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{{Short description|Māori sea and water body god}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2020}}
{{other uses}}{{Infobox deity
{{other uses}}{{Infobox deity
| type = Polynesian
| type = Polynesian
| name = Tangaroa
| name = Tangaroa
| region = [[Polynesia]]
| region = [[Polynesia]]
| god_of = [[Māori people|Māori]] god of Sea and fish,<br>
| god_of = [[Māori people|Māori]] {{lang|mi|[[atua]]}} of sea and fish,<br>
[[Cook Islanders|Cook Islander]] god of the sea and fertility
[[Cook Islanders|Cook Islander]] god of sea and fertility<br>
[[Moriori]] god of fish
| image =
⚫
| caption = Cook Islands carving of Tangaroa at [[Te Papa]] Museum Wellington, New Zealand.
| gender = Male
| gender = Male
| ethnic_group = [[Māori people|Māori]], [[Cook Islanders]]
| ethnic_group = [[Māori people|Māori]], [[Cook Islanders|Cook Islands Māori]], [[Moriori]]
| parents = [[Rangi and Papa|Rangi]] and [[Rangi and Papa|Papa]]
| parents = [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui]] and [[Rangi and Papa|Papatūānuku]]<br>
[[Ngāi Tahu|Kāi Tahu]]: Temoretu
| siblings = [[Haumia-tiketike|Haumia]] ([[Arawa (canoe)|Arawa]]), [[Rongo]], [[Tangaroa]], [[Tāwhirimātea]], [[Tūmatauenga|Tū]], [[Rūaumoko]], [[Whiro]]
| siblings = [[Haumia-tiketike]], [[Whiro]], [[Rongo|Rongo-mā-Tāne]], [[Tāne|Tāne Mahuta]], [[Tāwhirimātea]], [[Tūmatauenga]], [[Rūaumoko]]
| image = [[File:MA I252836 TePapa Tangaroa-figure preview.jpg|thumb|Tangaroa (figure)]]
⚫
| offspring = [[Punga (mythology)|Punga]], [[Tinirau]], and 9 daughters
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| caption = Carving of Tangaroa at [[Te Papa]] Museum Wellington, New Zealand.
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| other_names = Tangaroa-whakamau-tai, Takaroa
⚫
| offspring = [[Punga]], [[Tinirau]] and 9 Daughters
⚫
| consorts = Te Anu-matao<br>
⚫
| other_names = Tangaroa-whakamau-tai
Kāi Tahu: Papatūānuku
⚫
| consorts = Te Anu-matao
}}
}}
'''Tangaroa''' ('''Takaroa''' in South Island Māori dialect) is the great {{lang|mi|[[atua]]}} of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in [[Māori mythology]]. As '''Tangaroa-whakamau-tai''' he exercises control over the [[tide]]s. He is sometimes depicted as a whale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Making a Splash in the Pacific: Dolphin and Whale Myths of Oceania|url=http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923210805/http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |archive-date=2014-09-23 |url-status=live|last=Cressey|first=Jason|date=1998|website=islandheritage.org}}</ref>
⚫
In [[Māori mythology]], '''Tangaroa''' (also '''Takaroa''') is one of the great [[god]]s, the [[sea god | god of the fish]]. He is a son of [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui and Papatūānuku]], [[Sky]] and [[Earth]]. After he joins his brothers [[Rongo]], [[Tūmatauenga]], [[Haumia]], and [[Tāne]] in the forcible separation of their parents, he is attacked by his brother [[Tawhirimatea|Tāwhirimātea]], the god of storms, and forced to hide in the sea.<ref>In the traditions of the [[Taranaki Region|Taranaki]] region, it is Tangaroa who forcibly separates Rangi and Papa from each other (Smith 1993:1–2). In the traditions of most other regions of New Zealand, Rangi and Papa were separated by Tāne, god of the forest.</ref>


