This book contains an account of the legends of Maui, a demi-god whose story probably contains a larger number of unique and ancient myths than that of any other legendary character in the mythology of any nation. There are three centres of this story: new Zealand in the south, Hawaii in the north, and the Tahitian group in the east; and what makes this ancient legend so interesting is that it forms one of the strongest links in the mythological chain of evidence which binds the scattered inhabitants of the pacific into one nation, existing intact or in part in Anietyum, Bowditch, Efate, Fiji, Fotuna, Gilbert, Hawaii, Hervey, Huahine, Mangaia, Manihiki, Marquesas, Marshal, to name but a few. This wonderful text has been selected because of its timeless cultural value and will appeal to anyone interested in exotic mythology. This book is republished now with a new introductory biography of the author.

The Maui story probably contains a larger number of unique and ancient myths than that of any other legendary character in the mythology of any nation. There are three centers for these legends, New Zealand in the south, Hawaii in the north, and the Tahitian group including the Hervey Islands in the east. In each of these groups of islands, separated by thousands of miles, there are the same legends, told in almost the same way, and with very little variation in names. The Maui legends form one of the strongest links in the mythological chain of evidence which binds the scattered inhabitants of the Pacific into one people. W. D. Westervelt was also the author of Legends of Old Honolulu and Legends of Gods and Ghosts: Hawaiian Mythology. He was president of the Hawaiian Historical Society for some time.

Four brothers, each bearing the name of Maui, belong to Hawaiian legend. They accomplished little as a family, except on special occasions when the youngest of the household awakened his brothers by some unexpected trick which drew them into unwonted action. The legends of Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti, New Zealand and the Hervey group make this youngest Maui "the discoverer of fire" or "the ensnarer of the sun" or "the fisherman who pulls up islands" or "the man endowed with magic," or "Maui with spirit power." The legends vary somewhat, of course, but not as much as might be expected when the thousands of miles between various groups of islands are taken into consideration. Maui was one of the Polynesian demi-gods. His parents belonged to the family of supernatural beings. He himself was possessed of supernatural powers and was supposed to make use of all manner of enchantments. In New Zealand antiquity a Maui was said to have assisted other gods in the creation of man. Nevertheless Maui was very human. He lived in thatched houses, had wives and children, and was scolded by the women for not properly supporting his household. The time of his sojourn among men is very indefinite. In Hawaiian genealogies Maui and his brothers were placed among the descendants of Ulu and "the sons of Kii," and Maui was one of the ancestors of Kamehameha, the first king of the united Hawaiian Islands. This would place him in the seventh or eighth century of the Christian Era. But it is more probable that Maui belongs to the mist-land of time. His mischievous pranks with the various gods would make him another Mercury living in any age from the creation to the beginning of the Christian era. CONTENTS I. Maui's Home II. Maui the Fisherman III. Maui Lifting the Sky IV. Maui Snaring the Sun V. Maui Finding Fire VI. Maui the Skillful VII. Maui and Tuna VIII. Maui and His Brother-in-Law IX. Maui's Kite-Flying X. Oahu Legends of Maui XI. Maui Seeking Immortality XII. Hina of Hilo XIII. Hina and the Wailuku River XIV. The Ghosts of the Hilo Hills XV. Hina, the Woman in the Moon

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Legends Of Ma-ui -- A Demi God Of Polynesia, And Of His Mother Hina William Drake Westervelt Hawaiian Gazette, 1910 Folklore; Hina; Hina (Polynesian deity); Hina (Polynesian diety); Maui; Maui (Hawaii); Maui (Polynesian deity); Maui (Polynesian diety)