Akua

The Akua (also known as the "Oceanic gods" or "Atua") are a race of superhumanly powerful humanoid beings who have been worshiped by the Polynesian people of the central and southern Pacific Ocean as early as 1600 BC to modern times. Most of the Akua dwell in Celestial Hawaiki, a small "Pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth; an interdimensional nexus between Hawaiki and Earth exists somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, and the 12 floating, celestial islands that comprise Hawaiki are sometimes seen on the distant horizon at sunrise and sunset from the earthly plane. Hawaiki is also inhabited by other beings below the Akua, such as wairua (spirits), tipua (goblins), taniwha (aquatic monsters) and patupaiarehe (forest-dwelling, faerie-like creatures). The Akua are called different names by their human worshipers; for example, the sea god Kanaloa is known as "Tagaloa" by the Samoans, "Tangaloa" by the Tongans, "Ta'aroa" by the Tahitians, and "Tangaroa" by the Maori of New Zealand. The Akua are invoked by their worshipers on Earth in oral literature and genealogical recital even in modern times