Irawaru

Role: husband of Hinauri · First appears: Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition

In Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition, Hupene sang how Irawaru and Maui went out together to catch fish: Maui caught none, while Irawaru caught many. Angry, Maui entangled Irawaru’s fishing lines, then pressed down the canoe while Irawaru was beneath it, nearly killing him. Maui danced upon Irawaru and changed him into a dog.

Hinauri, Irawaru’s wife, called for him until a dog came running to her, and she recognized it as her husband, whom Maui had changed into a dog. The chapter reads Irawaru as “the reflexion of the sun over the sea, wandering forth with the sun in the mornings to catch fish”.

Relationship record

Life events

• Hupene sang how Maui and Irawaru once went out together to catch fish, and how Maui could not catch any, while Irawaru caught many.(Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition)
  • With: Hupene Maui
  • “He sings how Maui and Irawaru once went together out to catch fish, and how Maui could not catch any, and Irawaru caught many.”
• Maui became angry and entangled Irawaru’s fish-lines.(Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition)
  • With: Maui
  • “therefore Maui, who had not caught a single one became very angry, and in his wrath he entangled the fish-lines!”
• Maui pressed down the canoe on Irawaru, nearly killing him.(Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition)
  • With: Maui
  • “Maui, with all his mighty strength, began to jump in the canoe, pressing it down, and nearly killing Irawaru.”
• Maui changed Irawaru into a dog.(Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition)
  • With: Maui
  • “Then, springing out of his canoe, he jumped and danced upon Irawaru till his body grew longer and longer and took the form of a tail; and then with incantations Maui changed Irawaru into a dog.”
• Hinauri called for Irawaru and recognized him as a dog.(Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition)
  • With: Hinauri
  • “Hinauri did as she was told, and called and called, till at last a dog came running towards her, and she knew it was Irawaru, her husband, whom Maui had so cruelly changed into a dog.”

Chapter XIII · Maui and Irawaru: A Tradition

• married with Hinauri “Irawaru, the husband of Hinauri, had followed Maui in the morning upon the sea, to catch fish--Irawaru is the reflexion of the sun over the sea, wandering forth with the sun in the mornings to catch fish--what else could a man do on the sea?”
• enemies with Maui “Maui is cunning, and Irawaru, not knowing Maui’s wrath, crawls under the Sun-canoe to help him lift it upon the shores of the Lower World, when Maui, with all his mighty strength, began to jump in the canoe, pressing it down, and nearly killing Irawaru.”

Also listed in Other Figures — Minor Figures

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Extracted from the original text of Te Tohunga. Made with Rho MD.