Māori Myths & Legends

October 29, 2017 3:34 AM

• How Māui Found his Mother (5’38)
• How Māui Slowed the Sun (5’09)
• The Fish of Māui (5’37)

From the 2007 6-part animated series, A Māui te Tipua (Māui, the Enchanted). Based on the books written and strikingly illustrated by New Zealand author, Peter Gossage.

The whole series is in Te Reo Māori (Māori language) but English subtitles are available on the three episodes above. The rest of the series is below but without subtitles. I've included some other versions of the myths to help you follow along.

• How Maui found his father and the magic jawbone (5’24) (Reading)
• How Maui found the secret of Fire (5’54) (Reading)
• How Maui defied the goddess of Death (5’49) (Reading)

Want some more? Learn more about Māui and other Māori myths and legends here, here, and here.

posted by Start with Dessert (5 comments total)

I loved those books growing up. I was always drawn to the artwork.

Kiri Te Kanawa also wrote a book of Māori myths.
posted by poxandplague at 5:25 AM on October 29, 2017 [3 favorites]

And thank you!
posted by FritoKAL at 11:45 AM on October 29, 2017

In the Fish of Maui Peter Gossage tells the story of the creation of the north island of NZ, with the beautiful line 'he was not landing a fish but fishing a land' as Maui heaves the land out of the sea with his hook smeared with his own blood. This and In the Beginning were beautiful books from my daughters NZ whanau.
posted by RandomInconsistencies at 1:07 PM on October 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Thank you very much for sharing this. I'm not going to lie, part of my interest stemmed from Moana, and I am happy to be broadened.
posted by eggkeeper at 11:02 PM on October 31, 2017

This is my childhood! I love these, thank you so much for sharing.
posted by teststrip at 3:08 PM on November 3, 2017 [1 favorite]