Papa vs Tu

The Earth Mother, wife of Rangi the Sky Father. Papa lay in eternal embrace with Rangi until their children separated them, bringing light into the world. She remains the foundation upon which all life exists.

Papa existed from the beginning, one half of the primordial pair. She lay in eternal embrace with Rangi until their children, desperate for light and space, forced them apart. She became the foundation of the world, the earth upon which all life depends.

Papatuanuku is the primordial earth goddess of Maori tradition, one half of the original divine couple whose embrace held the universe in darkness. She is the land itself, the soil from which all life grows, the mother of gods and ancestor of humanity.

The fierce god of war and human endeavor. Tu represents the aggressive, active principle necessary for survival, from warfare to hunting to the cultivation of crops.

Tu was born in darkness between Rangi and Papa. When the gods debated their fate, he advocated killing their parents but accepted the decision to separate them. After Tawhirimatea attacked, Tu alone stood firm and then conquered his brothers' children to be food for humanity, establishing himself as the ancestor and protector of humans.

Tu-matauenga, whose name means 'Tu of the Angry Face,' is the god of war and all human activities that require conflict and struggle. Unlike war gods in some other traditions, Tu represents not just battle but all forms of human striving against nature, including hunting, fishing, and agriculture.