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Story: Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth

Tūmatauenga

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Tūmatauenga

Tūmatauenga stands holding his taiaha. Often in the tohi ceremony a baby boy would be dedicated to Tūmatauenga, the god of war.

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How to cite this page

Hope Tupara, Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth – Rites and baby care, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/27628/tumatauenga (accessed 4 June 2026).

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