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Story: Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth

'Mana wahine'

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'Mana wahine'

'Mana wahine' by Warren Pōhatu shows Papatūānuku (top) and Ranginui (centre) with Tāne below them breathing life into Hineahuone. She was shaped from the rich red soils (kurawaka) of Papatūānuku, the act which began the whakapapa of te ira wahine (the female element). Tāne said that when the body had served its purpose, it would return to Papatūānuku. In Māori thought, humans begin with the land and end with the land.

Using this item

Private collection

by Warren Pohatu

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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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, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/27615/mana-wahine (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Hope Tupara, published 23 March 2011, updated 1 June 2017.

Comments

Harriet
31 May 2018
Kia ora Phillipa, if the proposed use is for school or private study, that would be fine. Thanks.
Phillippa Milroy
18 February 2018
Kia ora I am naming my reading groups after the Maori Gods / Goddesses of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. I was wanting permission to use an illustration of each of Papatuanuku, Tawhirimatea, Mahuika and Tangaroa from this site. Nga mihi Phillippa Milroy