BIONICLE society

In the LEGO BIONICLE storyline, the Matoran people live in a culture that is, in some ways, like our own, and in some ways very different. This article describes different aspects of that culture, including sports, jobs, and beliefs.
== Biology ==
Nearly all lifeforms seen in BIONICLE are biomechanical, with a few exceptions like Krana and Kraata being completely organic, while Bohrok are fully mechanical (while Bohrok seem to be grown, other machine beings are artificially made and not considered lifeforms). Organic parts of creatures are very similar to real-world biological systems; for instance, Matoran are known to have lungs and muscles like humans do. The mechanical halves tend to include things like armor, hydraulic cylinders, gears, etc. built into their forms, and Matoran also have glowing "heartlights" on their chests; these mechanical parts are not electronic like computers in the real world, but are rather clockwork mechanisms with gears, pistons, etc.
Because of this, lifeforms have exceptionally long lifespans easily reaching tens of thousands of years. Matoran have also shown the ability to rebuild themselves if necessary; the ones living on Mata Nui rebuilt themselves into stronger forms soon after the Bohrok attacks. And over the thousand years they spent in List of objects in Toa Canisters, the Toa Mata's organic parts decayed, but immediately regrew as they reassembled their mechanical parts upon arriving on Mata Nui.
Matoran, at least, "eat" by absorbing energy directly from objects. On Metru Nui, Matoran could go to a place in Ga-Metru to recharge once a year. In more primitive conditions, they have to "snack" more often on things like fruits, berries, and fish.Official Greg Discussion p. 218, post #6516
No known being in the BIONICLE universe has reproductive systems; gender differences are purely psychological. (Ga-Matoran are considered female, while most other other Matoran are considered male.) How new Matoran come into being is unknown, but they are "born" fully grown. But terms of family are not unheard of: Toa refer to each other as "brothers" and "sisters", recognizing their common bond as comrades-in-arms; this often extends to former Toa like Turaga and Rahaga. Makuta also has a Brotherhood, and has referred to its members as his "brothers"; he also uses this term when referring to Mata Nui, presumably referring to their once shared role of protecting the Matoran, and refers to the Rahkshi as his sons. Sidorak often proposed marriage to Roodaka, though in BIONICLE "marriage" is merely a form of political alliance. The Vortixx, Makuta and Glatorian species, however, had both male and female members that had no elemental distinctions.
There has also been a little romance: Toa Matau occasionally flirted with Toa Nokama, and in the franchise's first year Hahli and Macku had relationships with Jaller and Hewkii, respectively; however, since that time romance has been downplayed and even outright ignored, as the storyline is geared towards preteen boys; and as a consequence the relationships between Matoran have turned from romantic to close friendship.
=== Elemental Powers ===
Several races in the BIONICLE universe wield powers based on classical elements. The basic range of powers over these elements include creating the element, controlling it in any form, and absorbing it into the body.
An elemental power can also be unleashed in a massive explosion called a "Nova Blast". Though first seen in 2003's BIONICLE: The Game, one was not shown in-story until 2007, when Toa Gali triggered a water Nova Blast in the land of Karzahni: after drawing in every drop of moisture for miles around, the resulting tidal wave leveled the whole of Karzahni. (The game originally called the attack a "Nuva Blast", after the Toa Nuva heroes, but series writer Greg Farshtey has stated that all Toa have this ability.)
It appears that some beings have limitless "true" elemental powers; while others have more limited, "false" powers. The following are those beings considered to have "true" elemental power:
* Toa are the best-known wielders of elemental abilities; with their only real limit being that if they use this power excessively, they use up elemental energy and must wait for it to regenerate. If six Toa of different elements combine their Toa power, they can create sealed prisons of solid protodermis that only be broken by a combination of the same six elements; no other elementally-powered beings have this ability.
** The Matoran, the race that Toa are drawn from, have only minimal amounts of elemental power.
** Turaga, which are depowered Toa, retain a small amount of power that they once had; more than a Matoran but much less than a Toa.
* The Makuta species has natural control over the element of Shadow.
* The Vahi and Ignika Kanohi Masks of Power harness the forces of Time and Life, respectively.
