Hine-nui-te-pō
Hine-nui-te-pō, the Great Woman of Night, governs the underworld and receives the dead. Once Hine-tītama, she fled to the underworld after learning Tāne was both husband and father, showing power in choosing one’s place.
Story beats
- 1) Born of Tāne and Hine-ahu-one, Hine-tītama grows radiant; she later discovers Tāne is also her father.
- 2) Overwhelmed, she journeys to Rarohenga (underworld), becoming Hine-nui-te-pō, guardian of the dead.
- 3) Māui seeks immortality for humankind by trying to pass through her body; she awakens and kills him, fixing mortality.
- 4) As a compassionate gatekeeper, she shelters ancestors and balances the living and dead.
Context & symbolism
Hine-nui-te-pō embodies agency and the inevitability of death as part of balance. Her choice to depart asserts autonomy; her role ensures a place for the dead, framing mortality as return, not punishment.
Māui’s failure shows limits of trickster ambition: death grants meaning; circumventing it disrespects cosmic order.
Motifs
- Red eyes, shark-toothed thighs, flashing obsidian
- Journey to underworld to claim power
- Māui crushed attempting immortality
- Protection and guidance of spirits
Use it in play
- Seek Hine-nui-te-pō’s blessing to cross safely into the realm of the dead.
- Reframe death as return—rituals to honor her close an undead rift.
- Challenge a would-be immortal; invoke her to restore balance.
- Negotiate with the goddess who chose exile; respect her boundaries to win aid.