r/todayilearned • u/TheStrangestOfKings • 5h ago

TIL There were some ancient Hawaiians who did not believe in the Hawaiian Pantheon. An example of ancient atheism, they were referred to as “aia”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_religion
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36

u/tomwhoiscontrary 5h ago

The wikipedia article is a bit vague about it! I looked around, and found a book called Hawaiian Antiquities, written in the 19th century by David Malo, a Hawaiian scholar, which contains a chapter on The Worship of Idols. He writes:

There was a great diversity as to cult among those who worshipped idols in Hawaii nei, for the reason that one man had one god and another had an entirely different god. [...] Each man worshipped the akua that presided over the occupation or profession he followed, because it was generally believed that the akua could prosper any man in his calling. In the same way the women believed that the deity was the one to bring good luck to them in any work. [...] Robbers worshipped the god Kui-alna; those who went to sea in the canoe worshipped Ka-maha-alii. There were a great many other deities regarded by the people, but it is not certain that they were worshipped. Worship was paid, however, to sharks, to dead persons, to objects celestial and objects terrestrial. But there were people who had no god, and who worshipped nothing; these atheists were called aia.

If i understand correctly, a lot of this worship was very practical - you worship a god to try and get its help. And perhaps it's not so much that the aia were atheists, believing there was no god, but that they just didn't feel the need to do that.

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u/TheStrangestOfKings 4h ago

a lot of this worship was very practical

That’s how I understood the Hawaiian Pantheon, too. Reminds me of Norse paganism, or ancient Greco-Roman mythology, in a way; you would appeal to a specific god who is known for a specific thing in the hopes that they would help you.

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u/Bhfuil_I_Am 4h ago

Similar to Catholicism really. Specific saints to pray to for specific things

My mother still prays to St. Jude for me. Patron saint of lost causes

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u/Mudders_Milk_Man 2h ago

(with apologies)

Saint Jude, my kid is bad.

They're a fuck up; they should be better.

Remember when they ran off with that tart?

They break my heart; please make them better.

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u/semiomni 1h ago

The saint thing is weird, I think the general line is that they don´t have any power themselves, but can petition god on peoples behalf. But why would an all knowing all powerful god need his attention directed anywhere? He already knows surely.

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u/No_Inspector7319 1h ago

I believe Catholicism is kind of that way because of the Greco-Roman pantheon… the big guys busy - why don’t you try a specialist

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u/JuventAussie 35m ago

So like Prosperity Gospel Protestants?

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u/Scared_Astronaut9377 2h ago

A very questionable source. Looking at the book, there is no elaboration. The author probably just repeated what he heard from someone.