Mahuika

Role: ancestress of Maui, the mother of fire · First appears: Chapter VII · The Fight of Night and Day

In Chapter VII · The Fight of Night and Day, Maui stole the sacred fire of his ancestress Mahuika. Chapter IX · Mahuika tells that, “after a time,” Maui entered the Lower World to steal new fire from her; he deceived her, and she set fire to the world to punish him.

In Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika, she agreed to give Maui the fire he asked for and gave him her fingers one by one. He repeatedly deceived her, destroying the fingers until only one remained. When she understood that he meant to deceive and kill her, she threw her last finger upon the world, filling it with fire. Knowing she must die, she hid that last child in the Kai-Komaki tree before the rain killed her. Chapter XI · The Death of Maui says that Maui had cheated her out of her flames, which were living in the Kamaki-tree.

Relationship record

Life events

• Maui-potiki stole Mahuika's sacred fire.(Chapter VII · The Fight of Night and Day)
  • With: Maui
  • “But Maui-potiki, as Morning Sun takes revenge, for he steals off the sacred fire of his ancestress Mahuika;”
• Maui enters the Lower World to steal new fire from Mahuika.(Chapter IX · Mahuika · 📍 the Lower World)
  • With: Maui
  • “But after a time he extinguishes all the fires of the world, and enters the Lower World to steal new fire from his ancestress Mahuika.”
• Maui deceives Mahuika, who sets fire to the world to punish him.(Chapter IX · Mahuika)
  • With: Maui
  • “he deceives her, and she, to punish him, sets fire to the world.”
• Mahuika gave Maui one of her fingers, granting him fire.(Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika · 📍 Lower World)
  • With: Maui
  • “Yes, my son, I will that you receive the fire you have asked for”--and she took one of her fingers and gave it to Maui.”
• Maui repeatedly deceived Mahuika, destroying the fingers she gave him until only one remained.(Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika · 📍 Lower World)
  • With: Maui
  • “Maui came again and again, and Mahuika gave him all her fingers till she had only one left--ha, ha! Maui killed them all in the great water;”
• Mahuika realized Maui intended to deceive and kill her, and she cast her last finger upon the world, setting it ablaze.(Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika)
  • With: Maui
  • “but, when he again came back and asked for the last finger, then Mahuika knew that he wished to deceive her and kill her, and a frightful anger took hold upon her! Ha, she took her last child, her last finger, and threw it upon the world, and the world filled with fire--ha!”
• Mahuika hid her last child in the Kai-Komaki tree before the rain killed her.(Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika · 📍 Kai-Komaki tree)
  • “At last, knowing that she must die, she took her last child, her last finger, and hid it in the Kai-Komaki tree--and then, my listener, the rain has slain the mother of the fire--ah!”
• Maui cheated Mahuika out of her flames.(Chapter XI · The Death of Maui · 📍 Kamaki-tree)
  • With: Maui
  • “he had cheated Mahuika out of her flames which were living now in the Kamaki-tree”

Chapter VII · The Fight of Night and Day

• younger kin: Maui “But Maui-potiki, as Morning Sun takes revenge, for he steals off the sacred fire of his ancestress Mahuika; he returns to the world and puts fire to Hine-nui-te-po.”

Chapter IX · Mahuika

• younger kin: Maui “But after a time he extinguishes all the fires of the world, and enters the Lower World to steal new fire from his ancestress Mahuika.”
• enemies with Maui “In order to ask for one of her fingers he visits Mahuika, but he deceives her, and she, to punish him, sets fire to the world.”

Chapter X · Maui and Mahuika

• younger kin: Maui “The ancestress of Maui, my listener, Mahuika, was now alone in all the world in the possession of fire, for she is the mother of fire, which is living in her finger.”
• recipient: Maui “Yes, my son, I will that you receive the fire you have asked for”--and she took one of her fingers and gave it to Maui.”
• enemies with Maui (Maui deceives Mahuika.) “He killed the finger Mahuika had given him in a great water, and went back to his ancestress to ask for another finger, telling her that he had lost the first one.”

Chapter XI · The Death of Maui

• enemies with Maui “and when at last he had cheated Mahuika out of her flames which were living now in the Kamaki-tree to give fire and warmth to his children”

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