1 Transactions. — Miscellaneous, 



5. Maui. 

 We now come to a strange person — not a god, and not like other men, 

 neither good nor yet absolutely bad ; but always dealing in mischief and 

 wicked practical jokes. It is certainly an ancient personage, for itself and its 

 deeds are known and talked of by the whole Polynesian race. The word maui, 

 in the present language, means left, or left-handed ; but I do not know if any 

 meaning has been intended by this proper name. Maui's father's name was 

 Raka or Kanga, his mother's Hina, according to the southern Maori; in the 

 north they give them different names. The following names of their children 

 are mentioned : Maui-mua (maui before) ; Maui-roto ( — inside) ; Maui-waho 

 ( — outside) ; Maui-taha ( — at the side) ; and Maui-potiki ( — the youngest of a 

 family). The last one is our hero ; he only is simply called Maui ; the 

 brothers are distinguished by their adjectives. 



Maui, at his birth, was such a shapeless lump that his mother wrapped him 



in a rag and cast him into the thorn bush. There he was found and nursed 



by his ancestors, Mu and Weka (names alluding to wingless birds in the 



bush). According to Sir George Grey's collection, as told by the Maori in the 



north, she cast him among the kelp on the sea-beach, where he was washed 



about by the tide among the seaweeds, the sea-birds screaming over him, till 



he was found and nursed by his ancestor, Tamanuikiterangi (great Tama, or 



Son, toward Heaven). After he had been nursed into a child's shape, he was 



taken up and trained by Aonui, Aoroa, Aopouri, and others, all names which 



allude to phenomena in the sky. Here, for mischief's sake, he put snow on 



the cultivation of one Marutewareaitu, and injured it. Then Marutewareaitu 



put caterpillars on Maui's cultivation, which destroyed it. Then 



Maui waylaid ]\J trutewareaitu and killed him. The wise men among the 



Maori admit that they have lost all meaning about this tale. There is more 



about it in that region, but all is confused and meaningless. After this, Maui 



was sent home to his parents. 



When he came to the place of his parents' house, he found his brothers 

 outside, playing at throwing spears at a mark. Maui joined their sport, and 

 then threw his spear at the gable of the house with such force that one of 

 the gable boards came down with a clattering noise to the ground. Upon this 



the mother rushed out of the house, scolding her children for destroying the 

 house. "We have not done it," said they, "it is that boy there," pointing at 

 Maui "Whose boy are you?" asked the mother. "Your own," answered 

 Maui. "No, you are not," she replied; "these are my children; you are 

 a stranger." "That may be," said Maui, "yet I am your son. You wrapped 

 me in a rag, and cast me in a thorn bush. My ancestors have nursed me into 

 life and shape, and have brought me up." Then his mother remembered. She 



