Ko Te Kore (the void, energy, nothingness, potential)

Te Kore-te-whiwhia (the void in which nothing is possessed)

Te Kore-te-rawea (the void in which nothing is felt)

Te Kore-i-ai (the void with nothing in union) Te Kore-te-wiwia (the space without boundaries)Na Te Kore Te Po (from the void the night)Te Po-nui (the great night)

Te Po-roa (the long night)

Te Po-uriuri (the deep night)

Te Po-kerekere (the intense night)

Te Po-tiwhatiwha (the dark night)

Te Po-te-kitea (the night in which nothing is seen)

Te Po-tangotango (the intensely dark night)

Te Po-whawha (the night of feeling)

Te Po-namunamu-ki-taiao (the night of seeking the passage to the world)

Te Po-tahuri-atu (the night of restless turning)

Te Po-tahuri-mai-ki-taiao (the night of turning towards the revealed world)

Ki te Whai-ao (to the glimmer of dawn)
Ki te Ao-marama (to the bright light of day)
Tihei mauri-ora (there is life)

Ka hinga atu he tete-kura – ka hara-mai he tete-kura. As one fern frond (person) dies – one is born to take its place. -Whakatauki (Maori Proverb)
Whaia e koe ki te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei
Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain-Whakatauki (Maori Proverb)

Tane Mahuta, the god of the forest and the birds, and Hineahuane, the woman made from the earth, had a daughter Hinetitama. Hinetitama or the Dawn Maiden was the only female god. As Hinetitama grew, Tane Mahuta began to wonder who would be her husband. He consulted with his brothers but they told him that it was his decision. Tane Mahuta then took the form of a man and Hinetitama fell in love with him and became his wife. She gave birth to Hinerauwharangi.
Then one day the wind whispered to Hinetitama, “Who is your father?” On another occasion a wave asked the same question. Hinetitama then became curious as to the identity of her father. Realizing that she had no recollection of him, she asked her husband. He told her to ask the posts of the marae. Suspecting the truth, Hinetitama asked Tane Mahuta a second time. He then made a particular gesture. Shocked, Hinetitama told him that she would leave him and go to the lower world. Her words were, “The path of Tahekeroa to the lower world shall be laid down for all time. From the Muriwaihou I will look up to you and our offspring moving in the world.”
Tane Mahuta objected but Hinetitama was determined to leave him. Her final words were, “Remain, O Tane Mahuta to pull up our offspring to the day, while I go below to drag them down to night.” Then Hinetitama chanted karakia to weaken the power of Tane Mahuta. Next she told their children to go to sleep. Finally she went down to the entrance of the lower worlds. There the guardian of Tatau o te Po tried to dissuade her, but Hinetitama remained determined and said, “Let me remain, that I may catch the living spirit of my descendants in the world of everlasting light.”
Hinetitama changed her name to Hinenuitepo. She was the first to take the path to Rarohenga and she stands at the end of the path to welcome her children. The legend says that though the body of man perishes the spirit of the deceased goes to Rarohenga where Hinenuitepo, the guardian of death, will care for it.