HINETITAMA & HINENUIOTEPO

Hinenuitepo was the daughter of Tane-Mahuta and Hineahuone. In fact she began life as Hinetitama… the first born child. It was Tane Mahuta who created Hineahuone from the soil of his mother. He desired a woman to take as his wife and thus he approached Papatuanuku… and asked to use the sacred soils of Kurawaka. She agreed and Tane began to shape Hineahuone from the soil. Then he used his nose to breath into her nostrils and the life force passed from Tane to Hineahuone. 

She began to move slowly and soon Hineahuone open her eyes and took a deep gasp of breath… just then Tane uttered those life giving words… Tihei Mauriora (let there be life). Tane then took Hineahuone as his wife and soon they had a daughter called Hinetitama. In a sense Hinetitama is the seed of mortal man and begins our whakaheke (line of descent) from the Gods and the Heavens. Hinetitama grew up with her mother Hineahuone. So infrequent was her contacts with her father, so infrequent were his visits that she didn’t really know who he was. Hinetitama grew into a very beautiful young woman.

One day the great lord of the forests visited Hinetitama’s village. Tane Mahuta was so taken by her beauty that eventually he asked her to be one of his wives. In her ignorance Hinetitama blissfully accepted. She was honoured to be the wife of a great god Tane-Mahuta. They lived together in Tane’s village. Not long after their union was confirmed, with the birth of children, Hinetitama’s relatives told her the truth about her husband. She was consumed by shame and wanted to hide from the world. Hinetitama ran off toward the underground determine to hide her shame in the shadows of the underworld. It was a long way to the dark lands but Hinetitama would not stop to rest.

Tane was overwhelmed with grief and despair when he heard his young bride had run-off and he chased after Hinetitama as fast as he could. Tane caught up with Hinetitama at the entrance to the great underground caves near the edge of the world. He pleaded with her to return to the world of light and their children… but Hinetitama’s shame was so great… she could not. She told Tane that he alone should return to the world of living light. He should take care of their children in that world, his world of knowledge, understanding and life. She promised that when their children died, they’d travel to the underworld, to her world. And there… she would take care of them in the shadows of the darkness.

Then Hinetitama entered the caves of eternal darkness and vowed never to look back. Soon after that… she changed her name to Hinenuitepo the great Goddess of the Night. Thus the world of light and the world of darkness are closely related… and one without the other is impossible. Indeed all things are balanced and equal… good and evil… light and dark… life and death... Tihei mauri ora... Let there be life!!!