Maui Brings Fire From the Underworld - Tongan and English Translation

MAUI Kisikisi Brings Fire From The Underworld

‘Omi ‘A E Afi Mei Lolofonua ‘E MAUI Kisikisi

Twinnies Books, Polynesian Myths

Twinnies Books, Polynesian Myths

Maui Kisikisi Brings Fire From The Underworld.

‘Omi ‘A E Afi Mei Lolofonua ‘E MAUI Kisikisi Written by Twinnies Illustrated by Josefina Luna Edited by: Professor Dr Siosiua F Lafitani

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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.

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Ne ‘i ai tokua ‘a e ‘otua ko hono hingoa ko Maui Motu’a, ne ne nofo mo pule’i ‘a Lolofonua (‘i lalo ‘i Maama). Na’e ‘i ai ‘a hono foha ‘otua ko 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.

Na’e nofo ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga ‘i he feitu’u ma’olunga taha ‘o Maama.

Ne ne fa’a ‘alu ‘o ‘a’ahi ki he’ene tangata’eiki ko Maui Motu’a ‘i Lolofonua. Na’e ‘i ai ‘a e foha ‘otua ‘o Maui ‘Atalanga ko hono hingoa ko Maui Kisikisi. Ne te’eki ke ‘alu ‘a Maui Kisikisi ia ki Lolofonua.

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.

‘I Maama, na’e ‘ikai ke ‘i ai ha afi ai ka ko Lolofonua pe ‘ia Maui Motu’a.

‘I he ‘aho kotoa pe, ne fononga ai pe ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga ki Lolofonua kia Maui Motu’a.

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.

‘I he ‘aho ‘e taha, na’e muimui ‘a Maui Kisikisi ‘ia Maui ‘Atalanga pea’ne mamata atu ‘oku’ne hanga ‘o le’ei hake ha falukunga ‘akau kofe. Ne ‘asi mai ai ha luo ‘i he funga kelekele ‘o hangee ha ki’i matapa halangafononga ki Lolofonua.

‘I he hili pe ‘a e hu atu ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga he luo ni, ne to e fakaava ai pe ‘e Maui Kisikisi ‘o ne muimui fakalongolongo atu ai pe ‘iate ia ki Lolofonua.

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.

‘I he a’u atu ‘a Maui Kisikisi ki Lolofonua, ne’ne vakai atu ki he’ene kui ko Maui Motu’a’ ‘oku fai mai ‘ene feitunu vauvau ha fo’i ‘ufi ‘e ua ‘i he ve’e afi. Ne ‘ikai ke lava ‘a Maui Motu’a ‘o ‘ilo’i hono mokopuna he na’e po’uli hono fofonga. Ne totolo mamalie atu pe ‘a Maui Kisikisi ki he feitu’u ne ngaue ai ‘ene kui he ve’e afi ‘o kaiha’asi mai ha ni’ihi ‘o ‘ene feitunu vauvau.

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.

‘I hono ma’u ko ia ‘e Maui Kisikisi ‘a e ‘ufi feitunu vauvau na’e melie ki ai ko e ‘uhii he na’e moho ‘amio, pea na’e sa’ia he ‘ufi ‘amio. Na’a ne to e hanga leva ‘o to’o ha fo’i ‘ufi vauvau ‘e taha mei he’ene kui; ka e tuku atu ‘a e taha ne toe ma’ana.

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!”

‘I he kakapa atu ko ia ‘a ‘ene kui ki he ‘ufi ne ne ma’u pe ‘a e taha pea na’e ne pehe leva: “Ko fe’ia ‘a ‘eku ‘ufi ‘e taha?” Tupunga he’ikai ke lava ‘a Maui Motu’a ‘o mamata ne ‘ikai ke ne ‘ilo’i kuo ‘osi ‘ave ‘e hono mokopuna ko Maui Kisikisi’ ‘a e taha.

Ne feinga leva ‘a Maui Kisikisi ke toitoi, ko ia ne ne kaka fakavave hake ‘i ha fu’u ‘akau ‘o paki’i ‘a e taha hono ngaahi fua. ‘O ne hanga ‘o ‘uusi pe ‘e taha ‘a e fua’i’akai pea ne tolongi hifo leva’aki ‘ene kui, ‘o ne ‘ilo’i ‘a e matau’u he fua’i’akau pea ne kaila leva: “Hange ko e matau’u ‘eni ‘a 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.

‘I he fanongo mai ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga ki he lea ‘ene tamai ki he hingoa hono foha, ne ne lele mai ki ai ‘o vakai atu ta ko Maui Kisikisi kuo ne hifo mai ki Lolofonua. Ne fakafoki leva ‘e Maui ‘Atalanga ‘a Maui Kisikisi ki Maama kimu’a pea ne to e fai ha maumau. Ko ia ne ne taki atu ‘a Maui Kisikisi ki he luo halangafononga matapa ne na hifo mai ai ki Lolofonua.

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.

‘I he fakalaka mai ko ia ‘a Maui Kisikisi he afi ne ‘i ai ‘ene kui, ne ne vilohi’i hono sino ‘i he loto afi ke fihia ‘aikona mai ai ha mofisi’i afi ‘i hono vala. Pea ko e fononga hake ko ia ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga ‘i he halangafononga luo ne ne namuhi ‘a e vela ‘oku ‘aikona he vala ‘o Maui Kisikisi.

Pea ne ‘ilo’i leva ne feinga ‘a Maui Kisikisi ke kaiha’asi ‘a e afi ki Maama.

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.

Pea ‘i he kaka hake ‘a Maui ‘Atalanga ‘i he halangafononga luo ne ne tu’utu’uni faka’otua ki he langi ke ‘uha hifo ‘o tamate’i ‘a e afi ne ‘aikona ‘ia Maui Kisikisi.

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.

Ka na’e ‘ikai ke mate ‘a e afi ia ko e uhii he na’e ‘osi to’o ia ‘e Maui Kisikisi mei he ‘aikona hono vala ‘o ne ta’alo’i mo tu’utu’uni faka’otua ki ai ke ne hunuaki ki he ‘ulu ‘akau. ‘Oku kei a’u mai pe ki he ‘aho ni, ko hano olo fakataha pe ha va’akau ‘e ua ‘e mofisi afi mai leva he na’e ‘osi hunuaki ki ai ‘e Maui Kisikisi.

That is the myth of how fire was brough to Earth from the Underworld.

Ko e fananga ia ‘o e anga hono ‘omai ‘o e afi ki Maama mei Lolofonua.

THE END TATAU ATU

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