Hawaiian legend has it that the demi-god Maui created the Hawaiian Island chain, when he pulled the Islands from the ocean floor with a great, magical fishhook.
The Hawaiian culture is rift with myths and legends, often about gods and heroic deeds. Ancient Hawaiians made up these tales to try to explain their surroundings and understand how they related to Nature. One such story is about a powerful chief and demi-god named Maui, who was said to have created the Hawaiian Islands and, ultimately, saved mankind.
One of the myths tells of Maui using a great, magical fishhook to catch the ocean bottom and, with the help of his brothers, pulled the Island up to the surface. Maui repeated this feat many times by tricking his brothers, creating the entire Hawaiian chain.
Maui’s next venture was to harness the sun. In one story, his mother complained that the days were too short and the sun would go away before her washed clothes could dry. Maui climbed to the summit of Haleakala (House of the Sun) and lassoed the sun as it came up on the mountain. The sun was stuck and, pleading for its life, agreed to lengthen the days of summer over the Island.
With that settled, Maui looked to the sky. It is told that he felt the sky was too low and thought it was terrible that many of the people of the Earth were too tall to stand upright and, therefore, couldn’t easily work or play. In fact, he believed that the sky would fall completely, making the Earth uninhabitable. So, he went to his father for help and, with a mammoth effort, they pushed the sky up, thereby, saving mankind.
The Island of Maui and the constellation Maui’s Fishhook, which is known in the West as Scorpius, are named after this legend.
The ancient tales are still chanted and danced in hula. Some are presented at the Royal Lahaina Resort’s Myths of Maui Luau, the longest running Hawaiian luau on the Island. For more information, go to www.hawaiihotels.com.