141:, the god of storms and winds, is angered that the parents have been torn apart. He cannot bear to hear the cries of his parents nor see the tears of Ranginui as they are parted, he promises his siblings that from henceforth they will have to deal with his anger. He flies off to join Rangi and there carefully fosters his own many offspring who include the winds, one of whom is sent to each quarter of the compass. To fight his brothers, Tāwhirimātea gathers an army of his children —winds and clouds of different kinds, including fierce squalls, whirlwinds, gloomy thick clouds, fiery clouds, hurricane clouds and thunderstorm clouds, and rain, mists and fog. As these winds show their might the dust flies and the great forest trees of Tāne are smashed under the attack and fall to the ground, food for decay and for insects.
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the ground, capturing his brothers Rongo and Haumia-tiketike where they have hidden from Tāwhirimātea in the bosom of the earth mother and, recognising them by their long hair that remains above the surface of the earth, he drags them forth and heaps them into baskets to be eaten. So Tūmatauenga eats all of his brothers to repay them for their cowardice; the only brother that Tūmatauenga does not subdue is Tāwhirimātea, whose storms and hurricanes attack humankind to this day.
164:. Terrified by Tāwhirimātea's onslaught the fish seek shelter in the sea and the reptiles in the forests. Ever since Tangaroa has been angry with Tāne for giving refuge to his runaway children. So it is that Tāne supplies the descendants of Tūmatauenga with canoes, fishhooks and nets to catch the descendants of Tangaroa. Tangaroa retaliates by swamping canoes and sweeping away houses, land and trees that are washed out to sea in floods.
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towards Papatūanuku to show how much he loves her. Sometimes Papatūanuku heaves and strains and almost breaks herself apart to reach her beloved partner again but it is to no avail. When mist rises from the forests, these are Papatūānuku's sighs as the warmth of her body yearns for
Ranginui and continues to nurture mankind.
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Tāwhirimātea next attacks his brothers Rongo and Haumia-tiketike, the gods of cultivated and uncultivated foods. Rongo and Haumia are in great fear of Tāwhirimātea but, as he attacks them, Papatūānuku determines to keep these for her other children and hides them so well that Tāwhirimātea cannot find
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Tū thought about the actions of Tāne in separating their parents and made snares to catch the birds, the children of Tāne who could no longer fly free. He then made nets from forest plants and casts them in the sea so that the children of
Tangaroa soon lie in heaps on the shore. He made hoes to dig
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After many attempts Tāne, god of forests and birds, forces his parents apart. Instead of standing upright and pushing with his hands as his brothers have done, he lies on his back and pushes with his strong legs. Stretching every sinew Tāne pushes and pushes until, with cries of grief and surprise,
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Tāne searched for heavenly bodies as lights so that his father would be appropriately dressed. He obtained the stars and threw them up, along with the moon and the sun. At last
Ranginui looked handsome. Ranginui and Papatūanuku continue to grieve for each other to this day. Ranginui's tears fall
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them. So Tāwhirimātea turns on his brother Tūmatauenga. He uses all his strength but Tūmatauenga stands fast and Tāwhirimatea cannot prevail against him. Tū (or human kind) stands fast and, at last, the anger of the gods subsided and peace prevailed.
433:
The specific number of children varies in different versions but numbers of 70 or more are commonly mentioned. Whether such a high number actually occurs in one early text is another matter for investigation.
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disagrees, suggesting that it is better to push them apart, to let
Ranginui be as a stranger to them in the sky above while Papatūānuku will remain below to nurture them. The others put their plans into
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There was one more child of
Ranginui and Papatūānuku who was never born and still lives inside Papatūanuku. Whenever this child is kicking the earth shakes and it causes an earthquake.
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Ranginui first married
Poharua Te Po where they bore 3 offspring including Aorangi (or Aoraki as given in South Island). He later married Papatūānuku together becoming the primordial
93:, all of whom are male. Both Ranginui and Papatūānuku lie locked together in a tight embrace, and their sons forced to live in the cramped darkness between them.
