MAUI Kisikisi Brings Fire From The Underworld
Twinnies Books, Polynesian Myths
Twinnies Books, Polynesian Myths
Maui Kisikisi Brings Fire From The Underworld Written by Twinnies Illustrated by Josefina Luna Edited by: Professor Dr Siosiua F Lafitani
Published by Twinnies Publishing © Twinnies Publishing
_____________________________________ _ Twinnies Books
The Twinnies Polynesian Myth Series is aimed at: Recalling, Remembering, Preserving and Prolonging cultural words through spoken, written and illustration to ensure our culture and identity is passed on to our children and generations to come.
Once upon a time there was a god whose name was Maui the Elder, who lived and ruled in the Underworld (i.e. under the Earth). He had a son god whose name was Maui ‘Atalanga.
Maui ‘Atalanga lived on the highest part of the Earth. He would go and visit his father, Maui the Elder, in the Underworld. Maui ‘Atalanga had a young son god whose name was Maui Kisikisi. Maui Kisikisi had never travelled to the Underworld.
On Earth, there was no fire but only in the Underworld with Maui the Elder. Each day, Maui ‘Atalanga would travel down to the Underworld to visit Maui the Elder.
One day, Maui Kisikisi followed Maui ‘Atalanga and saw him pushing over some bamboo. This opened to a hole in the ground that was like a little door leading to the Underworld. After Maui ‘Atalanga had gone through the hole, Maui Kisikisi uncovered it and quietly followed him too down to the Underworld.
When Maui Kisikisi arrived to the Underworld he saw his grandfather, Maui the Elder, peeling two cooked yams by a fire. Maui the Elder did not see his grandson because he was blind. Maui Kisikisi quietly crept to where his grandfather was working by the fire and stole some of his peelings.
When Maui Kisikisi ate the peels they were sweet to him because they were cooked and he liked the cooked yam. Then he further took one of the yams that his grandfather had peeled; leaving the other one for his grandfather.
When his grandfather reached for the yams he could only find one and he said: “Where is my other yam?”. Maui the Elder was blind so he could not see that his grandson Maui Kisikisi had taken the other one.
Maui Kisikisi tried to hide so he quickly climbed up a tree and picked one of its fruits. He took a single bite from the fruit then he threw it down to his grandfather who felt the bite mark and yelled out: “This is like the bite of Maui Kisikisi!”
When Maui ‘Atalanga heard his father mentioning his son’s name he ran over to and saw that Maui Kisikisi had come down to the Underworld. Maui ‘Atalanga took Maui Kisikisi back onto Earth before he created more trouble. So, Maui ‘Atalanga led Maui Kisikisi back to the hole which they had come down to reach the Underworld.
As Maui Kisikisi passed by the fire where his grandfather was, he let his body wrap drag through the fire so that it caught a few sparks in the cloth. As Maui ‘Atalanga and Maui Kisikisi were climbing up through the hole Maui ‘Atalanga could smell the smoke from Maui Kisikisi’s body wrap. He knew that Maui Kisikisi was trying to steal the fire to the Earth.
When Maui ‘Atalanga climbed up through the hole he commanded in a godly way to the sky to rain and put out the fire that Maui Kisikisi was carrying.
But the fire was not put out because Maui Kisikisi took his body wrap and waved it at the trees, and commanded in a godly way to the fire to permeate into the trees. To this day, when two sticks are rubbed together, sparks of fire come out because Maui Kisikisi commanded the fire to permeate into the trees.
That is the myth of how fire was brough to Earth from the Underworld.
THE END
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