There’s an enormous canoe levitating in the entrance hall.
Can you spot the statue of the boatman kneeling and looking up at the sky at the bow of the ship?
This is Tiki, a god widely worshiped by the Polynesian people as the child of the world’s creator. Characterized by large eyes and noses, the Tiki represents ancestors' past. It’s truly a strange and special force-- neither male nor female, it portrays the image of birth and death. It’s said to host the souls of the ancestors and is likened to both humanity and godliness.
The Pacific islands have various gods in their traditions, but one of the most popular in Polynesia is Tiki. The Tiki is said to possess supernatural power and guardian abilities, covering all aspects from weather, wind, and waves, harvest and fishing, to illness and recovery. The people of ancient western Polynesia, now Samoa and Tonga, would use a canoe twice the size of the one in front of you and pray for Tiki’s blessing and guidance as they traveled thousands of kilometers on their journey to explore the new worlds.
To this day, Polynesian people use the Tiki symbol to decorate tools, furniture, and accessories as a way of showing that the Tiki looks over and protects them through the journey of everyday life.
The Tiki guardian who protects us on our travels is the treasure we are seeking. Do you have your own Tiki to watch over your journey of life?
