Portrait of Omai [SEP] creator
Portrait of Omai
Portrait of Omai (also known as Omai of the Friendly Isles or simply Omai) is an oil-on-canvas portrait by English artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, completed c.1776.
Background.
Omai was a Polynesian visitor to England in the 18th century. From the island of Raiatea, he left the Society Islands with Commander Tobias Furneaux on his ship HMS "Adventure". Furneaux's ship had left England in 1772, accompanying Captain James Cook on his second voyage of discovery in the Pacific,
Omai (deity)
Omai is a creator deity (god) mentioned by Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, a shaman and Portuguese-speaking spokesperson of the Yanomami "índios" of Brazil.
In his own words translated from Portuguese:
I want to speak giving the message from Omai. Omai is the creator of the Yanomami who also has created all the shaboris that are the shamans. The shaboris are the ones that have the knowledge, and they sent two of us to deliver their message.
As Davi Kopenawa learned