Punga (mythology)

Strange animals, such as this manta ray, are Punga's children.

In Māori mythology, Punga is a supernatural being, the ancestor of sharks, lizards, rays, and all deformed, ugly things. All ugly and strange animals are Punga's children. Hence the saying Te aitanga a Punga (the offspring of Punga) used to describe an ugly person.[1]

  1. ^ "Punga - The God of Ugliness". culture shock adventure. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2024-02-03.