In Māori mythology the primal couple Rangi and Papa (or Ranginui and Papatūānuku) appear in a creation myth explaining the origin of the world and the Māori people[1](though there are many different versions). In some South Island dialects, Rangi is called Raki or Rakinui.[2]
Ranginui first married Poharua Te Po where they bore 3 offspring including Aorangi (or Aoraki as given in South Island).[3] He later married Papatūānuku together becoming the primordial sky father and earth mother bearing over 70 children including Tāwhirimātea, Tāne and Tangaroa, 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.[3][4][5]
These children grow and discuss among themselves what it would be like to live in the light. Tūmatauenga, the fiercest of the children, proposes that the best solution to their predicament is to kill their parents.[6]: 2 But his brother Tāne 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 action—Rongo, the god of cultivated food, tries to push his parents apart, then Tangaroa, the god of the sea, and his sibling Haumia-tiketike, the god of wild food, join him. In spite of their joint efforts Rangi and Papa remain close together in their loving embrace.
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, Ranginui and Papatūānuku were pried apart.[6]: 2–3 [7]: 448 Traditions of the Taranaki region, however, assign this separating role to Tangaroa, god of the sea.[8]: 1–2
War in heaven and earth
Tāne adorned Ranginui with stars
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, Tāwhirimātea, 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.[6]: 3–6 [9]: 54 [7]: 448–449
Then Tāwhirimātea attacks the oceans and huge waves rise, whirlpools form, and Tangaroa, the god of the sea, flees in panic. Punga, a son of Tangaroa, has two children, Ikatere father of fish, and Tu-te-wehiwehi (or Tu-te-wanawana) the ancestor of reptiles. 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.[10]: 5–6
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 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.
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 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.[10]: 7–10 [7]: 449
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. Rūaumoko is his name and he is the god of earthquakes and volcanoes.
Yearning
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.[11]: 145 Ranginui and Papatūanuku continue to grieve for each other to this day. Ranginui's tears fall 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.[6]: 11
^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 Nga Mahi a nga Tupuna (Grey 1971), originally published in 1853 and later translated into English as Polynesian Mythology (Grey 1956). It should be understood that the version presented here represents just one Māori creation myth among many variants.
^ abMitchell, Hilary and John (2004). History of Māori of Nelson and Marlborough. Wellington: Huia Publishers. p. 18. ISBN1-86969-087-7.
^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.
^Their children include, depending on the version: Rongo-mā-tāne, Haumia-tiketike, Tūmatauenga and Rehua. The youngest is Ruaumoko, who has never been born and remains inside his mother's womb. His movements cause earthquakes.
B.G. Biggs, 'Maori Myths and Traditions' in A. H. McLintock (editor), Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, 3 Volumes. (Government Printer: Wellington), 1966, II:447-454.
G. Grey, Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna, fourth edition. First published 1854. (Reed: Wellington), 1971.
G. Grey, Polynesian Mythology, Illustrated edition, reprinted 1976. (Whitcombe and Tombs: Christchurch), 1956.
M. Orbell, The Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend (Canterbury University Press: Christchurch), 1998.
A. Smith, Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe (MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies: Christchurch), 1993.
E.R.Tregear, Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay), 1891.
External links
Polynesian Mythology, George Grey, first edition (1854)
rangi, papa, māori, mythology, primal, couple, ranginui, papatūānuku, appear, creation, myth, explaining, origin, world, māori, people, though, there, many, different, versions, some, south, island, dialects, rangi, called, raki, rakinui, papa, rangi, held, ea. In Maori mythology the primal couple Rangi and Papa or Ranginui and Papatuanuku appear in a creation myth explaining the origin of the world and the Maori people 1 though there are many different versions In some South Island dialects Rangi is called Raki or Rakinui 2 Papa and Rangi held each other in a tight embrace Contents 1 Union and separation 2 War in heaven and earth 3 Yearning 4 Names and epithets 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksUnion and separation EditRanginui first married Poharua Te Po where they bore 3 offspring including Aorangi or Aoraki as given in South Island 3 He later married Papatuanuku together becoming the primordial sky father and earth mother bearing over 70 children including Tawhirimatea Tane and Tangaroa all of whom are male Both Ranginui and Papatuanuku lie locked together in a tight embrace and their sons forced to live in the cramped darkness between them 3 4 5 These children grow and discuss among themselves what it would be like to live in the light Tumatauenga the fiercest of the children proposes that the best solution to their predicament is to kill their parents 6 2 But his brother Tane disagrees suggesting that it is better to push them apart to let Ranginui be as a stranger to them in the sky above while Papatuanuku will remain below to nurture them The others put their plans into action Rongo the god of cultivated food tries to push his parents apart then Tangaroa the god of the sea and his sibling Haumia tiketike the god of wild food join him In spite of their joint efforts Rangi and Papa remain close together in their loving embrace After many attempts Tane 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 Tane pushes and pushes until with cries of grief and surprise Ranginui