Wikipedia

Maru (mythology)

Maru
Māori god of fresh water,
Kāi Tahu god of war
GenderMale
RegionPolynesia
Ethnic groupMāori, Hawaiʻi maoli
ParentsRangihore

Maru is a Māori war god, especially well known in southern New Zealand, where he replaces Tūmatauenga (commonly shortened to Tū), the war god of the rest of New Zealand. In the Hawaiian Islands he is an evil and restless god who has no time to grow his own food and nonetheless rewards his priests' services.[1]

Maru is the son of Rangihore (god of rocks and stones) and the grandson of Māui. Maru's image was brought to New Zealand by Manaia's daughter Haungaroa.

He was also known as the god of wai maori (fresh water) like streams and rivers.

In some tribal instances, Maru was considered a personified deity attributed to warfare, but of a lower ranking than Tū.

See also

Hawaiian religion
Māori mythology

References

  1. ^ Taylor, Richard (1870). Te Ika a Maui. 2nd ed. London: Macintosh. p. 138.
  • R.D. Craig, Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology (Greenwood Press: New York, 1989), 160.
  • Elsdon Best, The Maori as he was, 1924


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.