Both cultures have stories passed down about the creation of light (sun, moon, and stars) due to characters who want a change from living in the darkness. In the story of “The Māori: Genealogies and Origins in New Zealand,” it begins with the sons wanting freedom because “Papa’s embrace was so tight that they had so space to move or lead their lives. They lay in the darkness, constricted and unhappy.” The character Raven, in “The Raven and the First Men: The Beginning of the Haida,” grew bored and “decided to leave and fly over the earth, but found it was in total darkness.” An important contrast between the two myths is how light was created. In the Māori myth, the sons wanted their freedom so badly that one, Tu, was willing to kill their parents; however, another son, Tane, wanted to only pry Rangi and Papa apart. “Light flooded into the world” when Tane, the God of forests, slowly pushed his parents apart. Papa became the Earth, Rangi became the sky, and their son Tane “adorned Rangi with stars,” to honor his father. In the Raven, the Raven tricked the Sky Chief by becoming an irritable baby. The Sky Chief gave boxes that contained the stars, moon, and sun for his grandson to play with, but Raven, disguised as the grandson, not only shook the boxes so hard that light was released into the sky, but also stole the last box containing the sun.

Question

The Maori view Rangi as gentle, while the Haida see Sky Chief as controlling.
The Maori view Rangi as vengeful, while the Haida see Sky Chief as protective.
The Maori view Rangi as weak, while the Haida see Sky Chief as aggressive.
The Maori view Rangi as powerful, while the Haida see Sky Chief as generous.

Answer 1

The contrasts between the Māori and Haida creation myths highlight differing cultural perspectives on the relationship between light and darkness, as well as the nature of the parental figures involved in these stories.

In the Māori myth, Rangi (the sky) is portrayed as a gentle and nurturing figure who, despite being constricting, embodies a protective kind of love for his children. He is not depicted as vengeful but rather as a partner to Papa (the earth) in a cosmic embrace that their sons ultimately seek to change. Tane's actions to separate his parents are motivated by a desire for freedom and a better world, leading to a peaceful creation of light that acknowledges Rangi’s role through the adornment of stars.

Conversely, in the Haida tale, the Sky Chief is presented as controlling and protective, with light being released only through cunning and trickery. Raven’s manipulation of the Sky Chief’s expectations reflects a more adversarial relationship with the father figure who holds the light (the sun, moon, and stars) captive. The act of stealing light signifies a struggle against authority.

To summarize, the Māori view Rangi as gentle and protective, while the Haida see Sky Chief as controlling and protective. This dialogue between the myths reveals a deeper understanding of familial relationships and the significance of light in each culture's worldview. Ultimately, both myths express a strong desire for liberation from darkness, yet they approach the theme of parental authority and the origins of light in very different ways.

Answer 2

A. The Maori view Rangi as gentle, while the Haida see Sky Chief as controlling.
B. The Maori view Rangi as vengeful, while the Haida see Sky Chief as protective.
C. The Maori view Rangi as weak, while the Haida see Sky Chief as aggressive.
D. The Maori view Rangi as powerful, while the Haida see Sky Chief as generous.

Answer 3

The best answer among the options provided is:

A. The Māori view Rangi as gentle, while the Haida see Sky Chief as controlling.

This option captures the essence of the descriptions and relationships found in the creation myths you referenced. In the Māori myth, Rangi is depicted as a gentle and nurturing figure, while in the Haida myth, Sky Chief is portrayed as controlling, with Raven having to trick him to release light into the world. This highlights the contrasting perspectives on parental figures within each cultural narrative.