Rohe (mythology)

Rohe (mythology)

In a tradition of the Moriori people of the Chatham Islands, Rohe is the wife of the demi-god Māui. Beautiful Rohe was a sister of the sun, and her face shone. A quarrel arose after Rohe remarked that Māui's face was ugly. Māui then decided that they should change faces. Afterwards Māui used magic to kill Rohe, but her spirit returned and destroyed Māui. Thus were black magic and death introduced into the world. After her death, Rohe ruled as the goddess of the pō (spirit world), where she gathered in the spirits of the dead. Evil influences were attributed to her (Best 1982:362-363, Shand 1897:125-126).

Cook Islands

In Mangaia, the name Ro'e appears in Te Aka-ia-Ro'e (the root of all existence) which, according to Tregear, is 'a spirit in the form of a thick stem tapering to a point, and is situated at the bottom of the Universe, sustaining the Cosmos' (Gill 1976:1, Tregear 1891:421). According to Elsdon Best, the goddess exchanges heads with Māui (Best 1982:363).

Māori

The Māori knew little of Rohe. Tregear records the one myth associated with her, in which she is the wife of Māui. She was beautiful as he was ugly, and she refused his request to exchange faces. Māui, however, recited an incantation, and their faces were switched. In anger Rohe left him, and refused to live any longer in the world of light. She went to the underworld, and became a goddess of the pō (night or spirit world). Rohe is said sometimes to beat the spirits of deceased as they pass through her realm. Her home is in that division of the night world called Te Uranga-o-te-rā. Māui and Rohe had a son named Rangihore, the god of rocks and stones (Craig 1989:231, Best 1982:362, Tregear 1891:421). [One source gives 'Koke' as another name for Rohe: this looks suspiciously like a misreading rather than a plausible alternative name.]

Tahiti

In Tahiti, the 'Father of Famine' is called Rohe-upo'o-nui, (Large-headed Rohe) (Tregear 1891:421).

Notes

References

* E. Best, "Maori Religion and Mythology, Part 2" (Dominion Museum Bulletin No.11. Museum of New Zealand: Wellington, 1982).
* R.D. Craig, "Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology" (Greenwood Press: New York, 1989).
* W.W. Gill, "Myths and Songs from the South Pacific" (Henry S. King: London, 1876).
* A.Shand, The Moriori People of the Chatham Islands; their Traditions and History. "Journal of The Polynesian Society", Volume 3, 1897.
* E.R. Tregear, "Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary", (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay 1891).


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rohe — is a word used by the Māori of New Zealand to describe the territory or boundaries of tribal groups. In traditional times, rohe were defined according to prominent geographical features, including mountains, rivers, and lakes. This is generally… …   Wikipedia

  • Māui (Māori mythology) — Māui took on the appearance of a pigeon when he went to find his father in the underworld. In Māori mythology, Māui is a culture hero famous for his exploits and his trickery. Contents 1 …   Wikipedia

  • architecture — /ahr ki tek cheuhr/, n. 1. the profession of designing buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments, usually with some regard to aesthetic effect. Architecture often includes design or selection of… …   Universalium

  • Underworld — For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation). The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies.[1] It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in… …   Wikipedia

  • Maui (mythologie) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Maui (homonymie). Māui est l un des grands héros de la littérature orale polynésienne. Les récits de ses exploits se retrouvent dans pratiquement toutes les îles polynésiennes, avec peu de variations de nom. Maui …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Maui (mythologie maori) — Maui (mythologie) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Maui (homonymie). Māui est l un des grands héros de la littérature orale polynésienne. Les récits de ses exploits se retrouvent dans pratiquement toutes les îles polynésiennes, avec peu de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Māui (mythologie maori) — Maui (mythologie) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Maui (homonymie). Māui est l un des grands héros de la littérature orale polynésienne. Les récits de ses exploits se retrouvent dans pratiquement toutes les îles polynésiennes, avec peu de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • interior design — 1. the design and coordination of the decorative elements of the interior of a house, apartment, office, or other structural space, including color schemes, fittings, furnishings, and sometimes architectural features. 2. the art, business, or… …   Universalium

  • Western sculpture — ▪ art Introduction       three dimensional artistic forms produced in what is now Europe and later in non European areas dominated by European culture (such as North America) from the Metal Ages (Europe, history of) to the present.       Like… …   Universalium

  • Mark Rothko — Rothko redirects here. For other uses, see Rothko (disambiguation). Mark Rothko Mark Rothko visiting the Scott family in 1959 Birth name Marcus Rothkowitz …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”