In some of the [[Cook Islands]] he has similar roles, though in [[Manihiki]] he is the fire deity that [[Māui (mythology)|Māui]] steals from, which in Māori mythology is instead [[Mahuika]], a goddess of fire.
⚫
Tangaroa is the father of many sea creatures. Tangaroa's son, [[Punga (mythology)|Punga]], has two children, [[Ikatere]], the ancestor of [[fish]], and [[Tu-te-wehiwehi|Tū-te-wehiwehi]] (or Tū-te-wanawana), the ancestor of [[reptiles]]. Terrified by Tāwhirimātea's onslaught, the fish seek shelter in the sea, and the reptiles in the forests. Ever since, Tangaroa has held a grudge with Tāne, the god of forests, because he offers refuge to his runaway children (Grey 1971:1–5).


== Māori traditions ==
Tangaroa is sometimes depicted as a whale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |title=Info |website=islandheritage.org |format=PDF}}</ref>
⚫
Tangaroa is son of [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui and Papatūānuku]], [[Sky]] and [[Earth]]. After joining his brothers [[Rongo]], [[Tūmatauenga|Tū]], [[Haumia]], and [[Tāne]] in the forcible separation of their parents, he is attacked by his brother [[Tawhirimatea|Tāwhirimātea]], the {{lang|mi|atua}} of storms, and forced to hide in the sea.{{efn|In the traditions of the [[Taranaki Region|Taranaki region]], it is Tangaroa who forcibly separates Rangi and Papa from each other.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Smith|first=A.|year=1993|title=Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe|location=Christchurch|publisher=MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies|pages=1–2}}</ref> In the traditions of most other regions of New Zealand, Rangi and Papa were separated by Tāne, {{lang|mi|atua}} of the tree.}}


⚫
Tangaroa is the father of many sea creatures. Tangaroa's son, [[Punga (mythology)|Punga]], has two children, [[Ikatere]], the ancestor of [[fish]], and [[Tū-te-wehiwehi]] (or Tū-te-wanawana), the ancestor of [[reptiles]]. Terrified by Tāwhirimātea's onslaught, the fish seek shelter in the sea, and the reptiles in the forests. Ever since, Tangaroa has held a grudge with [[Tāne|Tāne Mahuta]], the {{lang|mi|atua}} of forests, because he offers refuge to his runaway children.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Grey|first=George|author-link=George Grey|year=1971|orig-year=1854|title=Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna|edition=Fourth|location=Wellington|publisher=Reed|pages=1–5}}</ref>
⚫
The contention between Tangaroa and Tāne, the father of [[birds]], [[tree]]s, and humans, is an indication that the Māori thought of the ocean and the land as opposed realms. When people go out to sea to fish or to travel, they are in effect representatives of Tāne entering the realm of Tāne's enemy. For this reason, it was important that offerings were made to Tangaroa before any such expedition (Orbell 1998:146-147).


[[Image:CarvingWakaTaua.jpg|thumb|left|A carving on a Māori war canoe. As Tangaroa was the god ({{lang|mi|[[atua]]}}) of the sea, it was important to offer him before setting out for travel or fishing.]]
Another version of the origin of Tangaroa maintains that he is the son of [[Temoretu]], and that Papa is his wife. Papa commits adultery with Rangi while Tangaroa is away, and in the resulting battle Tangaroa's spear pierces Rangi through both his thighs. Papa then marries Rangi (White 1887–1891, I:22-23).
⚫
The contention between Tangaroa and Tāne Mahuta, the father of [[birds]], [[tree]]s, and humans, is an indication that the Māori thought of the ocean and the land as opposed realms. When people go out to sea to fish or to travel, they are in effect representatives of Tāne Mahuta, entering the realm of Tāne Mahuta's enemy. For this reason, it was important that offerings were made to Tangaroa before any such expedition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Orbell|first=Margaret|date=1998|title=Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend|location=Christchurch|publisher=Canterbury University Press|pages=146–147|isbn=0-908812-56-6}}</ref>

