Maui: The Hero of Land, Sea, and Sky

Up until December 15th , you can sign up for the Christmas special on patreoncom slash dreamful podcast to receive a handwritten Christmas card from me , a shout out on our Christmas episode and access to over 100 bonus episodes . This will make a great gift for a friend , family member or just treating yourself .

When you sign up , be sure to give the name and mailing address of the recipient so I can get their card to them by Christmas . I can also send cards internationally so you can buy a special even if you're outside the US . Again , the deadline for this is December 15th . Or another idea is to give the gift of a Supercast subscription .

You can gift a month , two months or even a year if you like , and the recipient will be able to listen to the bonus episodes on Spotify . It is currently Thanksgiving break here in the United States , so my children are home for an entire week and today , as I'm recording this , they are out at the movie theater watching Moana 2 .

Yes , I am jealous , but also very excited for them that they get to see this movie . So I thought what a better story to do this week than to tell you the tale of Maui , the hero of land , sea and sky . So snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams . Maui was born in the realms of gods .

His father , the mighty supporter of the heavens , towered over creation , holding the vast sky aloft with arms like ancient trees . His mother , hina , the guardian of the road to the invisible world , shimmered with an ethereal glow , her presence felt in the moonlight that danced across the waves .

Yet , despite their celestial stature , maui's birth was unheralded , born prematurely and considered an inconvenience , he was wrapped in the silken strands of Hina's hair and cast into the sea . But the ocean did not reject him .

Hungaroa , god of the seas , saw the fragile infant and sent his jellyfish servants to cradle him in their delicate , translucent arms , the god whispered life into Maui's tiny form his voice , a deep rumble that resonated through the coral halls of the sea .

Maui was brought to Tongaroa's house beneath the waves , a luminous palace with walls of a mother of pearl and floors paved in shimmering abalone . There he was hung near the warm golden glow of a sacred fire , where his small body grew strong and his spirit sharper than a shark's tooth .

When Maui emerged years later , the once rejected infant had become a clever and vibrant youth , his eyes reflecting the playful glint of sunlight on water . He strode into the assembly of his family , his presence electrifying the air like the moment before a storm .

Though initially unrecognized , maui claimed his place through wit and audacity , proving himself not only as one of them but as being destined to reshape the world . Maui possessed gifts unlike any other . His strength rivaled that of his divine father and his cunning was unparalleled . But it was his magic hook that cemented his legend .

Fashioned from the jawbone of his great-grandmother , its edges gleamed with an otherworldly sheen , capable of drawing up not just fish from the depths but the very foundations of the earth . The hook was imbued with the chant of power , and when Maui wielded it , the world itself bent to his will .

To accompany his hook , maui spun ropes from the Alona vine fibers woven with strength that no fish nor god could break . These tools were his weaponry in his battles against both sea and sky . But they were nothing without Maui's indomitable spirit , a force that could outwit gods and wrest secrets from the cosmos .

Maui's sharp mind often turned mischievous , especially when it came to outsmarting his brothers . On fishing trips , maui would let his line tangle with theirs , slyly pulling in fish they believed were caught on their hooks , and fish they believed were caught on their hooks . Be careful , brothers , he'd cry , feigning alarm your fish is slipping away .

As they frantically reeled in empty hooks , maui would triumphantly hoist their fish into the canoe . His brothers , though irritated , couldn't stay angry for long . Maui's charm was irresistible , even when accompanied by trickery . One tale tells of how Maui used his powers to control the winds when his brothers refused to let him accompany them to the deep seas .

Left behind , maui sang to the gods of the wind , who obliged by whipping up a storm that sent the brothers scurrying back to shore . They had no choice but to take Maui along , though they swore under their breath , knowing mischief was sure to follow . It was during one of these outings that Maui achieved his most celebrated feat .

Armed with his magic hook , he challenged his brothers to venture farther than ever before . To venture farther than ever before . They grumbled but obeyed , pedaling until the shores of their homeland vanished into the horizon . There , maui baited his hook with the sacred Aile bird tied to the line with his enchanted Aluna cord .

As he cast the hook into the depths , he whispered his chant Bite , oh depths of the sea , bite , let the land rise as my prize . The waters churned . At first the brother scoffed , thinking Maui had snagged a large fish . But soon the canoe rocked violently and they realized their brother had ensnared something far greater .

The sea trembled and from its depths emerged land . And from its depths emerged land , vast , black and jagged , shimmering as water cascaded off its new-formed edges . Maui warned his brothers not to look back , but curiosity overtook them . As one turned , the spell broke , the line snapped and the land fractured into islands .

