the New Zealand mother of Maui

Family: the New Zealand legends · Role: mother of Maui in the New Zealand legends · First appears: Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 2

In the New Zealand legend in Chapter I · Maui’s Home · Part 1, Maui’s mother tied him in a lock of her hair and cast him into the sea. When he was old enough, she recognized him as her son and took him into the family. In Chapter I · Maui’s Home · Part 2, she had a home in the under-world as well as with her children. Maui stayed awake one night and blocked out the light; the next morning she tore away what stopped it and hurried off, distressed at how badly her children had treated her. He watched her disappear into the earth and found the path to the under-world.

In Chapter V · Maui Finding Fire · Part 5, after Maui put out his people’s fires, his mother sent him to the under-world to get new fire from Mahuika. Chapter VI · Maui the Skillful · Part 1 gives two New Zealand story details: Maui’s enchanted reeds broke his mother’s house and made her recognize him as one of her children; in another account, after the gods took him away at birth, he returned home and she paid no attention to him.

Relationship record

Life events

• In the New Zealand legend, his mother cast him into the sea after tying him in her hair.(Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “his mother, not caring to be troubled with him, cut off a lock of her hair, tied it around him and cast him into the sea.”
• In the New Zealand legend, Maui's mother recognized him as her son and took him into the family.(Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 1 · 📍 the great House of Assembly)
  • With: Maui
  • “Soon his mother called the children and found a strange child, who proved that he was her son, and was taken in as one of the family.”
• In the New Zealand legend, Maui blocked the light to discover where his mother disappeared at dawn.(Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 2)
  • With: Maui
  • “Maui remained awake one night, and when all were asleep, arose quietly and stopped up every crevice by which a ray of light could enter.”
• In the New Zealand legend, his mother tore away what blocked the light and hurried away, distressed at her children's treatment.(Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 2)
  • “The morning came and the sun mounted up--far up in the sky. At last his mother leaped up and tore away the things which shut out the light. ‘Oh, dear; oh, dear! She saw the sun high in the heavens; so she hurried away, crying at the thought of having been so badly treated by her own children.’”
• In the New Zealand legend, Maui watched his mother disappear into the earth and found the path to the under-world.(Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 2)
  • With: Maui
  • “Maui watched her as she pulled up a tuft of grass and disappeared in the earth, pulling the grass back to its place. Thus Maui found the path to the under-world.”
• In the New Zealand legends, Maui's mother sent him to Mahuika to get fire after he put out his people's fires.(Chapter V · Maui Finding Fire · Part 5 · 📍 the under-world)
  • With: Maui
  • “The New Zealand legends picture Maui as putting out, in one night, all the fires of his people. This was serious mischief, and Maui's mother decided that he should go to the under-world and see his ancestress, Mahuika, the guardian of fire, and get new fire to repair the injury he had wrought.”
• In a New Zealand story, Maui’s enchanted reeds broke his mother’s house, making her recognize him as one of her children.(Chapter VI · Maui the Skillful · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “They took the stems of long, heavy reeds and threw them at each other, but Maui's reeds were charmed into stronger and harder fibre so that he broke his mother's house and made her recognize him as one of her children.”
• In a New Zealand story, Maui returned home after the gods took him away at birth, but his mother ignored him.(Chapter VI · Maui the Skillful · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “He had been taken away as soon as he was born by the gods to whom he was related. When he found his way back home his mother paid no attention to him.”

Chapter I · Maui's Home · Part 2

• child: Maui “Maui's mother, so says a New Zealand legend, had her home in the under-world as well as with her children.”

Chapter V · Maui Finding Fire · Part 5

• child: Maui “This was serious mischief, and Maui's mother decided that he should go to the under-world and see his ancestress, Mahuika, the guardian of fire, and get new fire to repair the injury he had wrought.”

Chapter XI · Maui Seeking Immortality · Part 2

• child: Maui “White, who has collected many of the myths and legends of New Zealand, states that after Maui had ill-treated Mahu-ika, his grandmother, the goddess and guardian of fire in the under-world, his father and mother tried to teach him to do differently.”

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Extracted from the original text of Legends of Ma-ui. Made with Rho MD.