Atua Wahine: Papatuanuku, Our First Mother & The Origin Of All Things

About this episode

This episode focuses on Papatuanuku, the first mother in Maori mythology, exploring her significance and the origin of all things.

Kia ora ra e te iwi! I have a Patreon where I hope to add some additional value. If you'd like the kaupapa, and you appreciate this mahi, you can give a koha here: A Maori Podcast Whakatauki - He takapau pokai, nga uri o Paheke. [Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo.] Kia ora ra! I thought I'd give focus to Papatuanuku today, seeing as it was mothers day recently, and one of the foundational korero of many iwi is that Papa is our great first Mother. I source the below intro to Papa from Margaret Orbell's book [A Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend, pg 100] , and the pakiwaitara I share comes from George Grey's Nga Mahinga A Nga Tupuna, pg. 7-13. "Papa's name means Foundation, or Flat Surface. She is the earth that stretches out beneath her husband Rangi, the sky, and she is the first woman. The world came into being when Tane separated Rangi and Papa, pushing Rangi upwards and allowing light to come between them. Papa has a number of extended names, such as Papatuanuku (Widespread Papa). She supports and sustains her human children, providing food and the other conditions necessary for life, yet inevitably she is inferior to her husband Rangi because she lies below that…

People in this episode

Host: Ihira

Topics covered

• Maori mythology
• Papatuanuku
• cultural significance
• earth and sky
• origin stories

Keywords

• Papatuanuku
• Maori
• mythology
• Rangi
• origin of life
• cultural stories
• earth
• sky

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: A Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend, Nga Mahinga A Nga Tupuna

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