woodcarving (whakairo) – Māori ethnographer Elsdon Best’s translations of the Mataora myth suggest the influence of Rarohenga’s entities in the cultural and artistic development of woodcarving practiced today. Uetonga reiterated to Mataora the necessary adaption of painting and “carving”. His insight expressed that the temporary tattoo seen on Mataora's face, should be used for woodcarving and design found in buildings. Myth and origin Origin The origin of Rarohenga, like many other Māori rituals and beliefs, is derivative of Polynesian mythology. According to such mythology, Hawaiki represents the origin of all Polynesian people and where they return after death. Variations, such as Rarohenga, came to be after this traditional mythology dispersed across the numerous islands of the central and southern Pacific Ocean, whereupon it was adapted and redeveloped into new settings. Pre-European Prior to colonisation, the “innate belief in the immortality of the soul” held by the Māori was directed into the belief of Rarohenga. Unlike the biblical systems of heaven and hell, the underworld and its key spiritual figures were not characterised as evil and malevolent beings. Rather they were embodied as instigators of positive, cultural development. These mythical entities are recorded as cultivators of humankind through spiritual intervention. Who regularly conducted humanitarian acts of sharing knowledge and wisdom, as the realm and its inhabitants did not seek to punish or disturb the dead. Traditional accounts of Rarohenga characterise its two realms (Upper or Lower) as both being restful places of peace and light, where the ultimate destination and residence of each spirit is entirely up to them. Each individual spirit is said to retain the executive agency to decide to make their home in Rarohenga or The Sky World (also known as The Summit of the Heavens or Toi-o-ngā-rangi). However, the Sky World or The Summit of Heavens is not as widely known or recorded as Rarohenga in traditional accounts. Post-colonisation When examining the mythology of Rarohenga, it is common for inconsistencies to arise between the oral stories, written accounts, and contemporary knowledge. This is the result of 19th century colonisation in New Zealand that allowed the solely oral history, tradition, and mythology of the Māori to become susceptible to erasure through unqualified translation, ethnocentrism, and assimilative motivations of colonisers. Various critics argue the inconsistencies are derivative of translators who would freely translate Māori to English and rewrite substantial passages. Herbert Williams commented on this action, in reference to