Maui

The Mangaian Maui (Gill 1876): demigod fire-bringer and sun-snarer, son of Ru (supporter of the heavens) and Buataranga (guardian of the lower world), who wrests fire from Mauike. SOLITARY: his parents Ru and Buataranga and his brothers are named by Gill but are not authored in this batch, so no within-batch kin edge is wired; the parentage is recorded here for the record (Gill 1876, Ch. III).

Domains

• fire bringing
• the sun
• trickster culture hero

Powers

• wrest the secret of fire from the fire-god Mauike
• snare the sun to lengthen the day

Relations

• equated with: Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga
• equated with: Māui
• equated with: Maui-tikitiki
• equated with: Mahui
• equated with: Maui Kisikisi

Sources

• William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (1876), Ch. III 'The story of Maui', pp. 51–63
• Roland B. Dixon, Oceanic Mythology (1916), pp. 41–53