Content Warning: Brief mention of colonization of indigenous peoples and war.
In this episode, I tell "Maui Traps Sun", a myth from the people of Hawaii. The titular protagonist, Maui, is a culture hero present across Polynesian peoples' stories, Maori stories, and Hawaiian stories. He is best known today from his reinterpreted presentation in Disney's 2016 film, Moana. The myth's origin remains a mystery, though it is clearly ancient due to the prevalence of analogues across the vast expanse of the Pacific ocean. The tale was not recorded until the arrival of European colonizers on Hawaii's shores. The occurred almost certainly post-1820, the year that King Liholiho permitted European settlers and missionaries to permanently reside on the island.
We will be discussing the etiological importance of this myth, the non-dual nature of gender roles in story, and the position of story within modern science education.
Thank you for listening!
You can find all of my work through the following links:
