Ikatere
In Māori and Polynesian mythology, Ikatere, also spelled Ika-tere,[1] ('fast fish')[2] is a fish god, the father of all sea creatures, including mermaids.
| Ikatere | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Region | Polynesia |
| Ethnic group | Māori |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Punga |
| Siblings | Tū-te-wehiwehi |
He is a son of Punga, and a grandson of Tangaroa, and his brother is Tū-te-wehiwehi[1][2] (Grey 1971:1–5).
Disagreements between brothers
When Tāwhirimātea (god of storms) made war against his brothers for the separation of Rangi and Papa (sky and earth), Ikatere and Tū-te-wehiwehi were among those who had to flee from his wrath for their survival.[1][2] The two argued over whether they should stay in the sea or go to the land.[2] Ikatere chose to keep his children, the fish, to the sea,[1] while Tū-te-wehiwehi chose to take his children, reptiles, to the land.[2] A saying that refers to the choices they made for their descendants goes as such:
Māori Translation Tāua ki uta, tāua ki te wai. We of the land, we of the sea.[2]
References
- Moorfield, John C. (2005). Te Aka : Maori-English, English-Maori dictionary and index. Auckland, N.Z.: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0582548367.
- "'Ngārara – reptiles, Page 2. From sea to land', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand". Bradford Haami. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
Bibliography
Grey 1971:1–5