Tangaroa
In Māori mythology , Tangaroa is the god of the sea . He is the 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, 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 (agricultural) food tries to separate his parents, then Tangaroa 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.
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. He also attacks the seas, and Tangaroa flees. 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.
meaning
The dispute between the sea god Tangaroa and Tāne, the father of birds, trees and humans, has an influence on the conception of the Māori , who see the sea and the land as opposing areas. Anyone who goes out to sea to fish is a representative of Tāne who enters hostile territory. For this reason it was always important to make offers to Tangaroa beforehand, i.e. to make sacrifices.
On the South Island of New Zealand , the name can be Takaroa due to the dialect.
See also
literature
- William Wyatt Gill : Myths and Songs of the South Pacific. Henry S. King, London 1876 (Reprinted. Arno Press, New York NY 1977, ISBN 0-405-10095-7 ).
- 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 .
- Edward Shortland: Maori Religion and Mythology. Longmans, Green & Co., London 1882 (Reprinted. AMS Press, New York NY 1977, ISBN 0-404-14437-3 ).
- 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).