The Maori creation story describes how Rangi (Heaven) and Papa (Earth) were originally joined closely together in darkness. They had six sons: Tane-mahuta who created forests, Tawhiri-ma-tea who created winds and storms, Tangaroa who created fish and reptiles, Tu-matauenga who created humans, Huamia-tikitiki who created uncultivated food, and Rongo-ma-tane who created cultivated food. All beings lived in darkness until the sons separated Rangi and Papa.

1. Contemporary Traditional Maori Culture ,part 2 "The Maori Creation Story: The Separation of Heaven and Earth" By Sergio Guevara, 1-17-12, Period 6, Culture and Geography Source: George Grey, 1956, Polynesian Mythology (ed. by William W. Bird):Christ Church, Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd., 250 p. (BL 2615.G843p 1956)

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:(1) Tane-mahuta, the father of the forests and all was darkness."

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

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

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

8. "(8) Huamia-tikitiki, the father of food that grows without cultivation"

9. "(8) 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."