These are the races known to be affiliated with elements, though not as strongly as the beings stated above:
* The six Bohrok breeds are each affiliated with one of the six basic elements (except for Lehvak, which have the power of Acid instead of Air). Their power is limited to merely firing their element from their hand shields (or in the case of Pahrak and Nuhvok, firing a beam that affects their element). The Bohrok Queens, the Bahrag, have greater control over these six elements.
* Each of the six Bohrok-Kal is powered with a secondary or non-Toa element, which they can use in an offensive mode or a defensive mode.
* The Makuta have control over several secondary and non-Toa elements, in addition to Shadow. As their offspring, some breeds of Kraata and Rahkshi can wield these powers as well.
* The Skakdi race, including the six Piraka, has been tampered with to have elemental powers, but they can only access these powers by combining their element with that of another Skakdi.BIONICLE Legends #1: Island of Doom by Greg Farshety page 58 The Piraka in particular have the six basic elements, though other members of the race may have other elements.
==== Basic Elements ====
These six elements are the most common in the BIONICLE universe; every major team of Toa seen so far is made up of one Toa of each of these elements:
Fire: Fire-powered beings can control heat and flame; including creating fireballs, heating air to slow a fall, and even absorbing all the heat out of an area. Those with a bare minimum of Fire power are resistant to heat.
Water: Those with the power of Water can do things like create tidal waves and jets of water, and absorb moisture from the immediate area. Beings with minimal Water affiliation have slight physical enhancements for swimming (sleeker build, larger lung capacity, and so on). It should be noted that there are two types of "water" in the BIONICLE world: liquid protodermis and what is assumed to be normal H2O water; Water-powered beings can control both equally.
Air: The elemental power of Air can create tornadoes and cyclones, manipulate wind currents for flying and gliding, and create a vacuum by absorbing all air in an area. A minimum of Air power grants heightened agility and reflexes, at least when not stuck on the ground.
Ice: Ice-powered beings are masters of the cold; being able to lower temperatures in the immediate area, create ice structures, and freeze enemies solid. Even those with a minimum of Ice power are resistant to cold.
Stone: Stone-powered beings can control rock; including creating rock walls, shaping rock into different forms, and detecting stress points in stone walls. Minor Stone ability grants some physical strength. The power of stone cannot effect terrain and soil.
Earth: Beings of the Earth can cause earthquakes and raise walls of dirt and soil; these beings often use this power to excel at tunneling underground. As such, even beings with only minimal Earth power have good night vision. The power of Earth does not affect sand and rock.
==== Other Elements ====
The following are elements that also exist in the BIONICLE universe and are considered equal to the basic ones:
Gravity: Those with the power of Gravity can increase gravity to the point that people and objects become so heavy they cannot move, or decrease it to the point that they become lighter than air and float away. Also, they can push, pull, and generally manipulate objects and people. They could also conceivably create a black hole, but likely would not have enough control to keep it from swallowing everything in the surrounding area. Nuhvok Kal had this power.Official Greg Discussion p. 274 post #8203
Iron: "Iron" is the official term for control over all metal. Those with this power can create metal and shape it into any form they wish, as well as affect existing metal.
Light: Those with the elemental power of Light can create paralyzing beams of light, cover the user in a glowing aura, project deadly laser beams, create objects or structures out of light, and absorb all the light in an area. Even the weakest of Light beings can alter light spectrum slightly and make their armor appear to change colors. Light is very powerful against its opposite element of Shadow. Light originally had no moral connotations in the BIONICLE universe, but since the universe's primary Shadow beings, the Makuta, have turned evil, Light is now considered inherently good. Takanuva is the first and only Toa of Light (so far), though Umbra is also known for his light-based powers.
Lightning: Lightning-powered beings can create and control electricity, shock the opponent with a burst of electricity, and absorb all the electricity in an area. Tahnok Kal had this power.
Magnetism: Magnetically-powered beings can increase or decrease the magnetic field in an area, or attract or repel metal objects. They could also deflect attacks with magnetic force fields. Gahlok Kal had this power.
