The Maori creation story tells of Rangi and Papa, who represent Heaven and Earth. They were originally closely joined together in darkness. They had six sons - Tane Mahuta (father of forests), Tawahiri-ma-tea (father of winds), Tangaroa (father of fish and reptiles), Tu-matauguenga (father of fierce humans), Haumia-tikitiki (father of uncultivated food), and Rongo-ma-tane (father of cultivated food). Originally all beings lived in the darkness between Heaven and Earth for a long time, unable to experience light.

1.
Contemporary Traditional Maori
Culture,part2
"The Maori Creation Story :The
Separation of Heaven and Earth"
By:Dayana Delarosa
Jan.24,2012
Period 6
Culture and GeographySource:
George Grey, 1956,Polynesian
Mythology (ed.by William W.Bird)
Christchurch, Whitcombe and tombs
ltd.,250p(BL2615.G8481956)

2. 2.(According to Maori tradition) "All humans are
descended from one pair of ancestors, Rangi
and Papa, who are also called Heaven and
Earth."

3. 3."In those days, Heaven and Earth lung
closely together and all was darkness."

4. 4."Rangi and Papa had six sons :(1) Tane
Mahuta, the father of the forests and their
inhabitants";

5. 5.(2) Tawahiri-ma-tea, the father of winds and
storms ";

6. 6.(3)Tangaroa,the father of fish and reptiles";

7. 7.(4) Tu-matauguenga, the father of fierce
human beings";

8. 8(5) Haumia-tikitiki, the father of food that
grows without cultivated food. "

9. 9.(8) and Rango-ma-tane, the father of
cultivated food."

10. 10."In the beginning these six sons and all
other beings lived in darkness for an extremely
long time, able only to wonder what light and
vision might be like.