Best. — Maori Eschatoloyy. 151 



Myth of Maui and Hine-nui-te-Po. 



Maui is perhaps the principal representative of the age of 

 heroes in Maori mythology, being one of the demi-gods who per- 

 formed wondrous deeds in the misty past, when man was young 

 upon the earth. It was Maui who procured fire for mankind, 

 who lengthened the day by chastising and binding the sun, and 

 who is credited with many impish tricks, all of which the Maori 

 delights to recount. But no reverence of any kind is paid to 

 him. 



As to Hine-nui-te-Po and her origin, it was in this wise : 

 Tane, one of the progeny of Rangi and Papa (Sky and Earth), 

 sought his parent Rangi and asked, " Where is the female 

 element ? " Rangi replied, " The female element is below ; 

 the abode of life is above." This may refer to Papa, the Earth 

 Mother, whose place in nature is below the heavens, while above 

 is the vast expanse of the heavens, the denizens of which know 

 not death. It is evident that for many centuries the Maori 

 mind has been deeply imbued with animism, as a study of their 

 myths will prove to the inquirer. 



One authority gives the following as the reply of Rangi to 

 Tane : " The female element is below : it is the abode [or 

 origin] of misfortune, of death. The realm of life is above. 

 Our descendants shall not be as we are, and as are our grand- 

 children — the sun, the moon, the stars, the Hinatore, Pari-kioko, 

 and Hine-rauamoa — for the)' shall know death, the death of the 

 lower world, and be mourned " (" K ia mate ao, kia mihia, kia 

 tangihia cri"). 



Whether the term used in this myth — i.e., " uha " — applies to 

 the Earth Mother, or to Hine-nui-te-Po, who is said to have 

 brought death to man by slaying Maui in a very singular 

 manner, it is evident from a perusal of this myth that death 

 and misfortune were supposed to have been caused by, or 

 originated with, the female element. 



Tane sought long for the female element, and in so doing 

 he produced trees, shrubs, and plants, until he came to two 

 beings named Roiho and Roake, who told him where to find 

 woman. That woman was Kurawaka, who had been formed 

 by Tiki by means of the tira rite. She was formed from the 

 sacred mound termed Puke-nui-o-Papa, which represented the 

 po, the realm of darkness, of oblivion, and sin. By Kurawaka 

 Tane had Hine-ahu-one. He took his daughter to wife and had 

 Hine-ahuarangi, whom he also married and had Hine-titama. 

 Tane took her also to wife, until one day she asked, " Where 

 is my father ? " Tane replied, " I am your father." So shocked 

 was Hine-titama to learn this fact that she fled to the lower 

 world, to Tane-te-wai-ora. She was pursued by her father 



