Facts about Maui
- 06
Cunning and mischievous by nature, Maui is typically portrayed in Polynesian mythology as a trickster hero who uses cleverness rather than brute strength to accomplish his feats.
- 05
Maui's attempt to gain immortality for humanity by crawling through the sleeping goddess Hine-nui-te-pō resulted in his death, making him mortal like all humans.
- 04
Māui obtained fire for humanity by stealing it from the fingernails of his ancestress Mahuika, the goddess of fire, in Polynesian myth.
- 03
A celebrated feat attributed to Maui in Polynesian mythology is the lifting of the sky, which was originally pressed so close to the earth that humans had to crawl.
- 02
In Polynesian mythology, Maui is credited with fishing up the islands of New Zealand, known in Māori tradition as Te Ika-a-Māui, meaning 'the fish of Maui.
- 01
The demigod Maui, central to Polynesian mythology, is credited with lassoing the sun to slow its movement and lengthen the day.