Matuatehe
deity earth Māori single tradition · 1
Matuatehe is a Māori god of decay. He is one of two male figures carved on the famous Matuatonga stone sculpture on Mokoia Island, representing the complementary force to Matuatonga's growth. The sculpture serves as an atua kumara (agricultural god) for Te Arawa tribes.
When
- First attested
- 1350 CE
- Attested period
- 1350 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Carved on the same sculpture as Matuatonga, representing the complementary principle of decay to growth.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Uenuku-kopako
- sibling of
- Matuatonga
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“Matuatonga, as god of growth, was often contrasted with another atua, Matuatehe, god of decay, who is identified with the figure on the rear side of the sculpture.”
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