Plant Life: Those with control over plants can manipulate vines, large roots, thorned plants, flowers, trees ect. This element has not been given an official name yet, but series writer Greg Farshtey has referred to it as "The Green" in reference to Swamp Thing.Official Elements Topic p. 8 at BZPower forums, post #232
Plasma: Beings with Plasma power can create, control, and absorb plasma. This makes them excellent at melting objects, but not much else. Pahrak Kal had this power.Official Greg Discussion p. 238 post #9485
Shadow: Those with the power of Shadow can create blasts and beams of shadow energy, create objects or structures from shadows, spread shadow to hinder visibility, and absorb all the darkness in an area. Shadow is very weak against the element of Light. Only the Brotherhood of Makuta members naturally have this power; it is not native to Toa because originally, there was no need for more Shadow beings beyond the Brotherhood and now, Shadow is considered evil while Toa are not meant to be evil. However, the Brotherhood can now convert other beings' elements to Shadow by using Shadow Leeches.
Sonics: The elemental power of Sonics can create and control sound waves, use sonic waves to disrupt a structure's integrity or knock enemies away, and absorb all the sound in an area. Kohrak Kal had this power and it should be noted that Lewa Nuva thought that Kohrok Kal was "worse than all the other Bohrok Kal combined".
==== Legendary Elements ====
Elements considered "legendary" are universal forces far too powerful for any mere being to fully control.
Life: The power of Life can change existing life and give life to inanimate objects;Official Greg Discussion p. 212 at BZPower forums, post #6354 it can take life away as well. The only object known to contain the power of Life is the Kanohi Ignika.
Time: Elemental Time abilities include speeding up or slowing down time in a certain area or around a target; but not the ability to time travel. The only object known to contain the power of Time is the Kanohi Vahi; though Voporak is also known for having time-based powers.
==== Unofficial Elements ====
The following are unofficially considered elements because of their use by members of otherwise elementally-based teams:
Acid/Swamp: This is considered an element because it is wielded by the Bohrok breed Lehvak, where the other five Bohrok breeds control basic elements. Lehvak are officially designated as Bohrok of Swamp, and are able to spray a large amount of incredibly corrosive acid that is capable of eating through any substance.
Vacuum: Wielded by the Bohrok-Kal Lehvak-Kal; who can suck all the air in an area and create a vacuum, and then send that sucked up air back at a target in a single powerful blast. Vacuum is not recognized as an official Toa element because these things could be done by a skilled Toa of Air.Official Greg Discussion p. 192, post #5733
=== Merging ===
A few races are able to merge into stronger beings, with the merged form not only combining the individual beings' strength and energies, but amplifying them. Merged forms made up of three beings are called "Kaita", while those of six beings are called "Nui". Races that have demonstrated merging powers fall into one of two categories:
* Matoran and related races (Turaga and Toa). Matoran Nui have been formed on two separate occasions, and the Toa Mata have been known to form Toa Kaita. Interestingly, the two Toa Kaita seen have their own unique names and personalities, being called "Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor" and "Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom".
* Races where shells are controlled by separate intelligences: Bohrok (driven by Krana) and Rahkshi (driven by Kraata). In these cases, the Kaita being's mind is not shared between the three intelligences (either Krana or Kraata), but rather one becomes dominant and the merged being takes the dominant mind's name as its own. Rahkshi Kaita also have an additional ability separate from the powers of their component Rahkshi.
== Sports ==
In their free time, the Matoran enjoy taking part in several kinds of sports. Sports champions were awarded special copper-colored Kanohi Masks as trophies, called Copper Masks of Victory.
=== Mata Nui Sports ===
On the island of Mata Nui, the six villages were isolated from each other, and each developed its own sport of choice. Once the Bohrok-Kal were defeated and the island was more united, kolhii became the sport of choice for the whole island.
* Ignalu Lava Surfing: Ignalu lava surfing is the popular sport of Ta-Koro, where racers use lavaboards to travel across the lava. The Tren Krom Break is the site of numerous Ignalu competitions.
* Ngalawa Boat Race: The most popular sport of Ga-Koro; players use boats in Hura-Mufa River races. Contestants were organised into four teams - red, blue, green and yellow - and each team was assigned to a boat. The first team to reach the end of the river won. Macku is one of Ga-Koro's best boaters and a Copper Mask winner.
