View source for Tangaroa

{{Short description|Māori sea and water body god}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2020}}
{{other uses}}{{Infobox deity
| type = Polynesian
| name = Tangaroa
| region = [[Polynesia]]
| god_of = [[Māori people|Māori]] {{lang|mi|[[atua]]}} of sea and fish,<br />
[[Cook Islanders|Cook Islander]] god of sea and fertility<br />
[[Moriori]] god of fish
| image =
| caption = Cook Islands carving of Tangaroa at [[Te Papa]] Museum Wellington, New Zealand.
| gender = Male
| ethnic_group = [[Māori people|Māori]], [[Cook Islanders|Cook Islands Māori]], [[Moriori]]
| parents = [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui]] and [[Rangi and Papa|Papatūānuku]]<br />
[[Ngāi Tahu|Kāi Tahu]]: Temoretu
| siblings = [[Haumia-tiketike]], [[Whiro]], [[Rongo|Rongo-mā-Tāne]], [[Tāne|Tāne Mahuta]], [[Tāwhirimātea]], [[Tūmatauenga]], [[Rūaumoko]]
| offspring = [[Punga (mythology)|Punga]], [[Tinirau]], and 9 daughters
| other_names = Tangaroa-whakamau-tai, Takaroa
| consorts = Te Anu-matao<br />
Kāi Tahu: Papatūānuku
}}
'''Tangaroa''' ([[Māori language|Māori]]; '''Takaroa''' in the [[South Island]] dialect; cognate with [[Tagaloa]] in [[Samoan language|Sāmoan]]) is the great [[atua]] of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in [[Māori mythology]]. As '''Tangaroa-whakamau-tai''', he exercises control over the [[tide]]s. He is sometimes depicted as a whale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Making a Splash in the Pacific: Dolphin and Whale Myths of Oceania|url=http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923210805/http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |archive-date=2014-09-23 |url-status=live|last=Cressey|first=Jason|date=1998|website=islandheritage.org}}</ref>

In some of the [[Cook Islands]], he has similar roles, though in [[Manihiki]], he is the fire deity that [[Māui]] steals from, which in Māori mythology is instead [[Mahuika]], a goddess of fire.

== Māori traditions ==
Tangaroa is son of [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui and Papatūānuku]], [[Sky]] and [[Earth]]. After joining his brothers [[Rongo]], [[Tūmatauenga|Tū]], [[Haumia]], and [[Tāne]] in the forcible separation of their parents, he is attacked by his brother [[Tāwhirimātea]], the {{lang|mi|atua}} of storms, and forced to hide in the sea.{{efn|In the traditions of the [[Taranaki]], it is Tangaroa who forcibly separates Rangi and Papa from each other.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Smith|first=A.|year=1993|title=Songs and Stories of Taranaki from the Writings of Te Kahui Kararehe|location=Christchurch|publisher=MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies|pages=1–2}}</ref> In the traditions of most other regions of New Zealand, Rangi and Papa were separated by Tāne, {{lang|mi|atua}} of the tree.}}

Tangaroa is the father of many sea creatures. Tangaroa's son, [[Punga (mythology)|Punga]], has two children, [[Ikatere]], the ancestor of [[fish]], and [[Tū-te-wehiwehi]] (or Tū-te-wanawana), the ancestor of [[reptiles]]. Terrified by Tāwhirimātea's onslaught, the fish seek shelter in the sea and the reptiles in the forests. Ever since, Tangaroa has held a grudge with [[Tāne|Tāne Mahuta]], the {{lang|mi|atua}} of forests, because he offers refuge to his runaway children.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Grey|first=George|author-link=George Grey|year=1971|orig-year=1854|title=Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna|edition=Fourth|location=Wellington|publisher=Reed|pages=1–5}}</ref>

[[Image:CarvingWakaTaua.jpg|thumb|left|A carving on a Māori war canoe. As Tangaroa was the god ({{lang|mi|[[atua]]}}) of the sea, it was important to offer him before setting out for travel or fishing.]]
The contention between Tangaroa and Tāne Mahuta, the father of [[birds]], [[tree]]s, and humans, is an indication that the Māori thought of the ocean and the land as opposed realms. When people go out to sea to fish or to travel, they are, in effect, representatives of Tāne Mahuta, entering the realm of Tāne Mahuta's enemy. For this reason, offerings need to be made to Tangaroa before any such expedition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Orbell|first=Margaret|date=1998|title=Concise Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend|location=Christchurch|publisher=Canterbury University Press|pages=146–147|isbn=0-908812-56-6}}</ref>

The [[Ngāi Tahu|Kāi Tahu]] version of the origin of Takaroa maintains that he is the son of [[Temoretu]] and that Papatūānuku is his wife. Papatūānuku commits adultery with [[Rangi and Papa|Rakinui]] while Takaroa is away, and in the resulting battle on the beach, Takaroa's spear pierces Rakinui through both his thighs. Papatūānuku then marries Rakinui.<ref>{{Cite book|last=White|first=John|author-link=John White (ethnographer)|year=1887|chapter=Mythology of Creation. (Nga-I-Tahu.)|title=The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions: Horo-Uta or Taki-Tumu Migration.|url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Whi01Anci-t1-g1-t1-body-d1-d2.html|volume=I|location=Wellington|publisher=Government Printer|pages=22–23|language=en}}</ref>
 
