Miru

The red hag of Avaiki who cooks the souls of the dead (Gill 1876). Her daughters are the beautiful Tapairu (cited, not authored). SOLITARY: Gill gives Miru no parentage, spouse, or sibling — only her daughters the Tapairu and her function over the dead; her ancestry is therefore not wired (Gill 1876, Ch. IX).

Domains

• the dead and the oven of souls
• underworld avaiki

Powers

• stupefy the souls of the dead with kava
• cook and devour the souls of the dead in her oven

Sources

• William Wyatt Gill, Myths and Songs from the South Pacific (1876), Ch. IX 'The spirit-world', pp. 152–171
• Robert D. Craig, Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology (1989), s.v. 'Miru'