Between Heaven and Earth

Post by Arreana Abernethy

This is the truncated version of the story found on this website: “http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/CS/CSHeaven&Earth.html”

Maori Creation Myth

The ancestors of all humans, Rangi (heaven) and Papa (earth) clung close together in the beginning and all was in darkness. Eventually they had six sons, the six sons as well as all other beings lived in this darkness.

Finally, the sons decided that something must be done. Tu-matauenga – father of the fierce human beings – urged his brothers to slay their parents. However, Tanemahuta – father of forests and their inhabitants – proposed they simply separate them and make Rangi the sky and Papa the earth. The brothers agreed to this plan, except for Tawhirir-ma-tea – father of winds and storms, and they preceeded with the plan.

Rongo-ma-tane – father of cultivated food – tried to wiggle his way between his parents, but he failed. Tangaroa – father of fish and reptiles – failed as well. Haumia-tikitiki – father of food that grows without cultivation – also struggled in vane, as did Tangaroa, and Tu-matauenga. Finally Tanemahuta attempted it. He put his head against the earth, and pushed the skies with his feet, slowly wrenching them apart. Though his parents were distraught to be separated thus, Tane kept pushing until the sky was far away from earth. Light spilled down on the brothers and revealed the multitude of humans Rangi and Papa had created.

Tawhiri-ma-tea was the only one displeased by Tane's success. Enraged, he hid with his father in the sky to plot his revenge, and soon was sending down storms and squalls and fiery clouds and hurricanes to punish Tane and Tangaroa. Tangaroa, frightened by the great swells and whirlpools dove deep into his oceans to escape it all. In doing so he abandoned his two grandchildren – father of fish and father of reptiles. Therefore, the fish and reptiles were left to debate about how they too should escape. Finally the reptiles fled to land and hid in the forests and the fish fled to their grandfather. Well, Tangaroa was not pleased that the reptiles had betrayed him for Tane and began his own struggling with the father of the forest. He sent waves to attack the shores of the forest, while Tane responded by proving canoes, spears and fish-hooks from the trees and nets woven from plants.

But Tawhiri-ma-tea also attacked his brought Haumia-tikitiki and Rongo-ma-tane, however Papa Earth-mother protected her two sons from his fury by closing them up within her.

This left on Tu-matauenga withstanding Tawhiri-ma-tea's wrath and he proved impervious. When Tawhirir finally ran out steam, Tu-ma plotted a little revenge of his own against his cowardly, weak brothers. From Forest Father Tane he stone the leaves of the whanake tree and made snares in the forest where he caught Tane's offspring. From Tangaroa Tu-ma stole his children of the seas. With a hoe and basket he dug up the children of Haumia and Rongo

Tu-ma thus consumed all four of his brothers on earth and they became his food, only Tawhiri remained unconquered and to this day remains so.

Analysis

I chose this story for the startling contrast it added to the other “animal teacher”-esque stories already discussed. It is evident through the creation story that Tu-ma is subject to both the sharpest temper, and the harshest behavior. He is no stranger to vengeance and destroyed his brothers for abandoning him. At the beginning of the story he also promotes the murder of his own parents.

In contrast, brother Tane (father of forests), is show to be wise in his suggestion of separating his parents, and of all the brothers is the only one capable of separating Rangi and Papa. It's Tane's strength that also threaten's Tu-ma, and eventually encourages the betrayal of Tane.

If anything this rather unique relationship between humans and nature lends itself to idea that humans conquered the forests, and yet humans are prone to a fierce temperament and general lack of patience and wisdom.