The [[Ngāi Tahu|Kāi Tahu]] version of the origin of Takaroa maintains that he is the son of [[Temoretu]], and that Papatūānuku is his wife. Papatūānuku commits adultery with [[Rangi and Papa|Rakinui]] while Takaroa is away, and in the resulting battle on the beach Takaroa's spear pierces Rakinui through both his thighs. Papatūānuku then marries Rakinui.<ref>{{Cite book|last=White|first=John|author-link=John White (ethnographer)|year=1887|chapter=Mythology of Creation. (Nga-I-Tahu.)|title=The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions: Horo-Uta or Taki-Tumu Migration.|url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Whi01Anci-t1-g1-t1-body-d1-d2.html|volume=I|location=Wellington|publisher=Government Printer|pages=22–23|language=en}}</ref>
In another legend, Tangaroa marries [[Te Anu-matao]] (chilling cold). They are the parents of the gods ‘of the fish class’, including [[Te Whata-uira-a-Tangawa]], [[Te Whatukura]], [[Poutini]], and [[Te Pounamu]] (Shortland 1882:17). In some versions, Tangaroa has a son, [[Tinirau]], and nine daughters (1891:463). As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the [[tide]]s.
In another legend, Tangaroa marries [[Te Anu-matao]] (chilling cold). They are the parents of the {{lang|mi|atua}} ‘of the fish class’, including [[Te Whata-uira-a-Tangawa]], [[Te Whatukura]], [[Poutini]], and [[Te Pounamu]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Shortland|first=Edward|authorlink=Edward Shortland|date=1882|title=Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary|location=London|publisher=Longman, Green}}</ref> In some versions, Tangaroa has a son, [[Tinirau]], and nine daughters.<ref name="Tregear">{{cite book|last=Tregear|first=Edward|authorlink=Edward Tregear|date=1891|title=The Maori-Polynesian comparative dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/maoripolynesian01treggoog/page/n28/mode/2up|location=Wellington|publisher=Lyon and Blair}}</ref>{{rp|463}}


== Cook Islands ==
In the [[South Island]] Tangaroa's name can take the form '''Takaroa''', in accordance with standard [[Southern Māori language | southern Māori]] phonology.
⚫
*In [[Rarotonga]], Tangaroa is the [[god of the sea]] and [[fertility god|fertility]]. He is the most important of all the departmental gods. Carved figures made from [[Cook Islands art|wood carvings]] are very popular on the island today.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rarotonga & the Cook Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5akbBi6sso8C&pg=PA23|first=Errol|last=Hunt|date=11 August 2018|publisher=Lonely Planet| isbn=9781740590839 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

⚫
*In [[Mangaia]], Tangaroa is a child of Vatea (daylight) and Papa (foundation) and the younger twin brother of Rongo. Rongo and Tangaroa share food and fish: Tangaroa's share is everything that is red (the red [[taro]], red fish and so on). Tangaroa is said to have [[blond|yellow hair]] and when Mangaians first saw [[Europe]]ans they thought they must be Tangaroa's children.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|464}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gill|first=W. W.|year=1876|title=Myths and Songs of the South Pacific|location=London|publisher=Henry S. King|page=13}}</ref>
⚫
==Elsewhere in the Pacific==
⚫
*In [[Manihiki]], Tangaroa is the origin of fire. [[Māui (mythology)|Māui]] goes to him to obtain fire for humankind. Advised to reach Tangaroa's abode by taking the common path, he takes the forbidden path of death infuriating Tangaroa who tries to kick him to death. Māui manages to prevent that and insists that Tangaroa give him fire. Māui kills Tangaroa. When his parents are horrified, Māui uses incantations to bring him back to life.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|463–464}}


⚫
== Elsewhere ==
Tangaloa is one of the oldest Polynesian deities and in western [[Polynesia]] (for example, Samoa and Tonga) traditions has the status of ''supreme creator god''. In eastern Polynesian cultures Tangaroa is usually considered of equal status to Tāne and thus not supreme.
Tangaloa is one of the oldest Polynesian deities and in western [[Polynesia]] (for example, Samoa and Tonga) traditions has the status of ''supreme creator god''. In eastern Polynesian cultures Tangaroa is usually considered of equal status to Tāne and thus not supreme.


