6G REV. M, EELLS, ON THE WORSHIP AND TRADITIONS OF 



Tai^aloa faatutu pnnun, i.e., Tagaloa tlie creator, or more 

 literally the people producing Tagnloa.* 



According to Rev. W. Ellis, the Taaroa of the Tahitians is 

 spoken of by some as the creator of the heavens and earth, 

 though others speak of the existence of land as anterior to 

 that of the gods.f While there are several traditions of 

 creation, quite diiferent, all agree that Taaroa, or someone 

 created by him, made man and woman. After he had made 

 the world, he made man out of red earth. Then when man 

 was asleep, he took out one of his ivi or bones, and made 

 woman whom he gave to man as his wife. Mr. Ellis, how- 

 ever, placed no reliance on this story (although they say that 

 they had it long before the Avhites came among them) except 

 ivi, pronounced eve, which is a native word and means bone, 

 widow, and victim slain in war. Taaroa also made the earth, 

 sun, moon, stars, heaven, and hell. Like most ancient nations 

 they ascribe the origin of all things to a state of chaos or 

 darkness, and even the first existence of their deities refers 

 to this source. Their deities of the highest order are said to 

 be born of night. The tradition generally received in the 

 Windward Islands ascribed the origin of the world and all in 

 it to Taaroa, who was born of chaos.} 



At the Sandwich Islands a traditioii was prevalent that 

 the first inhabitants were descended from the gods or were 

 created on the islands. Their traditions refer to a period of 

 perpetual night or chaos before the world existed. Nothing 

 that now is, Avas then created except the gods. Creation was 

 a transfer from darkness to light. Hawaii is said to have 

 come from a large egg produced by an immense bird upon 

 the Avater, Avhich bursting, formed the island. They also 

 say that man Avas originally made from the dust of the 

 earth by Kane, and Kanaloa, two of their principal deities.§ 



(2) Providence. — According to Dr. J. Eraser, Baiamai of 

 the Australians sees all and knoAvs all, if not directly yet 

 through Turramulan, a subordinate deity Avho is a mediator 

 for all operations of Baiamai to man, and from man to Baia- 

 mai. 



According to the Rev. J. Powell, Tagaloa the creator of the 



* Trans. Vict. Inst., vol. xx, p. 147. 

 t Polynesian Researches, cliaji. 13. 

 \ Ibid., p. 96, 98, 99, 249, and chap. 13. 

 § Jarves, Sandwich Islands, p. 17-19. 