* Kewa Bird Riding: This is the Le-Koro village sport. In the game, the players ride the small Kewa birds (now known as "Gukko birds"). Each player is equipped with a Volo Lutu launcher and a supply of Madu fruit. The goal of the game is to launch Madu at other players, trying to knock them off their mounts. Once a player falls from his Kewa, he is out of the game. Thrown Madu can be avoided by using the Volo Lutu launcher to pull oneself out of the way. Kongu is the best player of this sport and a Copper Mask winner.
* Koli: The sport of Po-Koro, similar to the game of soccer but with four goals and four players. Invented by Turaga Onewa and Turaga Whenua to settle an argument over whether Onu-Matoran stone miners or Po-Matoran carvers were at fault for poor carvings. Notably, Ahkmou once helped Makuta spread a disease among Po-Matoran using a kind of koli ball called the Comet; until Takua and Toa Pohatu discovered the source of the infected Comets (a Nui-Jaga scorpion nest) and destroyed it. This form of koli has since been completely replaced by an altered version called kolhii (below).
* Great Ussal Race: The major sport of Onu-Koro. In this competition, players ride Ussal crabs and race in the Onu-Wahi tunnels. Onepu is a five-time winner of the race, and three of those times he rode the Ussal named Pewku.
* Huai Snowball Sling: The sport of Ko-Koro, where players throw snowballs at each other until they cannot move; the last one who has not become a giant snowball in this way is the winner. Kopeke is a known Copper Mask winner.
==== Kolhii ====
During the time of the Bohrok swarms, the game of koli (above) evolved into what is now called kolhii. The change was based on an incident that occurred during the Pahrak invasion of Ga-Koro, when Hewkii used a Ga-Matoran fishing staff to knock away a falling rock that threatened Macku. Since then, players have adopted the use of the Kolhii Stick (fishing staff) and the Koli rules have been changed to accommodate it, making a more lacrosse-like game. The new sport gained in popularity, and became the favored sport of all villages on the island.
Kolhii has become a staple of Matoran life, and a great occasion for celebration. Variants of the sport include an Onu-Koro version played on Ussal crabs and an aerial version played by Le-Matoran flying on Gukko birds. Many believe it to be a fitting representation of the three virtues of Unity, Duty, and Destiny; and the Principles derived from them (see under "Beliefs" below). It is particularly important to the Po-Matoran that have become undisputed champions season after season.
Rules
Modern kolhii is played with up to six teams; teams can have any number of players but they all must be of equal size. All teams must agree on the number of goals needed to win, and all goals are considered good unless a player scores in his own team's goal. All players are allowed one kolhii stick, and one player per team may use a shield to defend their team's goal. Multiple balls can be in play at once, but there must be less balls than both the number of teams playing and the number of players per team. Striking other players is illegal, except for "shield and staff strikes". In case of Rahi attack, the game is put on hold until it is dealt with. (The original sport of koli likely had similar rules, except that the game was not played with staffs and shields.)
Equipment
The equipment used in the current game of kolhii are the staffs, shields and balls. The staffs are sticks with a hammer on one end and a net or scoop on the other. The shields are just that, and are often decorated with a symbol of the team/village. Players are allowed to use these and any part of their bodies, except their hands. Kolhii balls are made from lightweight airstone bound in steel, and are ejected from the middle of the field during the game.
=== Metru Nui Sports ===
In the city of Metru Nui, most sports were based around powered, frisbee-like Kanoka disks.
* Akilini: The major sport of Metru Nui. Akilini was said to have been created by a Po-Matoran named Kodan. However, over the years other Metru have insisted that the idea for the sport actually came from one of their Matoran. In the resulting confusion, no one is really certain anymore who deserves the honour. After Kodan disappeared and was presumed dead, a monument was erected to him in Po-Metru giving him credit for the idea. Later, it evolved into a sport where players launched Kanoka Disks through hoops. Akilini was played on small fields throughout Metru Nui and in the sporting arena at the Coliseum. The disks used by the winning team in a tournament would be sent to Ta-Metru to be turned into Kanohi Masks. At its most basic, Akilini was played on a round field surrounded by posts upon which hoops were mounted. The field was not free of obstacles - in fact, the prevailing wisdom was: the more, the better. Matoran would surf on disks up and down structures, through chutes, and even through tunnels in the Archives, popping up only long enough to make a shot. "Street Akilini" became so popular, and such a menace to pedestrians, that the Vahki enforcers had to crack down on it. There are three tiers of Akilini competition. The lowest rung features play with power level 1-6 disks, the middle rung with level 7 disks, and the best players are allowed to compete with level 8 disks.
