Tangaroa
Tangaroa was one of the children of the Sky Father,
Rangi, and Mother Earth,
Papa. He was the god of the sea. One of his brothers was the storm god,
Tawhiri.
Tawhiri was so upset with his brother, Tane, for having separated their parents that he caused storms and hurricanes. Reptiles and other animals that lived on the land escaped to the ocean of Tangaroa. That is how the Maoris explain the presence of fish in the sea.
Once, while Tangaroa's daughter-in-law was surfing, she was seized by the
demon octopus Rogo-tumu-here. Tangaroa paddled his canoe to the refuge of
the demon, and, in a desperate struggle, he defeated the demon and freed
the girl.
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