In Māori mythology, Kaitangata is a mortal son of Maui and an industrious man who married the female supernatural being Whaitiri, or a son of star-god Rehua. Due to his name; Kaitangata means man-eater; Whaitiri believed him to be a cannibal as she was however this proved to be incorrect and she eventually left him because he offended her. Before she returned to heaven as a cloud, she taught Kaitangata how to fish. With Whaitiri, he was the father of Hemā.