Maui << MOW ee >> is an important character in the mythology of Hawaii, New Zealand, and other islands of Polynesia. Maui is usually characterized as a demigod, a being that is neither entirely human nor entirely divine. He is often shown as a trickster. In several myths, his tricks explain the invention of important cultural practices among Polynesians. The Hawaiian island of Maui is named for him.
In many myths, Maui uses strength, cleverness, and magical charms to accomplish tasks that improve the quality of life for his people. Maui is associated with the discovery of fire, the raising of islands to the ocean’s surface, the invention of kites and sails, the raising of the sky off the ground, and the slowing of the sun’s daily journey across the sky to give people the time to do their work.
One myth tells how Maui tricked his brothers into helping him create the Hawaiian Islands. He convinced his brothers to take him fishing in a large canoe. Hooking the bottom of the ocean with his fishing line, Maui told them he had snagged a large fish. He urged them to paddle as hard as they could. Turning around, the brothers were amazed to see they had pulled up the ocean floor, forming the island chain.
In another myth, alae << `ah` LY >> birds jealously guarded the secret to making fire. To learn their secret, Maui convinced his brothers to take a person-sized roll of cloth with them on a fishing trip. The birds, mistaking the cloth for Maui, believed they could safely use fire to cook their food out of his sight. But Maui, who had been hiding in the bushes, rushed them, forcing one of the birds to teach him how to make fire. Maui then passed this knowledge on to his people.
A Maori myth describes how Maui died in an attempt to win immortality for humans. To accomplish this, he had to steal the heart of Hine-nui-te-po, the goddess of darkness and death. One night as she slept, Maui snuck into her body through her womb to remove her heart. Just as he was about to escape through her mouth, a bird called and woke Hine. The angry goddess crushed Maui in her jaws, which were lined with obsidian teeth. Maui’s brothers took his body and buried it in a cave called Te-ana-i-hana. His failure ensured human mortality.
