Māui (Māori mythology)

In Māori mythology, as in other Polynesian traditions, Māui is a culture hero, famous for his exploits and his trickery.

His last, fatal trick was on the Goddess Hine-nui-te-pō. In attempting to make mankind immortal by changing into a worm, entering her vagina and leaving by her mouth while she slept, she crushed him with the obsidian teeth in her vagina.

The offspring of Tū (humankind) increased and multiplied and did not know death until the generation of Māui-tikitiki (Biggs 1966:449). Māui is the son of Taranga, the wife of Makeatutara. He has a miraculous birth—his mother throws her premature infant into the sea wrapped in a tress of hair from her topknot (tikitiki)—hence Māui is known as Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga. Ocean spirits find and wrap the child in seaweed. Māui's divine ancestor, Tama-nui-te-ra (or Rangi) then takes the child and nourishes it to adolescence.

Māui emerges from the sea and goes to his mother's house, finding there his four brothers, Māui-taha, Māui-roto, Māui-pae, and Māui-waho. Māui's brothers at first are wary of the new-comer but, after he performs several feats such as transforming himself into different kinds of birds, they acknowledge his power and admire him.

At first Taranga does not recognise Māui as her child.

When he was old enough, he came to his relations while they were all gathered in the marae, dancing and making merry. Little Maui crept in and sat down behind his brothers. Soon his mother called the children and found a strange child, who proved that he was her son, and was taken in as one of the family. Some of the brothers were jealous, but the eldest addressed the others as follows:

"Never mind; let him be our dear brother. In the days of peace remember the proverb, 'When you are on friendly terms, settle your disputes in a friendly way; when you are at war, you must redress your injuries by violence.' It is better for us, brothers, to be kind to other people. These are the ways by which men gain influence-by laboring for abundance of food to feed others, by collecting property to give to others, and by similar means by which you promote the good of others."

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