Rakahore

The personification of rock, a son of Tāne and Hine-maunga. He is one of the protectors of Mother Earth (Papa) against the attacks of Hine-moana. He is a sturdy defender, he takes his stand amid the surging battalions of Hine-moana, and never wearies of withstanding their ceasless assaults. His name appears in an old aphorism: E kore a Para-whenua e haere ki te kore a Rakahore, "Para-whenua will not move abroad in the absence of Rakahore," meaning that water would not emerge from the earth, as it does in the form of rivulets and springs, were it not for the rock that lies beneath the surface.

The offspring of Hine-moana, which consisted of shellfish and seaweed of many species, were conveyed by their parents to Rakahore and Tuamatua, and placed under their charge to be fed and reared.

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