The Maori creation story describes how Rangi (heaven) and Papa (earth) were originally joined together in darkness with their six sons trapped between them. The sons grew tired of living in darkness and had Tane-mahuta, the god of forests, separate Rangi and Papa to allow light. However, this caused conflict as Tu-matauenga, the god of war, ate four of his brothers and only Tawhiri-ma-tea, the god of winds, escaped. This explains humanity's nature and the existence of storms today.

1. The Maori:Creation story The Maori Creation Story: The separation of Heaven and Earth By: Anna Ching January 13 2011. Period 1 Culture and Geography

2. All humans are descended from one pair of ancestors, Rangi and Papi,who are also called Heaven and Earth.

3. In those days,Heaven and Earth clung closely together and all was darkness.

4. Rangi and Papa had six sons:(1) Tane-mahuta, the father of the forests and their inhabitants.

5. (2) Tawhiri-ma-tea, the father of winds and storms.

6. (3) Tangora,the father of fish and reptiles.

7. (4) Tu-matauenga,the father of the fierce in human beings.

8. (5) Haumia-tikitiki,the father of food that grows without cultivation.

9. (8) and Rongo-ma-tane, the father of cultivated food.

10. In the beginning these six sons and all other beings lived in the darkness for a extremely long time,able only to wonder what light and vision might be like.

11. After a battle between six sons,Tu-matauenga ate 4 of his brothers as food,spraring Tawhiri-ma-tea, the father of winds and storms.

12. This is why today people are fierce and have,why people eat plants and animals,and why there are storms.