Rarohenga is the subterranean realm where spirits of the deceased dwell after death, according to Māori oral tradition. The

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

is ruled by

Hine-nui-te-pō Hine-nui-te-pō ("the great woman of the night") in Māori legends, is a goddess of night who receives the spirits of humans when they die. She is the daughter of Tāne Mahuta / Tāne Tuturi and Hine-ahuone. It is believed among Māori that ...

, the goddess of death and night. Additional occupants include guardians,

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

es, holy chiefs and nobles (

rangatira In Māori culture, () are tribal chiefs, the leaders (often hereditary) of a (subtribe or clan). Ideally, were people of great practical wisdom who held authority () on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land ( ...

), and the tūrehu, who are described as celestial, fairy-like people. Rarohenga is predominantly depicted as a place of peace and light. As articulated by Māori ethnographer

Elsdon Best Elsdon Best (30 June 1856 – 9 September 1931) was an ethnographer who made important contributions to the study of the Māori of New Zealand. Early years Elsdon Best was born 30 June 1856 at Tawa Flat, New Zealand, to William Best and the fo ...

: It is a place where darkness is unknown. "This is the reason why, of all spirits of the dead since the time o
Hine-ahuone
.., not a single one has ever returned hither to dwell in this world". In contemporary

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

society, Rarohenga continues to hold a collective, cultural significance. This is a result of several prominent

ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

s that originate from the underworld, that are still commonly practiced today. This includes facial tattooing ( ta moko), finger twining ( taniko)'','' tribal woodcarving (moko whakatara), and the art of weaving ( raranga). It is recorded that these art forms were first introduced to the human world by figures who travelled into Rarohenga and were bestowed with the sacred techniques to improve the secular world. Contemporary texts suggest that traditional records and accounts of Māori mythological sites, like Rarohenga, experienced substantial modification to accommodate the dominant missionary scriptures that were introduced during 19th century

colonisation 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is argued that these alterations occurred during translation by non-Māori authors, resulting in variations of

Māori mythology Māori mythology and Māori traditions are two major categories into which the remote oral history of New Zealand's Māori people, Māori may be divided. Māori myths concern tales of supernatural events relating to the origins of what was the ...

to be extremely common. The geography of Rarohenga incorporates several different non-physical, immaterial locations that are recorded in myth. There are also several material locations scattered across both the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and South Islands of New Zealand.

Cultural significance of Rarohenga

According to the traditional Māori mythology, the art of carving, weaving, and tattooing were not born of the human world. It was only through the "heroes" that climbed into the heavens or descended into Rarohenga, that humanity would learn the now honoured, cultural practices. In 'The Lore of the Warewananga' (1913), the translated teachings of two distinguished

Tohunga In the culture of the Māori people, Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga (tōhuka in Southern Māori dialect) is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, either religious or otherwise. Tohunga include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, ...

, state how the generous offerings of celestial wisdom represent the tender connection of the

to this spiritual world. This conveys the deep significance of Rarohenga and its apparent influence on the quintessential Māori identity and culture observed today. In the folklore,

Māori culture Māori culture () is the customs, cultural practices, and beliefs of the Māori people of New Zealand. It originated from, and is still part of, Polynesians, Eastern Polynesian culture. Māori culture forms a distinctive part of Culture of New ...

is continuously inundated with different forms of enlightenment from Rarohenga. The incentive of these acts was to develop and elevate the human experience "through ethical behaviour and creative enterprise". This is represented in the myth of Mataora, as the story emphasises the importance of the underworld's Gods and spirits (atua) to modern

Tā Moko

The

tā moko ' is the permanent marking or tattooing as customarily practised by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. It is one of the five main Polynesian tattoo styles (the other four are Marquesan, Samoan, Tahitian and Hawaiian). (tattooi ...

(or
kauae
for women) is a

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

facial tattoo still frequently practiced in

society. Its name is derived from the mythological figure 'Atua

Rūaumoko In Māori mythology, Rūaumoko (also known as Rūamoko) is the god of earthquakes, volcanoes and seasons. He is the youngest son of Ranginui (the Sky father) and Papatūānuku (the Earth mother) (commonly called Rangi and Papa). Ruaumoko Pate ...

' – the latest child of Ranginui et Papatūānuku of Rarohenga. The origin of the art is recorded in several variations. However, its conception is most commonly regarded as derivative of the Mataora myth. In this famous legend, the wisdom and knowledge of the permanent tattoo (tā moko) was gifted to humankind by the celestial

Rangatira In Māori culture, () are tribal chiefs, the leaders (often hereditary) of a (subtribe or clan). Ideally, were people of great practical wisdom who held authority () on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land ( ...

, Uetonga. It is explained that up until that point,

civilisation had only practiced the application of temporary tattoo. This was known as 'hopara makaurangi', and was achieved with

soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Soot is considered a hazardous substance with carcinogenic properties. Most broadly, the term includes all the particulate matter produced b ...

, blue clay or

red ochre Ochre ( ; , ), iron ochre, or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the col ...

. Uetonga would explain to Mataora the "worthlessness" of his temporary tattoo by wiping his hand across it and embarrassing Mataora by declaring it had no "

mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...

" – meaning no

honour Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself ...

prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

, or

authority Authority is commonly understood as the legitimate power of a person or group of other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' may be practiced by legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government,''The New Fontana Dictionary of M ...

. Mataora would then beg for the permanent tattoo, so he could bring such insight to the human world. Uetonga agreed and taught Mataora the underworld's design of the nostrils (pōngiangia)'','' the line tattooing of the eyebrows (tīwhana), the designs encompassing the mouth (pīhere), and the upper part of the nose (ngu). In result, when Mataora returned from the underworld he would incite the national spread of the practice across the

and

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

Weaving, ornamental patterns, and finger-twining

Like the

, the art of

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

was another artistic gift received from Rarohenga. This gift came in the form of a cloak called 'Te Rangi-Hau-Papa'. Its original creator was Hine-rau-wharangi (the daughter of Hine-nui-te-po and

Tāne In Māori mythology, Tāne (also called Tāne-mahuta, Tāne-nui-a-Rangi, Tāne-te-waiora and several other names) is the god of forests and of birds, and the son of Rangi and Papa, Ranginui and Rangi and Papa, Papatūānuku, the sky father and th ...

), who would provide the pattern to Niwareka, who would then create it for humanity. The cloak itself was developed primarily as a replacement and "

consummation The consummation of a marriage, or simply consummation, is the first officially credited act of sexual intercourse following marriage. In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the definition usually refers to penile–vaginal p ...

of Mataora's acceptance of tattoo from the underworld" to substitute the now obsolete artform of the painted '

' in the human world. Ornamental patterns and finger-twinning were also acquired from Mataora's time in Rarohenga, and would too circulate heavily into

, art, and design.

Tribal woodcarving

Although the narrative of 'Ruatepupuke' is the most commonly accepted origin story of tribal woodcarving (whakairo) – Māori

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

's translations of the Mataora myth suggest the influence of Rarohenga's entities in the cultural and artistic development of

woodcarving Wood carving (or woodcarving) is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ...

practiced today. Uetonga reiterated to Mataora the necessary adaption of painting and "carving". His insight expressed that the temporary tattoo seen on Mataora's face, should be used for woodcarving and design found in buildings.

Myth and origin

Origin

The origin of Rarohenga, like many other

rituals and beliefs, is derivative of

Polynesian mythology Polynesian mythology encompasses the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia (a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian Triangle) together with those of the scattered cultures known as the Polyne ...

. According to such mythology,

Hawaiki (also rendered as in the Cook Islands, Hawaiki in Māori, in Samoan, in Tahitian, in Hawaiian) is, in Polynesian folklore, the original home of the Polynesians, before dispersal across Polynesia. It also features as the underworld in man ...

represents the origin of all

Polynesian people Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia, which encompasses the islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sout ...

and where they return after death. Variations, such as Rarohenga, came to be after this traditional mythology dispersed across the numerous islands of the central and southern

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, whereupon it was adapted and redeveloped into new settings.

Pre-European

Prior to

, the "innate belief in the immortality of the soul" held by the

was directed into the belief of Rarohenga. Unlike the

biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

systems of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

and

hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

, the underworld and its key spiritual figures were not characterised as evil and malevolent beings. Rather they were embodied as instigators of positive, cultural development. These mythical entities are recorded as cultivators of humankind through spiritual intervention. Who regularly conducted

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

acts of sharing knowledge and wisdom, as the realm and its inhabitants did not seek to punish or disturb the dead. Traditional accounts of Rarohenga characterise its two realms (Upper or Lower) as both being restful places of peace and light, where the ultimate destination and residence of each spirit is entirely up to them. Each individual spirit is said to retain the executive agency to decide to make their home in Rarohenga or The Sky World (also known as The Summit of the Heavens or Toi-o-ngā-rangi). However, the Sky World or The Summit of Heavens is not as widely known or recorded as Rarohenga in traditional accounts.

