Maui Legends

As part of Matariki we re-read the legends of Maui. We then retold a legend and created artwork. Below is my work.

Maui And The Secret Of Ahi- By The Hawaiians

One day Maui and his brothers were in the waka coming back from fishing when they saw smoke in the air. Maui said to his brothers, “I will go and check it out.” When Maui returned he said to his brothers, “The ahi was out”. Some bananas had been cooked. Only the banana peels, some dry hau sticks, a pointed stick of wood and some coconut skin was left. The mud hens are the ones that made the ahi and I saw them fly away.

The next day when maui and his brothers were out fishing they saw smoke again. Maui went to the clearing, the ahi was out and the mud hens were gone. Only sweet potato peels and coconut husk were left. Maui and his brothers were really angry that the mud hens were able to make ahi and humans did not know how!

The next day Maui saw smoke and hid in a bush near the clearing. But the mud hens noticed that only toru of the brothers were in the waka! So the mud hens flew away. Maui told his brothers that night that he was going to make a fake person and put it in his place so the mud hens thought that he was on the waka. Maui made the fake head out of a tapa cloth and rolled up two more pieces of tapa cloth and said, “ These are my arms.”

The next day Maui’s brothers went paddling to get some fish. Maui was hiding in a kawakawa tree next to the clearing. Before the mud hens started an ahi they watched the boat go out and made sure that there were four heads. They counted whā. They had fallen for Maui’s trick! The mud hens went to start the ahi. Maui crept forward. In his excitement a stone rolled forward and made a noise that startled the mud hens.  A mud hen cried out, “I can hear something. Maui must be about!” All the mud hens scattered. Only the leader was left putting out the fire. Maui lept from his hiding place and grabbed the leader mud hen. He said, “Tell me the secret of fire.” “No, I will not tell you,” replied the mud hen. Maui held the mud hen under his arm. The mud hen said,  “Rub the taro leaf stalk against that hard pointed stick.” Maui did that and it didn’t work. Only a stream of juice ran from the stalk. “This is not the right way!” Said the annoyed Maui.

Maui tried to get the mud hen to tell him the right two more times until finally the mud hen said, “I will tell you the secret of fire!” Rub that hard pointed stick against that dry hau stick.” Maui rubbed and as he rubbed he made a groove in the hau stick. Maui smelled smoke but could not see it. , “Keep rubbing, this is the right way to make fire. You must rub it harder and faster.” Finally Maui saw smoke and then suddenly there was fire! Maui new the secret of fire! He touched the mud hen on the head with the hot stick. From now on the mud hens always have a red mark on their heads.

Retold by Mackenzie and Dakota

This is Mackenzie’s artwork

This is Dakota’s artwork