Legends and Myths

Legends and Myths

The Valley Isle's namesake, the demigod Maui, is a well-known Polynesian trickster. When his mother, Hina, complained of too few hours in the day to dry her tapa cloth (traditional Hawaiian bark cloth, used for decoration and clothing for special occasions), Maui promised to slow the sun. Hearing this, the god Moemoe teased Maui for boasting, but undeterred, the demigod wove a strong cord and lassoed the sun. Angry, the sun scorched the fields until an agreement was reached: during summer, the sun would travel more slowly. In winter, it would return to its quick pace. For ridiculing Maui, Moemoe was turned into a large rock that still juts from the water near Kahakualoa.