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The legend of Māui spans Polynesia, and various accounts of the demigod's heroic deeds exist across Pacific nations. Te Ika-a-Māui is the thrilling tale of how the mischievous and curious Māui fished up the North Island of Aotearoa – New Zealand.
Māui and the Fish
Mist hovered above the sea of the bay. The sun slowly woke from its slumber to begin its trek across the sky. Below, Māui lay eager to venture out with his brothers on their fishing trip. His mischievous and curious nature pushed Māui into stowing away on board his older brothers’ waka, as they were preoccupied with preparations. He sensed a storm was looming on the horizon and that somehow it would bring him greatness.
In preparation for the fishing voyage, lashings were tightened and the hull was checked for seaworthiness. When all appropriate rituals were complete, the anchor was pulled in and the waka was launched out to sea. The sea was like glass and the weather was calm and looked favourable for a quick journey to the brothers’ favourite fishing grounds.
Māui lay hidden under a pile of clothing at the rear of the waka. He dared not move, fearing that his brothers might throw him overboard. He gripped tightly the heirloom jawbone of his late grandmother to comfort him in his frightening predicament. As Māui lay silent, he slowly bound the jawbone to a strong-looking rope. Almost immediately Māui heard the sound of the anchor being thrown overboard, so he leapt up from his hiding place shouting and brandishing the jawbone. Māui’s brothers were taken by surprise, and before they could act Māui threw the rope and jawbone overboard. The brothers sat stunned, then suddenly the waka was savagely jerked forwards and backwards. The jawbone had hooked a fish, and the fish was gigantic. The fish violently and effortlessly pulled the waka in all directions.
Māui braced himself at the bow of the waka, his entire body straining with the effort to haul in his prize. The enormous fish thrashed its immense tail, triggering tsunami-sized waves. Māui’s brothers pleaded for him to release his line, but he paid them no attention. He instead looked skyward, calling for divine intervention to give him the prodigious strength needed to overcome this unyielding fish.
Eventually the mighty fish weakened and was hauled up from the depths of the sea. On breaking through the sea surface, it instantly hardened into a huge mass of land. Māui lay motionless on the deck after the colossal battle with the fish. Māui’s brothers jumped down from the waka, retrieved the jawbone and began ruthlessly hacking up the land. Large valleys and mountains were carved into the once smooth land. These actions would ultimately determine the landscape of Aotearoa - New Zealand.
Te Ika-a-Māui and the waka are historic reminders of the heroic deeds of Māui that formed both the North and South Islands of Aotearoa - New Zealand. This story is only one of many versions passed down from generation to generation depicting the creation of this unique paradise called home by many.
Te Ika-A-Māui
Tērā te tūkōrehu i runga tonu ake i te moana. Ka ara a Tama-nui-te-rā i tana moe, ka tīmata tana whīkoi i te rangi. Kei raro a Māui e takoto kōkeko ana kia puta ki te hī ika me ōna tuākana.
Ko tō Māui hīangatanga i ākina ia ki te konihi haere ki te waka o ōna tuākana huna ai, i a rātou e warea ana ki te whakarite waka. E matakite nei ia tērā tētehi tai haruru e pūhia mai ana te pūrākau mōna.
Hei whakarite waka ki te hī ika, i whakakikīa ngā aukaha, i purua katoatia ngā aurukōwhao i te takere anō hoki. Oti katoa ana ngā whakaritenga e tika ana, ka kūmea ake te punga, ka whakarewaina te waka ki te moana. I āio te moana, i rangi paihuarere, ā i kōtengitengi te hau kia tere ai te rere o te waka ki te tino tauranga ika.
I takoto huna a Māui i raro i tētehi haupūranga kākahu i te kei o te waka. Tino kore nei ia e paku oi kei rukea ia e ōna tuākana i te waka. I rarau i te kauae tuku iho o tōna kuia kua mate noa atu hei mamahutanga mōna i tēnei wā whakamataku. I a Māui e takoto wahangū ana ka āta whiwhita ia i te kauae ki tētehi taura mārō nei te hanga.
Inamata ka rongo a Māui i te punga e rukea ana, ka whakatika ake ia i te wāhi huna, ka hāparangi, ā ka pioi i te kauae o tōna kuia. Kapo matamata ana ngā tuākana. Ka tū tekoteko noa iho rātou, ka whiua e Māui tana taura me te kauae ki te wai. Pōrewarewa ana koinā ngā tuākana, mea rawa ake ka whakapīoioitia te waka. Ka tārutua ki mua, ka tārutua ki muri. Ka mau tonu te kauae ki tētehi ika nui noa atu. He māmā noa iho tā te ika kukume kaikokatanga i te waka ki tāna i pai ai.
I whakatete a Māui i a ia anō i te ihu o te waka, ka whakawhēnanauhia katoatia te tinana ki te hī ake i te ika kāmehameha. E kowheta mai ana, e kowheta atu ana te ika kaitā, ka ara ake ngā parawhenua mea i tōna hiku kaha. I whakakuenetia a Māui e ōna tuākana kia tuku i tana taura, engari auare ake. Ka whakaterangi kē te titiro a Māui, ka takitaki i ana karakia kia uaua parāoa te ringaringa ki te hī i te ika kakī mārō nei.
Nāwai rā ka whakangoikore te ika rīrā, ā ka hī ake ia i te rētōtanga o te moana. I te putanga atu ki te karetai o te moana ka whakauka i taua wā tonu hei whenua. Mutu kau ana te putakari hirahira me te ika ka takoto kau a Māui i te rahoraho o te waka. Ka heke iho ngā tuākana o Māui i te waka ka tiki i te kauae ka tīmata ai tā rātou tārainga pūhungahungatanga o te whenua. Me te aha, nā wai i whenua papatahi kātahi ka riu kē atu, ka maunga kē atu. Ka riro mā tēnei mahi a Aotearoa e whakaahua i taua rā, ā mohoa noa nei.
Ka noho Te Ika a Māui me te waka hei whakamaharatanga i ā Māui mahi tuahangata kia puta mai ko ngā moutere e rua e mōhiotia nei ko Aotearoa. Ko te kōrero nei tētehi o roto mai i ngā kōrero huhua e tuku iho ana hei whakaatu i te orokohanganga o tēnei whenua taurikura hei kāinga mō te tini tāngata.