Māui

Maui's sculpture at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

**Māui** is a figure of Polynesian mythology. While often being referred to as a deity or, "Demi-God", he is closer to being a culture-hero and trickster archetype.

## History

### Disney versions

Two main different versions of Maui are depicted in the Jungle Cruise's mythos. The intersection of their continuity is unknown.

#### Moana

Maui was a, "Demi-God" born to human parents that tossed him into the ocean as an infant. However, Maui survived and was raised by the gods of Polynesia. Maui would develop magical powers connected to an enchanted fish-hook, namely the ability to shapeshift, immortality, and having an animate tattoo of himself called, "Mini Maui" live on his skin. To try and earn the love of the humans who rejected him, Maui underwent many great feats such as roping the sun to extend daylight hours, ripping a leg off the monster crab Tamatoa, pulling islands from the seas for human settlements, and stealing fire from the bottom of the Earth to give as a gift to man.

Despite these gifts, Maui felt that he could not earn the love of humanity. Because of this, he attempted to steal a magical item known as, "The Heart of Te Fiti" from the life goddess Ti Fiti, resulting in her transforming into the lava monster Te Kā who defeated Maui. Maui was left stranded on an island for 1,000 on end without his fishhook until he was visited by a woman named Moana. Moana teamed up with Maui to return Te Fiti's heart and end an expanding darkness created by Te Kā with their mission starting by recovering Maui's heart from Tamatoa in the realm of monsters.

Amidst a fight with the Te Kā, Mauia's fishhook was destroyed causing his powers to be unstable. Following this, Moana was able to awaken Te Kā's Te Fiti side and return the heart to turn her back to normal. Te Fiti went on to gift Maui with a new fishhook that allowed his shape-shifting to return.

#### Tiki God

Maui was the son of the moon-goddess Hina, herself daughter of the Hawaiian rain goddess Hina Kaluua. Maui was a legendary tricker hero, known throughout the Polynesian. Maui's most famous feat was using his powers for roping the sun with a specially designed net so that mortals could have extended daylight hours. Maui was also amongst the Polynesian deities connected to the Enchanted Tiki Room where their magics granted the room's birds human-level intelligence and speech, their plants animation and sound, and its architecture and tikis the ability to come to life.

An idol of Maui was created in the gardens of the Enchanted Tiki Room in Maui's likeness that he often animated. Around the mid-1930s, Maui was amongst the deities connected to the Polynesian *Enchanted Tiki Bar* of one Trader Sam. Maui was also especially beloved in a Polynesian Village along the Seven Seas Lagoon who used him as their village's icon well into the 21st century.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Trader Sam's

#### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

The likeness of the Polynesian Village Resort's Maui appears on the doors for Trader Sam's bar. Within the bar are references to Sam, Skip Dockmonkey and Chief Nah-mee building a second bar in the village along the Seven Seas Lagoon.

#### Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

Maui's likeness is used throughout this bar with Sam even having a lamp depicting the tricker. His likeness is also being used for the HippopotoMai-Tai ceramic mugs while in the Enchanted Tiki Bar, they resemble the Gill-Man from *The Creature from the Black Lagoon* (1954).

### Other connections

#### Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Maui is the mascot for this resort in Walt Disney World. His likeness is used throughout the establishment and in the lobby is a wooden sculpture of him. Old descriptions for the resort said this much on him:

"*The folklore of Polynesia contains no more colourful characters than those of Maui. His exploits are told and retold across the island world, from Hawaii to Bora Bora to New Zealand.*

*Maui, born of the gods, lived among the people of the South Seas. His Pranks and tricks provided the Islanders with a constant source of new tales… How Maui, with his magic fish hook, pulled the islands of Polynesia from the depths of the sea…And happiest of tale of all, how Maui achieved his greatest feat – capturing the Sun with a specially woven net, refusing to release it until he secured a promise that the Sun would pursue his course across the sky more slowly.  This, of course, means more daylight for all…for all who live in Polynesia.*

*So now you know why the people of every Polynesian Village remember the mischievous one – the playful god of the people, Maui*".

Certain areas of the resort also feature artwork of Maui as he appeared in the film Moana. There is additional theming to the film Moana in this resort such as the shop the *Moana Mercantile*.

#### Jungle Cruise

Maui's likeness is used for the drink HippopotoMai-Tai, a drink themed to the Hippo Pool of the Jungle Cruise.

#### Tarzan

The tiki idol of Maui's bound sun from the Tiki Room appears in Professor Porter's Trading Post, a mercantile run by Professor Archimedes Q. Porter.

#### Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

A wooden idol of Maui appears in the Tiki Garden of the Enchanted Tiki Room. The description for the idol reads, "*Through his special mystic powers* *He made the sun keep regular hours* *Maui tells us time to go* *Time for wonderous tiki show"*.

## Other appearances

### Discovery Island

Maui's Moana depiction appears in tapestries at the Moana meet 'n' greet section of the Character Landing.

### Main Street, U.S.A.

The Tiki Room's Maui appears on an illustration in the window for, "*Fargo's Palm Parlour; Predictions that will haunt you; Bazaar, Whimsical & Weird. Designs to die for Roland F. Crump assistant to the Palm Reader*". This is a tribute to artist Rolly Crump who designed the Enchanted Tiki Room.

### Tahitian Terrace

Maui appears in the Tahitian Terrace of Hong Kong Disneyland.

### Tangaroa Terrace

Maui's likeness is used in this dining-service at the Disneyland Hotel.

### In other media

#### Moana

Maui is deuteragonist of this Disney film.

## Trivia

* In Moana, Maui was portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who portrays Frank Wolff in The Jungle Cruise.
* The Polynesian Village Resort is made to be thematically connected to the setting of *Adventureland* by being located geographically across from the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.disneytouristblog.com/moana-room-makeover-at-polynesian-resort/
2. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2023/04/moana-meet-and-greet-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/
3. ↑ https://disneyavenue.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/a-few-questions-with-rolly-crump/
4. ↑ https://dlnewstoday.com/2019/02/photos-video-in-depth-tour-of-the-newly-refurbished-tangaroa-terrace-tropical-bar-grill-at-disneyland-hotel/