Tangaroa

Te Ao Hou, December 1966, Page 9

Tangaroa Tangaroa is known and worshipped by the whole Polynesian race as the chief god and creator of the world. His name is also well known among the Maori in New Zealand, and occurs frequently in the ancient forms of invocations. Sometimes he might be seen for a few seconds standing on the crest of the waves of the sea, when the sun happened to shine against some misty spray, but little else is known of him. According to Sir George Grey's collection he was the son of Heaven and Earth, and was the god, or personification, of the sea and the fishes. But here in the south he is affirmed to be the uncle of Heaven, and the first husband of the Earth, whose personal name as a woman and a mother was Papatuanuku. The tale runs thus:— Tangaroa lived with his wife Papatuanuku. Once he made a journey to Kahuipuakiaki for the treasures (or ornaments) of Whakitau (not to be confounded with Whakatau, a later person). When he came back he found that Rangi (Heaven) had taken his wife, Papatuanuku (the Earth), and was living with her. Now there was to be a fight. The two, uncle and nephew, met, each armed with a spear. Rangi threw his spear first, but missed, because Tangaroa bent aside. Then Tangaroa threw his spear, which pierced both loins of Rangi and lamed him. Then Tangaroa left his wife, the Earth, and she was henceforth Rangi's wife. (This is all that is known here about Tangaroa). I noho a Tangaroa i a Papatuanuku.—Ka haere a Tangaroa ki waho, ki te Kahuipuakiaki, ki nga taonga o Whakitau. Ko hoki tera, hoki rawa mai, kua noho te wahine, a Papatuanuku, i a Rangi. Ka hemo mai a Tangaroa ki te huata; ka hemo mai a Rangi ki te huata. Ka tata mai. Werohia e Rangi ki a Tangaroa, ka ngaro a Tangaroa, ko taha te huata a Rangi. Ka werohia e Tangaroa ki a Rangi, ka whiti te tao te papa o te iramutu, taua rua o nga papa: takoto tou a Rangi. Ka tukua te wahine ki a Rangi. Inaianei, ka kitea te atua uira, e tu ana i runga o te ngaru o te moana, ko Tangaroa tena.