Tūmatauenga
Tū or Tūmatauenga ( Te Reo Māori : 'Tū with the angry face') is the god of war in Māori mythology . All opponents in wars worshiped him, and he is one of the gods who was given the greatest respect. He is a direct descendant of the divine parents Rangi and Papa .
Forced separation of parents
Rangi and Papa are the original couple, Heavenly Father (Rangi) and the Earth Goddess (Papa), who lie together in a deep embrace . They have many children, the second generation gods, who are forced to live in the cramped darkness between their parents. These sons grow up and talk to one another what it would be like to live in the light.
Tūmatauenga, the fiercest of the children, suggests that the best solution to this predicament is to kill the parents.
But his brother Tāne does not agree and instead suggests that the parents be separated and Rangi would then be in heaven, while Papa would live on earth to continue to feed the children.
Ultimately, some implement the plan: Rongo , the god of (cultivated) food tries to push his parents apart, then Tangaroa , the god of the sea and Haumia-tiketike , the god of (wild) food join them. Despite their best efforts, Rangi and Papa remain united in a loving embrace. After many unsuccessful attempts, Tāne , the god of forests and birds, finally succeeds ; In contrast to his brothers, he does not use his hands, but lies down on the floor and pushes with his legs. Ranginui and Papatuanuku are separated amid horrified and surprised screams.
Although Rangi and Papa are not human, Tūmatauenga and his brothers are.
meaning
Tūmatauenga's actions form the basis of some human behavior. Because he warred his brothers, people today, following appropriate rituals, are able to kill and eat birds, the children of Tāne, as well as the fish, the children of the sea god Tangaroa, they can eat, the children of Rongo and Growing and harvesting Haumia-tiketike. Tū is also the origin of all wars, and people can wage wars because he showed them how to do it. The body of the first fallen warrior was often offered to Tūmatauenga.
Names
Tū has many different names, for example:
- Tū-ka-riri (Tū the angry)
- Tū-ka-nguha (Tū the terrible warrior)
- Tū-kai-taua (Tū the destroyer of armies)
- Tū-mata-whāiti (Tū the thirsty)
- Tū-mata-uenga (Tū with the angry face)
See also
literature
- George Gray: Polynesian Mythology, and ancient traditional history of the New Zealand race, as furnished by their priests and chiefs. Murray, London 1855, online , (also: Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch et al. 1956).
- Margaret Orbell: A Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch 1998, ISBN 0-908812-56-6 .
- Edward Tregear : The Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Lyon and Blair, Wellington 1891 (Reprinted. Cadsonbury Publishing, Christchurch 2001).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gray 1956: 9