Maui, the Mischief Maker
This largely Hawaiian version of the stories of the Demigod Maui, is based on the Kumulipo, the ancient Hawaiian creation chant that tells how the world and everything in it was made. Told with careful attention to authenticity, Maui:The Mischief Maker describes Maui as a keiki ‘eu, or rascal child, whoi was always getting into mischief and angering the Gods.
Maui's exploits, filled with fantasy and surprise, begin with his mysterious birth, unruly infancy and long sea-voyage wrapped in his mother's hair. He travels to Kuaihelani, the home of the Gods, brings fire, babmoo, and ‘awa to his people, and flies the first kite. AMaui then goes on to use the sacred fishhook, Manai-a-kalani, to pull an island out of the sea.
Later, he relies on his extraordinary powers to lasso the sun and raise the sky. He also battles the giant bat, Pe‘apa‘a, to save his wife, and rescues his mother from the giant eel in the Wailuku River. Most of the stories about Maui's death agree that if Maui died, he was killed by the Gods for being such a troublemaker. But Maui was a trickster, and some say he may still be with us.
This ancient myth is told with vigor, simplicity, and a wealth of traditional detail. Lavishly illustrated with the striking block proints of Dietrich Varez, Maui will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Dietrich Varez, a native of Berlin, moved to Hawai‘i at the age of eight and has been immersed in local culture ever since. A pioneering artist and illustrator of Hawaiian material, Varez is known for his handsome linocut prints.
Lilikala Kame‘eleihiwa, editor, is a professor at the Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Raised in Ko‘olauloa, Oahu, she is a descendant of the Pi‘ilani lineage of Maui.
$16.00
isbn 978-0-930897-53-6
hardcover, 9x11, 84pp.
Available at Bishop Museum's Shop Pacifica and other fine bookstores throughout the islands.
Tags: Bishop Museum Press, children's book, Demigod Maui, Dietrich Varez, Hawaiian folktales, Lilikala Kame‘eleihiwa
