Mahuika
Mahuika is a Māori fire deity. Generally, Mahuika is female. In some versions, she is the younger sister of Hine-nui-te-pō, goddess of death. It was from her that Māui (in some versions he is her grandson) obtained the secret of making fire. She married Auahi-Turoa and together they had five children, named for the five fingers on the human hand, called collectively Ngā Mānawa. The symbolism of this connection between fingers and fire is revealed in the stories where Māui obtains fire from Mahuika by tricking her into giving him her fingernails, one by one.
She is also said to have played a role in the formation of Rangitoto island, asking Mataoho, god of earthquakes and eruptions to destroy a couple that had cursed her.
Art by Lisa R.
In some versions, Mahuika is stunningly beautiful, and in others she is an old woman. The more interesting versions though describe her as beautiful when she’s happy, and a hag when she’s angry.
Leave a Reply
About Pete
Plucky polymath, software engineer by day, dreamer of dreams by night. Longing to behold and beget beauty and love, Kōtiro is an expression of my passion for the magic of the world in which we find ourselves.
it is beautiful picture and art