Hine-nui-te-pō

Māori

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Deity

Territorial

Māori Deity Night Death Underworld Ancestor

AffinitiesNight, Death, Obsidian

Lore

Hine-nui-te-pō is a Deity — the great woman of night and guardian of the shadowed realm. In the field she announces herself not by blaze but by subtle withdrawal: the air takes on the close, loamy smell of damp earth and fern; sound thins to a distant, bell-like wind or the hush of night birds falling silent; temperature drops to a cool, stone-like chill that sits on the skin. Encountering her is less a sighting than a turning inward, an ancestral stillness that invites respect and quiet note-taking.

Origin: Māori • New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Classification: Deity

Field Notes

Observations

A sudden dusk hush paired with the smell of wet earth and a persistent, cool stillness.

Encounter Advice

taboo: Do not mock, trivialize, or attempt casual summons. Avoid noisy intrusion at burial places and never treat the dead as spectacle. Always consult local iwi and kaumātua for culturally proper conduct.
reverence: Acknowledge tīpuna and offer karakia (prayer) or silence; make any tangible offerings only with permission and guidance from local elders. Show restraint, humility, and sustained respect.
offering: Simple gestures such as karakia, acknowledgement of ancestors, or small natural tokens (flowers or woven flax) — only when made with local consent and guidance.

Abilities

Obsidian Passage Crush
Her obsidian-lined birth-passage closes like a trap, crushing mortals or intruders and sealing souls into the realm of the dead.
Gatekeeper's Judgment
As mistress of the underworld she can accept, bind, or irreversibly deny a soul's passage, preventing resurrection or escape.
Night's Veil and Dreamcraft
She draws night like a cloak to smother light, induce deathlike sleep, and weave dreams that reveal or torment ancestral truths.

Weaknesses

Vulnerability During Slumber
Her corporeal sanctum is most exposed while she sleeps—Māui's famed (fatal) attempt exploited this rare window of physical vulnerability.
Diminished Reach in Perpetual Daylight
Her sway wanes beyond nocturnal realms or in places kept in constant, consecrated light (e.g., sunlit marae), reducing her influence over the living.

✦Tales & Stories featuring Hine-nui-te-pō

monsters and myths

Hine-nui-te-po: The Woman of the Night

She is the horizon where life ends. She is the mother of the underworld, with eyes of greenstone and teeth of obsidian. The demigod Maui thought he could trick her. He was wrong.

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Lore Check: Hine-nui-te-pōQuestion 1/12