MAORI LEGEND ON ORIGIN OF LIFE

Maoris believe their settlement in Aotearoa ( THE LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD) occurred in 8 AD. According to a Maori legend, all life originated in a still night from primordial parents, RANGI NUI, the sky father and PAPA-TU- A NUKU , the earth mother. These were in a tight embrace and derived enormous joy from one another’s company .This tight embrace left their children to move violently and suffocate between their clasped their bodies for eternity Their eldest sun( TANE) the god of forest pulled himself free of the grip of their parents in the darkness . Over a long period of time he forcibly pulled their parents apart and separated them. He lifted RANGI in to the sky and covered his nakedness with the sun, moon and stars Tan created many trees and lakes strewed across the vast expanse to cover mother’ nakedness. She was covered with fauna and flora . However, the grief of separation from the mate caused RANGI to weep and tears started to flow from his eyes filling the surface of PAPA with oceans and lakes. As a result, the earth and sky remains separated today so that life can find it palace in between.
Another son, TIKE formed a figure of a human out of sacred and red sand and chanted a KARAKIA ( ritual incantation) to create MARIKORIKO the first woman. He consulted WAI MATU HIRANGI, the wise river. Their union produced great Maori people. Another son hauled up enormous fish out of sea that turned into the North Island .His boat and anchor weight became South and Stuart islands .

TUATAHI TE KORE

KATAHI ANO TE PO

TE PO NUI

TE PO ROA TAE NOA ANA

I NGA WA TINO PO POURI TONU

A! KA TA TE ATA

A ME TE ATA

I UNINEI WA NOA IHO O NGA KORE

I TE TINO KOPA O PO POURI ANO

I TIPUA O TATAU MATUA MATAMUA

KO RANGI-TE MATUA RANGI

KO PAPA-TE MATUA WHENUA

FIRST CAME TE KORE -THE NOTHINGNESS

THEN WAS TE PO THE NIGHT

TE PONUI THE GREAT NIGHT

TE POROA THE LONG NIGHT

AND IN AND ON THROUGH MEASURELESS AGES

UNTIL AT LAST TE ATA THE DAWN

AND WITH THE DAWN

OUT OF AEONS OF NOTHING

AND OUT OF THE VERY WARMTH OF AGE OF DARKNESS

EVOLVED THE PRIMEVAL PARENTS

RANGI THE SKY FATHER

AND PAPA THE EARTH MOTHER