⚫
*In [[Easter Island|Rapa Nui]] tradition Tangaroa was killed at [[Hotu-iti]] bay and was buried in the surrounding area.
*In [[Samoa]]n [[mythology]], '''[[Tagaloa]]''' is the father of [[Losi (mythology)|Losi]] and Fue.
⚫
*In [[Raiatea|Ra'iātea]] a legend reported by Professor [[Friedrich Ratzel]] in 1896<ref>{{cite book|last=Ratzel|first=Friedrich|author-link=Friedrich Ratzel|year=1896|chapter=Cosmogany and mythology; views of Nature|title=The History of Mankind|url=http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706145107/http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm|archive-date=2011-07-06|volume=I|publisher=MacMillan and Co.|page=308|access-date=16 Feb 2011}}</ref> gave a picture of his all-pervading power.
⚫
*In [[Rarotonga]] (Cook Islands), '''Tangaroa''' is the [[god of the sea]] and [[fertility god|fertility]]. He is the most important of all the departmental gods. Carved figures made from [[Cook Islands art|wood carvings]] are very popular on the island today.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5akbBi6sso8C&pg=PA23|title=Rarotonga & the Cook Islands|first=Errol|last=Hunt|date=11 August 2018|publisher=Lonely Planet|via=Google Books}}</ref>
⚫
*In the [[Marquesas Islands]], the equivalent deities are Tana'oa or Taka'oa.
⚫
*In [[Mangaia]] (Cook Islands), '''Tangaroa''' is a child of Vatea (daylight) and Papa (foundation) and the younger twin brother of Rongo. Rongo and Tangaroa share food and fish: Tangaroa's share is everything that is red (the red [[taro]], red fish and so on). Tangaroa is said to have [[blond|yellow hair]] and when Mangaians first saw [[Europe]]ans they thought they must be Tangaroa's children (Gill 1876:13, Tregear 1891:464).
⚫
*In [[Rennell Island|Rennell]] and [[Bellona Island|Bellona]] Islands (Polynesian cultures in the southern [[Solomon Islands]]) Tangagoa is a sea god who stayed on the coastal cliff of east Rennell known as Toho, and flew in the night with a flame in the sky. Tangagoa was believed to take spirits of the dead, so when someone was near death, the sparkling fire would be seen at night. Some can still recall the time when this god appeared in the night as a flame in the sky, and have many tales of it. Tangagoa started to disappear in the 1970s and early 1980s when Christian missionaries visited the cliff and reportedly 'cast' him out.
⚫
*In [[Manihiki]] (Cook Islands), '''Tangaroa''' is the origin of fire. [[Māui (mythology)|Māui]] goes to him to obtain fire for humankind. Advised to reach Tangaroa's abode by taking the common path, he takes the forbidden path of death infuriating Tangaroa who tries to kick him to death. Māui manages to prevent that and insists that Tangaroa give him fire. Māui kills Tangaroa. When his parents are horrified, Māui uses incantations to bring him back to life (Tregear 1891:463-464).
*In [[Hawaii]], '''[[Kanaloa]]''' is associated with the [[squid]] or ''he{{okina}}e''.
*In [[Tahiti]], by the goddess [[Hina-Tu-A-Uta]], '''[[Ta'aroa]]''' is the father of [['Oro]].
⚫
*In the [[Marquesas Islands]], the equivalent deities are '''Tana'oa''' or '''Taka'oa'''.
*In [[Tonga]], the '''[[Tangaloa (Tongan mythology)|Tangaloa]]''' family of gods resided in the sky and were the ancestors of the [[Tu'i Tonga|Tu{{okina}}i Tonga]] kings.
⚫
*In Rennell and Bellona Islands (Polynesian cultures in the southern Solomon Islands) '''Tangagoa''' is a sea god which stayed on the coastal cliff of east Rennell known as Toho, and flew in the night with a flame in the sky. Tangagoa was believed to take spirits of the dead, so when someone was near death, the sparkling fire would be seen at night. Some can still recall the time when this god appeared in the night as a flame in the sky, and have many tales of it. Tangagoa started to disappear in the 1970s and early 1980s when Christian missionaries visited the cliff and reportedly 'cast' him out.
⚫
*In Raiatea a legend reported by Professor [[Friedrich Ratzel]] in 1896<ref>[http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm The History of Mankind] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706145107/http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm |date=2011-07-06 }} by Professor Friedrich Ratzel, Volume I, Book II, Section A, Religion in Oceania page 308, MacMillan and Co., published 1896 accessed 16 Feb 2011.</ref> gave a picture of his all-pervading power.
⚫
*In Rapa Nui tradition Tangaroa was killed at Hotuiti bay and was buried in the surrounding area.


