Key Info

- From the Mangarevan persepective, Māui was a demigod trickster who helps humanity

- He is known for bringing fire to humans and capturing the sun

Brief Bio

In Mangarevan mythology, Māui is revered as a heroic, clever, and often mischievous demi-god or ancestor who shapes the world for the benefit of humanity. The Mangarevan tradition, specifically from the Gambier Islands, features unique elements, such as identifying a specific "eight-eyed" Māui and featuring different figures in his origin story compared to Māori or Hawaiian traditions.

In the mythology of Mangareva, Māui hauls the land up from the sea, and ties the sun with tresses of hair. His father was Ataraga and his mother was Uaega.

There were eight Māui: Māui-mua, Māui-muri, Māui-toere-mataroa, Tumei-hauhia, Māui-tikitiki-toga, Māui-matavaru, Māui-taha, Māui-roto. Māui the eight-eyed (matavaru) is the hero. He is born from his mother's navel, and is raised by his grandfather, Te Rupe, who gives him a magic staff named Atua-tane and a hatchet named Iraiapatapata.