About this deity
Hine-nui-te-pō was a Māori deity associated with death and the night in some traditions.
Also known as
Parent belief system
Māori Religion · Polytheistic · 2 mythsMāori religion refers to the cultural beliefs and practices of the Māori people in New Zealand (Polynesia).
Top myths
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| Hine-nui-te-po and Maui | |
| Afterlife myth | |
| Unknown author | |
| Read myth | |
Mythological stories including Hine-nui-te-po
- Hine-nui-te-po and Maui Afterlife myth
Nuthsell
Māui, the first man and semidivine being, sought to enter Hine-nui-te-pō's vagina. He tried to do so while Hine-nui-te-pō was asleep by means of turning into a worm and entering her. Unfortunately, however, Hine-nui-te-pō woke up and crushed Māui. As a result, Māui was the first man to die and experience the afterlife.
Cite this page
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Hine-nui-te-po." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 25 Jun. 2020, omnika.org/stable/743. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
OMNIKA (2020, June 25). Hine-nui-te-po. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/743
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Hine-nui-te-po." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created June 25, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2026. https://omnika.org/stable/743.
