Toitū Te Whenua!: the Sanctuary, the Marae and the Earth-Goddess; Standing her Ground in the Evolution of the Political and Cultural Identities of Contemporary Māori and Archaic Greek Society

Abstract

This work is to be a comparative investigation of selected aspects of archaic Greek and contemporary Māori mythmaking. I have chosen to examine the importance of the Archaic Greek sanctuary and the contemporary Māori marae complex in the creation of political and cultural identity. I intend to narrow my focus to the role of the earth-connected goddess in such institutions. I want to ask the following questions: How does each community identify and construct sacred space; How can such space be related to the growth of the political and cultural identities of those communities; What is the role of the earth-connected goddess in each community; in each community how are such earth-connected goddesses used in denoting and creating sacred space and political/cultural identity; is it possible to ascertain a connection between particular earth-connected goddesses and the establishment of archaic sanctuaries and contemporary marae complexes; May it therefore be possible to posit a connection between expression and use of the earth-connected goddess in sacred space and the construction of political and cultural identity?