The myth of creation
The sky, Rangi, and the earth, Papa, lay together to create the gods. They were then separated by their son, the brother of Tangaroa. In the Māori myth, the son is called Tane (the god of the forest), although the name may vary.
Some Polynesian creation chants are abstract and philosophical; others give such a detailed account of creation that they even celebrate the birth of the dust in the air through the union of "the small" and "the imperceptible".