Written by Tamati Waaka (Ngāti Pukeko, Te Whānau ā Apanui, Tūhoe)

In the beginning there was Te Kore, or the great void, a void where nothing was felt or possessed, but in the void was energy and potential.

From Te Kore- the void, sprang Te Pō - the great night. There were many stages of the night, the long night, the deep night, the dark night, the intense night, and the night where nothing at all is seen. The night brought with it a feeling, a yearning, and in those nights, sprang forth the primal parents, Ranginui e tū iho nei (Ranginui up above), and Papatūānuku e takoto ake nei (Papatūānuku lying below).

Their love for each other was so fierce that they lay in an everlasting embrace, even after Papatūānuku gave birth to 70 young, the children could only occupy the gloomy spaces left as Ranginui lay above Papatūānuku.

Such was the condition of the offspring as their parents embraced, there was no day and night to them, for all was darkness. Then, one Moko-huruhuru, noticed a sign of light through his mother's armpit, and then his brother Uepoto followed the light beyond, and reported back to his brothers about the wonderful world that existed beyond their parents.

The desire of the siblings to escape became strong, and with all the movement and debating, caused great pain to their mother, Papatūānuku, yet Ranginui refused to set them free and said "Let them bide within, lest they disperse".

Tāne, the god of forests, trees, birds and many insects, is seen by many as the most famous of Māori gods. He is the brother primarily responsible for the separation of his parents, Rangi and Papa, and played a key role in giving life to human beings. Tāne has many names, signifying his many deeds, such as Tāne-te-waiora, Tāne the giver of life, and Tāne-te-wānanga, Tāne the provider of knowledge.

His story begins, when all the children of heaven and earth lived in the dark embrace of their parents, and some brothers wished to see the world of light, while others didn’t. Once it was agreed, Tū, Tāne’s brother, wished to kill them but Tāne refused, and tried a few different ways to separate his parents. He tried pushing up with his hands, but to no avail. His brothers helped to push too, but the parents’ embrace was tight. Finally, Tāne lay flat on his back, and thrust his feet upwards, ending in the separation of heaven and earth, with Rangi, his father presiding over the skies, and Papa, the earth mother, below.

Tāne then wished to clothe his mother as she lay bare, so set about mating with other beings, to produce all the plants and trees that adorn the earth. He continued by giving life to birds and insects to live in the forests, therefore making this his domain, and the source of his most famous name, Tāne-māhuta – God of all Forests.

Tāne grew quite lonely, he longed to have a mate for himself in his own form.
Tāne set about forming the shape of a woman out of earth, in the image of his mother, at a place called Kurawaka. As with the separation, he struggled in his initial attempts to give life to this form, until, finally he procreated, and breathed the breath of life into her nose exclaiming “Tihei Mauri Ora” It is the sneeze of life! From this act he gained the title of Tāne-te-waiora – Tāne the giver of life.

As Tāne resided on Earth, he looked longingly at his father, who himself required adorning. Tāne then climbed the heavens in search of knowledge, to return to the humans on earth. The advice he received was to climb the thick vine and be weary of any other type of vine which he heeded. His brother, Whiro, did not, and fell from a great height, while Tāne reached the upper-most heavens. Once there some traditions say he adorned his father with stars and constellations.

According to tradition, while in the heavens, he also sought out ‘Ngā kete o te Mātauranga’ - the three ‘Baskets of Knowledge’. He returned to earth with the knowledge contained within the kete, or kit, to earth, along with two important stones, Rehutai and Hukatai. These stones remain the source of knowledge, or wānanga, in the Māori world. From this act he received the name Tāne-te-wānanga – Tāne-the-knowledge-provider.

All in all, Tāne is probably the most famous of all the Māori gods. Without him we wouldn’t exist, and would still be living in a confined world. He brought us many gifts and was able to travel to the heavens to visit his father, and ultimately became known as Tāne-nui-ā-rangi – Tāne-the great son of Rangi.

Known as the Māori Neptune, Tangaroa is the son of Rangi and Papa who presides over the oceans and seas, or more specifically, all the fish and mammals that reside in the seas. Tangaroa is an important atua or god of coastal tribes who rely on his bounty. He is also the god of wisdom and thought, and his descendents also discovered the art of whakairo or carving.

Tangaroa was one of the brothers who opposed the idea to separate their parents. The sons of Rangi and Papa had heated arguments as to what should happen and Tangaroa, as opposed to Tāne, wished to remain in the warm embrace of the primal parents. Once Rangi was pushed up above by the mighty force of Tāne, Tangaroa also chose to remain below, and reside in Wainui-ātea – the great expanse of water. Wainui-ātea is said to be the perspiration of the parents.

All the fish in the oceans including whales are said to be children of Tangaroa. His house is called Hui-te-ana-nui which translates as ‘the meeting place in a cave’, and the source of his children is known as Te Puna i Rangiriri – the spring at Rangiriri. Many famous demi-gods have visited this place requesting specific species of fish from Tangaroa.