To this day , those islands , the Hawaiian chain remain as scattered jewels in the Pacific , a testament to Maui's triumph and his brother's folly . Maui's powers extended beyond the seas . One day he observed his mother struggling to pound a copper cloth , their struggling to pound copper cloth .

Each time she began her work , the sun would race across the sky , forcing her to abandon her efforts as night fell too quickly . Moved by her plight , maui vowed to tame the sun . Ascending Haleakala , the house of the sun , maui waited for the dawn . He had fashioned a great net from the hair of her sisters , its strands imbued with chants of binding .

As the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountain , maui cast his net and snared the sun's blazing legs . The sun thrashed and roared , but Maui held firm . Why do you race so swiftly across the heavens , he demanded . The sun , weary of the struggle , pleaded for release .

Maui struck a deal the sun would move slowly for half the year , granting long days for work and quicker during the other half , bringing the shorter days of winter . Thus Maui ensured balance , his victory immortalized in the lingering warmth of summer . Fire was another treasure Maui claimed for humanity .

It was hidden by the stingy alley bird who selfishly guarded the secret . Maui , determined to share it with his people , chased the bird relentlessly . When he finally caught it , the bird promised to reveal the truth if spared . It led Maui to the dry trees on the highlands .

It led Maui to the dry trees on the highlands , rubbed the branches of the dry trees , it squawked , trembling in Maui's grip . Maui released the bird and followed its instructions , striking the wood Until sparks danced into flame . He returned to his people with a precious gift .

Until sparks danced into flame , he returned to his people with the precious gift , but marked the bird forever with a scorched red head . Despite his triumphs , maui's greatest challenge was against death itself . He believed that humans should not perish but live endlessly , as the gods did .

To achieve this , he sought to conquer Hinunuitepo , the goddess of death who guarded the secret of eternal life . She was a being of terrible beauty , her body shimmering like polished obsidian hair flowing like dark seaweed in a midnight tide .

Her eyes glowed with the cold fire of greenstone and her mouth , lined with teeth of volcanic glass , gaped wide , ready to devour . Any who approach Maui's plan was audacious to enter her body and seize her heart , the source of mortality . Transforming into a lizard , he crept toward her sleeping form , her obsidian teeth gleaming like daggers .

He warned his companions , birds who accompanied him , not to laugh , for any sound would wake her . As Maui crawled into the goddess , the tiny bird let out a shrill cry of laughter . Hinanuitepo awoke with a start and clamped her teeth shut , slicing Maui in half . Thus , maui fell his quest for immortality unfulfilled .

Death remained undefeated , claiming even the demigod would bested the sun and sea . Though Maui's life ended in tragedy , his legacy endured the islands he raised , the daylight he lengthened and the fire he gifted to humanity forever shaped the world . Among the stars , his magic hook glimmers in the constellation of Scorpio . Maui was more than a demigod .

He was a force of nature , a trickster , a hero and a champion of humankind . His story is written in the land and sky , a testament to the power of courage , cunning and a heart that defied the realms of gods . His father , the mighty supporter of the heavens , towered over creation , holding the vast sky aloft with arms like ancient trees .

Holding the vast sky aloft with arms like ancient trees , his mother , hina , the guardian of the road to the invisible world , shimmered with an ethereal glow . Her presence felt in the moonlight that danced across the waves .

Yet , despite their celestial stature , maui's birth was unheralded , born prematurely and considered an inconvenience , he was wrapped in the silken strands of Hina's hair and cast into the sea . But the ocean did not reject him . Tongaroa , god of the seas , saw the fragile infant and sent his jellyfish servants to cradle him in their delicate , translucent arms .

The god whispered life into Maui's tiny form , his voice , a deep rumble that resonated through the coral halls of the sea . Maui was brought to Tongaroa's house beneath the waves , a luminous palace with walls of mother of pearl and floors paved in shimmering abalone .

There he was hung , near the warm , golden glow of a sacred fire , where his small body grew strong and his spirit sharper than a shark's tooth . When Maui emerged years later , the once rejected infant had become a clever and vibrant youth , his eyes reflecting the playful glint of sunlight on water .

He strode into the assembly of his family , his presence electrifying the air like the moment before a storm . Though initially unrecognized , maui claimed his place through wit and audacity , proving himself not only as one of them but as being destined to reshape the world . Reshape the world . Maui possessed gifts unlike any other .

His strength rivaled that of his divine father and his cunning was unparalleled . But it was his magic hook that cemented his legend . Fashioned from the jawbone of his great-grandmother , its edges gleamed with an otherworldly sheen capable of drawing up not just fish from the depths but the very foundations of the earth .

The hook was imbued with the chant of power , and when Maui wielded it , the world itself bent to his will . To accompany his hook , maui spun ropes from the Alona vine fibers woven with strength that no fish nor god could break . These tools were his weaponry in his battles against both sea and sky .

