Whiro-te-tipua (aka Whiro) is the lord of darkness and embodiment of all evil in Māori mythology.
[1][2] Usually depicted as a lizard-like creature, he inhabits the underworld and is responsible for the ills of all people, a contrast to his brother and enemy Tāne.
This process will eventually make him sufficiently powerful to break free of the underworld, at which point he will come to the surface and devour everything and everyone on it.
Taiwhetuki – Whiro's House of Death – is a deep and dark cave[4] where all things evil are preserved, such as black magic.
[2] Whiro-te-tipua (Iro in Rarotonga) was a Polynesian voyager who shared a name with the offspring of Papatūānuku and Ranginui.