Tangaroa and Tāne, remain opposed to each other and continue to wage war on a daily basis. Tangaroa commands the ebbs and flows of the tides, and in this role he is known as Tangaroa Whakamau Tai – Tangaroa controller of tides. He sends huge waves to devour the coast and lands, the domain of Tāne, and Tāne’s children harvest the children of Tangaroa.

He is not only the guarantor of fish, but also of wisdom, and his descendent Rua-te-pukenga or Rua-the-expert, is responsible for creative thought. It may have been Tāne who returned the baskets of knowledge from the heavens, but it is Tangaroa who allows that knowledge to be perpetuated and extended.

Tangaroa’s grandson, another in the Rua descent line, the famous Rua-te-pupupke or Rua-the swelling of thought, is the one responsible for discovering the art of whakairo or carving. When his son Manuruhi was captured by Tangaroa, Rua-te-pupuke dived down to the house of Tangaroa and set it alight, but not after he heard the side boards in the house talking to each other. He returned these beautiful boards back to this world, and copied their ornate form, and called it whakairo.

The fame and importance of Tangaroa rises the further towards the coast you venture, and in fact grows more and more in the Pacific Islands. Sea voyagers give offerings to him and respect his signs and omens and today he inspires many art forms, from carving, painting and even the performing arts.

Known as the God of War, Tūmatauenga was one of the main instigators for the separation of Heaven and Earth. Men and women alike perform the haka with vigour in his honour, and Tū exudes his qualities in man when they are very angry.

At the time of the separation of Heaven and Earth, Tū wished to separate his parents by killing them before Tāne intervened. Tū stood up and delivered a powerful speech before Tāne calmed him down by saying they should separate them instead.

Tū and Tāne however combine efforts after the separation, in the war that continually rages against Tangaroa and Tāwhirimātea. Tāne may have created human beings, but it is Tū that is responsible for their anger and deeds in warfare.

During warfare, he has many names, such as Tū-ka-riri – Tū the angry one, and Tū-kai-tauā - the devourer of enemies, and Tū-whakaheke tangata ki te pō – Tū who sends people to the night.

In the past, when males were born, if selected, they were taken to the waters to be dedicated to Tū. From then on they were trained in the whare tū tauā or Tu’s house of warfare. They would become adept in the Māori art of war and weaponry, namely the use of the taiaha, or the long staff, the ultimate weapon of Tūmatauenga and the sign of a mighty warrior.

Tūmatauenga means Tū the angry face, and it is this image that Māori try to imitate when performing the famous Haka, or war dance. The performers, both male and female, call forth the spirit of Tū, and quiver their hands, widen their eyes and protrude the tongue in honour of Tū.

Tū is not all bad, there are times when people call on Tū for assistance when required and are able to return back to a state of normalcy by calling on the god of peace, Rongo, but that is another story.

Tāwhirimātea, is the Māori god of the winds. Like Tangaroa, he opposed the separation of Rangi and Papa. Tāwhiri resides in the heavens and has an important role to play in forecasting weather. He works alongside his brother Tangaroa in the fight against his brothers Tū and Tāne.

When the brothers were deciding whether to separate, kill or remain, Tāwhiri also disagreed with Tāne and wished to remain close to both his parents. All this was futile, as the majority of the brothers of heaven and earth wished to enter te ao mārama or the world of light.

As the majority of the sons of Rangi remained on earth with their mother, Tāwhiri decided to hold tight to Rangi and ascended the heavens too. Along with his father, it is said that they cause the rain with their tears for Papa, which is called Ngā Roimata o Ranginui, the tears of heaven.

It is said that the reason why the wind blows in all directions is because Tāwhiri is blind. Some say he gouged out his own eyes and threw them across the chest of his father, and they became the constellation of Matariki or Pleiades. Matariki means ‘eyes of a god’.

Tāwhirimātea from above, joins his brother Tangaroa below, in the ongoing war against Tāne and Tū. He sends strong winds that whip up the ocean waves that eat away at cliffs. His winds also form tornadoes that uproot trees from the earth as a form of punishment for the separation of their parents.

Tāwhiri and Tangaroa work together in the water cycle with the waters evaporating from Tangaroa’s realm, rising into the sky and into the domain of Tāwhirimātea. He then in turn lets the rain fall again to the earth to replenish the streams and rivers that flow once again to Tangaroa.

Rūaumoko is the Māori god responsible for earthquakes and volcanic activity. At the time of the separation of Rangi and Papa, he still resided in their mothers womb, therefore is the youngest of the 70 offspring. Once the godly sons saw the world of light, Rūaumoko was forever to exist only in the womb and not walk the earth.

The meaning of Rūaumoko is to shake to and fro, and just like a baby, he twists, turns, and kicks. Aotearoa’s many earthquakes are attributed to this movement of Rūaumoko in the belly of Papatuanuku.

Like his brothers Tangaroa and Tāwhirimātea he makes war against man, the creation of Tāne. They work together assailing the offspring of Tāne in order to avenge the separation of their parents.

Rūaumoko is much venerated by haka exponents, as men try to replicate the movement and the sounds of Rūaumoko. At commemorations, ceremonies and important events, hundreds of māori Warriors perform the haka, stamp their feet vigorously, slap their bodies, and exclaim at the top of their lungs, in an attempt to imitate the rumblings of Rūaumoko.

