Hine-kōrako

A tāniwha who was said to dwell in the deep pool under the falls of Te Reinga at Wairoa. She was looked upon as guardian spirit or even an ancestress of the locals. She was said to have become enamoured of one Tane-kino, and to have lived with him as his wife. The women of his village made unpleasant personal remarks and so she returned to her former home beneath the dark waters of Te Reinga. Before she left, however, she bore Tane-kino a son, called Tu-a-renga. Many in the area claimed descent from him.

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