Wednesday 31 March, 2004 at 2:45PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (2)  ::  trackbacks (7)

The final story in the series of creation according to Maori legend.

Tanematua took Hineahuone (as she was now called), for his wife. Their first born daughter was Hinetitama. We now turn to the story of Hinetitama. Tanematua took her as a wife and in the Aonui month of the Orongonui season (Pipiri) she gave birth to Hinerauwharangi. After a while Hinetitama, watching her child with her husband, became curious as to who her father was, for she had no recollection of her father. She pondered on this for a few months and then asked Tanematua. He evasively referred her to the posts of her mother's house.

A great dread came over Hinetitama as she began to suspect the truth and asked a second time. Tanematua did not reply, but made an unmistakable gesture. Hinetitama, so shocked, told Tanematua that she could not continue in the world of light but would seek the protection of her grandmother, Papatuanuku, and would retire to the lower world.

Her reply epitomised her grief and abandonment, "The path of Tahekeroa to the lower world shall be layed down for all time. From the Muriwaihou I will look up to you and our offspring moving in the world."

Tanematua opposed her but Hinetitama, disillusioned and saddened, was determined to leave him. Her final words were full of foreboding to mankind, "Remain, O Tanematua to pull up our offspring to the day, while I go below to drag them down to night."

She chanted karakia which weakened the power of Tanematua and sent the children to sleep. Her last gift to him was the Adam's apple which was placed in his throat in token of their relationship.

When all was quiet, she descended to the entrance of the lower worlds where Tutewatawata the guardian of Tatau o te Po greeted her and attempted to dissuade her from her purpose, but knowing the consequences Hinetitama remained firm and replied that her reason for going to the worlds below was to protect her children of the Aoturoa.

Her actual words were, "Let me remain, that I may catch the living spirit of my descendants in the world of everlasting light." This is how the world received its name Aoturoa. It was at this time that Hinetitama changed her name to Hinenuitepo.

Never forget that Hinenuiitepo as a young woman fled from her shame and yet had a great unconditional love for her innocent offspring and all their descendants to come throughout the centuries. Although she first trod the path to Rarohenga, she still remains at the end of the path to welcome her children. The body of man perishes and decays but the wairua goes to Rarohenga to be looked after eternally by someone who once was of the world of light and because of circumstances became the Guardian of Death.

Tumatauenga is the guardian of wairua of man, Tanematua is the guardian of man in life and Hinenuiitepo is the guardian of man in death.

The bulk of these translations were obtained from www.maori.org.nz, although another good source I found more recently is maaori.com if you're interested in more information.

Normal programming should resume shortly :)

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://urbanscrawl.net/cgi-bin/mtype/mt-tb.cgi/45
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry.

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : how the kiwi lost his wings (link)
exerpt : I came across a site containing some Maori legends and thought it might be interesting to post them here as a series over the next few days. The first one here is basically a 'stand alone' legend, whereas the rest... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 3:30 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : creation (link)
exerpt : As promised, this is the first part in a small series from Maori legend about creation. If the phraseology seems a little out in areas, it's because I did not want to alter it too much from the original translation... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:32 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : the revenge of tawhirimatea (link)
exerpt : This is the second part in the continued story of creation according to Maori legend. Now rose up Tawhirimatea, the guardian of winds and storms, who all this time had held his breath. Great anger moved him now, and this... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:33 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : the revenge of tumatauenga (link)
exerpt : This is the third part in the continued story of creation according to Maori legend. But now a savage mood came over Tumatauenga the war guardian, wrath of man. Since Tanemahuta and the other three had been defeated and had... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:40 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : the turning of papatuanuku (link)
exerpt : The continued story of creation according to Maori legend. Up to the present time Ranginui, the Sky, has remained separate from his wife, Papatuanuku, the Earth, but their love has never diminished, and Ranginui at the beginning shed an immense... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:42 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : the first human (link)
exerpt : The continued story of creation according to Maori legend. The passages of time continued and the children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku adorned the earth and the heavens with their offspring. The time had come for the human form to be... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:42 AM (link)

weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : the quest for knowledge (link)
exerpt : The continued story of creation according to Maori legend. This is the story of how Tane, the progenitor of mankind, of the forests and all the creatures of the forest, ascended through the many realms to the uppermost realm, occupied... (read more)
tracked : January 13, 2008 4:45 AM (link)