In another legend, Tangaroa marries [[Te Anu-matao]] (chilling cold). They are the parents of the {{lang|mi|atua}} ‘of the fish class’, including [[Te Whata-uira-a-Tangawa]], [[Te Whatukura]], [[Poutini]], and [[Te Pounamu]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Shortland|first=Edward|authorlink=Edward Shortland|date=1882|title=Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary|location=London|publisher=Longman, Green}}</ref>  In some versions, Tangaroa has a son, [[Tinirau]], and nine daughters.<ref name="Tregear">{{cite book|last=Tregear|first=Edward|authorlink=Edward Tregear|date=1891|title=The Maori-Polynesian comparative dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/maoripolynesian01treggoog/page/n28/mode/2up|location=Wellington|publisher=Lyon and Blair}}</ref>{{rp|463}}

== Cook Islands ==
*In [[Rarotonga]], Tangaroa is god of the sea and fertility. He is the most important of all the departmental gods. Carved figures made from [[Cook Islands art|wood carvings]] are very popular on the island today.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rarotonga & the Cook Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5akbBi6sso8C&pg=PA23|first=Errol|last=Hunt|date=11 August 2018|publisher=Lonely Planet| isbn=9781740590839 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
*In [[Mangaia]], Tangaroa is a child of Vatea (daylight) and Papa (foundation) and the younger twin brother of Rongo. Rongo and Tangaroa share food and fish: Tangaroa's share is everything red (the red [[taro]], red fish and so on). Tangaroa is said to have [[blond|yellow hair]], and when Mangaians first saw [[Europeans]], they thought they must be Tangaroa's children.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|464}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gill|first=W. W.|year=1876|title=Myths and Songs of the South Pacific|location=London|publisher=Henry S. King|page=13}}</ref>
*In [[Manihiki]], Tangaroa is the origin of fire. Māui goes to him to obtain fire for humankind. Advised to reach Tangaroa's abode by taking the common path, he takes the forbidden path of death, infuriating Tangaroa, who tries to kick him to death. Māui manages to prevent that and insists that Tangaroa give him fire. Māui kills Tangaroa. When his parents are horrified, Māui uses incantations to bring him back to life.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|463–464}}


== Moriori ==
In the mythology of the [[Moriori]] of the [[Chatham Islands]], Tangaroa is a fish ''atua'' alongside '''Pou'''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=King |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W_acDwAAQBAJ |title=Moriori: A People Rediscovered |date=2017-05-01 |publisher=Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited |isbn=978-0-14-377128-9 |language=en |chapter=Chapter 1}}</ref>

== Elsewhere ==
===Polynesia===
Tangaloa is one of the oldest Polynesian deities. In Western Polynesian traditions such as [[Culture of Samoa|Samoa]] and [[Culture of Tonga|Tonga]], Tangaloa is considered the supreme and [[creator deity]]. In Eastern Polynesian cultures, however, he is usually considered of equal status to Tāne and thus not supreme.

*In [[Easter Island|Rapa Nui]] tradition, Taŋaroa was killed at the bay of [[Hotu-iti]] and was buried in the surrounding area.
*In [[Ra'iātea]], a legend reported by Professor [[Friedrich Ratzel]] in 1896<ref>{{cite book|last=Ratzel|first=Friedrich|author-link=Friedrich Ratzel|year=1896|chapter=Cosmogany and mythology; views of Nature|title=The History of Mankind|url=http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706145107/http://www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/cosmogany-mythology.htm|archive-date=2011-07-06|volume=I|publisher=MacMillan and Co.|page=308|access-date=16 Feb 2011}}</ref> gave a picture of the [[Tahiti and Society Islands mythology|Tahitian god]] [[Taʼaroa]]'s all-pervading power.
*In [[Hawaii|Hawai{{okina}}i]], the god of ocean, healing, and long travels is called [[Kanaloa]], the [[cognate]] term in the [[Hawaiian language]]
*In [[Sāmoa]], the god [[Tagaloa]] is the almighty sky-father deity, the creator of the universe.
*In the [[Marquesas Islands]], the equivalent deities are Tana'oa or Taka'oa.
*In the [[Rennell Island|Rennell]] and [[Bellona Island|Bellona]] Islands in the southern [[Solomon Islands]], Tangagoa is a sea god who stayed on the coastal cliff of [[East Rennell]] known as Toho and flew in the night with a flame in the sky. Tangagoa was believed to take the spirits of the dead, so the sparkling fire would be seen at night when someone was near death. Some can still recall when this god appeared in the night as a flame in the sky, and there are many tales of it. Tangagoa started disappearing in the 1970s and early 1980s when Christian missionaries visited the cliff and reportedly 'cast' him out.
===Melanesia===
A legendary figure named Tagaro is also featured in the Melanesian cultures of northeastern [[Vanuatu]]. In the beliefs of northern [[Pentecost (island)|Pentecost]], Tagaro appears as a destructive trickster,<ref>J P Taylor 2008, ''The Other Side: Ways of Being and Place in Vanuatu''</ref> while in other areas, he is an eternal creator figure, and names cognate with {{lang|bi|Tagaro}} (such as [[Apma language|Apma]] {{lang|app|Takaa}}) are applied nowadays to [[God in Christianity]].<ref>Gray 2013, ''The Languages of Pentecost Island''</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Myths|New Zealand|Oceania|Religion}}
* [[Kanaloa]], Hawaiian religion
* [[RV Tangaroa|RV ''Tangaroa'']], a New Zealand research vessel
* [[Taʼaroa]], Tahitian religion
* [[Tagaloa]], Samoan religion
* [[Tagroa Siria]], Rotuman religion
* [[Tangaloa]]

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}

=== Sources ===
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080802012426/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/TangaroaTheSea/en "Tangaroa"] in ''[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]''

[[Category:Cook Islands mythology]]
[[Category:Sea and river gods]]
[[Category:Māori gods]]