The forgotten children of Maui
Subtitle: Filipino myths, tattoos, and rituals of a demigod
By: Lane Wilcken
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 162
ISBN-13: 9781492768685
Copyright date: 2013
Subjects: Tattooing; Social life and customs; Mythology; Folklore; Maui (Polynesian deity); History
Description: In Polynesia, Maui is best known as a superman, a demigod who performed incredible feats of strength like fishing up islands and capturing the Sun. Yet, hidden within the ancient mythology, extinct tattoos, and dying rituals of the Philippines, lays the powerful impact of a man well known in Polynesia, but nearly forgotten in the Philippines. In this book, the author deciphers the fragments of the Maui tradition of the Philippines and compares them with what is known in the Pacific Islands to restore a holistic understanding of Maui and the traditions surrounding him. He reveals the actual life history of a world changing progenitor hidden in the metaphors of mythic traditions that still affect us today.--From back cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-153).
Table of contents: title: The story of Maui; title: The many names of Maui; title: Maui's supernatural birth; title: The bird form of Maui; title: The quest for fire; title: Maui tames the sun; title: Fishing up islands; title: Maui the provider of food; title: The death of Maui; title: The legacy of Maui.