The Māori Gods - Book Two: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku (English)

Te Wehenga o Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku tells the story of the separation of Sky Father (Ranginui) and Earth Mother (Papatūānuku). They lay in a close embrace for many, many years before some of their children began to consider the restrictions they existed under. Curiosity led a number of the sons to venture out from the warmth and security that the parents provided. They discovered beauty and space outside, but also chilling and adverse weather. They hastily returned to the protection of home, as they had always known it. More time passed before murmurings about dissatisfaction arose amongst the siblings. Some of them aspired to leave the confines of darkness and limited space while others wanted to stay. But momentum and support of the idea to go built, until all that was left to decide was how they would separate Ranginui and Papatūānuku. Whether we believe in the existence of a higher being or creator or not, most of us are curious to know what underpins the cultural differences amongst us. This is a series of graphic novellas designed to re-tell the traditional stories of New Zealand’s Māori people in an innovative and contemporary format. Story - Rereata Makiha Illustrator - Munro Te Whata Narration - Waihoroi Shortland We’ve created these at a time when the Māori culture and language are receiving a lot of attention in the public and private sectors of business and education. Our aim is to give people, meaningful insights into what underpins Māori values and principles.