Creation Myths. 337 



fire followed. Maui had a sister Hina-uri, whose husbaml, Irawaru, was changed into 

 a dog by JNIaui. From Irawaru sprang all dogs. Maui and his descendants lived in 

 Hawaiki, until some of them left there and went to Aotea-roa (New Zealand). (Sir 

 Geo. Grey's Pol. Mythol. ) 



According to Moerenhout (Voyage aux lies du Grand Ocean, I, 446), Rii (a 

 secondary god) separated Heaven and Earth by stretching out the former like a curtain. 

 Mahui "brought the earth up from the depths of the ocean, and when mankind suffered 

 from the prolonged absence of the svm and had lived mournfully in deep obscurity, and 

 when fruits would not rijien, he stopped the sun and regulated its course so as to make 

 day and night equal." (Does not that legend indicate that Polynesians formerly lived in 

 a zone where the inequality of day and night was greater than in the tropics?). Ru 

 (god of winds), caused the ocean to swell over and break uj) the continent into its 

 present island condition. Moerenhout says further (Op. Cit. p. 568): "On ne trouve, 

 nulle part, de vestiges des deux principes, ni de ces combats entre les tenebres et la 

 lumiere, la vie et la mort." Compare, however, the Marquesan cosmogony. He says 

 also (Op. Cit. p. 571) that Polynesian legends represent the ocean as overflowing its 

 bed and rising up to the highest mountains "sans que, nulle part, il soit question des 

 eaux pluviales." See, however, the mele of the Deluge in Hawaiian and Marquesan. 



The frequent reference in Polynesian legends to moo, enormous, powerful and 

 magical lizards or serpents, relates to a previous residence in some country where such 

 reptiles exist, for in Polynesia these are of the smallest kind. It is more likely to be a 

 rememlirance of the ser])ent worship which obtained in the Hamitic- Arabic race and 

 was by them s]M-ead over India and the archipelago. 



Manua was another Plawaiian name for the god or chief of the infernal regions, 

 called "Po-pau-ole," "Po-ia-Milu," "Po-kini-kini," "Po-kuakini," "Po-lua-ahi," "Po- 

 papaia-owa." Manua is said to have been the original lord of this place. Milu was only 

 a wicked chief, whose spirit was retained there. It was not an entirely dark place — 

 there was light and there was fire. The legends record several instances where spirits 

 of the dead who had been sent thither were withdrawn from there and brought to the 

 light and life of the upper world again. Moku-lehua brought his wife Pueo up again 

 from there. Maluae brought his son Kaalii back from there ; the former by the help of 

 his god Kanikaniula, the latter by that of Kane and Kanaloa; and thus Hiku brought 

 up the spirit of Kawelu (w. ) and revived her. 



