Rangi and Papa, known as Heaven and Earth, were the original ancestors who all humans descended from. They clung closely together in the beginning, leaving everything in darkness. They had six sons - Tane Mahuta who ruled over forests, Tawhiri who ruled winds and storms, Tangaroa over fish and reptiles, Tumatauenga over humans, Haumia over uncultivated food, and Rongo over cultivated food. All beings initially lived in darkness for a long time, unable to experience light and vision.