Key Info

- From the Tahitian persepective, Māui was a wise man and a priest who helps humanity and was later he was deified 

- He is known for bringing fire to humans, capturing the sun to make the days longer and causing earthquakes

Brief Bio

In the mythology of Tahiti, Māui was a wise man, or prophet. He was a priest, but was afterwards deified. Being at one time engaged at the marae (sacred place), and the sun getting low while Māui's work was unfinished, he laid hold of the hihi, or sun-rays, and stopped his course for some time. As the discoverer of fire, Māui was named Ao-ao-ma-ra'i-a because he taught the art of obtaining fire by friction of wood. Before this time people ate their food raw.

Māui was also responsible for earthquakes.