POLYNESIAN llESEARCHES. 
415 
bears to a fact recorded in Jewish history. It is related 
that Maui, one of their ancient priests or chiefs, was 
building a marae, or temple, which it was necessary to 
finish before the close of the day; but, perceiving the 
sun was declining, and that it was likely to sink before the 
work was finished, he seized the sun by his rays, bound 
them with a cord to the marae, or an adjacent tree, and 
then prosecuted his work till the marae was completed, 
the sun remaining stationary during the whole period. 
I refrain from all comment on this singular tradition; 
which was almost universally received in the islands. ' 
Their ideas of the moon, which they called avae or 
marama, were as fabulous as those they entertained of 
the sun. Some supposed the moon was the wife of the 
sun; others that it was a beautiful country in which the 
aoa grew. I am not aware that they rendered divine 
homage either to the sun or moon. Theirs was a far 
less rational and innocent system than the worship of 
the host of heaven. They, however, supposed the moon 
to be subject to the influence of the spiritual beiiigs 
with whom their mythology taught them to people the 
visible creation; and to the anger of those spirits, they 
were accustomed to attribute an eclipse. During an 
eclipse, the moon is said to be natua^ bitten or pinched. 
The stars, which they call fetiaov fetii^ were by some 
considered as the children of the sun and moon. They 
are, however, generally supposed to be inhabited by 
spirits of the departed, or to be tlie spirits of human 
beings, several principal stars being designated by the 
names of distinguished men. The phenomenon called a 
shooting star, they supposed to be the flight of a spirit. 
Many of the constellations, and more of the single stars, 
have distinct names. Mars they call fetia ura^ red star. 