A legendary figure named Tagaro also features in the Melanesian cultures of north-eastern [[Vanuatu]]. In the beliefs of North [[Pentecost Island|Pentecost island]], Tagaro appears as a destructive trickster,<ref>J P Taylor 2008, ''The Other Side: Ways of Being and Place in Vanuatu''</ref> while in other areas, he is an eternal creator figure, and names cognate with Tagaro (such as [[Apma language|Apma]] ''Takaa'') are applied nowadays to the Christian God.<ref>Gray 2013, ''The Languages of Pentecost Island''</ref>
A legendary figure named Tagaro also features in the Melanesian cultures of north-eastern [[Vanuatu]]. In the beliefs of North [[Pentecost Island|Pentecost island]], Tagaro appears as a destructive trickster,<ref>J P Taylor 2008, ''The Other Side: Ways of Being and Place in Vanuatu''</ref> while in other areas, he is an eternal creator figure, and names cognate with {{lang|bi|Tagaro}} (such as [[Apma language|Apma]] {{lang|app|Takaa}}) are applied nowadays to the Christian God.<ref>Gray 2013, ''The Languages of Pentecost Island''</ref>


==See also==
=== Moriori ===
In the mythology of the [[Moriori]] of the [[Chatham Islands]], Tangaroa is a fish deity alongside '''Pou'''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=King |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W_acDwAAQBAJ |title=Moriori: A People Rediscovered |date=2017-05-01 |publisher=Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited |isbn=978-0-14-377128-9 |language=en |chapter=Chapter 1}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Tagaloa]] Samoan mythology
⚫
*[[Tagroa Siria]] Rotuman mythology
⚫
*[[RV Tangaroa|RV ''Tangaroa'']], a New Zealand research vessel


==References==
== See also ==
{{portal|Myths|New Zealand|Oceania|Religion}}
<references/>
* [[Kanaloa]], Hawaiian mythology
⚫
* [[RV Tangaroa|RV ''Tangaroa'']], a New Zealand research vessel
* [[Ta'aroa]], Tahitian mythology
⚫
* [[Tagaloa]], Samoan mythology
⚫
* [[Tagroa Siria]], Rotuman mythology
* [[Tangaloa (Tongan mythology)]]


===Bibliography===
== References ==
=== Notes ===
*W. W. Gill, ''Myths and Songs of the South Pacific'' (Henry S. King: London), 1876.
{{notelist}}
*G. Grey, ''Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna'', fourth edition. First published 1854. (Reed: Wellington), 1971.
*M. Orbell, ''The Concise Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend'' (Canterbury University Press: Christchurch), 1998.
*E. Shortland, ''Maori Religion and Mythology'' (Longman, Green: London), 1882.
*E. R. Tregear, ''Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary'' (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay), 1891.
*A. Smith, ''Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe'' (MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies: Christchurch), 1993.
*[[John White (ethnographer)|J. White]], ''The Ancient History of the Maori'', 6 Volumes (Government Printer: Wellington), 1887–1891.


