Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity (Demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main exploits remain relatively similar. [1]
The story of the demigod Maui stretches across the Pacific and is estimated to be over 1000 years old. Always on a quest to empower mankind, Maui has become an endearing icon to the people of Polynesia.
Early settlement. Polynesians settled the island of Maui in at least three gradual waves; the earliest possibly from the Marquesas sometime before 450 AD., then others from the Marquesas about 450 AD., and lastly settlers from Tahiti from 700 AD.
Norse mythology has Loki, a shapeshifter who could switch freely between genders and gives birth to Odin’s eight-legged horse when he takes the form of a mare. In Polynesian mythology it is Māui, who is not only the trickster but also a great cultural hero.
The story of Maui is probably the best known of all Polynesian myths and legends. Maui is a demigod, a hero, who is also a trickster, always up to mischief with little regard for social conventions or the right way to behave.
Maui's origins are shrouded in myth and legend, with various tales passed down through generations. In one widely accepted account, Maui was born to the demigodess Hina and a mortal man. Another version tells his origin as a son born to the goddess of the sea, Hina, and a fisherman.
Māui is said to have created Hawaii's islands by tricking his brothers. He convinced them to take him out fishing, but caught his hook on the ocean floor. He told his brothers that he had caught a big fish and told them to paddle as hard as they could.