I Love Myths and Legends From All Cultures
A Maori Myth
Rangi (the sky father) and Papa (the earth mother) originally lay one on top of the other in close embrace. But so close was their embrace that there was no space between the two for any of their children to live,
Their children held a meeting to decide what to do.
Tūmatauenga (the fiercest child) suggests they they simply kill both Rangi and Papa. Tāne (the forest child) disagrees and say they need to simply push their parents Rangi and Papa apart. They agree and decide they will force their father away and stay with their mother.
The children try but cannot force the parents apart.
Eventually 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 Papatuanuku were pried apart
But Tāwhirimātea the child of the storms and wind is so angered by what his brothers have done that he leaves and joins his father and he and his father make war on his brothers.
He brings such havoc on Tāne that the forests are torn apart and the trees uprooted rot and can only be infested with insects.
Tāwhirimātea attacks Tangaroa oceans and huge waves rise, whirlpools form, and Tangaroa, the god of the sea fleas in panic.
Tāwhirimātea next attacks his brothers Rongo and Haumia-tiketike the gods of cultivated and un-cultivated foods but Papa protects them and brings them into her body.
At last all the bothers have been beaten down by Tāwhirimātea and only Tū the god of humanity stands alone. And he stands against Tāwhirimātea until his brother becomes calm.
But he can never defeat Tāwhirimātea.
He is so angered by his brothers cowardice that he makes war on them and cuts down Tāne's forests to make spreads and houses them hunt the Tangaroa's fishes.
Rangi (the sky father) and Papa (the earth mother) originally lay one on top of the other in close embrace. But so close was their embrace that there was no space between the two for any of their children to live,
Their children held a meeting to decide what to do.
Tūmatauenga (the fiercest child) suggests they they simply kill both Rangi and Papa. Tāne (the forest child) disagrees and say they need to simply push their parents Rangi and Papa apart. They agree and decide they will force their father away and stay with their mother.
The children try but cannot force the parents apart.
Eventually 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 Papatuanuku were pried apart
But Tāwhirimātea the child of the storms and wind is so angered by what his brothers have done that he leaves and joins his father and he and his father make war on his brothers.
He brings such havoc on Tāne that the forests are torn apart and the trees uprooted rot and can only be infested with insects.
Tāwhirimātea attacks Tangaroa oceans and huge waves rise, whirlpools form, and Tangaroa, the god of the sea fleas in panic.
Tāwhirimātea next attacks his brothers Rongo and Haumia-tiketike the gods of cultivated and un-cultivated foods but Papa protects them and brings them into her body.
At last all the bothers have been beaten down by Tāwhirimātea and only Tū the god of humanity stands alone. And he stands against Tāwhirimātea until his brother becomes calm.
But he can never defeat Tāwhirimātea.
He is so angered by his brothers cowardice that he makes war on them and cuts down Tāne's forests to make spreads and houses them hunt the Tangaroa's fishes.
