Rangi and Papa

Creation Myth

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About this myth

Rangi and Papa is a Creation myth originating from the Māori belief system. The main deity depicted in this myth is likely Ranginui. Others include and Papatūānuku.

In a nutshell

Myth summary

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Attested: Unknown
Created: Unknown
Myth type: Creation
Main deity: Ranginui
Belief system: Māori
Origin: Oceania › Australia and New Zealand › New Zealand

Belief system

Māori Religion

Polytheistic

Māori religion refers to the cultural beliefs and practices of the Māori people in New Zealand (Polynesia).

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Belief system

Ranginui

Main deity

Ranginui was a primordial deity associated with creation in some Māori religious traditions of New Zealand.

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Main deity

Other deities mentioned

Papatūānuku

More information

Background

The Rangi and Papa creation myth comes from the Māori belief system of people in modern-day New Zealand. It details how the first couple named Ranginui and Papatūānuku (the primordial parents) created the entire world and all humans. In some traditions, there was also a severe conflict among the children of Rangi and Papa. 

Love
Haha
Wow
Sad
Angry

Texts related to this myth

See full texts of this myth via related artifacts. Where available, a translation is included.

All texts

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How did we get this date?

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How did we get this date?

We're not quite sure about the creation date for this myth.

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Cite this page

MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Rangi and Papa." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 08 May. 2019, omnika.org/stable/148. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

OMNIKA (2019, May 08). Rangi and Papa. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/148

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CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Rangi and Papa." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created May 08, 2019. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://omnika.org/stable/148.

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Bibliography

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Fast facts

Myth
Māori Belief system
Ranginui Main deity
Origin
location_city New Zealand Australia and New Zealand

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