Like other nations in the South Pacific, Irukandji has deities that have been worshipped since time immemorial, however unlike Irukandji's neighbours, western religions never gained a foothold.

Materials & Techniques

Most statues and monuments in Irukandji are made from four mediums found locally in abundance; black marble, bleached coral, gold, and blue sapphire.

Gold, marble, and sapphire are used to accentuate finery, while the multi-coloured corals are ground then mixed with water and coconut oil to produce a paste similar to alabaster.

The paste is poured into moulds made in the sand to create the approximate shape required, and once dried, a pit of charcoal and green banana leaves are placed around the cast for several days.

The result is a hard marble-like material that comes in a wide variety of colours. The cast slabs are then carved and sanded by hand, and the pieces pinned together to create the finished monument.

TUNGATUNA
Goddess of the ocean, commanding water animals and tides. Her womb is bountiful and she is worshipped for keeping the seas full. She despises her fellow deity Notahapi for sending ill winds and storms to thwart her efforts. She loves Hiahungi but cannot leave the sea to be with him.

NOTAHAPI
Notahapi commands the elements. He hates his fellow gods. He envies the love that mortals have for Hiahungi, and is enraged by Tungatuna's refusal to be his mate when he alone can live beneath the waves with her. Each year when his fury becomes too great, he bleaches the corals to punish her, and sends cyclones and lightning to vent at Hiahungi.

As the god of chaos, he is worshipped by man with combat and tournaments to stay his destructive hand. All things violent and evil are attributed to him.

HIAHUNGI
Hiahungi is the god of fertility and dates back to the Aboyan tribes of south Irukandji 3000 years ago.

Hiahungi is represented puffing his cheeks in warning and possessed of exaggerated genitals.

He is a warrior god and wears a helmet, spear, and shield, to defend against enemies who try to steal the women of the tribe.

Often, he is shown copulating with women, men, or animals, as he represents the fertility and passions of all living things.

In pre-colonial times, Hiahungi was interpreted differently by opposing tribes. In the most extreme case, the natives of Nouvelle Kiribas determined life and death in his name.

Any women who had not given birth by their fifteenth year of life was thrown from the peaks of Mt Kiribati a hundred metres into the pool below.

Any who died were deemed guilty of withholding their bounty, while those who survived, were sentenced to a lifetime of celibacy and to look after the children of the tribe.

The neighbouring Tamita Clan, fearful of attack, erected a giant Hiahungi statue on the bordering shore and began a month-long festival of public fornication and feasting to celebrate his passion for life. To the Tamita tribes, Hiahungi was seen as a protector and not a vengeful god.

Within months, the Nouvelle Kiribas natives died out, and although history would suggest that influenza brought by missionaries caused their extinction, the Tamitan Hiahungi gained the credit, and his esteem in Irukandji was elevated to that of the highest god.

That season, he brought cool rains, plentiful crops, and many births, and the tribes knew that he was flexing his muscles against Notahapi, for it was the god of chaos who brought the missionaries to the islands to stir up trouble.

At a time of such high prosperity, the missionaries left, and the rise of western religion was thwarted.

By defeating the Kiribas natives, the Tamita Elders were seen to possess the ability to harness Hiahungi's powers.

Many centuries later when the British arrived, the invaders actively sought out pagan idols and destroyed them.

This destruction of local culture lay at the heart of the hundred year rebellion against the colonisers, which eventually forced the British to leave.

Since Irukandji's independence in 1979, Hiahungi is depicted with the Irukandji Star on his shield instead of earlier versions denoting each tribe.

Hiahungi has been returned to his rightful place, and is worshipped now as the god of fertility and the seasons, and protector of all living things.

Regular festivals and orgies are performed in his honour, and the peoples of Irukandji thrive.