Legends Of Ma Ui A Demi God

Within this unique volume are 15 legends of Maui. Legends like: MAUI THE FISHERMAN, MAUI LIFTING THE SKY, MAUI SNARING THE SUN and twelve more captivating stories and tales from antiquity from the Polynesian people of the South Pacific. These legends are not only different from the myths of other nations, but they are unique in the character of the actions recorded. There are three centres for these legends, New Zealand in the south, Hawaii in the north, and the Tahitian group 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 and content. However, Maui's deeds rank in a higher class than most of the mighty efforts of the demi gods of other nations and races, and are usually of more utility. The Maui legends are full of helpful imaginations, which are distinctly and uniquely Polynesian in nature. Here you will find adventures from the great voyages of discovery which carry fragments and hints of wonderful deeds. The Maoris of New Zealand claim Maui as an ancestor of their most ancient tribes and class him as one of the most ancient of their gods, calling him "creator of land" and "creator of man" even sometimes "the sun himself," "the solar fire," and the "the sun god," while his mother Hina was called "the moon goddess." NOTE: MAUI (Ma-u-i, Ma-oo-e) is a Polynesian demi god. His name derives from “Mohyi” meaning "causing to: live" or "life," applied sometimes to the gods and sometimes to chiefs as "preservers and sustainers" of their followers. 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. They also form one of the strongest links in the mythological chain of evidence which binds the scattered inhabitants of the Pacific into one nation. They possess remarkable antiquity. YESTERDAY'S BOOKS FOR TODAY'S CHARITIES 10% of the profit from the sale of our books is donated to charities ---------- TAGS: Maui, Hawaii, Myths, Legends, Folklore, children’s stories, adventure, exploration, Maui's home, Fisherman, Lifting The Sky, Snaring The Sun, Finding Fire, The Skillful, Tuna, Brother-In-Law, Kite Flying, Oahu Legends, Seeking Immortality, Hina, Hilo, Wailuku River, Ghosts, Hilo Hills, Woman In The Moon, New Zealand, Maori, Polynesian, Pacific Ocean, South Pacific, Canoe,

The Hawaiian island of Maui is the origin of one of the greatest myths, wherein the demigod Maui creates Hawaii by hauling the islands up from the ocean, and sees that this new land prospers. Maui's many exploits are given in this translation, which is adapted from the original Hawaiian script derived from the telling of the Maui legend through many generations. Though no exact date for the origin of the Maui story can be known, it is certain that the fundamental structure of his narrative dates back centuries, with various stories and other exploits being added by successive storytellers over many generations. Evidence for the mythos is found on most of the larger Hawaiian Islands, with the entire culture knowing and perpetuating the Maui with great consistency. The great strength and benevolence of Maui is told; while ostensibly a chieftain, he possesses supernatural powers that allow the harnessing of the ocean and sun for his own ends. In many respects Maui is an outsized version of an ideal, traditional Hawaiian in his prime; with a fantastic understanding of the weather; outstanding skill at fishing; and a benevolent leader to his family and clan. Even in acts that seem destructive - his killing of the long eel Tuna - a new sprout blossoms; the burial of Tuna's body results in the first coconut tree.

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. The Hervey Island legends state that Maui's father was "the supporter of the heavens" and his mother "the guardian of the road to the invisible world." In the Hawaiian chant, Akalana was the name of his father. In other groups this was the name by which his mother was known. Kanaloa, the god, is sometimes known as the father of Maui. In Hawaii Hina was his mother. Elsewhere Ina, or Hina, was the grandmother, from whom he secured fire. The Hervey Island legends say that four mighty ones lived in the old world from which their ancestors came. This old world bore the name Ava-iki, which is the same as Hawa-ii, or Hawaii. The four gods were Mauike, Ra, Ru, and Bua-Taranga. It is interesting to trace the connection of these four names with Polynesian mythology. Mauike is the same as the demi-god of New Zealand, Mafuike. On other islands the name is spelled Mauika, Mafuika, Mafuia, Mafuie, and Mahuika. Ra, the sun god of Egypt, is the same as Ra in New Zealand and La (sun) in Hawaii. Ru, the supporter of the heavens, is probably the Ku of Hawaii, and the Tu of New Zealand and other islands, one of the greatest of the gods worshiped by the ancient Hawaiians. The fourth mighty one from Ava-ika was a woman, Bua-taranga, who guarded the path to the underworld. Talanga in Samoa, and Akalana in Hawaii were the same as Taranga. Pua-kalana (the Kalana flower) would probably be the same in Hawaiian as Bua-taranga in the language of the Society Islands.

The story of Maui in comic strip form.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 Excerpt: ...earth. r' = radius of moon, or other body. P = moon's horizontal parallax = earth's angular semidiameter as seen from the moon. f = moon's angular semidiameter. Now = P (in circular measure), r'-r = r (in circular measure);.'. r: r':: P: P', or (radius of earth): (radios of moon):: (moon's parallax): (moon's semidiameter). Examples. 1. Taking the moon's horizontal parallax as 57', and its angular diameter as 32', find its radius in miles, assuming the earth's radius to be 4000 miles. Here moon's semidiameter = 16';.-. 4000::: 57': 16';.-. r = 400 16 = 1123 miles. 2. The sun's horizontal parallax being 8"8, and his angular diameter 32V find his diameter in miles. ' Am. 872,727 miles. 3. The synodic period of Venus being 584 days, find the angle gained in each minute of time on the earth round the sun as centre. Am. l"-54 per minute. 4. Find the angular velocity with which Venus crosses the sun's disc, assuming the distances of Venus and the earth from the sun are as 7 to 10, as given by Bode's Law. Since (fig. 50) S V: VA:: 7: 3. But Srhas a relative angular velocity round the sun of l"-54 per minute (see Example 3); therefore, the relative angular velocity of A V round A is greater than this in the ratio of 7: 3, which gives an approximate result of 3"-6 per minute, the true rate being about 4" per minute. Annual ParaUax. 95. We have already seen that no displacement of the observer due to a change of position on the earth's surface could apparently affect the direction of a fixed star. However, as the earth in its annual motion describes an orbit of about 92 million miles radius round the sun, the different positions in space from which an observer views the fixed stars from time to time throughout the year must be separated ...

Maui Hooks the Islands introduces kids ages 0-4 to one of Hawaii's best-known legends about Maui the demigod who fished up the Hawaiian islands using a magic fishing hook. In simple, poetic language, this origin story gives small kids a taste of Hawaii's rich history of storytelling. Three other titles in the Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones series are: Hina, Pele Finds a Home, and Naupaka--all legends that will give kids a wider view of Hawaiian culture, history, and its natural world.