Key Info

- Night goddess and peaceful ruler of the Underworld

- Created all volcanic islands by throwing rocks from the heavens 

Brief Bio

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 colour red in the sky comes from her. Hine-nui-te-pō shepherds the wairua/souls into the first level of Rarohenga to ready them for the next stage of their journey. Before she was Hine-nui-te-po her name was Hine-ti-tama. Without Hine-ti-Tama knowing their connection to each other, her father Tāne Mahuta pursued then married his daughter. Upon discovering that her husband was in fact her father, the betrayal and trauma compelled her to leave the world of the living and descend into the underworld. There, she became Hine-nui-te-pō, goddess of the night, and the guardian and mother of spirits.