Page image

Rangi and Papatuanuku Rangi means Heaven in the common language, and is here used as a proper name, but Papatuanuku is the personal name for the Earth (te whenua). These two were not worshipped as gods, but were regarded as the parents of all visible nature. I noho a Rangi i tona wahine, i a Papatuanuku. I te takoto mate a Rangi; kua tu i a Tangaroa. Ka puta ki waho nga tamariki a Rangi raua ka Papatuanuku: Ko Tanekupapaeo, ko Tane-mimiwhare, ko Tane-nakatou, ko Tane-waroro, ko Tane-hupeke, ko Tane-tuturi, ko Tane-tewaiora, ko Tane-tematatu, ko Tane-tutaka; takoto tou tenei tutanga. Ka puta ki waho: Ko Tane-nuiarangi, ko Paiao, ko Tawhirimatea; ko te tatanga tenei i whakatika ki runga. I roto i te pouritanga e noho ana aua tamariki. Kahore he wahi ma te maramatanga e whiti mai ai, kahore he wahi ma te hau e tangi ai. Takoto tou a Rangi, piri tonu ki te whenua. Ka korero nga tamariki, kia patua a ratou hakoro, kia whai wahi ai ma ratou. Kiia e Paiao, kia wahatia ki runga, tu ai. Kiia mai e Tane, ‘E kore e taea: kahore he tangata.’ Kiia mai e Tawhirimatea: ‘Me waiho marie.’ Tare tonu a Paiao, kia wahatia a Rangi ki runga. Ka ki atu a Tane: ‘Wahatia.’ Kahore hoki kia taea. Ka whakamatau a Tane; kahore hoki kia taea, takoto tou. Ka kiia atu e Tane, ma ratou katoa e hapai. Ka karangatia e Tane: ‘Ko wai ki runga nei?’ Ka kiia iho e tera hanga: ‘E tu pa whaia!’ Ka karangatia e Tane: ‘Ko wai ki raro nei?’ Ka kiia mai e tera hanga: ‘E tu pa whaia!’ Ka karangatia e Tane: ‘E tu ma totoro! Whakaekea te maunga! E tu ma totoro, whakaekea te maunga kia iheuheu e Tane.’ Ka tukua e Tane ko tona upoko ki raro, ko ona waewae ki runga; na, ka ekea a Rangi ki runga, e aue ana. Ka tokoa ki runga e Tane, mau ai. Na, ka hoki iho nga kai waha. Ka titiro ake a Tane ki tona matua ki runga: Pouri kerekere haua. Ka haere ia ki Okehu, ko te Kura tu ki a Warue. Na, i reira nga kura. Ka mauria mai e Tane, ka tataitia. Ka hoki iho a Tane, ka titiro ake; kahore ano kia pai. Ka haere tera whakahoki ki a Okehu, ka tikina nga whetu, ka tataitia. Ka whakamarokia te ika o te rangi, ka pakaina Panakoteao, ko nga Patari; ka pakaina ko Autahi, ko te whetu o te tau. Ka haere a Tane, ka tae ki te kainga o Tukainanapia, ka tangohia ki a ia Rangi, having been lamed in the duel with his uncle, could no longer stand upright, and had, therefore, to lie always flat on the earth. The consequence was a still darkness; no wind could blow, no light could shine. Notwithstanding, they had many children. Most of them were cripples; some had crooked, drawn-up legs, some had stiff stretched out legs, and other deformities; however, a few had sound limbs. The most conspicuous among the latter was Tane; also Paiao (Cloud), Tawhirimatea (personal name of the Wind), deserve to be mentioned. The children felt very inconvenient in that close darkness, and the more able ones among them held a consultation of what to do, in order to gain light and liberty. Some were for killing their father; others proposed to lift him up, and there let him live as a stranger to them. The counsel of the latter prevailed. After this they set to work. First Paiao (Cloud) tried, but could not lift him. Then Tane tried, with no better result. Then they tried all together; but Heaven was too heavy for them. At last Tane put his head on the ground and stretched his legs upward. That succeeded. Rangi cried and lamented that he was illtreated by his children; but they carried him up, and then Tane fixed him. It seems that Tawhirimatea (the Wind) took no part in this movement, but rather that he had opposed it from the beginning, counselling to let things remain as they were. This seems rather strange of such a restless fellow as the Wind; but the northern natives, according to Sir George Grey's collection, account for this by saying that Tawhirimatea was a quiet, loving boy before, but that, when he was outvoted by his brothers, and Heaven and Earth were separated against his will, he became dissatisfied and restless. He followed his father heavenward, and talked to him about the injuries he had received from his children, and then came down again, fighting with his brothers from all quarters of the heavens. When Heaven had been carried up, and Tane had fastened him, and then come down again to the earth, he (Tane) looked up to his father; but the old man looked dark and sad. Then he went to Okehu, to fetch ornaments for his

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert