Taranga

The mother of the celebrated hero Māui. Taranga wrapped up her child (an undeveloped birth) in a knot (tikitiki) of her hair, and then threw him into the sea, where he was nourished by the marine deities. Hence the demigod's full name is Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga ("Maoi formed in the top-knot of Taranga").

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References

Sources

  • Gill, William W. (1876). Myths and Songs from the South Pacific. London: H. S. King, pp. 51-58.
  • Grey, Sir George. (1855). Polynesian Mythology. Auckland: Brett, p. 11.
  • Tregear, Edward. (1891). Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary. Wellington: Government Printer, pp. 477-478.
  • White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, p. 2:91.