But they were nothing without Maui's indomitable spirit , a force that could outwit gods and wrest secrets from the cosmos . That could outwit gods and wrest secrets from the cosmos . Maui's sharp mind often turned mischievous , especially when it came to outsmarting his brothers .

On fishing trips , maui would let his line tangle with theirs , slyly pulling in fish they believed were caught on their hooks . Be careful , brothers , he'd cry , feigning alarm your fish is slipping away . As they frantically reeled in empty hooks , maui would triumphantly hoist their fish into the canoe . His brothers , though irritated , couldn't stay angry for long .

Maui's charm was irresistible , even when accompanied by trickery . One tale tells of how Maui used his powers to control the winds when his brothers refused to let him accompany them to the deep seas . Left behind , maui sang to the gods of the wind , who obliged by whipping up a storm that sent the brothers scurrying back to shore .

They had no choice but to take Maui along , though they swore under their breath , knowing mischief was sure to follow . It was during one of these outings that Maui achieved his most celebrated feat . Armed with his magic hook , he challenged his brothers to venture farther than ever before .

They grumbled but obeyed paddling until the shores of their homeland vanished into the horizon . There , maui baited his hook with the sacred Aile bird , tied to the line with his enchanted alona cord . As he cast the hook into the depths , he whispered his chant Bite , oh , depths of the sea , bite . Let the land rise as my prize . Let the land rise as my prize .

The waters churned . At first the brothers scoffed , thinking Maui had snagged a large fish . But soon the canoe rocked violently and they realized their brother had ensnared something far greater . The sea trembled and from its depths emerged land , vast , black and jagged , shimmering .

As water cascaded off its new-formed edges , maui warned his brothers not to look back , but curiosity overtook them . As one turned , the spell broke , the line snapped and the land fractured into islands . To this day , those islands the Hawaiian chain remain as scattered jewels in the Pacific , a testament to Maui's triumph and his brother's folly .

Maui's powers extended beyond the seas . One day he observed his mother struggling to pound copper cloth Each time she began her work , the sun would race across the sky , forcing her to abandon her efforts as night fell too quickly . Moved by her plight , maui vowed to tame the sun Ascending Haleakala , the house of the sun . Maui waited for the dawn .

He had fashioned a great net from the hair of her sisters , its strands imbued with chants of binding as the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountain . As the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountain , maui cast his net and snared the sun's blazing legs . The sun thrashed and roared , but Maui held firm .

Why do you race so swiftly across the heavens , he demanded . The sun , weary of the struggle , pleaded for release . Maui struck a deal the sun would move slowly for half the year , granting long days for work and quicker during the other half , bringing the shorter days of winter .

Thus Maui ensured balance , his victory immortalized in the lingering warmth of summer . Fire was another treasure Maui claimed for humanity . It was hidden by the stingy Aile bird who selfishly guarded the secret . Maui , determined to share it with his people , chased the bird relentlessly .

When he finally caught it , he , the bird , promised to reveal the truth if spared . It , led Maui to the dry trees on the highlands , rubbed the branches of the dry trees , it squawked , trembling in Maui's grip . Maui released the bird and followed its instructions , striking the wood until sparks danced into flame .

He returned to his people with a precious gift , but marked the bird forever with a scorched red head . Despite his triumphs , maui's greatest challenge was against death itself . He believed that humans should not perish but live endlessly , as the gods did .

To achieve this , he sought to conquer Hinunuitepo , the goddess of death , who guarded the secret of eternal life . She was a being of terrible beauty , her body shimmering like polished obsidian hair flowing like dark seaweed in a midnight tide .

Her eyes glowed with the cold fire of greenstone and her mouth , lined with teeth of volcanic glass , gaped wide , ready to devour . Any who approach . Maui's plan was audacious to enter her body and seize her heart , the source of mortality . Transforming into a lizard , he crept toward her sleeping form , her obsidian teeth gleaming like daggers .

He warned his companions birds who accompanied him not to laugh , for any sound would wake her . As Maui crawled into the goddess , the tiny bird let out a shrill cry of laughter . After Kinanui , teppo awoke with a start and clamped her teeth shut , slicing Maui in half . Thus Maui fell his quest for immortality .

Unfulfilled Death remained undefeated , claiming even the demigod would bested the sun and sea . Though Maui's life ended in tragedy , his legacy endured the islands he raised , the daylight he lengthened and the fire he gifted to humanity forever shaped the world . Among the stars , his magic hook glimmers in the constellation of Scorpio .

Maui was more than a demigod he was a force of nature , a trickster , a hero and a champion of humankind no-transcript .