Little Maui and his Mother: From the Māori First Nation People, Part 2 of 2

Let us continue with selections from “The Legend of Maui” in the book “Polynesian Mythology & Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealanders,” by Sir George Grey. With peace restored within the family, Māui begins his search for the truth about his parents and his origins.

The Legend of Maui

“[…] The little Maui now asked his brothers again: ‘Where do you think the place is where our father and mother dwell?’ and they answered: ’How should we know, we have never seen it; although we are Maui-taha, and Maui-roto, and Maui-pae, and Maui-waho, we have never seen the place; and do you think you can find that place which you are so anxious to see? What does it signify to you? Cannot you stop quietly with us? What do we care about our father, or about our mother? Did she feed us with food till we grew up to be men? Not a bit of it. Why, without doubt, Rangi, or the Heaven, is our father, who kindly sent his offspring down to us; Hau-whenua, or gentle breezes, to cool the Earth and young plants; and Hau-ma-ringiringi, or mists, to moisten them; and Hau-ma-roto-roto, or fine weather, to make them grow; and Touarangi, or rain, to water them; and Tomairangi, or dews, to nourish them: he gave these his offspring to cause our food to grow, and then Papa-tu-a-nuku, or the Earth, made her seeds to spring, and grow forth, and provide sustenance for her children in this long-continuing world.’

Little Maui then answered: ‘What you say is truly quite correct; but such thoughts and sayings would better become me than you, for in the foaming bubbles of the sea I was nursed and fed: it would please me better if you would think over and remember the time when you were nursed at your mother’s breast; it could not have been until after you had ceased to be nourished by her milk that you could have eaten the kinds of food you have mentioned; as for me, oh! my brothers, I have never partaken either of her milk or of her food; yet I love her, for this single reason alone – that I lay in her womb; and because I love her, I wish to know where is the place where she and my father dwell.’”