Tū-mata-uenga

"Tū of the inciting face." A god who caused war and its attendant evils. He is a son of Rangi-pōtiki and Papa-tū-a-nuku, and was born twin with Tū-pōtiki. Tū-mata-uenga and Rongo-ma-rae-roa caused disobedience and war in the heavens; they were powerful for war and battle, and also caused confusion among their adversaries. This caused the sorrow of Tāne and he threw them down to the worlds below. They came to the place Kai-hewa, where they lived in dismay and dread.

Some Māori high priests stated that it was Tū-mata-uenga and Rongo-ma-rae-roa who first made war and killed men; but the beings they killed were not like man as he now is — they were gods. The men of Tiki were those who first killed each other.

❧