The Maori creation story describes how Rangi (sky father) and Papa (earth mother) were originally joined closely together in darkness. They had six sons who wished to see and experience light. After a long battle where Tu-matauenga (god of war) ate four of his brothers, Rangi and Papa were separated, bringing light to the world but also introducing war and conflict. All humans are said to have descended from Rangi and Papa.

1. Contemporary Traditional Maori,part 2 "The Maori
creation story:The separation of Heaven and
earth."by Saul
Martinez,1/10/12,
period 1,culture and Geography
source: George Grey, 1956, Polynesian
Mythology(ed by William W. Bird):Christchurch,
Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, 35p and Mr.
Ruben Meza,2012

2. (According to Maori tradition)"All
humans are descended from Rangi
Papa

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 forest and
their inhabitants

5. 2 tawhiri-ma-tea,the father of wind and
storms

6. 3 Tangaroa , father of fish and reptiles

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

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

9. 8 and Rongo-ma-tane ,the father of
cultivated extremely long time, able
only to wonder what light and vision
might be like.

10. •"In the beginning these six sons and all other
beings live in darkness for an extremely long
ime

11. after a battle between the six sons Tu-
matauenga ate 4 of his brothers as food,
sparing Tawhiri ma-tea

12. this is why today people are fierce and
have war