HINETITAMA & HINENUI

Taken from my manuscript for... Mana Wahine...

Hinetitama

The story of Hinetitama and Hinenuiotepo starts with the creation of her mother. Tane Mahuta created Hineahuone from the sacred soils of Kurawaka.  Then he used his nose to breath life into her nostrils and thus we have the very first hongi. Tane took Hineahuone as his wife and they had a daughter called Hinetitama. In a sense Hinetitama is the seed of mortal man and thus begins the whakaheke (descent) of man from the realm of the Gods. Hinetitama grew up with her mother Hineahuone.

So infrequent was her contact with Tane Mahuta that she didn’t realize he was, in fact, her father. Hinetitama soon blossomed into a very beautiful young woman. Tane Mahuta was so taken by her beauty that 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 like Tane-Mahuta. Not long after their union was confirmed, with the birth of children, Hinetitama discovered the truth about her husband. She was totally consumed by shame and wanted to hide from the world. Hinetitama then ran off toward the underground intent on hiding in the darkness forever.

Hinenuiotepo

Tane was overwhelmed by grief and chased after her. He caught up with Hinetitama at the entrance to the great underground caves of the night. He pleaded and pleaded with her to return with him to the world of light… but she refused. She told him to return to the world of living light. Take care of their children in that world, his world knowledge and understanding. She promised that when they died, they’d travel to the underworld. She would take care of them in the world of darkness. Then Hinetitama entered the world of eternal darkness forever more. Soon after she changed her name from Hinetitama to Hinenuitepo.