Read all about Maui, one of the most recognized demi-gods throughout the cultures of Polynesia. This is because his tales traveled with the early Polynesian explorers as they moved from island nation to island nation. We at the Polynesian Cultural Center hope you enjoy hearing the ancient story of how the Hawaiian islands came to be.
The tale of Maui-a-kalana, a hero in Hawaiian culture, is well known throughout the islands. Maui was the youngest of ‘Akalana and Hina’s four sons.
Maui was blessed with a quick wit, a mischievous nature, and a magic makau, or fish-hook. Some say Maui was not an accomplished fisherman but he always found ways to capture the fishes from his brother’s lines before they were pulled into the boat.
One day, during a fishing trip with his brothers, Maui hooked the ocean floor by mistake. He told his brothers that he had caught a great fish and needed them to row with all their might. They paddled so intensely that they lifted the great islands of Hawaii up from the depths of the seas.
Maui was not pleased that the islands were separated in the ocean, so he decided to draw them together. Unfortunately, he pulled too tight with his fishing line, breaking off pieces of land at the small western island of Kaula and the big eastern island of Hawaii.
The Polynesian Cultural Center invites you to view our afternoon presentation, HUKI: A Canoe Celebration, held daily at 2:20 pm along our beautiful lagoon, where you will learn more about Maui and Earth Mother, along with the beautiful story of how the Polynesian Cultural Center began. (Please note: The Polynesian Cultural Center looks forward to reopening as soon as the COVID-19 quarantine is lifted. Please stay tuned.)
Who’s artwork?
Ours, actually. We use photos from our library and cartoonize them.
I like it!
Nina, Is there any evidence of a man, Maui, that inspired the myth?
My apologies for the late reply.There are many Polynesian cultures that view Maui strictly as a demi-god, and a magical trickster. His story is generally termed “legend” or “folklore”. I can only tell you that one of our most learned Maori cultural advisers here at the Center states that the Maori people recognize his story to be based on reality and that the concept of his ‘pulling the islands up from the Ocean floor’ is a representation of his traveling from island to island, and seeing each one ‘rise up from the sea’ as they approached landfall. Rather like Paul Bunyon or Johnny Appleseed is for American Folklore, our adviser’s contention is that there was indeed a great explorer called “Maui” by many, though others names have also been attached to him. He shares that this great man deserves the title of ‘legend’ as he sailed across the mighty ocean multiple times, discovering the many islands of Polynesia, helped his people to settle on new lands, and that his efforts brought about advances in fishing and navigational techniques. He is definitely seen as a man of great courage, skills and accomplishment. That he is present in almost all Polynesian cultures (some in a major role, some cast as a minor participant), and that his story is somewhat similar in most cases – along with the fact that the islands he ‘created/visited’ seem to co-incide with the actual relative timeframe of settlement by Polynesian forefathers, certainly strengthens this contention.