ", Manuscript by Stephen Savage. Suva: IPS, USP, 1983.
- ↑ Grattan FJH Custom. Secretary Of Samoan Affairs, Western Samoa, 1948.
- ↑ Gordon Macgregor . Ethnology of Tokelau Islands. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 1937. - p. 63.
- ↑ In Rotuman language, similar creatures are also called Aitu.