The Legend of New Zealand

The Maui legend embodies the South Pacific idea of a hero, while not a god he was gifted, clever and walked between the realms of gods and men. Polynesian and Maori mythology include numerous legends of Maui fishing up new land, the North Island of New Zealand was the largest.

Maui - no ordinary man

The legendary trickster Māui turned himself into a kererū (wood pigeon) to fly after his mother.
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While not a god he was gifted, clever and daring with supernatural powers that enabled him to outdo the feats of ordinary men.

He possessed a restless mind and was never satisfied until he received answers to his questions. An expert at games, when he threw a dart it went the furthest, when he flew a kite it was the highest and when he fished he would bring home full baskets and his brothers only a few.

Maui acquired magic powers and walked between the realms of gods and men. He was a demigod with some of the limitations of mankind, but with abilities that enabled him to have a measure of control over the forces of nature.

Supernatural acts

The natural and the supernatural combine in the myths of Maui. After a miraculous birth and upbringing he won the affection of his supernatural parents, taught useful arts to mankind, snared the sun and tamed fire. Maui eventually met his death while attempting to kill the goddess of death, Hine nui-te-po.

Legend has it that Maui could assume shapes at will, a favourite was that of the kereru or woodpigeon. Now a protected bird species, the kereru makes its home in native forests throughout the New Zealand.

Youngest land - oldest legends

The Maui story is said to contain a large number of unique and ancient myths, older than those of any other legendary character in the mythology of any nation. There are about 20 Maui legends in all.

Maui legends are not only different from any other nation, they are also unique in the character of the actions recorded.

Maui fisher of lands

	In Maori legend, the South Island was the canoe of the god Maui, who fished the North Island up from the sea.
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Despised by his four brothers, Maui would be left behind when they went fishing. So, he secretly made a fishhook from a magical ancestral jawbone. Then one night he crept into his brothers' canoe and hid under the floorboards.

It wasn't until the brothers were far out of sight of land, and they had filled the bottom of their canoe with fish that Maui revealed himself. Then he took out his magic fishhook and threw it over the side of the canoe reciting magic incantations.

The hook went deeper and deeper into the sea until Maui felt the hook had touched something. He tugged gently and far below the hook caught fast and together with his brothers brought the fish to the surface.

Maui cautioned his brothers to wait until he had appeased Tangaroa the god of the sea before they cut into the fish. They grew tired of waiting and began to carve out pieces for themselves. These are now the many valleys, mountains, lakes and rocky coastlines of the North Island.

There are many placenames throughout New Zealand associated with this particular Maui legend including the South Island that is also known as Te Waka a Maui or the canoe of Maui and the Stewart Island or Rakiura also known as Te Punga a Maui or the anchor stone of Maui [ More Maori place names] .

Maui across the Pacific

Aotearoa, New Zealand is one of three centres of Maui legends the others are Hawaii and Tahiti. Maui also features in the folklore of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Tokelau as well as many other South Pacific islands. Despite the geographic spread, the stories remain essentially the same today.