The Maori of New Zealand form a branch of the Polynesian family, and as they seem to have been pre- served uncontaminated by intercourse with other na- tions, we may discover in their superstitions some of the primitive notions of the great mass of the islanders of the Pacific Ocean. They regarded the origin of all things as Night and Nothingness, and even the older gods themselves were supposed to have sprung from Night. Another series of divinities are gods of light, and occupy the highest and most glorious of the ten heavens. The Etu of the other districts of Polynesia was called Atua in the language of New Zealand, and instead of being worshipped like the Etu, was simply regarded as a powerful adversary, skilled in supernat- ural arts, and rendered proof against all ordinary wor- ship. Hence arose the charms and incantations which form the chief element in Maori worship. The souls of their departed ancestors were ranked among the A tuas. An institution, which is common to the Maori and to all the Polynesian tribes, is the Taboo, which is applied both to sacred things and persons. Among the Maori, the head-chief being sacred almost to divinity, his house, his garments, and all that belonged to him was Taboo, his spiritual essence having been supposed to be communicated to everything that he touched. The re- ligion of the Sandwich Islanders, before they embraced Christianity, was almost entirely a Taboo system — that is, a system of religious prohibitions, which had extend- ed itself very widely, and been used by their priests and kings to enlarge their own power and influence. Tem- ples or maraes existed in the South Sea Islands, but nei- ther temples nor altars existed in New Zealand, nor in the Samoas nor Navigators Islands. The form of super- stition most prevalent at the Samoas was the worship of the Etu, which consisted of some bird, fish, or reptile, in which they supposed that a spirit resided. Kelig- ious ceremonies were connected with almost every event of their lives. They presented their first-fruits to their gods, and at the close of the year observed a festival as an expression of thanksgiving to the gods for the mer- cies of the past year.
Paganism is becoming rapidly extirpated through the efforts of the missionaries, principally English and American, as in the Samoan, Sandwich, and Society groups, where but few absolute pagans now remain. Under date of December, 1876, a correspondent of the Ufanchester Guardian writes: "Heathenism is mainly confined to the. islands in the western part of the Pacific. The missionary societies, whose efforts have been so greatly blessed in other parts of Polynesia, are combining their labors upon this western section. The London Missionary Society has undertaken the work on New Guinea and the islands at its eastern q\\<\. The Melanesian Mission will extend its labors to the Banks and Solomon Islands. The Presby- terians will enlarge their work on the New Hebrides. The Wesleyans have included New Britain and New Ireland in their field. The American Board, in connec- tion with the Hawaiian churches, is enlarging its opera- tions in Micronesia. The history of the Polynesian missions warrants us in expecting large results from this concentration of Christian influence upon numerous island groups, some of which have as yet been only par-
POLYPHEMUS
372
POLYTHEISM
liallv explored." The superstiti fthe taboo, the use
of kawa as an intoxicating drink, cannibalism, infanti- cide, tattooing, and circumcision are now fasl disap- , under the influence of Christianity. Unfor-
tunately, however, the contact of these islanders with civilization has nol been always productive of unmixed
g |; ih,. introduction among them of the use oi ardent
spirits, and "i the \ ices and diseases oi Europeans, hav- ing thinned the population to a lamentable extent Further particulars with respect to the natives of Poly- , mnd in some ofoui articles on the groups
I as being the most important Sec Littell's il3),art iii; Tlu Land. Rev. 1854, |.i. ii. p. I.; sq.; Edinb. Rev. July, 1876, art. ix; Miss. World, N". 680, p. 167 '■■"<■ July
. p. 62 aq. : < Gardner, Diet, ofRk lig. Faiths, s. v. ; Lubbock, Oriff. of Civilization (see Index I.
Polyphemus, in the Homeric mythology, the Bon of Poseidon and i ti<- nymph Thoosa, the most cele- brated of the fabulous Cyclopes who inhabited the isl- and of Sicily. He was of immense Bize, ami had only one eye. When Ulysses landed on that island, he en- tered the cave of Polyphemus with twelve companions, of which number this tremendous cannibal ate six. The other- Btood expecting the same fate, but th.ir cunning leader made Polyphemus drunk, then burned out his Bingle eye with a blazing torch, and so escaped, leaving the blinded monster to grope about in the darkness.
Polystamion • . crossed), a name given to the cloak of the Greek patriarchs, ou account of the many crosses which ornament it.
Polytheism, a general name for those systems of religion which involve- a belief in more deities than one. Neither ihis word nor the similar ones, nth* ism. monotheism, theism, arr to be found in the or- dinary Greek or Latin dictionaries. Philo the Jew employs such words as the neuter adjective tto\v- n the article to express the idea; also the forms iroXvdfornCi •'""' '" Philo aSrtortje,, occur with the sense now attached to endings in uoc* Polytheism denotes the belief thai there is a plurality of gods, and for the sake of convenience may include dualism, which, however, can be used also to signify the doctrine of two principles that arr nol necessarily both divine, [fit be asked whal is intended by gods, we answer: (1.) That in the word poly i beism the notion of gods does nol in- <■lii.li- absolute attributes or creative efficiency, owing to the fact that the human mind cannot readily admit ■ -I more than one such being. While, then, monotheism general!] means the doctrine of one abso- lute infinite being, polytheism is nol it ^ exact opposite, except in putting many tor one, Bince the attributes of the many are conceived of as inferior to those of the