and Papatuanuku were pried apart 6 2 3 7 448 Traditions of the Taranaki region however assign this separating role to Tangaroa god of the sea 8 1 2 War in heaven and earth Edit Tane adorned Ranginui with starsAnd so the children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku see light and have space to move for the first time While the other children have agreed to the separation Tawhirimatea 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 Tawhirimatea 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 Tane are smashed under the attack and fall to the ground food for decay and for insects 6 3 6 9 54 7 448 449 Then Tawhirimatea attacks the oceans and huge waves rise whirlpools form and Tangaroa the god of the sea flees in panic Punga a son of Tangaroa has two children Ikatere father of fish and Tu te wehiwehi or Tu te wanawana the ancestor of reptiles Terrified by Tawhirimatea s onslaught the fish seek shelter in the sea and the reptiles in the forests Ever since Tangaroa has been angry with Tane for giving refuge to his runaway children So it is that Tane supplies the descendants of Tumatauenga 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 10 5 6 Tawhirimatea next attacks his brothers Rongo and Haumia tiketike the gods of cultivated and uncultivated foods Rongo and Haumia are in great fear of Tawhirimatea but as he attacks them Papatuanuku determines to keep these for her other children and hides them so well that Tawhirimatea cannot find them So Tawhirimatea turns on his brother Tumatauenga He uses all his strength but Tumatauenga stands fast and Tawhirimatea cannot prevail against him Tu or human kind stands fast and at last the anger of the gods subsided and peace prevailed Tu thought about the actions of Tane in separating their parents and made snares to catch the birds the children of Tane 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 the ground capturing his brothers Rongo and Haumia tiketike where they have hidden from Tawhirimatea 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 Tumatauenga eats all of his brothers to repay them for their cowardice the only brother that Tumatauenga does not subdue is Tawhirimatea whose storms and hurricanes attack humankind to this day 10 7 10 7 449 There was one more child of Ranginui and Papatuanuku who was never born and still lives inside Papatuanuku Whenever this child is kicking the earth shakes and it causes an earthquake Ruaumoko is his name and he is the god of earthquakes and volcanoes Yearning EditTane 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 11 145 Ranginui and Papatuanuku continue to grieve for each other to this day Ranginui s tears fall towards Papatuanuku to show how much he loves her Sometimes Papatuanuku 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 Papatuanuku s sighs as the warmth of her body yearns for Ranginui and continues to nurture mankind 6 11 Names and epithets EditRanginui Rangi Sky Raki Sky in the South Island see Maori language South Island dialects Ranginui Great Sky Rangi pōtiki Rangi the Lastborn possibly another name of Rangi or a closely allied deityPapatuanuku Papa world Papatuanuku world separated Earth Mother Earth See also EditAnu and Ki Sumerian deities similar to Rangi and Papa Atea husband of Papa primordial parents in Tuamotuan Rarotongan and Marquesas genealogies Dyauṣ pitṛ and Pṛthvi matṛ Vedic deities similar to Rangi and Papa Nut and Geb Egyptian deities similar to Rangi and Papa Tino Rangatiratanga flag the official Maori flag with a design based on the story of Rangi and Paps Uranus and Gaea Greek deities similar to Rangi and Papa Vatea husband of Papa father of gods and men in Mangaia Cook Islands Wakea husband of Papa from HawaiiNotes Edit Leeming David 2013 The World of Myth An Anthology 2nd ed Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0199316366 This article is based largely on the writings of a Te Arawa chief Wiremu Maihi Te Rangikaheke who is the author of much of the material in George Grey s Nga Mahi a nga Tupuna Grey 1971 originally published in 1853 and later translated into English as Polynesian Mythology Grey 1956 It should be understood that the version presented here represents just one Maori creation myth among many variants a b Mitchell Hilary and John 2004 History of Maori of Nelson and Marlborough Wellington Huia Publishers p 18 ISBN 1 86969 087 7 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 Their children include depending on the version Rongo ma tane Haumia tiketike Tumatauenga and Rehua The youngest is Ruaumoko who has never been born and remains inside his mother s womb His movements cause earthquakes a b c d Grey 1956 a b c Biggs 1966 Smith 1993 Tregear 1891 a b Grey 1971 Orbell 1998References EditB G Biggs Maori Myths and Traditions in A H McLintock editor Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 3 Volumes Government Printer Wellington 1966 II 447 454 G Grey Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna fourth edition First published 1854 Reed Wellington 1971 G Grey Polynesian Mythology Illustrated edition reprinted 1976 Whitcombe and Tombs Christchurch 1956 M Orbell The Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend Canterbury University Press Christchurch 1998 A Smith Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies Christchurch 1993 E R Tregear Maori Polynesian Comparative Dictionary Lyon and Blair Lambton Quay 1891 External links EditPolynesian Mythology George Grey first edition 1854 Samuel K Parker Dialectics of Power in the Maori Creation Myth in Pacific Studies Vol 10 n 3 July 1987 Tikao T T 1939 Tikao talks Traditions and tales told by Teone Taare Tikao to Herries Beattie pp 23 50 Wellington New Zealand A H and A W Reed Maori Polynesian Comparative Dictionary E R Tregear Lyon and Blair Lambton Quay 1891 Ranginui the sky in Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand the Encyclopedia of New Zealand dead link Papatuanuku the land in Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rangi and Papa amp oldid 1140733369, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