Post-colonisation

When examining the mythology of Rarohenga, it is common for inconsistencies to arise between the oral stories, written accounts, and contemporary knowledge. This is the result of 19th century

that allowed the solely oral history, tradition, and mythology of the

to become susceptible to erasure through unqualified translation,

ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead o ...

, and assimilative motivations of colonisers. Various critics argue the inconsistencies are derivative of translators who would freely translate

to English and rewrite substantial passages. Herbert Williams commented on this action, in reference to the famous Māori translator John White, as an academic act of "unpardonable recklessness". As stated by

Elsden Best: " Māori folk adapted the myths and teachings of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. This is where ideas of the spirits of the evil person going to the underworld, and those good ascending to the heavens, crept into statements. Such beliefs were unbeknown to the

in pre-missionary days". This "transcultural interlocution" can be witnessed when examining the historical works of writers such as S. Percy Smith. Smith recorded that spirits who conducted evil would be eternally punished and presided over by malicious spirits ( Whiro-te-tipua) in Rarohenga. Whereas the "good" spirits would ascend to the mountain of ' Tawhiti-nui' and enter a realm of eternal reward. Critics such as Jahnke argue this as an example of cultural accommodation and assimilation to the

Eurocentric Eurocentrism (also Eurocentricity or Western-centrism) refers to viewing the West as the center of world events or superior to other cultures. The exact scope of Eurocentrism varies from the entire Western world to just the continent of Euro ...

belief of the afterlife that divides souls as good or evil. Critic Buck too maintains this is a loss of "cultural integrity", where the translation of oral history and culture has been destroyed by Western influence: "The

cosmogony Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe. Overview Scientific theories In astronomy, cosmogony is the study of the origin of particular astrophysical objects or systems, and is most commonly used in ref ...

of separating life from darkness... appears to have been post European additions made after the knowledge was acquired of the biblical story of ' Creation'. The separation of the spirits through the East door to ascend to the supernatural realms, and the 'sinners' through the South door to the underworld is contrary to the

and Polynesian concepts of the future world".

Primary deities

Within Rarohenga, several Guardians, Gods and Goddesses have been recorded to occupy the realm. This includes:

Geography

The Māori hold a deep connection to the land (whenua), which is evident in the continued, spiritual significance of real-world locations because of their role in the soul's journey to Rarohenga.

Cape Reinga Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua (; sometimes spelled Rēinga, ) is the northwestern most tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. Cape Reinga is more than 100 km north of the nearest small town ...

''(''Te Rerenga Wairua'')'' is one of the most well-known spiritual sites in

. Mythology proposes that here the spirit descends into the underworld by sliding down the root of a tree into the sea. The spirit then travels underwater to the

Three Kings Islands 3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cul ...

, where they climb the highest point of the island and bid their last goodbye to the human world. Explorer, Māori scholar and interpreter,

Edward Shortland Edward Shortland (1812–1893) was a New Zealand medical doctor, administrator, scholar and linguist. Life Shortland was born at Courtlands near Lympstone in Devon, England, the third son of Thomas George Shortland and brother of Willoughby a ...

describes this location as a place where the spirit arrives at two hills after travelling northward. These hills are 'Wai-hokimai' and 'Wai-otioti', where the spirit strips off its worldly clothes, and finally turn its back on the land of the living. Shortland states, "there are two long straight roots, the lower extremities of which are concealed in the sea, while the upper ends cling to a pohutukawa tree. The spirit stands by the upper end of these roots, awaiting an opening in the seaweed floating on the water. The moment an opening is seen, it flies down to the Reinga. Reaching the Reinga, there is a river and a sandy beach. The spirit crosses the river. The name of the newcomer is shouted out. He is welcomed, and food is set before him. If he eats the food, he can never return to life" . Additionally, there are several immaterial sites that are central to the geography of Rarohenga. This includes checkpoints such as Pou-tere-rangi, which is described as the Guard House and entry to the underworld. This site is manned by Te Ku-Watawata, and divides Rarohenga to humankind. Original texts express that humans were once able to journey through this point and between worlds. However, after a heated disagreement between Te Ku-Watawata and Mataora, the passage was closed to humans forever. Te Ku-Watawata declared "never again will the door of the lower world be opened to the upper world, but only downward to the underworld; only spirits shall traverse both realms".

References

{{Reflist Māori underworld