Story: Whāngai – customary fostering and adoption

Māui and his grandfather

The demigod Māui was raised as a whāngai by his grandfather, Tamanui-ki-te-rangi, who rescued him from the beach where he was washed up as a baby. In this illustration Māui is learning from his grandfather about the traditions of his people, including Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother.

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Penguin Group (NZ) Ltd
Reference: Peter Gossage, How Maui found his mother. Auckland: Raupo Publishing, 2005.
Artwork by Peter Gossage

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Whāngai – customary fostering and adoption - Traditions and history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/31030/maui-and-his-grandfather (accessed 21 May 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Jun 2017