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And so the children of
Ranginui and Papatūanuku see light and have space to move for the first time. While the other children have agreed to the separation,
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This article is based largely on the writings of a Te Arawa chief, Wiremu Maihi Te Rangikāheke, who is the author of much of the material in George Grey’s
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Ranginui and Papatūānuku were pried apart. Traditions of the
Taranaki region, however, assign this separating role to Tangaroa, god of the sea.
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394:(Grey 1956). It should be understood that the version presented here represents just one Māori creation myth among many variants.
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Then Tāwhirimātea attacks the oceans and huge waves rise, whirlpools form, and
Tangaroa, the god of the sea, flees in panic.
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Their children include, depending on the version: Rongo-mā-tāne, Haumia-tiketike, Tūmatauenga and
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Rangi-pōtiki ("Rangi the
Lastborn"): possibly another name of Rangi, or a closely allied deity
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These children grow and discuss among themselves what it would be like to live in the light.
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390:(Grey 1971), originally published in 1853 and later translated into English as
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Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe
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Traditions and tales told by Teone Taare Tikao to Herries Beattie
567:(MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies: Christchurch), 1993.
546:, fourth edition. First published 1854. (Reed: Wellington), 1971.
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539:, 3 Volumes. (Government Printer: Wellington), 1966, II:447-454.
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is his name and he is the god of earthquakes and volcanoes.
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Papatūānuku ("world separated"), (Earth), (Mother Earth)
53:(though there are many different versions). In some
560:(Canterbury University Press: Christchurch), 1998.
558:The Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend
25:Papa and Rangi held each other in a tight embrace
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599:Dialectics of Power in the Maori Creation Myth
325:, husband of Papa, father of gods and men in
531:B.G. Biggs, 'Maori Myths and Traditions' in
615:(pp. 23–50). Wellington, New Zealand:
413:. Wellington: Huia Publishers. p. 18.
49:explaining the origin of the world and the
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410:History of Māori of Nelson and Marlborough
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574:(Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay), 1891.
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211:Māori language#South Island dialects
160:(or Tu-te-wanawana) the ancestor of
81:bearing over 70 children including
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610:Tikao, T. T. (1939). Tikao talks:
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407:Mitchell, Hilary and John (2004).
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319:deities similar to Rangi and Papa
299:deities similar to Rangi and Papa
253:deities similar to Rangi and Papa
133:Tāne adorned Ranginui with stars
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360:The World of Myth: An Anthology
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57:dialects, Rangi is called
285:similar to Rangi and Papa
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338:, husband of Papa, from
303:Tino Rangatiratanga flag
605:, Vol 10 n°3, July 1987
364:Oxford University Press
358:Leeming, David (2013).
125:War in heaven and earth
654:Papatūānuku – the land
593:, first edition (1854)
216:Ranginui ("Great Sky")
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634:: Lambton Quay), 1891
544:Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna
388:Nga Mahi a nga Tupuna
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686:Sky and weather gods
586:Polynesian Mythology
551:Polynesian Mythology
392:Polynesian Mythology
205:Raki ("Sky") in the
69:Union and separation
639:Ranginui – the sky
617:A.H. and A.W. Reed
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446:. The youngest is
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489:Smith, 1993
480:Biggs, 1966
279:Pṛthvī-mātṛ
271:genealogies
224:Papatuanuku
98:Tūmatauenga
43:Papatūānuku
671:Māori gods
665:Categories
535:(editor),
526:References
510:Grey, 1971
466:Grey, 1956
275:Dyaúṣ-pitṛ
265:Rarotongan
152:father of
75:sky father
549:G. Grey,
542:G. Grey,
269:Marquesas
261:Tuamotuan
448:Ruaumoko
297:Egyptian
251:Sumerian
237:See also
197:Ranginui
183:Yearning
177:Rūaumoko
162:reptiles
111:Tangaroa
91:Tangaroa
39:Ranginui
327:Mangaia
150:Ikatere
63:Rakinui
646:– the
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340:Hawaii
309:Uranus
156:, and
444:Rehua
346:Notes
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323:Vatea
317:Greek
209:(see
146:Punga
107:Rongo
415:ISBN
368:ISBN
311:and
291:and
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