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Meaning & History
Atea is a creator deity in several Polynesian cultures. Atea means "clear, white" in different Polynesian languages. Atea, a shapeless being, was the giver of light to the universe. This gave rise to Rangi and Papa, who's children eventually divided their parents into heaven and earth. In other creator stories Atea is the husband of Papa. Atea, as a Polynesian concept, can be considered equivalent to the Big Bang.