ʻAumakua

Common card · No. 285136

In Hawaiian mythology, an ʻaumakua (; often spelled aumakua, plural, ʻaumākua) is a personal or family god that originated as a deified ancestor, and which takes on physical forms such as spirit vehicles. An ʻaumakua may manifest as a shark, owl, bird, octopus, or inanimate objects such as plants or rocks. The word ʻaumakua means ancestor gods and is derived from the Hawaiian words "au", which means period of time or era, and "makua", meaning parent, parent generation, or ancestor. Hawaiians believed that deceased family members would transform into ʻaumākua and watch over their descendants with a loving concern for them while also being the judge and jury of their actions. ʻAumākua were believed to watch over their families and hear their words, give them strength and guidance, warn them of misfortune or danger, give punishments to wrong-doers while also rewarding worthy people with prosperity in the afterlife, and pass on prayers from the living to the akua (gods). Hawaiian-born actor...

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