Maori Myths and legends

The beginning

The beginning

Io Matua-Kore

Before there was any light,

there was only darkness,

all was night.

Before there was even darkness there was nothing.

Of these things it is said in our karakia(prayer),

those that were given down from ancient time that name all the ancestors of Maori People.

It is said in the karakia, at the beginning of time there stood Te Kore, the Nothingness. Then was Te Po, the Night, which was immensely long and immensely dark:

Te Po nui, Te Po roa, Te Po uriuri, Te Po kerekere, Te Po tiwha, Te Po te kitea, Te Po tangotango...

meaning the Great Night, the Long Night, the Dark Night, the Intensely Dark Night, the Gloom-laden Night, the Night Unseen, the Night to be Felt.

The first light that existed was no more than the glowing of a worm, and when sun and moon were made there were no eyes, there was none to see them, not even kaitiaki(Guardians).

The beginning was made from the nothing.

Then Ranginui (Shy Father), dwelt with Papatuanuku (Earth Mother), and was joined to her, and land was made.

But the children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, who were very numerous, were not of the shape of men, and they lived in the darkness, for their parents were not yet parted.

The sky still lay upon the earth and no light had come between them.

The heavens were 12 in number, and the lowest layer, lying on the earth, made her unfruitful.

Her covering was creeping plants and low weeds, and the sea was all dark water.

The time when these things seemed without end.

At length the offspring of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, worn out with continual darkness, met together to decide what should be done about their parents, that man might arise.

"Shall we kill our parents, shall we slay them, our father and our mother, or shall we separate them?" they asked.

And long did they consider in the darkness.

At last Tumatauenga, the fiercest of the offspring and the guardian of war, spoke out.

"It is well. Let us kill them," stated Tumatauenga.

But Tanemahuta, guardian of the forest, answered,

"No, not so. It is better to seperate them, and to let the sky stand far above us and the earth lie below here. Let the sky be a stranger to us, but let earth remain close to us as our nursing mother."

Some of the other sons, and Tumatauenga among them, saw wisdom in this and agreed with Tanemahuta.

Others did not agree, and one, now and forever has always disagreed with his brothers, and this is Tawhirimatea, the guardian of winds and storms.

For Tawhirimatea, fearing that his kingdom would be overthrown, did not wish his parents to be torn apart.

So while some agreed, Tawhirimatea would not and was silent, he held his breath. And long did they consider further.

In time no man can measure,

they decided that Ranginui and Papatuanuku must be forced apart, and they began in turns to try and force them apart.