Story: Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth

'Ko hine te iwaiwa, ko hine korako, ko rona whakamau tai' (1st of 3)

'Ko hine te iwaiwa, ko hine korako, ko rona whakamau tai'

Hineteiwaiwa holds a woman giving birth. She wears a tiki, which is said in one tribal tradition to have been given to her by Tāne to assist with conception. Behind her are Hine-korako and Rona-whakamau-tai. Hineteiwaiwa, Hine-korako and Rona have important associations with birth in Māori tradition.

Courtesy of Robyn Kahukiwa

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Artwork by Robyn Kahukiwa

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How to cite this page:

Hope Tupara, 'Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth - Birth in Māori tradition', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/27616/ko-hine-te-iwaiwa-ko-hine-korako-ko-rona-whakamau-tai (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Hope Tupara, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Jun 2017