Polynesian Pantheon
Tawhirimatea
Also known as Tawhiri
- weather
- wind
- storms
- thunder
The Maori god of weather, winds, and storms. Tawhirimatea was the only one of Rangi and Papa's children to oppose their separation, and he still attacks his brothers with storms in revenge.
About Tawhirimatea
God of Storms
Tawhirimatea is the god of weather and storms in Maori mythology, one of the sons of Rangi and Papa. Unlike his brothers, he did not support the separation of their parents and has waged war against them ever since, his fury manifesting in the storms that batter the earth.
The Loyal Son
When the children of Rangi and Papa debated how to escape their dark prison, Tawhirimatea alone argued against separating their parents. He loved them as they were and could not bear the thought of their grief. When Tane succeeded in pushing them apart, Tawhirimatea ascended with his father Rangi to the sky.
War on His Brothers
From the sky, Tawhirimatea launched a devastating attack on his brothers who had supported the separation. He sent his children - the winds, clouds, storms, and hurricanes - against them. Tangaroa's fish fled to the depths of the sea. Rongo and Haumia hid within Papa's body. Tane's trees were torn and battered. Only Tu stood firm against the assault.
Eternal Warfare
The conflict between Tawhirimatea and his brothers continues to this day. Every storm is Tawhirimatea attacking Tangaroa's ocean or Tane's forests. Sailors and travelers must contend with his wrath, and those caught in his fury understand the power of the god of storms.
Origin story
Tawhirimatea was born between Rangi and Papa like his brothers, but he alone remained loyal to his parents when the others chose to separate them. His grief and anger at their separation fuel the storms he sends against the earth to this day.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Tawhirimatea's in other traditions.
GreekZeusIllustrationBoth are associated with storms and control of the weather
Compare Tawhirimatea and Zeus side by side
NorseThorIllustrationBoth command storms and thunder
Compare Tawhirimatea and Thor side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Tawhirimatea
Wind and storm after the parents are torn apart. You do not house the gale. Acknowledge him in weather tapu.
Sacred sites
- No attested temple in the surviving record
Family
In the atlas
Where Tawhirimatea appears
Sources and further reading
Source notes
These references are recorded in the catalog. Their passage wording and translation have not been checked, so quotations are not displayed here.
- Maori Tradition
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.
Family relationships come from the atlas's kinship records. Ancient sources often disagree on divine genealogy.
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Genealogy
Family tree
Tawhirimatea's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.