vered with a
matting of coco-nut fibre.[148] The image of the god Oro was a straight
log of casuarina wood, six feet long, uncarved, but decorated with
feathers. On the other hand Taaroa, the supreme deity of Polynesia, was
represented by a rudely carved human figure about four feet high, with a
number of little images studding his body to indicate the multitude of
gods that had proceeded from him as creator. The body of the god was
hollow, and when it was taken from the temple, where it had been
worshipped for many generations, it was found to contain a number of
small idols in the cavity. It is supposed that these petty gods had been
placed there by their worshippers and owners that they might absorb some
of the supernatural powers of the greater divinity before being removed
to the places where they were to commence deities on their own
account.[149] With a similar intention it was customary to fill the
inside of the hollow images with red feathers in order that the plumes
might be impregnated with the divine influence and might afterwards
diffuse it for the benefit of the owner of the feathers, who had placed
them in the image for that purpose. The red feathers, plucked from a
small bird which is found in many of the islands, thus became an
ordinary medium for communicating and extending supernatural powers, not
only in the Society Islands, but throughout Polynesia. The beautiful
long tail-feathers of the tropic or man-of-war bird were used for the
same purpose. The gods were supposed to be very fond of these feathers
and ready to impart their blessed essence to them. Hence people brought
the feathers to the priest and received from him in exchange two or
three which had been sanctified in the stomach of the deity; on
extracting them from that receptacle, the priest prayed to the god that
he would continue to inhabit the red feathers even when they were
detached from his divine person.[150] The feathers thus consecrated were
themselves regarded as in some sense divine and were called gods
(_atuas_, _oromatuas_); the people had great confidence in their
sovereign virtue, and on occasions of danger they sought them out,
believing that the mere presence of the feathers would afford them
adequate protection. For example, when they were threatened by a storm
at sea, they would hold out the feathers to the menacing clouds and
command them to depart.[151]

[148] W. Ellis, _op. cit._ i. 337 _sq._; J. A. Moerenhout, _op.