Māori creation mythology Part 2

In Part 1 we spoke to the very early beginnings of creation. Io Matua Kore, the parentless one, the supreme and divine being, who possessed all potentialities (that reside within us all, both within and without) and who’s essence fertilised the other worlds, namely Te Kore, and Te Pō (Hawaiki).

We now move on to the the second part of the creation Myth. Having created the night(s) (Te Pō) Io brought into existence the first gods, Rangi Awatea and Papatūānuku. The male and female principles out of which all things derived. Rangiawatea was the god of ‘space and light’ (wātea and awatea) and the first heaven was created by him on the foundations established by Io.

Having completed the heavens, Rangiawatea saw the spirit of Papatūānuku and descended to cohabit with her. Out of this union arrived Tāne and the other gods; Tangaroa, Rongomatane, Tūmatauenga, Haumia-tiketike, Ruiamoko and Tāwhirimātea. Ranginui omitted to complete his work in the heavens and decide to cling to Papatūānuku. Here the gods resided, still in Te Pō and perpetual darkness.

Incensed by this perpetual darkness, Tāne (who’s spirit was stirred by Io Matua Kore and the strongest of the bunch) roused his siblings to rebel and seperate their parents. All agreed, with the exception of Tāwhirimātea.
Tāne planted his feet against Rangi, and his shoulders against Papa, and pushed with all his might and flung Rangi up into the skies. Into this space flooded the light and ushered into existence Te Ao Marama!

Out of this new world, the children of Rangi and Papa commissioned the new domains of the world based on their inherent talent; Tangaroa was god of the sea, rongo the god of the garden and vegetation, Ruaimoko divided the lands asunder, Tāwhiri undertook the meteorological office, and Tūmatauenga the war office.

And Tāne, the strongest of the gods was given the realm of the forests and the birds. And it is here where Part 2 ends. What comes in Part 3 are some of the adventures of the gods, and how humankind came into existence, the magic and journey of these deities into the underworld in search of knowledge and understanding.