Definitions
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The supernatural powers; more particularly the gods and deified human beings, but also guardian spirits, in some cases even hostile spirits.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Examples
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In Polynesia the gods are called atua; the spirits and souls of the departed tiki.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery
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Acontece que diretor de um órgão regulador tem palavra de peso não somente no segmento em que atua, mas também no mercado financeiro.
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Immediately the basket dropped from her hands and she cried out in agony that the atua or godhead of the chief, whose divinity had been thus profaned, would kill her.
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When uruhia (under the inspiration of the spirit), the priest was always considered as sacred as the god, and was called, during this period, atua, god, though at other times only denominated taura or priest.
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Whenever the priests wanted Tané moved to a shrine, this chap, te amo atua (the god-bearer) had to pack him on his back.
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Lexicon_ as illustrated by the meaning of the Maori word _atua_.
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The word "hotooa" is the same as that which is usually spelt "atua" by Polynesian philologues, and it will be convenient to adopt this spelling.
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The Society-Islanders had their day-born gods, but they were not supposed to be "of equal antiquity with the atua fauau po, or night-born gods."
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The natives, as we learn from Cruise, have the greatest horror of a lizard, in the shape of which animal they believe it is that the atua (or demon) is wont to take possession of the dying, and to devour their entrails -- a superstition which may not be unconnected with the dread the alligator has spread among them by its actual ravages, or the stories that have been propagated respecting it.
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Cook speaks, in the account of his third voyage, of a young man he had taken on board the ship, who, having one day performed this ceremony, could not be prevailed upon to eat a morsel till night, insisting that the atua would most certainly kill him if he did.
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