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Story: Traditional Māori religion – ngā karakia a te Māori

Taumata atua

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Taumata atua

This taumata atua (resting place of the gods) was found on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua. Taumata atua were tapu stones placed in kūmara fields to increase the productivity of crops. They represented Rongo, the god of cultivated foods.

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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

Reference: 149

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Traditional Māori religion – ngā karakia a te Māori – Tūāhu and wāhi tapu, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/object/30822/taumata-atua (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 28 April 2011.