The Angry Gods
Ta-aroa The Creator
Ta-aroa lived alone in a shell shaped much like an egg. The revolved in dark, empty space for ages.
Then came a new time, and Ta-aroa broke out of the egg. Being so by himself, he made god, Tu. Tu became Ta-aroa's great companion and helper in the wonderful work of creation.
Ta-aroa and Tu made gods to fill every place. They made the universe. And they brought forth land and creatures. Last, they created man to live on the earth.
The first man that was created was called Ti-i. Ta-aroa made him out of earth. He put sand on Ti-i for his clothing. then
Ta-aroa said to Ti-, "You are perfect."
Next, a woman was made. She was Ti-i's wife, Hina, and she was half goddess and half mortal. Hina had a face both in front and back. She was full of good, making hard things easy, and hurt less painful.
But first man Ti-i was mean and liked to see others suffer. He sent out a white heron to cast a spell over the world.
For a time after creation, there was peaceful quiet. But then unhappiness and unease came into the universe. The spell of the white heron was everywhere. The gods in their seperate places started warring with one another and with men.
Ta-aroa and Tu spoke curses to punish them.
"We curse the stars!" they said. And the stars blinked.
"We curse the moon!" The moon faded and went out.
Hina thought to save the stars and the moon. Sure enough, the stars are still there, although they may twinkle and blink. And the moon may disappear, but it come back a little at a time until it has all returned. That is because Hina was so good.
"We curse the sea!" spoke Ta-aroa and Tu. That caused low tide.
Hina saved the sea and brought high tide. Low and high tide have followed one another ever since.
"We curse the rivers!" Ta-aroa and Tu shouted. Adn the waters hid under the soil.
Hina brought back the terrified waters, making them bubble out of the ground to form springs, and they are there even today.
Ta-aroa and Tu cursed the trees. The leaves turned yellow; the fruit did not ripen on time. But Hina was always there, and she saved them. New leaves grew from the trees. And now the fruit ripens when it should.
"We curse mankind!" roared Ta-aroa and Tu. Humankind that was man and woman and children bowed low in fear.
Hina prepared to save their lives. She would have, too, had it not been for Ti-i. He used magic to conjure them to death.
"Oh, Ti-i," Hina said. "Do not try your blackest magic on them! When humanity suffers, you know I'll make it better."
"Look there," she said. "My moon and stars, my trees and fruit, are they not better than your cruelty?"
But Ti-i would hear nothing good.
"My master is Ta-aroa," spoke Ti-i. "You have seen how he loves to kill. It was he who made the people bow down."
So it is that the Tahitians say it was the man and not the woman who caused people to lose eternal life.
They also say this: It was not long before Ti-i fell and died beneath his own curse.
Comment: This Tahitian myth from the Society Islands (French Polynesia) is known as a cosmic egg type. It is but one version of the myth that is also found on Samoa, two thousand miles west of Tahiti, where the god is called Tangaroa.
The supreme being, Ta-aroa, which means unique, exists with the egg and is thus the source of all life.
The egg acts as an incubator.
In The Beginning
Creation Stories From Around The World
Virginia Hamilton
ISBN 0-15-238742-0
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