@sog7dc: Fair question mate
In the Maori world all things exist between Ranginui (The Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (The Earth Mother), they had children. The most known of them are shown (This is included with the terrible english job titles...)
Tane-Mahuta - (God of the forest)
Tangaroa - (God of the Sea)
Tawhirimatea - (God of Winds)
Tumatauenga - (God of War)
Rongo-Ma-Tane - (God of Peace and Cultivated food)
Now this sounds pretty lame but, if you know what I know about the Gods then read on...
Tane-Mahuta - Chief creator of Mortal Man, God of the forests and all that reside in it, has the ability to assume any form that lives in his domains. Physically the strongest of all the gods (Brought light into the darkness, through virtue of his forced separation of his parents...) but can also change physical form and manipulate his size, mass and density. Can change his body into solid rock (Obsidian, granite etc), Lava (Can tap into geothermal forces), Wood and foliage (For surveillance purposes) and even soil (Think ultimate damage resistance, Tane-Mahuta can control his form, he gets hit, the soil absorbs the impact and reconstitutes back to its original state).
Tangaroa - Arguably the most powerful of the gods. His domain is not only the sea but any body of water on the planet, He can inhabit any form in his domain, as well as supreme command over any organism in his realm. He can exist as a lake or even within a single drop of water. In some ways you can think of him as a mash up between Namor, Aquaman, also throw in the water manipulation powers that Mera has and turn it up to the umpteenth level and you have Tangaroa. Tangaroa is often portrayed as being capricious, but this is unfair, he is a deity that demands complete respect as when on the sea, your life is in his hands.
Tawhirimatea - The sky is where he dwells and he hates the majority of his brothers and sisters, especially Tane-Mahuta as he separated their parents and brought light into the world. Tawhirimatea disagreed with their parents separation and has spent the rest of time punishing his brothers and sisters for it. He is the god of wind and storms and is the most wrathful and headstrong of the gods, as he visits storms and causes destruction upon the realms of Tane-Mahuta and Tangaroa especially. He physically has no eyes as the stars are his eyes, and night is when he is most powerful. As you can guess Tornados, Hurricanes are his special creatures that he creates and controls. He is similar to Larfleeze the Agent Orange, as he has no living followers but creates them and controls them through his mind.
Tumatauenga - God of war and the deadliest of all the gods (possibly the most feared), A stone cold killer, Master of martial arts, unarmed and armed (He has created all arts to do with war), master tactician, but not without a sense of honor. He is the teacher of man. (He taught mortal man how to survive in the world when they were first created) and represents tenacity, pride and aggression. War is his realm and he can be an aspect of beserker rage or cold, controlled fury, He can see many outcomes at once. And can even not be touched, even by his godly siblings in battle. One of the only gods who would openly defy Tawhirimatea.
Rongo-Ma-Tane - He can motivate Mens minds and can even inspire mortal men to greatness, He has a calming influence on every being he encounters even his godly siblings. Tawhirimatea included. He is an opposite aspect to Tumatauenga but not a hated enemy of his as you might expect. He represents hard work, patience and purity. He can also nullify his brothers powers, but he is not a fighter himself.
I have been taught this and you wont find these explanations on google and the english translations of Maori myths and legends are terrible...
This just a taste of a few of the maori gods. We also have elder gods as well but that explanation will fry your brain...LOL
Log in to comment