Those who make things by cunning those who love a story
Symbols
FishhookManaiakalaniThe sun snareThe jawboneFire
Mythology Summary
Maui is the Polynesian culture hero and demigod who snares the sun to lengthen the day, fishes the islands up from the sea with his hook Manaiakalani, steals fire from Mahuika, and dies trying to win immortality from Hine-nui-te-po; the versions differ between Hawai'i, Aotearoa and the Cook Islands. In Hawai'i the island of Maui is named for him, and he is a kupua, a demigod, not an akua to be worshipped. The Disney film Moana is a modern retelling and not a source. Grey's Polynesian Mythology (1855) and Beckwith's Hawaiian Mythology (1940) are among the usual written sources.
Modern Practice
Maui is kept in story and chant rather than in a cult, and the practice is the telling of the stories and the naming of the land. The fishhook is a symbol of the islands' making, and the sun-snaring is told at the turn of the season. He is not invoked for favours.