Tangaroa

"Tangaroa (Takaroa in South Island Māori dialect) is the great atua [god or spirit] 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 as a whale. . . Tangaloa is one of the oldest Polynesian deities and in western Polynesia (for example, Samoa and Tonga) traditions has the status of supreme creator god. In eastern Polynesian cultures Tangaroa is usually considered of equal status to Tāne and thus not supreme. " [Tangaroa, Wikipedia]

In Hawaii, this god is known as Kanaloa.[Kanaloa carving, Hawaii,Te Ara, ret. 11/13/24] "In the traditions of ancient Hawaiʻi, Kanaloa is a god symbolized by the squid or by the octopus. . . Kanaloa is also considered to be the god of the Underworld and a teacher of magic. Legends state that he became the leader of the first group of spirits 'spit out' by the gods. In time, he led them in a rebellion in which the spirits were defeated by the gods and as punishment were thrown in the Underworld." [Kanaloa, Wikipedia]

According to Laban Shrewsbury, Cthulhu was the inspiration for Tangaroa and other sea-gods [AWD Island]. Shrewsbury would doubtless have been intrigued by the star around Tangaroa's navel in the above image; could it imply an extraterrestrial origin?

See also: Fisherman's God.

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