:Rules
:Akilini is played with up to four teams with two to six players apiece. Each team has at least one "launcher" who tries to launch disks through hoops and one "defender" who can only launch disks to deflect an opponent's shot; each team can have up to four launchers and two defenders. Teams get one point for every disk that passes through an opponent's hoop, and hitting the rim doesn't count; official tournaments are played to a score of 21. If launched disks are on the field, they can be retrieved only by the team that launched them; those off the field can be claimed by anyone. Players also ride on disks and must keep at least one foot on their disk at all times; these transport disks cannot be switched with launching disks. Players over a bio outside of the field are considered out of bounds, though they can go as far above or below the field as they want. Players cannot make physical contact with defenders and can only contact launchers after they make a shot; interfering with a launcher making a shot, called "roughing the launcher", costs the offending team a launching disk.
* Disk Racing: A popular street sport, disk racing involves Matoran riding their Kanoka in chutes, through canals, and in other dangerous spots. Although frowned on by the Vahki, disk racers only risk serious consequences if they distract workers from their jobs or sustain injury that might keep them from working their shift. This sport is particularly popular among Le-Matoran, who know the locations of all the best "chute tracks."
 
* Kanoka Toss: A highly dangerous sport, this is a favorite of Matoran in Ta-Metru and Onu-Metru. Two players compete against each other. One player hurls a Kanoka Disk with all of his might, while the other attempts to catch it. The trick is to catch the disk after it has expended so much momentum that doing so will not trigger its power. This requires split-second timing and a lot of courage - it's not unusual for Kanoka Toss players to wind up frozen, shrunken, or reconstituted into something even a Rahkshi would be sickened by. Onu-Matoran take the game one step farther, going down to Archive sub-levels to play "Kanoka Toss - in the dark."
== Language ==
Matoran Alphabet: The Matoran alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, being a simple substitution cipher. In Mata Nui and Metru Nui, the letters and numbers are circular symbols. On Voya Nui these symbols are hexagon-shaped, but are otherwise identical. The same applies for the Xian alphabet, which is written in triangles.
Matoran Words: For the most part, the Matoran language is translated into English for our benefit. However, several terms usually remain untranslated (this list assumes that names of Kanohi masks are direct descriptions of their powers):
* Akaku - X-Ray Vision
* Aki - Valor
* Arthron - Sonar
* Av- - prefix meaning "Light"
* Avohkii - Light
* Barraki - Warlord
* Calix - Fate
* Cordak - Desolation
* Elda - Detection
* Faxon - Kindred
* Ga- - prefix meaning "Water"
* Garai - Gravity
* Hagah - Guardian
* Hau - Shielding
* Hordika - half-beast"Hordika" entry, BIONICLE Encyclopedia
* Huna - Invisibility
* Iden - Spirit
* Ignika - Life
* Inika - the energies of a Star
* Kadin - Flight
* Kakama - Speed
* Kanohi - Mask	
* Kaukau - Water Breathing
* Kini - Temple
* Kiril - Regeneration
* Ko- - prefix meaning "Ice"
* Komau - Mind Control
* Koro - Village
* Kraahkan - Shadows
* Kualsi - Quick Travel
* Le- - prefix meaning "Air"
* Mahiki - Illusion
* Makoki - Key
* Manas - Monster
* Matatu - Telekinesis
* Matoran - Villager
* Metru - City or City District
* Miru - Levitation
* Nui - Great
* Olisi - Alternate Futures
* Olmak - Dimensional Gates
* Onu- - prefix meaning "Earth"
* Pakari - Strength
* Pehkui - Diminishment
* Phantoka - spirits of the airOfficial Greg Discussion p. 250 post #9989	
* Piraka - profanity meaning "Thief and Murderer"
* Po- - prefix meaning "Stone"
* Rahi - "Not us"; usually used foranimals and wildlife
* Rau - Translation
* Rode - Truth
* Rua - Wisdom
* Ruru - Night Vision
* Sanok - Accuracy
* Suletu - Telepathy
* Suva - Shrine
* Ta- - prefix meaning "Fire"
* Takea - King of Sharks
* Tryna - Reanimation
* Vahi - Time
* Valmai - roughly means "Cursed Place"in an ancient dialect
* Vezon - Double
* Volitak - Stealth
* Voya - Journey
* Wahi - Region
* Zatth - Summoning
Slang and Miscellaneous Terms:
* "Akilini-head" or "Kolhii-head" - a mild insult
* Bioquake - earthquake
* [?]-bones: To die as a result of something. Example usage: "Why did you get so close to the volcano? You could've been lava-bones!"
