![]() ![]() (Eua and some of the smaller volcanic islands were created separately by the god craftsman Tangaloa whose wood shavings fell from the sky.)Īt any rate, Maui names the largest island “Tonga” in honor of the old fisherman, and that island is now Tongatapu of course, where the capital city Nuku’alofa sits. Maui tugs and tugs until his hook appears once more, but with it also comes an island! Well, Maui knows a good thing when he sees it, so he keeps throwing his hook into the water until the main islands of Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u are all pulled from the ocean. He drops his hook into the sea, but when he tries to pull up the line, it seems to be caught upon something. One day, Maui obtains a fish hook from an old fisherman named Tongafusifonua. One Tongan legend that seems to have relative uniformity, however, is how the islands of Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u were created. Other sources state that these feats were accomplished by a different Maui - perhaps one of his brothers or even a son of Maui. Not only do these legends differ slightly between Hawaii and Samoa and Tonga for example, but the written records within each country’s legends differ as well.įor instance, some writings of the Tongan Maui state that he was the god responsible for raising the sky (before then, the sky and the ground hovered so near that people had to crawl on all fours) and the trickster who brought fire to man. Indeed, Maui legends shift from country to country within the South Pacific, and Tonga is no exception. The legend has to do with Maui, whose identity varies from source to source but is generally considered a god by most (some stories state he was a demi-god with varying tales of his ancestry). While I always thought the designs were beautiful, it wasn’t until one artisan selling these hooks explained to me the symbolism behind them - that represents an important part of Tongan (and Polynesian) folklore - that I understood their importance. The designs fluctuate somewhat, but inevitably carry a fluid, almost tattoo-like shape, with embellishments placed here and there. The shape of the fish hook is found throughout Tongan crafts: wood carvings, bone pendants, and the like. ![]()
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