Editing Tangaroa (section)

== Cook Islands ==
*In [[Rarotonga]], Tangaroa is god of the sea and fertility. He is the most important of all the departmental gods. Carved figures made from [[Cook Islands art|wood carvings]] are very popular on the island today.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rarotonga & the Cook Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5akbBi6sso8C&pg=PA23|first=Errol|last=Hunt|date=11 August 2018|publisher=Lonely Planet| isbn=9781740590839 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
*In [[Mangaia]], Tangaroa is a child of Vatea (daylight) and Papa (foundation) and the younger twin brother of Rongo. Rongo and Tangaroa share food and fish: Tangaroa's share is everything red (the red [[taro]], red fish and so on). Tangaroa is said to have [[blond|yellow hair]], and when Mangaians first saw [[Europeans]], they thought they must be Tangaroa's children.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|464}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gill|first=W. W.|year=1876|title=Myths and Songs of the South Pacific|location=London|publisher=Henry S. King|page=13}}</ref>
*In [[Manihiki]], Tangaroa is the origin of fire. Māui goes to him to obtain fire for humankind. Advised to reach Tangaroa's abode by taking the common path, he takes the forbidden path of death, infuriating Tangaroa, who tries to kick him to death. Māui manages to prevent that and insists that Tangaroa give him fire. Māui kills Tangaroa. When his parents are horrified, Māui uses incantations to bring him back to life.<ref name="Tregear"/>{{rp|463–464}}