CHAPTER VII.

THE PAGAN NATIONS.

The Polynesians-Features of Worship-Ceremonies after Death-The Tahitians-The Fiji Islanders-The Introduction of Christianity-The Ancient Mexicans-Idols and Temples-The Progress of Christianity.

POLY

THE POLYNESIANS.

OLYNESIA is a name given by geographers to the great body of islands scattered over the Pacific Ocean, between Australasia and the Philippines, and the American Continent. It extends from lat. 35° N. to 50° S.; and from long. 170° to 230° E.; an extent of 5,000 miles from north to south, and 3,600 from west to east. It includes, therefore, the Sandwich Islands, the Marquesas, Navigators', Society, Mulgrave, Friendly, Ladrone, Pelew Isles, the Carolines, Pitcairn's Island, etc.

A general similarity in respect to the objects of religious worship, as well as the forms of practices, is observed throughout the whole of Polynesia; although some differences may be found between groups of islands, and even between islands belonging to the same group.

The supreme deity of Polynesia, who was generally regarded as the creator of the world, and the parent of gods and men, had different names in different groups. By the Tahitians he was called Taaroa; by the Hawaiians, Tanaroa; and by the inhabitants of the Western Isles, Tangaloa. According to one of the legends of the Tahitian mythology, Taaroa was born of Night, or proceeded from Chaos, as did

his consort Ofeufeumaiterai. Oro, the great national idol of Raitea, Tahiti, Eimeo, and some other islands, was the son of the foregoing. Oro took a goddess to wife, who became the mother of two sons. These four male and two female deities constituted their divinities of the highest rank. This was the catalogue furnished the missionaries by the priests of Tahiti. Other gods of high and uncreated order, however, are mentioned, as Raa, Tane, etc. Besides the above they had numerous other inferior deities.

The image of Taaroa cannot well be described. It may be stated, however, in respect to one, which was taken from the temple at Rurutu, that it bore some resemblance to the human figure. It was about four feet high and twelve or fifteen inches broad, and was carved out of a solid piece of close, white, durable wood. On his face and body a great number of images were formed, denoting the number of gods which had proceeded from him. The image was hollow, and within was found a number of small idols. In the Sandwich Islands there was a resemblance among all their idols. The head had generally a horrid appearance, the mouth being large and usually extended wide, exhibiting a row of large teeth, resembling the cogs in the wheel of an engine, and adapted to excite terror rather than inspire confidence. Some of these idols were of stone; others were composed of wicker-work covered with red feathers.

The Polynesian temples were of three classes-natural, local, and domestic. In the first were deposited their principal idols, and in and around them were held their great festivals. The second belonged to the several districts; the third were appropriated to the worship of their household gods. In the South Sea Islands the name of their temples was Marae. These were buildings of a rude construction, and resembled oratories more than temples.

The worship of the Polynesians consisted of prayers, offerings, and sacrifices. In their prayers they addressed their gods either in a kneeling posture, cross-legged, or crouching. Like the Pharisees in the days of our Saviour, they extended their supplications to a great length, and used many repeti

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tions, thereby hoping to recommend themselves to the special notice of the deity. Their offerings consisted of fowls, fishes, beasts of the field, fruits of the earth, and manufactures of various kinds. When animals were offered they were generally whole, but fruits were commonly dressed. Portions of the offerings were considered so sacred as not to be eaten; the remainder was monopolized by the priests and other sacred persons, who were privileged to eat of the sacrifices. Human victims were formerly offered in great numbers, especially in seasons of war, at great national festivals, during the illness of their rulers, and on the erection of their temples. When an individual had been selected for sacrifice, the family to which he belonged was said to be tabu, i. e., devoted; and hence, if another victim was wanted, it was likely to be taken from such a family. When the person was about to be sacrificed, he was generally murdered at a moment when he was little expecting the stroke. As soon as dead, his body was placed in a long basket and carried to the temple. Here it was offered, not by burning it, but by placing it before the idol. After a variety of ceremonies by the priest the body was wrapped in a basket of cocoanutleaves, and frequently deposited on the branches of a neighboring tree. Here having remained a considerable time, during which it became dry and shrivelled, it was taken down, and the bones were buried beneath the wide pavement of the Marae.

