Takutaku a Hinepūtehue
Takutaku a Hinepūtehue
Wed 15, April 2026. Eruera Lee-Morgan & Caitlyn Te Moana
Pūrangakura is pleased to share Takutaku a Hinepūtehue, composed by Eruera Lee-Morgan.
Through this takutaku we continue to elevate our tāonga and traditions to keep us closely connected our surroundings – our natural environment, Māori deities and each other.
He Whakamārama
Ko Hinepūtehue te atua o te maungarongo ki waenganui i ōnā pāpara a Tāne Mahuta rāua ko Tāwhirimātea. Koia te taukaea o te wai, te ātea-ā-rangi, te kai, te whenua, te wā me te tāngata.
I te mau-ā-riri a Tāwhirimātea ki tana taina a Tāne i tāna i wehengia ai ō rāua mātua, ko Ranginui ki runga ko Papatūānuku ki raro. Ka whiua tana riri ki a Tāne me ngā uri ki ngā hauāwhiowhio, ki ngā ua marangai, huripari anō hoki. Nā te tamaahine a Tāne a Hinepūtehue te riri i whakamāuruuru ai i tana kaponga i te hau riri a Tāwhirimātea ka mau ki tōna poho ka tangi aroha, ka puta ko tōnā reo mau/ngarongo, ko tōnā reo whakatau wairua anō hoki.
Explanation
Hinepūtehue is the atua who embodies connection, mediation, and balance across interdependent systems - linking water, space, land, kai, time, and people through the stabilising power of sound, rhythm, and harmony. Her role is one of alignment and reconciliation, restoring equilibrium between powerful forces and sustaining continuity across realms.
Hinepūtehue calms and mediates the volatile energies of Tāwhirimātea, to this day Tāwhirimātea seeks retribution for the separation of his parents Rangi and Papa by Tāne Mahuta. The storms and winds created by Tāwhirimātea drive atmospheric moisture and rainfall.
The ways Hinepūtehue works
Water | Wai
Hinepūtehue calms and mediates the volatile energies of Tāwhirimātea, whose storms and winds drive atmospheric moisture and rainfall. By “grasping the fury of Tāwhirimātea” and holding it close, she represents the moderation of extreme hydrological forces and the return of balance within the water cycle.
Space | Te Ātea-ā- rangi & Wāhi
As te taukaea o ngā kāhui whetū me ngā marama, she binds the stars and the lunar cycles, positioning space not as empty expanse, but as an ordered, rhythmic system that governs tides, seasons, and orientation.
Land | Whenua
As the tatau pounamu ki Te Waonui-ā-Tāne, Hinepūtehue is the threshold into the living terrestrial realm. She connects atmospheric and celestial forces to whenua, enabling forests, soils, and ecosystems to recover and flourish under settled conditions.
Sustenance and Productivity | Kai
Through restoring calm and balance between the atua, Hinepūtehue creates the stable environmental conditions necessary for food systems supporting Rongomātāne’s domain to function without disruption from destructive climatic extremes.
Time | Te Wā
Her orooro tau and reo mārire reflect cyclical time—seasonal rhythm, recovery periods, and generational continuity. Hinepūtehue governs transition points where conflict gives way to resolution and disorder returns to equilibrium.
People | Tāngata & Wairua
As te reo whakatau wairua, Hinepūtehue connects people emotionally, spiritually, and socially. Her sound functions as a unifying force - absorbing conflict, soothing grief, and restoring collective harmony through shared understanding and peace.