Hine-nui-te-pō
| Hine-nui-te-pō | |
|---|---|
Goddess of night and death | |
Hine-nui-te-pō killing Māui by Wilhelm Dittmer | |
| Gender | Female |
| Region | New Zealand (Aotearoa) |
| Ethnic group | Māori |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Tāne, Hineahuone |
| Siblings | Mahuika (In some versions) |
Hine-nui-te-pō ("the great woman of the night") in Māori legends, is a goddess of night who receives the spirits of humans when they die. She is the daughter of Tāne Mahuta / Tāne Tuturi and Hine-ahuone. It is believed among Māori that the colour red in the sky comes from her. Hine-nui-te-pō shepherds the wairua/souls into the first level of Rarohenga to ready them for the next stage of their journey. Before she was Hine-nui-te-po her name was Hine-ti-tama. Her father Tane Mahuta took her virginity; she then felt upset, hiding from her father in eternal darkness and became Hine-nui-te-po, goddess of the night.