Rehua- Polynesian GodDeity"Lord of the Tenth Heaven"
Description
Rehua dwells in the tenth and highest heaven, so full of vitality that birds flock to feed on the abundance his body produces. When Tāwhaki climbed to the heavens on a vine, it was Rehua he found at the summit, and Rehua who gave him the sacred knowledge he sought.
Mythology & Lore
The Tenth Heaven
Rehua dwells at the top of the Māori layered heavens, the tenth and highest. Elsdon Best recorded the characteristics of these heavens, each one above the last in spiritual power, with Rehua's domain at the pinnacle. He is identified with Antares, the bright red star whose rising marked summer's warmth and abundance.
His realm overflows with vitality. Birds flock to him, feeding on the sustenance that accumulates around his body. He is so full of life that it spills from him.
The Ascent of Tāwhaki
In George Grey's account, the hero Tāwhaki climbed a vine through the layered heavens, each level with its own trials, until he reached the highest realm. There he found Rehua surrounded by birds. The god gave Tāwhaki sacred knowledge and transformative power. The hero returned to the world below changed. What exactly changed in him the traditions leave to the listener, but he was not the same man who had started the climb.
Relationships
- Family
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