The Maori creation story describes how Rangi (heaven) and Papa (earth) were originally joined together in darkness. They had six sons: Tane-mahuta (father of forests), Tawhiri-ma-tea (father of winds), Tangaroa (father of sea life), Tu-matauenga (father of mankind), Haumia-tikitiki (father of uncultivated food), and Rongo-ma-tane (father of cultivated food). The sons lived for a long time in darkness between their parents. After a battle, Tu-matauenga ate four of his brothers but spared Tawhiri-ma-tea, explaining why

1. CONTEMPORARY TRADITIONAL MAORI CULTURE, PART 2 HE &quot;THE MAORI CREATION STORY: THE SEPARATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH&quot; by:DAISY NICOLAS<3 source: George grey, 1956, Polynesian Mythology (ed.by William W. Bird): Christchurch, Whitecombe and Tombs Ltd.,250p. (BL 2615. G843p 1956); and MASTER RUBEN MEZA,2012

2. (according to Maori tradition) &quot;All humans are descended from one pair of ancestors, Rangi and Papa who are also called heaven and earth.&quot;

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

4. &quot;Rangi and Papa had six sons: (1) Tane-mahuta; The father of the forest and thier inhabitants.&quot;

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

6. &quot; (3) Tangaroa, the father of fish and reptiles &quot; ;

7. &quot; (4) Tu-matauenga, the father of fierce human begings &quot;;

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

9. &quot; (6) and Rongo-ma-tane, the father of cultivated food &quot;

10. &quot; In the beginning these six sons and all others beings lived in darkness for an extremely long time, able only to wonder what light and vision might me like. &quot;

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

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