==External links==
=== Sources ===
{{reflist}}
⚫
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080802012426/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/TangaroaTheSea/en ''Tangaroa''] in Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand


== External links ==
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[[Category:Māori gods]]
⚫
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080802012426/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/TangaroaTheSea/en "Tangaroa"] in ''[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]''

[[Category:Cook Islands mythology]]
[[Category:Sea and river gods]]
[[Category:Sea and river gods]]
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[[Category:Māori gods]]

Latest revision as of 11:02, 28 October 2024

For other uses, see Tangaroa (disambiguation).
Tangaroa
Māori atua of sea and fish,

Cook Islander god of sea and fertility

Moriori god of fish
Other namesTangaroa-whakamau-tai, Takaroa
GenderMale
RegionPolynesia
Ethnic groupMāori, Cook Islands Māori, Moriori
Genealogy
ParentsRanginui and Papatūānuku
Kāi Tahu: Temoretu
SiblingsHaumia-tiketike, Whiro, Rongo-mā-Tāne, Tāne Mahuta, Tāwhirimātea, Tūmatauenga, Rūaumoko
ConsortsTe Anu-matao
Kāi Tahu: Papatūānuku
OffspringPunga, Tinirau, and 9 daughters

Tangaroa (Takaroa in South Island Māori dialect) is the great atua of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted as a whale.[1]

In some of the Cook Islands he has similar roles, though in Manihiki he is the fire deity that Māui steals from, which in Māori mythology is instead Mahuika, a goddess of fire.

Māori traditions

[edit]

Tangaroa is son of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Sky and Earth. After joining his brothers Rongo, Tū, Haumia, and Tāne in the forcible separation of their parents, he is attacked by his brother Tāwhirimātea, the atua of storms, and forced to hide in the sea.[a]

Tangaroa is the father of many sea creatures. Tangaroa's son, Punga, has two children, Ikatere, the ancestor of fish, and Tū-te-wehiwehi (or Tū-te-wanawana), the ancestor of reptiles. Terrified by Tāwhirimātea's onslaught, the fish seek shelter in the sea, and the reptiles in the forests. Ever since, Tangaroa has held a grudge with Tāne Mahuta, the atua of forests, because he offers refuge to his runaway children.[3]

A carving on a Māori war canoe. As Tangaroa was the god (atua) of the sea, it was important to offer him before setting out for travel or fishing.

The contention between Tangaroa and Tāne Mahuta, the father of birds, trees, and humans, is an indication that the Māori thought of the ocean and the land as opposed realms. When people go out to sea to fish or to travel, they are in effect representatives of Tāne Mahuta, entering the realm of Tāne Mahuta's enemy. For this reason, it was important that offerings were made to Tangaroa before any such expedition.[4]

The Kāi Tahu version of the origin of Takaroa maintains that he is the son of Temoretu, and that Papatūānuku is his wife. Papatūānuku commits adultery with Rakinui while Takaroa is away, and in the resulting battle on the beach Takaroa's spear pierces Rakinui through both his thighs. Papatūānuku then marries Rakinui.[5]

In another legend, Tangaroa marries Te Anu-matao (chilling cold). They are the parents of the atua ‘of the fish class’, including Te Whata-uira-a-Tangawa, Te Whatukura, Poutini, and Te Pounamu.[6] In some versions, Tangaroa has a son, Tinirau, and nine daughters.[7]: 463 

