|
Rangi-nui, the Sky Father looked
lovingly from above upon Papa-tu-a-nuku, the Earth Mother. He lay upon her and
they joined together in a close embrace. Their many offspring lived in the
darkness and cramped spaces between their bodies.
As time passed, the children grew
tired and wished to stretch and stand tall and live in the light. They held a
conference and discussed either killing their parents or separating them.
Tane-mahuta, the father of forests persuaded his siblings not to kill their
parents but to push them apart. The plan was to push Rangi high above, and for
the children to stay close to their mother and continue to be nursed by her.
One sibling disagreed,
Tawhiri-matea, the god of wind and storms. He vowed to wage war on any of his
siblings who separated his parents.
In turn the siblings tried in vain
to separate their parents, and finally only Tane-mahuta remained to try. Rather
than expend all his energy at once, he turned himself into a kauri tree and with
his roots firmly secured in his mother's womb, he slowly grew, pushing himself
against his father. Over a long period he pushed Rangi high up forming the
heavens.
The parents fought the separation,
and the tears of Rangi fell to the earth and filled the depressions of Papa's
body with water, forming rivers and oceans. From her womb, Papa gave birth to
all the creatures that fill the seas and populate that land.
Tawhiri raged war against his
brothers, covering Papa with storms, but seeing he could not defeat his siblings
and that Papa's maternal instincts led her to shield her children from his
wrath, he retreated to the sky to be close to his father.
|
