Manaiakalani (Maui’s Fish hook)
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
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Maui is a prevalent god found throughout most of Polynesia. Although each location has its own set of stories relating to Maui, there are many similarities connecting them all. One of those is the sacred fish hook of Maui, which he is said to have used to perform many feats throughout Polynesia.
Here in Hawaii, one of the prominent legends of Maui is his attempt to unite the islands (sometimes viewed as “fishing up” the islands) with his magical hook. It is said that at one point Maui tried to pull the island together using his hook. He enlisted the help of many of the local alii (chiefs) and kanaka (commoners). Just as the islands were about to connect, it is said that one of the alii tried to catch a glimpse of Maui’s fish hook. As soon as the alii laid eyes on it, the magic was broken and the islands sprung back to their original location, and Maui’s fish hook was flung into the night sky, where it became stuck in the heavens. A piece of the island of Maui had been ripped out by the bard of the hook, and fell into Hilo bay, where it is today known as Coconut Island. Maui’s fish hook can still be seen in the night sky, correlating the stars in the constellation of Scorpio.