Cook Islands

[edit]
  • In Rarotonga, Tangaroa is the god of the sea and fertility. He is the most important of all the departmental gods. Carved figures made from wood carvings are very popular on the island today.[8]
  • In Mangaia, Tangaroa is a child of Vatea (daylight) and Papa (foundation) and the younger twin brother of Rongo. Rongo and Tangaroa share food and fish: Tangaroa's share is everything that is red (the red taro, red fish and so on). Tangaroa is said to have yellow hair and when Mangaians first saw Europeans they thought they must be Tangaroa's children.[7]: 464 [9]
  • In Manihiki, Tangaroa is the origin of fire. Māui goes to him to obtain fire for humankind. Advised to reach Tangaroa's abode by taking the common path, he takes the forbidden path of death infuriating Tangaroa who tries to kick him to death. Māui manages to prevent that and insists that Tangaroa give him fire. Māui kills Tangaroa. When his parents are horrified, Māui uses incantations to bring him back to life.[7]: 463–464 

Elsewhere

[edit]

Tangaloa is one of the oldest Polynesian deities and in western Polynesia (for example, Samoa and Tonga) traditions has the status of supreme creator god. In eastern Polynesian cultures Tangaroa is usually considered of equal status to Tāne and thus not supreme.

  • In Rapa Nui tradition Tangaroa was killed at Hotu-iti bay and was buried in the surrounding area.
  • In Ra'iātea a legend reported by Professor Friedrich Ratzel in 1896[10] gave a picture of his all-pervading power.
  • In the Marquesas Islands, the equivalent deities are Tana'oa or Taka'oa.
  • In Rennell and Bellona Islands (Polynesian cultures in the southern Solomon Islands) Tangagoa is a sea god who stayed on the coastal cliff of east Rennell known as Toho, and flew in the night with a flame in the sky. Tangagoa was believed to take spirits of the dead, so when someone was near death, the sparkling fire would be seen at night. Some can still recall the time when this god appeared in the night as a flame in the sky, and have many tales of it. Tangagoa started to disappear in the 1970s and early 1980s when Christian missionaries visited the cliff and reportedly 'cast' him out.

A legendary figure named Tagaro also features in the Melanesian cultures of north-eastern Vanuatu. In the beliefs of North Pentecost island, Tagaro appears as a destructive trickster,[11] while in other areas, he is an eternal creator figure, and names cognate with Tagaro (such as Apma Takaa) are applied nowadays to the Christian God.[12]

Moriori

[edit]

In the mythology of the Moriori of the Chatham Islands, Tangaroa is a fish deity alongside Pou.[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ In the traditions of the Taranaki region, it is Tangaroa who forcibly separates Rangi and Papa from each other.[2] In the traditions of most other regions of New Zealand, Rangi and Papa were separated by Tāne, atua of the tree.

Sources

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  1. ^ Cressey, Jason (1998). "Making a Splash in the Pacific: Dolphin and Whale Myths of Oceania" (PDF). islandheritage.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2014.
  2. ^ Smith, A. (1993). Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe. Christchurch: MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. pp. 1–2.
  3. ^ Grey, George (1971) [1854]. Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna (Fourth ed.). Wellington: Reed. pp. 1–5.
  4. ^ Orbell, Margaret (1998). Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. pp. 146–147. ISBN 0-908812-56-6.
  5. ^ White, John (1887). "Mythology of Creation. (Nga-I-Tahu.)". The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions: Horo-Uta or Taki-Tumu Migration. Vol. I. Wellington: Government Printer. pp. 22–23.
  6. ^ Shortland, Edward (1882). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. London: Longman, Green.
  7. ^ a b c Tregear, Edward (1891). The Maori-Polynesian comparative dictionary. Wellington: Lyon and Blair.
  8. ^ Hunt, Errol (11 August 2018). Rarotonga & the Cook Islands. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781740590839 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Gill, W. W. (1876). Myths and Songs of the South Pacific. London: Henry S. King. p. 13.
  10. ^ Ratzel, Friedrich (1896). "Cosmogany and mythology; views of Nature". The History of Mankind. Vol. I. MacMillan and Co. p. 308. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  11. ^ J P Taylor 2008, The Other Side: Ways of Being and Place in Vanuatu
  12. ^ Gray 2013, The Languages of Pentecost Island
  13. ^ King, Michael (1 May 2017). "Chapter 1". Moriori: A People Rediscovered. Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-377128-9.
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