Tupu-nui-a-uta

"King of the interior." A pre-diluvian personage whose prayer obtained the power of Tāne when the heavens let the rain down and filled all the land with water, and destroyed all the people; but he and his children were saved. They were: Para-whenua-mea, Tui, and Reta. The power of their god followed Tiu and Tupu-nui-a-uta when they and their children went in a covered canoe on the face of the waters, as if it were dry land, for the space of eight moons.

References

Source

  • White, John. (1887). Ancient History of the Maori. 6 vols. Wellington: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, pp. 1:166, 172, 180.

This article incorporates text from Ancient History of the Maori (1887) by John White, which is in the public domain.