In Polynesian folklore, the fish hook was fashioned from the jawbone of Maui's grandmother Muri-ranga-Whenua. Many of the stories Maui mentioned using the fish hook in allude to the legends the mythological Maui was involved with.
If you're familiar with Polynesian folklore or have ever watched the 2016 Disney movie Moana, it shouldn't surprise you that the demigod, Maui, wields a larger-than-life fish hook, created to bring him good luck and prosperity on all his travels.
For five years, Disney consulted scores of people on research trips throughout the South Pacific, specialists in fishing techniques and tattoos, ancient navigation and traditional dance. These experts formed the film's Oceanic Story Trust, and it was members of this group who pushed the filmmakers for a bigger Maui.
While fishing he supposedly catches a hook upon the ocean floor. He tricks his brothers into thinking that he caught a big fish and tells them to paddle as hard as they can. He does this several times – forming the Hawaiian islands. Stories have been passed along that speak of Māui stopping the sun from moving so fast.
Moana Theory: Maui's Hook Explained!: Discovering Disney
What does the fish hook symbolize in Māui?
With a creation story like that, it's obvious why Hawaiians see the makau symbol as so special. But the fish hook symbol doesn't only represent Maui's greatest catch, but it also symbolizes the connection between humans and the ocean. The hook also brings prosperity, good luck, and strength to all who wear the symbol.
Maui tends to combine the strength of his muscles and his hook to perform acts such as pulling islands from the sea and lassoing the sun. Without his hook, however, Maui cannot shapeshift. He must also swing the hook a certain way to transform into the desired animal, as evidenced during his fight with Tamatoa.
In Disney's movie "Moana," Maui's hook was not used to return Te Fiti's heart because it had been lost for a long time, and Maui himself had lost the ability to use it.
Thousands of years before the film, Maui lost this weapon after his theft of the heart of Te Fiti and his subsequent battle with the lava demon Te Kā. The fish hook was lost in sea, and eventually was found by Maui's arch-rival Tamatoa, who placed the fish hook on his shell as a prize.
Among the iwi of New Zealand, Hina is usually considered to be either the elder sister or the wife of Māui. The most common story that presents Hina as the wife of Māui tells of Te Tunaroa, the father of all eels, who one day visited the pool where Hina bathed.
Māui is a character from Māori and Polynesian mythology. Though the stories about him do sometimes differ, he is consistently depicted as a clever, talented trickster. He's a demi-god, and he has supernatural powers, but still looks human.
In the mythology of Tahiti, Māui was a wise man, or prophet. He was a priest, but was afterwards deified. Being at one time engaged at the marae (sacred place), and the sun getting low while Māui's work was unfinished, he laid hold of the hihi, or sun-rays, and stopped his course for some time.
Birth. Māui is the son of Taranga, the wife of Makeatutara. He was a miraculous birth – his mother threw her premature infant into the sea wrapped in a tress of hair from her topknot (tikitiki) – hence Māui's full name is Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga.
Origin:Pacific Islander. Meaning:Trickster god. Maui is a boy's name of Hawaiian and Maori origin. This name belongs to a trickster god in Polynesian mythology, and was also given to one of the Hawaiian islands.
Abandoned by his human parents as a baby, the gods took pity on him and made him a demigod and gave him a magic fish hook that gives him the ability to shapeshift. He went on to perform miracles to win back the love of humanity, each of which earned him an animated tattoo.
Even though the long scorpion tail is easily recognizable, other cultures saw the constellation very differently. The Maori people of New Zealand saw the constellation as Maui's fish hook, which got snagged on the bottom of the sea. When Maui tugged and pulled, it brought up the islands now known as New Zealand.
Maui became brave, and promised his mother he would capture the sun, and bargain with the sun to slow down and make the days longer. To do this, he needed a strong rope and lasso, which is mother and grandmother provided for him.
Once he has his hook, he knows he will have access to his ability to shape-shift again. However, once he takes his hook from Tamatoa, Maui can't seem to shape-shift properly anymore. No reason except it having been a long time since Maui last held his hook is given for his being unable to use it anymore.
History. According to Maui, they took one look at him after his birth and decided they didn't want him as they refuse to bear the difficulties of raising a child. As such, they threw him into the ocean like he was nothing, though he was saved by the gods, who raised him to become a demigod to provide gifts for humanity ...
Is Moana 2 Being Made? Currently, there are no official plans for an animated Moana 2 movie being developed for a theatrical release. However, in January 2022, Disney did confirm that a Moana sequel series was in the works for release on Disney+. This will continue the young heroine's story under director David G.