Tane
In Māori mythology , Tāne (also: Tānemahuta) is the god of the forest and birds. He is a direct son of the divine parents Rangi and Papa , Heavenly Father and Mother Earth.
Union and separation
Rangi and Papa's children lived in the dark in a narrow space between heaven and earth, because their parents, heaven and earth, were closely embraced in eternal love.
Tūmatauenga , the fiercest of the children, is convinced 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 (agricultural) food tries to separate his parents, 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. Rangi and papa are separated to a horrified and surprised cry.
Tāne looked for heavenly bodies, such as lights, to comfort his father and to dress appropriately. He obtained stars and threw them up, along with the moon and sun. After all, Rangi looked beautiful.
Quarrel with his brothers
Tāwhirimātea , god of winds and storms, is angry that his parents have been separated. He joins his Heavenly Father and punishes the earth and sea with violent storms. Tāwhirimātea also attacks the forests of Tāne, uprooting trees and leaving them as food for insects.
Then Tāwhirimātea attacks the seas and the sea god Tangaroa escapes. Two of Tangaroa's descendants, Ikatere, father of fish and Tu-te-wehiwehi (or Tu-te-wanawana), ancestor of the reptiles, fear Tawhirimatea's wrath. The fish flee into the sea and the reptiles into the forests of Tāne. Tangaroa and Tāne get into an argument about this, and therefore Tāne provides the descendants of Tūmatauenga with canoes, fish hooks and nets to catch fish, the descendants of Tangaroa. Tangaroa, on the other hand, overturns canoes and sends tidal waves, washing away houses and trees.
Founder of mankind
In some legends of Māori mythology, Tāne created the first human named Tiki . Another variant tells that Tāne tried to find a woman for himself, but at first he only found non-human female creatures such as insects and birds. He therefore created a woman out of earth.
In another story, Tāne marries his daughter Hine-tītama without knowing who she is. When she discovers that she has married her father, she flees to the underworld and becomes the goddess of death, Hine-nui-te-pō .
See also
literature
- George Gray : Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna. 4th edition. Reed, Wellington et al. 1971, ISBN 0-589-00431-X .
- 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 .
- Ailsa Smith (Ed.): Songs and Stories of Taranaki. = He tuhituhinga Tai hau-ā-uru. From the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe of Rahotu, Taranaki. Edited with translations and commentary. University of Canterbury - Macmillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies, Christchurch 1993, ISBN 0-9583300-2-6 .
- Edward Tregear : The Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Lyon and Blair, Wellington 1891 (Reprinted. Cadsonbury Publishing, Christchurch 2001).