| Tū-te-wehiwehi | |
|---|---|
| Atua of reptiles | |
| Other names | Tū-te-wanawana |
| Gender | Male |
| Region | New Zealand |
| Ethnic group | Māori |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Punga |
| Siblings | Ikatere |
| Consort | Mairangi |
| Offspring | Uenuku |
Tū-te-wehiwehi (also Tū-te-wanawana) is the father of all reptiles in Māori mythology.
Family
He is a son of Punga and brother of Ikatere. Punga's father was Tangaroa, atua of the sea.
When Tāwhirimātea made war against his brothers for separating Rangi and Papa, Ikatere and Tū-te-wehiwehi had to flee, and Ikatere fled to the sea and became an ancestor of fishes, while Tū-te-wehiwehi took refuge in the forest and fathered lizards. Before Tū-te-wehiwehi and Ikatere fled, they disputed together as to what they should do to escape from the storms.
One of Tu-te-wanwana's offspring was Uenuku, a lesser reptile atua. His mother was Mairangi, who was the daughter of Kauika, son of Wareware, son of Murirangawhenua and Mahuika. This Uenuku should not be confused with Uenuku, a more prominent atua.
References
- Grey 1971:1–5
- Ika-tere
- Tregear, Edward (1891). The Maori-Polynesian comparative dictionary. p. 572. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
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