When a person died, the first object was to ascertain the cause of his death, as the ceremonies which followed varied accordingly. These ceremonies being performed, the body was disposed of. In case of a chief, or person of rank, the body was preserved; but all others were buried. When about to be interred, the corpse was placed in a sitting posture, with the knees elevated, the face pressed down between the knees, the hands fastened under the legs, and the whole body tied with a cord. The interment usually took place on the day the person died, or that following. During the interval which elapsed between death and burial, the surviving friends watched the corpse, indulging their grief in loud and

bitter lamentations, and cutting themselves with sharks' teeth. The bodies of their chiefs were embalmed, and afterwards preserved in houses erected for that purpose.

The religious system of the Samoans differed essentially from that which was observed at the Tahitian, Society, and other islands. They had neither maraes, nor temples, nor altars, nor offerings; and, consequently, none of the sanguinary rites observed at the other groups. On this account the Samoans were considered an impious race. When the people of Rarotongo upbraided a person who had neglected the worship of the gods, they called him "a godless Samoan." The objects worshipped by them were of three kinds-their deified ancestors, their idols, and their etus. Many of their ancestors were deified for conferring supposed benefits upon mankind. It was believed that the world was once in darkness; but that one of their progenitors, by an absurd process, created the sun, moon, and stars. For this he was worshipped, until the light of Christianity dawned upon them. Another tradition stated that the heavens were originally so close to the earth, that men were compelled to crawl, being unable to walk upright. An individual attempted to elevate the heavens to a more convenient height. For this purpose he put forth his utmost energy; and by the first effort, raised them to the top of a tender plant, called teve, about four feet high. There he left them until he was refreshed. By a second effort, he raised them to the height of a tree called kauariki, which is as large as the sycamore. His third effort lifted them to the summits of the mountains; and, after a long interval of repose, by a most prodigious effort, he elevated them to their present situation. This vast undertaking was believed to have been facilitated by myriads of dragon flies, which, with their wings, severed the cords that confined the heavens to the earth. This individual was deified, and the deluded inhabitants worshipped him as "the elevator of the heavens." They had, likewise, the god of the fisherman, of the husbandman, of the voyager, of the thief, and of the warrior.

Idols formed the second class of objects regarded with re

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ligious veneration. These were different in almost every island and district. Some were large, and some were small; some were hideous, while others were beautiful. The makers of these idols seem to have followed no pattern, but to have shaped them according to their own fancy.

The third object of worship was the etu. It consisted of some bird, fish, or reptile, in which the natives believed that a spirit resided. This form of idolatry prevailed more at the Samoas, than at any other islands. There, innumerable objects were regarded as etus. It was not uncommon to see an intelligent chief muttering some prayer to a fly, an ant, or a lizard. A vessel from New South Wales once touched at the Samoas, the captain of which had on board a cockatoo that talked. A chief was invited to the ship; when he was in the cabin, the captain began a colloquy with the bird. The chief was struck with amazement; he trembled exceedingly, and immediately sprang upon deck and leaped into the sea; he called aloud to the people to follow him, and affirmed that the captain had on board his devolo, which he had both seen and heard. The natives dashed at once into the sea, and swam to the shore with haste and consternation. It was with difficulty they were persuaded to revisit the ship, as they believed that the bird was the captain's etu, and that the spirit of the devil was in it.

Besides these objects of adoration, the islanders generally, and the Samoans in particular, had a vague idea of a Supreme Being, whom they regarded as the creator of all things, and the author of their mercies. They called him Tangaloa. At their great feasts, before the distribution of the food, an orator arose, and after enumerating each article, exclaimed, "Thank you, great Tangaloa, for this!" Their deities were worshipped with prayers, incantations, and offerings of pigs, fish, vegetable food, native cloth, canoes, and other valuable property. Human sacrifices, at some of the islands, were fearfully common. In addressing their gods, they invariably concluded with the following sentence. After presenting the gift, the priest would say, "Now, if you are a god of mercy, come this way, and be propitious to this offering; but, if you