ATEA In Tuamotuan mythology, Atea was the sky god, who married Fa'ahotu, but after their first born, the magician Tahu, died of starvation on Fa'ahotu's flat bosom, and others followed, the two gods exchanged sexes. A legend is told of Atea and Tane, a younger god whom Atea tried to capture. After having sent a host of deities against Tane, the young god escaped to Earth and wandered, finally becoming so hungry that he killed and ate one of his ancestors. This was the beginning of what was to become cannibalism. Reaching manhood, Tane declared war on Atea, and slew him with the thunderbolts of his ancestor, Fatu-tiri.