Tregear. — Polynesian Folk-lore. 369 



Art. XL VI. — Polynesian Folk-lore. — Part II.: The Origin of Fire. 



By E. Tregear, F.K.G.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 19th October, 1887.] 



In my first paper on the subject of Polynesian Folk-lore,* I 

 compared the stories treatirjg of the adventures of Hina, the 

 sister of Maui. I will now attempt to compile the different 

 versions of the legend relating the procuring by Maui of fire 

 for the use of man. This tradition is related everywhere in 

 the Polynesian islands with wonderful faithfulness — wonderful 

 when we consider how many centuries must have elapsed since 

 the dispersion of the Maori tribes in the Pacific. I believe that 

 a vast extent of time lies between the parting of New Zealander 

 and Samoan, of Tahitian and Hawaiian ; but if the opinions of 

 some scholars (Hale, the American philologist, notably) should 

 be verified concerning the comparatively late departure of the 

 New Zealanders from some South Sea island, still the lapse of 

 years necessary to account for the widely differing customs 

 (kingship, idols, tattooing, tapu, etc.) and the divergence of 

 dialect, must be very great. The more I become conversant with 

 the Polynesian languages, the more thoroughly I feel assured of 

 very ancient branchings in the meaning of expressions common 

 to all ; and that it is only those investigators who are satisfied 

 with comparing the most common and vital words (such as 

 those for fire, water, etc.) who can consider the dispersion or 

 migration as recent. 



However that may be, we have in the story of the Poly- 

 nesian Maui, in his character of Prometheus, a tradition more 

 clear and faithful than any which treat of his labours as Hercules 

 — the solar mythologists claim Maui, with I do not know how 

 much reason. Maui is pre-eminently the Hero of Polynesia : 

 sometimes Maui the cunning, the evil ; sometimes the kind 

 (atamai) and the benefactor. In the " origin of fire" story he 

 is the benefactor. The legends I have gathered together are 

 those which have been told in New Zealand, Samoa, Manihiki, 

 Mangaia, and Nukuhiva (Marquesas). In commencing the New 

 Zealand story I must preface the actual tradition with a short 

 extract from a prior part of the Maui legends ; this extract 

 relating to the power Maui possessed of turning himself into a 

 bird at pleasure.! This is necessary, because the bird-dress of 

 Maui plays an important part in the legends of obtaining fire, 

 as told in the South seas. I will quote Sir George Grey's 

 version as the classical one : — 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xix., p. 486. 

 t See " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xix., p. 502. 

 24 