* "Go to Karzahni!" - an offensive statement; a Matoran counterpart to the human expression concerning hell
* Rahaga - Former Toa Hagah now mutated to look like small Rahkshi-headed creatures (a portmaneau of Rahkshi and Hagah)
* Visorak - In their language, their name roughly means "poisonous scourge"
Measurements:
All sentient beings in the BIONICLE universe use a special measuring system. There are three different units of length: the Bio, the Kio, and the Mio; comparable to the Earth units of Meters and Kilometers. A Toa is 1.6 Bios (6 Feet) tall.
* Bio - The smallest measurement used in the BIONICLE universe. A bio is approximately equal to 4.5 feet or 1.37 meters in Earth measurements.
* Kio - A kio is the middle sized measurement in the BIONICLE universe; equal to 1000 bio. Or, 4500 feet/0.85 miles, 1371 meters/1.37 kilometers in human measurements.
* Mio - A mio is the largest measure of distance in the BIONICLE universe that we know of. It is equal to 1000 kio. Or, in human terms, 850 miles or 1370 kilometers.
For other units of measurement, such as lengths of time, Earth units such as hours and days are used. Sometimes Earth units of length are used in place of the BIONICLE units above, so that the reader may understand easier.
Chutespeak and Treespeak: Two names for slang used almost exclusively by the Le-Matoran of Metru Nui (though the occasional outsider has picked it up). "Chutespeak" was its name in Metru Nui and "Treespeak" was used on Mata Nui. Chutespeak/Treespeak terms are made by combining two or more words into one. Although there are too many possible phrases to list, here are a few examples:
* Air-fly: Means the same thing as "wind-fly"
* Bald-land: Open area with no obstructions
* Bear-fight: To fight a Graalok Ash Bear
* Cloud-sneaking: Under cover of the clouds
* Deep-wood: Throughout the forest
* Down-tree: On the ground
* Duty-quarrel: To quarrel about one's duty to Mata Nui
* Fire-spitter: Ta-Matoran or a Toa of Fire (often used as an insult); term not exclusive to Le-Matoran
* Ground-walk: To walk
* Happy-cheer: making you happy (often used sarcastically)
* Heart-swear: Solemn promise
* High-branch: High in the trees
* Makuta-son(s): Rahkshi
* Late-knowing: Ignorant until too late
* Leaf-dawn: Springtime
* Life-dawn: Youth
* Not-never: Never
* Open-eyed: Awake
* Quick-learning: To learn something very quickly
* Quick-speed: Godspeed
* Quick-run: To run quickly
* Same-hearted: Of the same heart, used when Lewa expresses his pain over the loss of Ta-Koro
* Sand-twister: A tornado of sand; a dust devil
* Singsong: A positive term. Ex: "singsong Le-Koro"
* Sorry-bad story: Ill news
* Toa-heroes: Means the same as "Toa"
* Top-leaf: As high as the treetops
* Tree-bound: Unable to fly
* Tree-bright: A sentimental term for Le-Koro, seen through the leaves from below with the sun above
* Tree-launch: Take to the air on bird-back
* Up-tree: In the treetops
* Wind-fly: Flying with the wind or bird-riding
* Wind-riders: Bird-riders
* Way-finder: Navigator
* Wind-fly: To launch from the ground and fly
* Wind-riding: Flying
* Wind-sprint: Move quickly
* Wrong-quarrel: To do something that angers another
== Culture ==
=== Beliefs ===
The Matoran revere the Great Spirit Mata Nui that protects the universe and attribute all good to him, from the natural abilities that they were created with to the fact that the sun rises every day. An example of this is that Turaga Vakama credits the Matorans' rescue from Metru Nui to Mata Nui even though the Toa Metru did the deed, for in Vakama's eyes, it was Mata Nui who gave the Toa the guidance and strength they needed to accomplish their task. The Matoran do not, however, worship Mata Nui or have any religious ceremonies or rituals (as LEGO wishes to avoid any form of religious controversy).
