Laufakanaa
Laufakanaa OceaniaThe wind god of Ata, a low Tongan island. According to legend, the sky god Tamapoulialamafoa sent Laufakanaa down to the earth as the ruler of Ata and the controller of winds. ‘If there is a vessel that has bad winds’, said Tamapoulialamafoa, ‘and men come to you, Laufakanaa, and ask for your aid, then you must give fair winds to that vessel.’ When the Tongans, therefore, had need of perfect sailing conditions, it was customary for sailors to visit Ata and present to Laufakanaa bread cooked with the oil of grated coconut.
Though this offering apparently pleased the wind god, he was never identified with the coconut tree. Instead, the Tongans say, Laufakanaa brought down from heaven and planted on Ata the banana and several edible roots. He is also credited with the invention of the fishing net. His name means ‘speak’, lau, ‘to silence’, fakanaa, and it is interesting in this occupation myth that the...
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