Story: Māori creation traditions

Tāne raising the sky

Tāne raising the sky

This carving, ‘Te wehenga o Rangi rāua ko Papa’, depicts one version of the creation story, which tells how the god Tāne Mahuta raised the sky by standing on his head and pushing upwards with his feet. The circle represents the sun – source of warmth and light.

Using this item

National Library Gallery
Mixed media by Cliff Whiting

Permission of the National Library Gallery, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Māori creation traditions - Different creation traditions', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/2433/tane-raising-the-sky (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 8 Feb 2005