Tregear. — Polynesian Folk-lore. 385 



they never expected to see again. Maui the Third told them 

 that he had made a grand discovery — he had obtained the secret 

 of fire. He had found a new land. ' Where is it situated?' 

 inquired they. ' Down there,' said Maui the Younger. ' Down 

 where'' they demanded. 'Down there,' again shouted Maui. 

 The fact was, they were not aware of the secret opening in their 

 house leading to Avaiki. At the earnest solicitation of Maui, 

 they all consented to follow him. Accordingly, he went to the 

 old post of their dwelling, and said as before : — 



' pillar ! open, open up, 

 That we may all enter, and descend to nether world.' 



At these words the wonderful pillar at once opened, and all 

 four descended. Maui showed them all the wonders of spirit 

 world ; and when at length their curiosity was perfectly satisfied, 

 he conducted them back to the upper world of light, to which 

 they all properly belonged. "* 



The last version of the story to be compared is that from 

 the Marquesas. It is, in composition, extremely rough and 

 primitive.! 



" Mahuike, or Mauike, 'goddess of fire, of earthquakes, and 

 volcanoes,' dwelt in Havaiki. She had no child but one, a 

 married daughter who lived on earth : that daughter was the 

 grandmother of Maui. Maui lived with his father and mother 

 upon the promontory of an island, the name of which is unknown. 



* " Myths and Songs," page 63, et seq. 



t I present the following lines as an example, with a literal interlinear 

 translation : — 



" Aitu mea ma to Maui kite te kui heke i Havaiki. [Hawaiki. 



•' The breaking-tapu affair by which Maui saw his mother descend to 



To Maui tata i te kui, 

 Maui near his mother. 



To te kui kite — uaua to ue i te tania i te oioi. 



The mother looked — poured out tears on the child who slept. 



Te tama tivava te hiamoe. 



The child lied (pretended) sleep. 



Tekao i te tama, Maui V Te tama aoe tekao : hiamoe tivava. 



Said to the child, " Maui?" The child did not speak: shammed sleep. 



Tevahine tekao i te valiana, Aue ! hakavaa. 



The woman said to her husband, " Alas ! he wakes !" 



To te vahine tekao, Aue ! taa au ! 



The woman said, " Alas ! he sees me !" 



Valiana tekao, " Aoe ; Maui hiamoe." 

 Husband says, " No ; Maui sleeps." 



To te valiana tekao i te vahine, " Amai." 



The husband says to his wife, " Let us go." 



To te kui me te metua putamai aanui mea oa. 



The mother, with the father, went towards the road — a distant thing. 



Te kui kukamai veinehae to te kui to ia." 



The mother thought spectre of her mother." Etc., etc. 



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