Mangu

"Black." Te Mangu, one of the primal Powers of the Cosmos without form and void, preceding the ordinary gods. He is stated to be the son of Kore-te-tamaua, and to have wed Mahorahora-nui-a-Rangi. From the union of Te Mangu and Mahorahora came four children, the so-called Props of Heaven: Toko-mua, Toko-roto, Toko-pā, and Rangi-pōtiki.

Some,1 using the South Island nomenclature, give this name as Mākū, equivalent to "Moisture," or "Damp."

References

Notes

  1. White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, p. 18.

Sources

  • Shortland, Edward. (1882). Maori Religion and Mythology. London: Longmans Green, p. 12.
  • Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, p. 211.

This article incorporates text from Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (1891) by Edward Tregear, which is in the public domain.