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Story: Māori creation traditions

Tāwhirimātea

Image
Tawhirimatea

This mural depicts Tāwhirimātea, god of the winds and weather, struggling to control his children, shown as blue spiral forms. Te Rā, the sun, is in the top left corner, and Te Marama, the moon, is in the opposite corner. At top right is a reference to the separation of Rangi and Papa. The blue waves and fronds above Tāwhirimātea suggest his brothers Tangaroa and Tāne.

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Metservice New Zealand

by Cliff Whiting

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Māori creation traditions – Common threads in creation stories, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/2444/tawhirimatea (accessed 25 May 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 4 March 2009.