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Story: Ranginui – the sky

Tāne raising the sky

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Tāne raising the sky

This carving of the god Tāne is part of a larger work by Cliff Whiting, called ‘Te wehenga o Rangi rāua ko Papa’. Tāne is shown separating his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku, by standing on his head and pushing up with his feet. He then used posts to hold up the sky.

Using this item

National Library Gallery

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

Rāwiri Taonui, Ranginui – the sky – Ranginui – the sky father, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/5170/tane-raising-the-sky (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 2 March 2009.