Vatea

Sky/light father of Mangaia (Gill 1876). Right half man, left half fish. By Papa the father of Rongo and Tangaroa and of Tane, Tangiia and Tonga-iti.

Parentage

• Vari-ma-te-takere

Children

• Rongo
• Tane
• Tangaroa
• Tangiia
• Tonga-iti

Domains

• noon and daylight
• sky and light
• fatherhood of the gods

Powers

• exist as a being half man and half fish
• embody and bring the light of noon-day

Relations

• spouse: Papa
• sibling: Tinirau
• father of: Tangaroa
• father of: Rongo
• father of: Tane
• father of: Tangiia
• father of: Tonga-iti
• equated with: Atea
• equated with: Atea
• sibling: Raka
• sibling: Tango
• sibling: Tu-metua
• sibling: Tumu-te-ana-oa

Sources

• William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (1876), Ch. I, pp. 3–14
• E. R. Tregear, The Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (1891), s.v. 'Atea / Vatea'