Rangi and Papa: The Separation of Sky and Earth
In the beginning, Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (Earth Mother) lay locked in a tight embrace, leaving their children trapped in darkness between them. The children grew weary of the cramped darkness and debated how to gain freedom. Tane Mahuta, god of forests, proposed separating their parents. While Tawhirimatea opposed, Tane lay on his back and pushed upward with his feet, forcing Rangi upward and thrusting Papa down. Thus light entered the world. Tawhirimatea, enraged, joined his father in the sky and sent storms against his siblings, beginning the eternal conflict between wind, for