Traditional maori Legends.

Traditional maori Legends. Maui and the fish. Maui is one of the most famous characters in maori folklore. This legend tells how Maui caught a huge fish which eventually became the north island ( Te. Ika a-Maui ) of the New Zealand the canoe or waka from which he caught the fish became the south island ( Te. Ika a-Maui ) Maui was not a keen fisherman, and he also had the reputation of being a c Trickster. For these reasons his older brothers hated taking him with them when they went fishing. He was always playing practical jokes and would often question the authority of his elders. One day Maui’s wife was nagging him to do something. She told him he was lazy, and said that he should help her with the chores. Maui became tired of her nagging and decided that he too would go out to fish the great oceans of tangaroa. Before leaving to go fishing, Maui went to the sacred burial cave of his ancestors. He took the jaw bone of his grandmother and fashioned a very special fish from it. Then he set out the in his canoe. When he arrived at the fishing grounds Maui’s brothers refused to give him any bait, but this did not deter Maui. He made his nose bleed, and dripped blood onto his hook. Then he cast his line into the sea. Before long a fish took his bait. Maui struggled hard and eventually me managed to haul it up. It was the biggest fish anyone had ever seen. Today Maui”s fish, Te. Ika a-Maui, still remains on the surface of the sea. According to Ngati porou Tradition of the first part of the fish to break the surface of the water was the summit of Mt. Hikurangi. It was the first point to see the sun. And today Mt. Hikurangi, on the east coast, is the first place to see the sun each and morning.