 |
|
|
 |
| Maori
religion is complex, with many gods that represent the sea,
sky, mountains, war, etc. A very important part of Maori religion
is what they call the |
 |
| life
force (mauri), spirit (wairua) that can be found in all people
and spiritual power or prestige (mana). |
|
|
 |
 |
HINE
was the first mortal woman, created by Tane, god of the forest.
She later became Tane's wife, and her children were the first of
the Maori peoples. |
|
HINENUITEPO
is the goddess of death. |
|
MANAIA
is a half-bird, half-human deity. It has a bird's head and a
human form. |
|
MARAKIHAU
is half-fish and half human with a tube-like tongue. |
|
MATAAHO
is the god of the secrets hidden in the earth. |
|
|
|
PAPATUANUKU
(Papa) was the mother earth goddess in the Maori tradition.
Her husband was Rangi, the Sky Father. This couple had many powerful
children, including the gods of the sea, forest and winds. Papa's
grandchildren were the first of the Maori peoples. |
|
RANGINUI
(Rangi) was the Sky Father, and the husband of Papa,
the Earth. He was the father to the first gods and grandfather of
the Maori race. His love for his wife almost destroyed his children
and prevented the creation of the world of the Maoris. |
|
RONA
was the daughter of the Sea God Tangaroa. She became the goddess
of the tides, controlling the movement of her father's empire. She
was later kidnapped by the moon as she was out with her water bucket.
According to the Maori beliefs, there is a woman with her bucket
in the moon, still visible today. Since she continued to do her
work from the moon, the moon has a great influence on the tides. |
|
RUAMOKO
is the god of earthquakes and volcanoes. |
|
|
|
TANE
MAHUTA was the god of the forests, the second son
of Rangi the Sky and Papa the Earth. He was mainly responsible for
the creation of the Maori world, set the Sun and Moon in their places
in the sky and created the first woman, Hine, whom he married. |
|
TANGAROA
was the first son of Rangi and Papa, and god of the sea. |
|
TAWHIRI
MATEA was the third son of Rangi and Papa, and the
god of the winds. He was the only child of the Earth and the Sky
who did not want his parents to be separated and often sent fierce
hurricanes to punish his brothers. The first reptiles were created
due to one of his storms- reptiles were once fish that escaped the
waters in terror from one of Tawhiri's storms and became land creatures. |
|
 |
|
|
|
| "The
Big Myth" © Distant Train 2002 |
