Original beliefs
Before the arrival of the missionaries, the Polynesians worshipped a supreme god, Taaroa, surrounded by secondary deities. The tikis, still highly valued today, were the human representations of this god. Religious ceremonies were held in marae - meae in the Marquesas - places of sacred worship where songs and dances were performed, as well as offerings and sacrifices. Sometimes human, the latter were celebrated by arioi, priests who moved from island to island to conduct the religious rites
Built in a rectangular shape and usually paved with stone, the marae are still highly respected today. Every year in July, the Heiva festival is an opportunity to revive these sacred sites, notably through traditional dances. The most famous marae of the territory is certainly the one of Taputapuatea, on Raiatea: listed as World Heritage since 2017, it is the largest in French Polynesia.
The arrival of the missionaries
On June 5, 1797, thirty English missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) disembarked from the Duff at Matavai Bay. Four of them quickly became disillusioned with the climate of violence that prevailed in Polynesian society, and many left discouraged by the magnitude of the task. The missionaries finally prevailed in 1801 with the arrival of new members of the LMS, and quickly set to work: the tikis were burned and the marae destroyed to erect temples and churches. The objective? To civilize these savages". They forbade traditional songs, shameful "sexual" dances, tattoos and of course, nudity. The wearing of long clothes was then decreed; it is from this time that date the beautiful missionary dresses that the mamas wear nowadays
Distribution of religions today
Not without violence and tumultuous twists and turns, time has passed and Christianity still occupies a predominant place in Polynesian society today. But many "small religions", that some would rather call sects, have also appeared in the territory. Today in French Polynesia, there are 45% Ma'ohi Protestants, heirs of the Protestant missions in Oceania, 34% Catholics, 6% Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), 5% Seventh Day Adventists, here nicknamed "petania" (Pitcairn in Tahitian) because the inhabitants of Pitcairn were the first Adventists in Oceania, as early as 1886, 3.5% Sanito (Community of Christ), 1.5% Jehovah's Witnesses, 5% belonging to other religious currents.
