Ira-waru

Family: the New Zealand legends · Role: Hina-uri's husband · First appears: Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1

In the New Zealand legend, Hina-uri married Ira-waru, who was willing to work with his brother-in-law Maui. After a time, Ira-waru copied Maui’s eel basket, and Maui transformed him into a dog. Hina-uri learned what had happened when a strange, long-haired dog came to her barking and leaping; in the Tahu and Hau tribes’ story, she recognized the dog as her husband and reproached Maui.

Other New Zealand accounts tell the transformation differently: in the Rua-nui story, Maui changed Ira-waru into a dog after using him to drag the canoe; in the Arawa legends, Maui crushed him beneath the outrigger and then changed him into a dog. In another account, Maui transformed Ira-waru while he slept, lengthening his backbone and changing his arms and limbs into a dog’s legs.

Relationship record

Life events

• In the New Zealand legend, Hina-uri married Ira-waru.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Hina-uri
  • “Maui's sister Hina-uri married Ira-waru, who was willing to work with his skillful brother-in-law.”
• In the New Zealand legend, Maui transformed Ira-waru into a dog after he copied Maui's eel basket.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “Ira-waru immediately made a basket like Maui. Then Maui became angry and uttered incantations over Ira-waru. The man dropped on the ground and became a dog.”
• In the New Zealand legend, Hina-uri learned Maui had transformed her husband into a dog.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Maui Hina-uri
  • “Maui did not deny the exercise of his power, but taught his sister a chant and sent her out to the level country. There she uttered her chant and a strange dog with long hair came to her, barking and leaping around her. Then she knew what Maui had done.”
• In the Tahu and Hau tribes' New Zealand story, Maui transformed Ira-waru into a dog.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “Then by incantations he made the sleep very deep and prolonged. Meanwhile he pulled the ears and arms and limbs until they were properly lengthened. He drew out the under jaw until it had the form of a dog's mouth. He stretched the end of the backbone into a tail, and then wakened Ira-waru and drove him back when he tried to follow the path to the settlement.”
• In the Tahu and Hau tribes' New Zealand story, Hina-uri recognized her husband as a dog and reproached Maui.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Hina-uri Maui
  • “Hina-uri went out and called her husband. He came to her, leaping and barking. She decided that this was her husband, and in her agony reproached Maui and wandered away.”
• In the Rua-nui story, Maui transformed Ira-waru into a dog after using him as a roller to drag the canoe.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “When he was lying helpless under the canoe, Maui changed him into a dog.”
• In the Arawa legends, Maui crushed Ira-waru and transformed him into a dog after Ira-waru caught a fish.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1)
  • With: Maui
  • “Ira-waru did so and Maui leaped on the outrigger and weighed it heavily down and crushed Ira-waru prostrate on the beach. Maui trod on him and pulled his backbone long like a tail and changed him into a dog.”
• In the New Zealand legend, Maui punished Ira-waru by transforming him into a dog.(Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 2)
  • With: Maui
  • “While Ira-waru slept Maui trod on his backbone and lengthened it and changed the arms and limbs into the legs of a dog.”

Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 1

• married with Hina-uri “Maui's sister Hina-uri married Ira-waru”
• with Maui (Brothers-in-law) “Maui's sister Hina-uri married Ira-waru, who was willing to work with his skillful brother-in-law.”
• enemies with Maui “When they were dragging the canoe on shore, Maui said to Ira-waru: 'Get between the canoe and outrigger and drag.' Ira-waru did so and Maui leaped on the outrigger and weighed it heavily down and crushed Ira-waru prostrate on the beach.”

Chapter VIII · Maui and His Brother-in-Law · Part 2

• enemies with Maui (In the Arawa version, Maui transforms Ira-waru.) “While Ira-waru slept Maui trod on his backbone and lengthened it and changed the arms and limbs into the legs of a dog.”
• married with Hina-uri “When Hina-uri saw the state of her husband she went into the thatched house by which Ira-waru had so often stood watching the hollow log in which she dried the fish and preserved the birds speared in the mountains.”

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