Earthquakes in Māori Tradition
For centuries before Europeans arrived, Māori had experienced rū whenua, which means ‘the shaking of the land’. According to Māori tradition, earthquakes are caused by the god Rūaumoko (or Rūamoko), the son of Ranginui (the Sky) and his wife Papatūānuku (the Earth). Rangi had been separated from Papa, and his tears had flooded the land. […]