The Polynesian Creation Myth

Author: Traditional

Time Period: 1 CE–500 CE

Country or Culture: Polynesia

Genre: Myth

PLOT SUMMARY

In the beginning, there is only a giant shell. At the top of the shell is the sky—Rangi (or Rangi-nui)—and at the bottom is the earth—Papa (or Papa-tū-ā-nuku). There is no light, for Rangi simply presses down on Papa, allowing nothing to live. The only god who exists at this time is Tangaroa, god of the sea, who dwells between the two. Rangi and Papa love each other and give birth to six sons, the gods. The gods, however, are forced to crawl about in the darkness under the pressure of the contact between Rangi and Papa.

The fiercest of Rangi and Papa’s children, Tū-mata-uenga (or Tū), calls upon his siblings to help him slay their parents so that the gods will live in light and in greater space. The god of the forests, Tāne-mahuta (or Tāne), disagrees with his brother and suggests that they instead simply separate their parents, pushing their father, the sky, away from their nurturing mother earth. Most of the siblings agree with Tāne-mahuta. Only Tāwhiri-mātea, the god of winds and storms, refuses to go along with the actions Tāne-mahuta and his brothers choose to take. He believes such an action will kill their parents. The gods disregard his concerns and try to separate Rangi from Papa. Each one attempts to push open the shell. Their efforts are unsuccessful, however, as the sky and the earth remain joined.

Tāne-mahuta tries again but this time with a different approach. He positions himself in the place where his siblings stood when they attempted to push Rangi up and away from Papa. He then lies down in the middle of Papa and pushes his legs upward into Rangi. His approach yields success, as Rangi and Papa begin to separate with groans and cries. Rangi and Papa bleed what becomes red clay, but Tāne-mahuta continues to push unabated. As the two are separated, light is let into the shell, allowing the gods to grow flowers, plants, and fruit-bearing trees. Tāwhiri-mātea, still angry with his fellow gods, promises them that he will not act out against his siblings for splitting apart their parents. Instead, he decides to remain between Rangi and Papa, occasionally sending storms into the world as a reminder of his disapproval of their actions.

The gods are pleased to see this growth, which by now includes wildlife, and decide to create people as well. They form men and women from the red clay, and Tāne-mahuta breathes into their nostrils, giving them life. Humans are therefore related to Rangi and Papa, just like the gods.

With such an abundance of life now living in the space between Rangi and Papa, Tāne-mahuta pushes them farther apart to make more room. Rangi and Papa, seeing what their children have created by separating them, are eventually pleased. However, the two still long sadly for each other’s touch. Today, Papa sighs for Rangi, creating the morning mist, which travels from the mountaintops into the sky. In turn, Rangi cries tears onto Papa’s bosom. These tears are known as dewdrops.

SIGNIFICANCE

Demonstrative of the great diversity of the Polynesian region—which consists of over one thousand islands, from New Zealand in the southwest, to Hawaii in the north, to Easter Island in the east—the Polynesian myth of creation occasionally varies in terms of its plotline. In some versions, for example, Rangi and Papa have always been in existence, while other stories tell of a supreme god, Io (or Po), who creates the two. In some stories, it is not the gods who separate Rangi and Papa but a great spider that crawls inside the shell and then needs more room. While Rangi and Papa’s six sons are often part of the story of their separation, many sources cite the couple as having seventy children or more.

Although there are different versions, the general theme of the myth is consistent throughout this vast region. The earth and sky are separated, letting in light. When light is introduced as the sky and earth are separated, life is produced from this material. The primordial material used to create and sustain all life on earth is always present, existing in the nothingness between Rangi and Papa. The origins of Rangi and Papa are not entirely clear, however. In the version told by the Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, the Io is identified in the version as the supreme deity, but how he creates the world and his relationship with the rest of the gods after creating them, the earth, and the sky, are matters that are not given much exposition.

Another consistent theme is the relationship between Rangi and Papa. Until they are separated, the two are pressed against one another in a procreative manner. Their separation is both painful and initially unwelcome, as the two love each other deeply. They are, however, pleased with the life that emerges on earth because of their separation. Nevertheless, they are saddened by their separation, a fact that is underscored by the tears they shed, which become life-giving water. The earth and the sky remain separated but always present, with only the storms and the clouds—the product of the storm god’s wrath for the act made against his parents—between them.

Still another important and consistent theme is the heritage shared between the gods and humanity. Men and women are forged from the soil, according to the story, and given life by the gods. There is therefore a direct link between the gods and humanity. According to at least one version of the myth, the incest of Papa and Rangi is done to strengthen the blood of the gods—to give them mana, or power. However, the story comes with a warning: any coupling of siblings beyond this first generation would dilute the bloodline. Thus, to keep the connection between gods and humans pure, incest becomes tabu (the origin of the word “taboo”)—a nearly universal societal concept.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Colum, Pádraic. “Polynesian: In the Beginning.” Orpheus: Myths of the World. New York: Macmillan, 1930. Print.

Doherty, Brian. “Creation Myth—Maori.” Masterworks of World Literature. University of Texas: College of Liberal Arts, n.d. Web. 21 May 2013.

Elliott, Daphne. “Oceana/Polynesia Creation Myths.” Encyclopedia Mythica. Encyclopedia Mythica, 14 Nov. 2004. Web. 21 May 2013.

“Polynesian Creation Myth.” Education Scotland. Crown, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 May 2013.

“The Samoan Story of Creation – A ‘Tala.’” Journal of the Polynesian Society 1.3 (1892): 164–89. Print.

Taonui, Rāwiri. “Polynesian Myths: Ranginui—The Sky.” Te Ara—The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government, 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 May 2013.