The Maori creation story describes how Rangi (heaven) and Papa (earth) were originally joined closely together in darkness. They had six sons: Tane-mahuta (forests), Tawhiri-ma-tea (winds), Tangaroa (sea life), Tu-mataunga (humans), Haumia-tikitiki (uncultivated food), and Rongo-ma-tane (cultivated food). After a long time in darkness, the sons separated Rangi and Papa, allowing light. Tu-mataunga then ate four brothers but spared Tawhiri-ma-tea, explaining why humans are fierce, eat animals, and why

1. contemporary traditional maori culture,part 2
The moari creation story : The
separation of heaven and earth
by Andres Sanchez
,1/19/12 period 4
culture and geography
source: george grey,
1956, Polynesian mythology (ed.by william w .
bird);christchurch,whitcombe and tombs ltd.,250
p.(BL 2615.G843p 1956);and Mr.Ruben
Meza,2012

2. "All humans are descended from one pair of
ancestors,rangi and papa,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:tane-mahuta,the father
of the forests and their inhabitants";

5. "tawhiri-ma-tea,the father of winds and storms";

6. tangaroa,the father of fish and reptiles';

7. tu-mataunga,the father of fierce human being ";

8. "haumia-tikitiki, the father of food that grows without
cultivatiion";

9. "and rongo-ma-tane,the father of cultivated food"

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

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 and animals,and why there are storms.