The Matoran do believe in higher powers than Mata Nui, called the Great Beings, but believe that the Great Beings have moved on to other universes.
==== Three Virtues ====
Central to Matoran life are the Three Virtues, said to be given by Mata Nui. The virtues are Unity, that all Matoran should stand together; Duty, that Matoran should do their jobs diligently; and Destiny, that each Matoran has a purpose they must fulfill.
The Matoran of the island of Mata Nui have also developed an accompanying set of Principles, with each one derived from some combination of the Virtues. Each Principle also has an affiliated Enemy that opposes it, and a Skill that can be developed if the Principle is followed. Each of the island's six villages emphasizes one of the virtues:
* Ta-Koro: The Principle of Courage, derived from Duty. It grants the skill of Strength, and its enemy is Fear.
* Ga-Koro: The Principle of Purity, derived from Unity. It grants the skill of Speed, and its enemy is Disintegration.
* Le-Koro: The Principle of Faith, formed from the combination of Unity and Duty. It grants the skill of Accuracy, and its enemy is Poison.
* Po-Koro: The Principle of Creation, formed from the combination of Unity and Destiny. It grants the skill of Strategy, and its enemy is Fragmentation.
* Onu-Koro: The Principle of Prosperity, formed from the combination of Duty and Destiny. It grants the skill of Stamina, and its enemy is Hunger.
* Ko-Koro: The Principle of Peace, derived from Destiny. It grants the skill of Willpower, and its enemy is Anger.Mata Nui Online Game II: The Final Choronicle.
The sport of kolhii is considered a great way of teaching the Principles, as the game is a test of all six Skills. Also, when Makuta sent Rahkshi to claim the Mask of Light, he likely deliberately chose the kinds that embodied the Enemies, as a symbolic attack on the Principles.
=== Holidays ===
The Matoran calendar has no regular holidays; rather the local Turaga declares one whenever he or she feels it is appropriate. Often, an event is celebrated with a sporting competition, such as when the Turaga of Mata Nui declared a kolhii tournament to celebrate the peace that followed the Bohrok-Kal's defeat. The only other specifically known Matoran holiday is Naming Day.
On a Naming Day, Matoran who have done great deeds are honoured by having their name changed (from what has been seen, the new name is spelled differently but pronounced the same as the old one). This new name is used when referring to past events as well as future ones, effectively retconning the old name out of existence. On Metru Nui, Matoran got a day off of work for Naming Days and often exchanged gifts. Rahaga Iruini has also mentioned Mata Nui coming through chutes to give presents to good Matoran on Naming Days (much like Santa Claus), as an example of a naive belief.BIONICLE Adventures #8: Challenge of the Hordika, p. 21 So far, only one Naming Day has been seen; when Jala, Huki, and Maku got the new names "Jaller", "Hewkii", and "Macku", respectively; for their bravery and deeds in fighting the Bohrok swarms. Takua also changed his pet crab's name from "Puku" to "Pewku" on that day, and the fact that he was not honoured alongside his friends may have influenced his decision to change his own name to Takanuva upon becoming the Toa of Light (though "Takanuva" does not follow the patterns of the other new names: it is not a simple respelling of "Takua", and the old name is still used to refer to his old Matoran identity).
== References ==
== External links ==
* BZPower
* BIONICLEsector01
Society