Before you get started, make sure you have the latest version of Instagram installed on your smartphone and your sound is on. Make sure you are in a well-lit area with a non-reflective flat surface (the floor or a table work best). For best results, ensure there is one square metre of space around you.

User Journey

1. Opening The Maori Gods World AR Experience: Scan the QR code or go to https://l.ead.me/maori-world and follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, head to the Instagram page (@instagram) and find the Effects tab. Look for this icon: ✨.

   a. On the Effects tab ✨, tap on The Māori Gods World AR to open the Effect.

   b. If you are not on Instagram, use the following link to open the experience on Facebook: https://l.ead.me/maori-world-fb.

2. Find a flat surface: Using the back-facing camera on Instagram, move your smartphone around slowly to detect a flat, non-reflective surface.

3. Tap to place:Once your smartphone has found a flat surface, tap on the screen to place the experience where you want it to start.

4. Turn on your sound: Don’t forget to turn on your sound!

5. Starting the story: The Māori Gods creation story will roll as a 2D animation. Keep your smartphone steady, otherwise the experience won’t start where you expect it to. If you have already watched this once, please feel free to tap the ‘Skip’ button at the top of the screen.

6. Activating The Māori Gods in AR: The five Māori Gods will appear in your space. Pinch the screen with two fingers to adjust the size of the Māori Gods. If you want to change the location of the Māori Gods, you can single tap the screen to place them wherever you want.

7. Selecting each Māori God:Tap on the icons above the Instagram camera shutter button to select the next Māori God in the story.

8. Sharing The Māori Gods World AR Experience: Listen to the “Ngā Atua Māori” creation story and record a video or snap a photo to share the Māori Gods in your world:
   a. Recording a video: Hold down the Instagram camera shutter button and use a finger on your other hand to swipe left and right on the screen to select each Māori God. Instagram allows you to record up to four clips of 15 seconds of the Māori Gods and their story. You can then add stickers and text to your video(s) before sharing to your Instagram Story.
   b. Snapping a photo: Tap the Instagram camera shutter button to snap a photo of your favourite Māori God. You can then add stickers and text to your photo before sharing it to your Instagram Story.
   c. Pro tip: Search “Māori Gods” for animated stickers to spice up your Instagram Story!

User Journey

1. Opening The Maori Gods World AR Experience: Scan the QR code or go to https://l.ead.me/maori-world and follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, head to the Instagram page (@instagram) and find the Effects tab. Look for this icon: ✨.

   A) On the Effects tab ✨, tap on The Māori Gods World AR to open the Effect.

   B) If you are not on Instagram, use the following link to open the experience on Facebook: https://l.ead.me/maori-world-fb.

2. Turn on your sound:Don’t forget to turn on your sound to hear the sounds of each Māori God realm!

3. Find a face: Using your front-facing camera on Instagram, make sure your face is in the frame.

4. Choose an option:Tap on the icons above the Instagram camera shutter button to select the realm you would like to be in.

5. Sharing The Māori Gods Face AR Experience:Listen to the atmospheric sounds of each realm and record a video or snap a photo to share to your Instagram Story:
   a. Recording a video: Hold down the Instagram camera shutter button and use a finger on your other hand to swipe left and right on the screen to select each Māori God. Instagram allows you to record up to four clips of 15 seconds of the Māori Gods and their story. You can then add stickers and text to your video(s) before sharing to your Instagram Story.
   b. Snapping a photo: Tap the Instagram camera shutter button to snap a photo of your favourite Māori God. You can then add stickers and text to your photo before sharing it to your Instagram Story.
   c. Pro tip: Search “Māori Gods” for animated stickers to spice up your Instagram Story!

WhatsApp sticker pack:Download the WhatsApp sticker pack by going to the following link on your smartphone: https://sticker.ly/s/X2T4FO

TroubleShooting Guide

Having trouble experiencing the AR?

We understand that AR technology is still a relatively new experience for many - even the development software we use is still in beta! And that is why we do expect a few challenges along the way.
If you see the error message, “Unable to use this effect on your device!”​, please follow the troubleshooting tips below:

1. Check your location: Make sure you are located in a well-lit space. AR needs consistent and bright lighting conditions to work best.

2. Device support:Spark AR works on most smartphones. However, not all smartphones are optimised for AR. Please check this list to see if your mobile device supports the AR experiences: ARCore: Supported Devices

3. Latest version of Instagram or Facebook:To use the AR experiences, you will require the social media application - Instagram or Facebook - installed on your mobile device. Make sure that you have the latest version of the Instagram or Facebook app installed.

4. Enabling camera access:You will need to enable camera access on your smartphone settings if you haven’t used the Instagram or Facebook camera before.

5. Restart: First, close the Instagram or Facebook application and open the AR experience from the beginning. If that still doesn’t fix the issue, finally, try restarting your smartphone and open the experience again.

Please note that The Māori Gods Face AR Experience (front camera) will only initialise upon detection of a user’s face and mask-wearing may affect face detection.

We hope you enjoy The Māori Gods AR Experiences!