The story of Aoraki and his three brothers is the Maori legend of Mount Cook. Aoraki and his siblings, the sons of Rakinui (the Sky Father) were on a voyage around Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) when they became stranded upon a reef. Climbing on to the top side of their canoe the voyagers were frozen by the south wind and turned into stone. Their canoe (Te Waka o Aoraki) became the South Island and Aoraki, the tallest of the brothers, Aoraki/Mount Cook with the Southern Alps as his brothers and other members of this crew.