In Māori mythology, Tama-nui-te-rā is the personification of the sun. Māui decided that the days were too short and caught the sun with in a snare, then beat him to make him travel more slowly across the sky. In some legends Tama-nui-te-rā is the husband of Ārohirohi, goddess of mirages. In other legends, Tama-nui-te-rā had two wives, the Summer maid, Hine-raumati, and the Winter maid, Hine-takurua. The child of Tama-nui-te-ra and Hine-raumati, Tane-rore is credited with the origin of dance.
References
- J. White, The Ancient History of the Maori. Volume II. Government Printer: Wellington, 1887, 136-137, 151-152.
