Ngā Atua Māori, Puka Tuatoru – Te Pakanga i Te Paerangi
The Māori Gods, Book Three – The Battle at Te Paerangi


Te Pakanga i Te Paerangi tells the story of the battle between Tūmatauenga and Whiro; sons of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). This is an event that stemmed from long-held grudges between the two brothers and each of their factions.

Disagreement over the separation of their parents was just one of the incidents that in the end, gave rise to war and the brothers leaving to permanent and separate dwellings.

Here, we are introduced to brothers not mentioned in previous stories but whose actions and contributions led to the fall of Whiro. We learn how he fled to The Underworld. It is from there and to this day, that Whiro-te-Tipua continues to wage war on Tāne and us, his human descendants in the form of diseases and pestilence.


Series Summary

Whether we believe in the existence of a higher being or creator or not, most of us are curious to know what underpins the cultural differences amongst us.

This is a series of graphic novellas designed to re-tell the traditional stories of New Zealand’s Māori people in an innovative and contemporary format.

We’ve created these at a time when the Māori culture and language are receiving a lot of attention in the public and private sectors of business and education. Our aim is to give people, meaningful insights into what underpins Māori values and principles.