Creation Myth of the Maori – New ZealandThe Maori people are the natives of New Zealand who, like other tribes, have myths that are related to the creation of the world and the creation of man. According to the Maori, in the beginning was emptiness, and nothing existed. This state is called ‘Te Kore’ by the Maori. Into that emptiness two Gods appeared: one male god of the sky name Ranginui, or Rangi, and one female god of the earth, named Papatuanuku, or Papa. The earth and the sky came together and spawned six children: Tawhiri, the god of weather; Rongo, the god of crops; Tu, the god of war; Tangaroa, the god of the sea; Tane, the god of the forests; and Haumia, the god of plants. According to the myth, the children didn’t have enough space to live because their parents were very close together, resulting in an effort to separate Rangi and Papa so that they would have more space. They rebelled and successfully separated their parents when Tane cut the arms of their father, Rangi, so that he couldn’t hold their mother anymore. The children were then able to see the light and the sky for the first time.
Fighting then ensued among the kid-gods, with motives relating to power, control, jealously and anger. Even though the kids had agreed to separate the parents, Tawhiri (Tawhirimatea), the god of weather and storms, got angry after seeing his parents cry. He launched an attack on his brothers, though at some point Papa decided to hide the other children to save them from Tawhiri’s wrath.
Mankind originated when the god of the forest, Tane (Tanematua), used red ochre to form the first human and breathed into it. Tane had performed numerous experiments for creating and animating creatures, during which different trees were created. When finally he sought the help of his mother, she advised him—remarkably—to follow the exact same process performed in many myths and religions all over the world, with one crucial difference: the woman was the first being created. After analysing the different myths, variations exist that provide more details and differing versions of the creation myth.
It is obvious that the Maori myths also have many similarities to the Babylonian creation epic, but they also share similarities with the Ancient Greek creation stories. How it is possible for an isolated civilization to have commonalities with such myths is yet to be found, increasing speculations that the myths contain a common truth of external intervention.
By April Holloway
Read more: http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/creation-myth-maori-new-zealand-00305#ixzz3W64meEjC
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Fighting then ensued among the kid-gods, with motives relating to power, control, jealously and anger. Even though the kids had agreed to separate the parents, Tawhiri (Tawhirimatea), the god of weather and storms, got angry after seeing his parents cry. He launched an attack on his brothers, though at some point Papa decided to hide the other children to save them from Tawhiri’s wrath.
Mankind originated when the god of the forest, Tane (Tanematua), used red ochre to form the first human and breathed into it. Tane had performed numerous experiments for creating and animating creatures, during which different trees were created. When finally he sought the help of his mother, she advised him—remarkably—to follow the exact same process performed in many myths and religions all over the world, with one crucial difference: the woman was the first being created. After analysing the different myths, variations exist that provide more details and differing versions of the creation myth.
It is obvious that the Maori myths also have many similarities to the Babylonian creation epic, but they also share similarities with the Ancient Greek creation stories. How it is possible for an isolated civilization to have commonalities with such myths is yet to be found, increasing speculations that the myths contain a common truth of external intervention.
By April Holloway
Read more: http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/creation-myth-maori-new-zealand-00305#ixzz3W64meEjC
Follow us: @ancientorigins on Twitter | ancientoriginsweb on Facebook
The Taming of the sun Myth:
In this myth they had talked about how everyday that the sun god would travel across the earth so fast it would take the villagers a very long time do get any work done on the Island. When maui was a little boy, he would watch his mother, Hina-of-the-fire, make the bark cloth that was called Kapa. Making this kapa was so much work that it would take a year to make it because the sun had traveled across the sky so fast. That made Maui so upset in his heart for his mother take a year to make the cloth, starting with collecting the bark for a month then soaking it for another. He decided to set out onto a journey to his grandmothers house to try and tame the sun from going across the sky so fast. When the grandmother would set out the bananas for the sun to eat, Maui would take them and then after the third set of bananas maui would present himself to his grandmother and ask her for help to take the sun. The grandmother decided to help him. she told him that he must make sixteen ropes and put a noose at the end of these ropes and while he was making these ropes, it took a long time because the sun was still on his fast pace schedule. When the sun came across maui, the sun had gotten trapped and one by one each ray got stuck. The sun tried to escape from the traps to lay down under the sea but could not get free so the sun tried to burn him off to escape but Maui retaliated. Then Maui finally made a deal with the sun and which was that the sun could travel across the sun slowly for half the year and the rest of the year the sun can go as fast as he wants. So, it came to pass that the sun agreed to the deal and to remind the sun he left the traps and the ropes so the sun can see them everyday as he came over the mountain. On that day, Maui's life became easier and the human beings life became easier as well. During the long season, that was known for summer, and during the short season that was known for winter. Now everyone in the village was now happy to have plants and trees to grow for food. In honor of taming the sun, they celebrated and sang songs.
In this myth they had talked about how everyday that the sun god would travel across the earth so fast it would take the villagers a very long time do get any work done on the Island. When maui was a little boy, he would watch his mother, Hina-of-the-fire, make the bark cloth that was called Kapa. Making this kapa was so much work that it would take a year to make it because the sun had traveled across the sky so fast. That made Maui so upset in his heart for his mother take a year to make the cloth, starting with collecting the bark for a month then soaking it for another. He decided to set out onto a journey to his grandmothers house to try and tame the sun from going across the sky so fast. When the grandmother would set out the bananas for the sun to eat, Maui would take them and then after the third set of bananas maui would present himself to his grandmother and ask her for help to take the sun. The grandmother decided to help him. she told him that he must make sixteen ropes and put a noose at the end of these ropes and while he was making these ropes, it took a long time because the sun was still on his fast pace schedule. When the sun came across maui, the sun had gotten trapped and one by one each ray got stuck. The sun tried to escape from the traps to lay down under the sea but could not get free so the sun tried to burn him off to escape but Maui retaliated. Then Maui finally made a deal with the sun and which was that the sun could travel across the sun slowly for half the year and the rest of the year the sun can go as fast as he wants. So, it came to pass that the sun agreed to the deal and to remind the sun he left the traps and the ropes so the sun can see them everyday as he came over the mountain. On that day, Maui's life became easier and the human beings life became easier as well. During the long season, that was known for summer, and during the short season that was known for winter. Now everyone in the village was now happy to have plants and trees to grow for food. In honor of taming the sun, they celebrated and sang songs.