Tiki Gods

This article is on the assembly of characters from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. For the titular deities of the Liki Tikis, see Primeval tiki gods.

The Tiki Gods refers to a group of characters in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Many of them are adapted from or loosely based on figures from Māori and otherwise Polynesian mythologies.

Description[]

The, "Tiki Gods" are a variety of deities represented by animated wooden idols whom preside over Polynesia. Their magics are also tied to the Enchanted Tiki Room, where they are depicted as wooden sculptures and stop the inhabitants from too much celebration. Notable locations where their, "Tiki" depictions were worshiped include the Enchanted Tiki Village, the Wilds of Adventureland, and the Polynesian Village along the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Members[]

The Big Kahuna: The Big Kahuna is a yet unidentified deity.
- Kahuna is a word from Hawaiian language meaning, "Priest" with, "Big Kahuna" being a western expression meaning, "Boss".
Citrikua: Citrikua was the god of health and patron of the Sunshine Plaza.
- Citrikua is a fictional deity created to promote the Florida Citrus Commission. His name would be impossible in Polynesian language and is a portmanteau of, "Citrus".
Hina: Hina is goddess of the moon, daughter of Hina Kaluua, and mother to Maui.
Hina Kaluua: This goddess originates from Hilo, Hawaii and is the mistress of rain. Her daughter is the moon goddess Hilo and her grandson is the hero, Maui.
Koro: Koro AKA, "The Midnight Dancer" taught humans dance using magic.
Liki Tikis: The Liki Tikis are six, mischievous, primeval gods.
Māui: Maui is a famous trickster, best known for having roped the sun to create daytime.
Ngendei: Ngendei is a Fiji god known as the Earth Balancer though in actuality, he is simply attempting to cling onto the Earth. Ngendei was frequently tormented by the Hawaiian fire goddess, Pele.
Pele: Pele is the goddess of fire and volcanoes who inhabits the volcano Kīlauea on the island of Hawaii. She frequently torments her neighbour, the Fiji deity Ngendei.
Rongo: Rongo or Lono in Hawai`i was the god of agriculture who had a love of kites leading to him discovering electricity.
Tangaroa: Tangaroa was a god assuming the form of a tree who was considered to be the father of all gods and goddesses.
Tangaroa-ru: Tangaroa-ru or Mapui-Kaufanga to the Maori is the goddess of the east winds which brings rain to the peoples of Polynesia.
Uh-Oa: Uh-Oa was the wrathful goddess of disaster.
- Uh-Oa is a fictional deity, original to the Disney Parks.
Uti: Uti was the goddess of fishing.

History[]

Background[]

The "Tiki Gods" are an assembly of deities and other mythical figures from the days of ancient Polynesia. These gods were supposedly born from the branches of the tree-god Tangaroa, considered to be the father of all gods and goddesses. The gods were connected to, "The Enchanted Tiki Room", a tropical oasis on an unidentified Polynesian island where their magics granted its birds human-level intelligence and speech, their plants animation and sound, and its architecture and tikis the ability to come to life. The Tiki Room was a place of celebration which honoured the gods via idols in its Tiki Garden though too much celebration in the structure angered the gods, resulting in storms and other disasters such as volcanic eruptions.

At some point in time, the agriculture god Rongo's likeness was used on the, "Tiki Juju", a pendant traded by the colonial Adventure Trading Company. By the 1930s, the Tiki Gods were prominent figures in the settlements around the Wilds of Adventureland, a hybrid realm along the mystical Rivers of Adventure which connected Polynesia to jungles across the world. Around the mid-1930s, the ancient magic-user, "Trader Sam" opened up a Polynesian bar with idols of the tiki gods and enchantment from the gods' magics. Around the 1950s/1960s, Sam opened up another bar in the Great Ceremonial House of another village which was likewise enchanted by the gods, containing an idol of Uh-Oa.

By the 21st century if not early, this village had many idols of the Tiki Gods scattered about and even used Maui as their settlement's hero. Around the 1990s, the goddess Uh-Oa was angered when the Tiki Room was sold by Hollywood executives to the birds Zazu and Iago, the latter of whom she maimed for disrespecting the Tiki Room. Following 2002, the Tiki Room was visited by the alien Experiment 626 AKA Stitch who imitated the deity, "The Big Kahuna" and celebrated along the tiki room birds.

Development history[]

The gods were designed for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, predominately by imagineers Rolly Crump and Marc Davis. The backstories for the gods were very loosely (if at all) based on Polynesian mythologies and written by Disney Legend Marty Sklar.^[1]

Jungle Cruise appearances[]

Adventure Trading Company[]

The Adventure Trading Company's, "Tiki Juju" was made in the likeness of Rongo and earned at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar.

Jungle Cruise[]

The Liki Tikis used to appear alongside the Jungle Cruise's rivers.

Skipper Canteen[]

In the library is a book by Tiki Kiki Serbano titled, "Rongo's Rite" and other books referencing the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Trader Sam's[]

Idols of many of the gods are scattered throughout these bars, most prominently in Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar. The enchantment of the bar is partly attributed to the magic of these gods. The bar also serves a drink called, "Uh-Oa" which causes storms when ordered and an idol of her to come to life in Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. The likeness of Maui can also be found in the architecture/furnishings of both the bars. The taphandles are made to depict Pele, Ngendei, Rongo and Koro.

Other connections[]

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort[]

Many of the Tiki Gods are scattered throughout the Polynesian Village along with original tiki and stone figures. The mascot for the resort is an alternative depiction of Maui with Maui's variant from the film Moana also being frequently depicted in the resort.

Mystic Manor[]

Lord Henry Mystic's Tribal Arts collection contained the idol of an unidentified Lava Deity.

Tarzan[]

Several tikis from the Enchanted Tiki Room appear within Professor Porter's shop in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Tropical Hideaway[]

While the gods are not directly referenced, the setting of the Enchanted Tiki Room is presided over by the Tiki Gods. Rosita also appears with a tiki mask in her possession, potentially depicting a Tiki God.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room[]

The Tiki Room's musical revue ends with the unseen gods causing a storm after being angered by too much celebration in the Enchanted Tiki Room. In Disneyland's Tiki Room, the Enchanted Tiki Gardens contains living idols of the deities who entertain guests in the pre-show. In the Magic Kingdom, the fictional god Citrikua appears in the pre-show with Clyde and Claude on his head.

The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai![]

In this overlay of the Tiki Room, the Tiki Room is visited by Stitch after crashing the ship he got from his creator Jumba into the building. The birds misidentify him as a tiki god called, "The Big Kahuna" and he leads a celebration.