Gods, Myths, and Heroes - Part 68

Tangaroa

In Polynesia before the introduction of Christianity, people worshipped multiple gods.  Tangaroa was the principal god of the sea, and on some islands, he was also the god of creation.

The 17th-18th century wooden statue above, from the island of Rurutu, shows Tangaroa creating other gods and humans, represented as tiny figures on his skin.

In the Cook Islands, Tangaroa was one of the principal gods.  This late 18th-early 19th century statue is now in the British Museum.  Tangaroa was always represented naked, and his procreative powers were symbolized by a large penis.  In the 19th century, due to the influence of Christian missionaries, many of these statues were burned or had their penis cut off.

Today, however, at least on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook islands, naked statues of Tangaroa with a large penis have become fashionable, and they are found in many shops and hotels, such as the one above ...

and this swimming pool or spa ...

and this restaurant ...

and this shop ...

and this hotel or restaurant.

We end far away, but still in Polynesia, in New Zealand, where in the Maori religion, Tangaroa was the god of the sea.  Above is a sculpture created by Frank Szirmay in the 1970s, located in the middle of Tauranga Harbor.  Here Tangaroa does not have a huge penis, but he is more human-looking.