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Maui myth page

Māui (Maui) is the great culture hero, trickster, and demi-god in Polynesian mythology. Exploits of Maui tend to fall more into the category of folklore rather than religion and myth. Very rarely was Maui actually worshiped, being less of a deity and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main exploits remain relatively similar.

Tales of his exploits and adventures are told throughout most of Polynesia. Some of his most common exploits that span the south seas, are stealing fire for humans from the underworld, fishing up islands with his magical hook, as well as lassoing the sun with his hair to extend the days. While Maui in most cases is regarded as a god or a fully divine figure, in some places he is regarded as simply a great human hero.

Though Maui and tales of his adventures can be found on almost every Island group in Polynesia, there are a great deal of differences between them from nation to nation. Even Maui himself is portrayed differently, from being a handsome young man, to being an old wise wandering priest.

Māui appears as a demigod and a primary character in the 2016 Disney film Moana., portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. (Should I expand on this? Maybe... do i make a pop culture section?)

Maori Mythology
In Māori mythology, as in other Polynesian traditions, Māui is a culture hero and a trickster, famous for his exploits and cleverness.

Māui is credited with catching a giant fish using a fishhook taken from his grandmother's jaw-bone; the giant fish would become the North Island of New Zealand, known as Te Ika-a-Māui. In some traditions, his waka (canoe) became the South Island, known as Te Waka a Māui. His last trick, which led to his death, involved the GoddessHine-nui-te-pō. While attempting to make mankind immortal by changing into a worm, Māui entered her vagina, intent on leaving through her mouth while she slept. He was, however, crushed by the obsidian teeth in her vagina.

Maori names of Maui include Māui-tikitiki ("Māui the top-knot"), Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga ("Māui the top-knot of Taranga"), Māui-pōtiki ("Māui the last born"), and Maui te whare kino ("Maui the house of trouble").

See Maui (Maori Mythology).

Hawaiian Mythology
In Hawaiian religion, Māui is a culture hero and ancient chief who appears in several different genealogies. In the Kumulipo he is the son of ʻAkalana and his wife Hina-a-ke-ahi (Hina). This couple has four sons, Māui-mua, Māui-waena, Māui-kiʻikiʻi and Māui-a-kalana. Māui-a-kalana's wife is named Hinakealohaila; his son is Nanamaoa. Māui is one of the Kupua. His name is the same as that of the Hawaiian island Maui, although native tradition holds that it is not named for him directly, but instead named after the son of Hawaii's discoverer (who was named after Māui himself).

See Maui (Hawaiian Mythology).

Tongan Mythology
In the Tongan version of his tales, Maui drew up the Tongan Islands from the deep: first appeared Lofanga and the other Haapai Islands, and finally Vavau. Maui then dwelt in Tonga. Maui had two sons: the eldest, Maui-Atalanga, and the younger Maui-Kisikisi. The latter discovered the secret of fire, and taught people the art of cooking food: he made fire dwell in certain kinds of wood. Maui-Motu'a bears the earth on his shoulders, and when he nods in sleep it causes earthquakes, therefore the people have to stamp on the ground to waken him. Hikule'o, the deity presiding over Pulotu, the underworld, is the youngest son of Maui-Motu'a. Houma is pointed out as the spot where Maui's fish-hook caught.

Other sources say that in Tonga there were three Maui brothers: Maui-motua (old Maui), Maui-atalanga, and Maui-kisikisi (dragonfly Maui), the last one being the trickster. He also got the name Maui-fusi-fonua (Maui land puller) when he begged the magic fishhook from the old fisherman Tongafusifonua, who lived in Manuka (located to the east on the island of Tonga). Tongafusifonua allowed him to take the fishhook, under the condition that he could find it in his collection of countless hooks. But his wife, Tavatava betrayed the secret, allowing Maui to pick the right hook. And so he was able to fish up the coral islands from the bottom of the ocean (Volcanic islands are supposed to have fallen down from heavens).

Tahitian Mythology
In the mythology of Tahiti, Maui was a wise man, or prophet. He was a priest, but was afterwards deified. Being at one time engaged at the marae (sacred place), and the sun getting low while Maui's work was unfinished, he laid hold of the hihi, or sun-rays, and stopped his course for some time. As the discoverer of fire, Maui was named Ao-ao-ma-ra'i-a because he taught the art of obtaining fire by friction of wood. Before this time people ate their food raw. (Tregear 1891, 194, 235). See also Mahui'e, Tahitian guardian of fire.

Maui was responsible for earthquakes.

Mangarevan mythology
In the mythology of Mangareva, Maui hauls the land up from the sea, and ties the sun with tresses of hair. His father was Ataraga; his mother, Uaega.

There were eight Maui: Maui-mua, Maui-muri, Maui-toere-mataroa, Tumei-hauhia, Maui-tikitiki-toga, Maui-matavaru, Maui-taha, Maui-roto. Maui the eight-eyed (matavaru) is the hero. He is born from his mother's navel, and is raised by his grandfather, Te Rupe, who gives him a magic staff named Atua-tane, and a hatchet named Iraiapatapata.

The little guys have been merged!!

Maui in Popular Culture
In the 2016 Disney computer-animated musical film Moana, the demigod Maui is voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Abandoned by his human parents as a baby, the gods took pity on him and made him a demigod and gave him a magic fish hook that gives him the ability to shape-shift. He went on to perform miracles to win back the love of humanity, each of which earned him an animated tattoo. He is fabled to have stolen the heart of Te Fiti, a powerful island goddess who creates life. The protagonist of the film, Moana, persuades him to help her return it. In his song "You're Welcome," composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maui mentions and takes credit for several of the deeds he is credited with in folklore. This version of Maui incorporates elements from various Polynesian narratives.

Maui was also the subject of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's song "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man" in his most well-known album, Facing Future, which is the highest selling Hawaiian album of all time.

Bibliography for Maui project

Andersen, J. C. (1928). Myths and Legends of the Polynesians. London: George G. Harrap & Co.

Beckwith, M. W. (1940). Hawaiian Mythology. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Gill, W. W. (1876). Myths and Songs from the South Pacific. London: Henry S. King & Co.

Gray, G. (1855). Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race: as furnished by their priests and chiefs. London: Routledge and Sons.

Sawin, T., Trompf, S. (1995). Religions of Oceania. Oxon: Routledge.

+ a bunch more (need to add later)

E.S. Craighill Handy, Polynesian Religion (The Museum of Polynesian Religion: Honolulu, 1927)