Uira
This short, dramatic poem is in te reo Māori with an accompanying English interpretation. It describes the sights and sounds of lightning as Tāwhirimātea performs a haka. Tāwhirimātea is one of the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. He didn’t want his parents to separate. When his brothers separated his parents to let light into the world, Tāwhirimātea caused violent storms. He is the Atua of the winds, clouds, rain, hail, snow, and storms. “Atua” refers to ancestors who have a continued influence on people’s lives.
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