 The traditional name of the island was "A'u A'u", which literally means 'terraced', short for "A'u A'u Nui o Rongo ki te Ao Marama" ('Great Terraced Land of Rongo in the Land of Daylight').In Mangaian society, the ritual system to become the principal chief, "Te Mangaia", emphasized the worship of Rongo.The installation of a new "Te Mangaia" after a war of conquest of the "puna" lands required a human sacrifice to Rongo.