Polynesian Mythology · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Polynesian Mythology by George Grey.
Māui
major
Also known as Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, Māui-tikitiki, little Māui, Taranga, Māui-tikitiki-o-Taranga
A demigod and trickster hero who performs great feats and seeks immortality.
Pāoa
major
Also known as poor Pāoa
An ancestor of the Ngāti Pāoa tribe, central to a narrative of loss and migration.
Hatupatu
major
Also known as O Hatupatu
A young hero who escapes from the bird-woman Kurangaituku and later triumphs.
Manaia
major
Also known as Hawaiki, Ko Manaia
A chief who curses his enemies and leads an emigration to New Zealand.
Tāwhaki
major
A legendary hero who ascends to the heavens to seek revenge and knowledge.
Turi
major
A chief who emigrates from Hawaiki to New Zealand aboard the Aotea canoe.
Whakatau
supporting
Also known as little Whakatau
A cunning hero and warrior who avenges his kin through trickery and magic.
Rātā
supporting
Also known as So Rātā, Te Rātā
A hero who builds a canoe and battles supernatural beings to complete his quest.
Tūtānekai
supporting
A young warrior who wins the love of Hinemoa through flute-playing and daring.
Ngātoro
supporting
A priest and navigator who guides the Arawa canoe to New Zealand.
Tūmatauenga
supporting
The god of war and human activities, a son of Rangi and Papa.
Rupe
supporting
A brother of Māui who transforms into a pigeon and rescues his sister.
Tamatekapua
supporting
The cunning captain of the Arawa canoe during the migration to New Zealand.
Horowhenua
minor
A chief and ancestor involved in the story of the Arawa migration.
Hakawau
minor
A sorcerer who uses magic to defeat enemies and protect his people.
Marutūāhu
supporting
A son of Hotunui who becomes a great warrior and ancestor of a tribe.
Hotunui
supporting
Also known as Paka Hotunui, Paka, O Hotunui
A chief who travels to the Waikato and fathers Marutūāhu.
Te Ponga
supporting
A warrior who elopes with Puhihuia after a clever stratagem.
Tukutuku
minor
Also known as young Tukutuku
A young woman who plays a role in the story of Hatupatu.
Kupe
supporting
The legendary discoverer of New Zealand who chased a giant octopus.
Kae
minor
Also known as O Kae
A man who steals the whale Tutunui and is punished by Tinirau.
Hinemoa
supporting
A beautiful maiden who swims across a lake to be with her lover Tūtānekai.
Īhenga
minor
A grandson of Tamatekapua who explores and names places in New Zealand.
Tinirau
minor
A chief who owns a pet whale and seeks revenge on Kae for killing it.
Ngātoroirangi
minor
A high priest who calls on fire from the gods to survive on a mountain.
Whakatūria
minor
A figure in the story of the Arawa canoe migration.
Uenuku
minor
A god of rainbows and a chief in Hawaiki involved in conflicts.
Rua
minor
Also known as Rua'
A chief who builds a house and is involved in a story of revenge.
Hinauri
minor
A sister of Māui who marries and faces tragic events.
Irawaru
minor
A man transformed into a dog by Māui in a fit of jealousy.
Tūwhakararo
minor
A warrior killed in revenge, sparking a cycle of conflict.
Ngāhue
minor
A chief who discovers greenstone in New Zealand and brings it back.
Tāwhirimātea
minor
The god of winds and storms who wars against his brothers.
Tangaroa
minor
Also known as Rau-hau-a-Tangaroa
The god of the sea and father of fish and reptiles.
Rehua
minor
Also known as Te Pūtahi-nui-o-Rehua
A powerful being in the heavens who hosts Tāwhaki.
Kahureremoa
minor
Also known as Te Kahureremoa
A daughter of Paka who marries Marutūāhu.
Tāmure
minor
A chief who fights in the wars of the Arawa people.
Matuku-takotako
minor
Also known as Matuku
A monstrous bird slain by Whakatau in a cave.
Te Kanawa
minor
Also known as Fairies Te Kanawa
A man who encounters fairies and learns from them.
Takarangi
minor
A chief who falls in love with Raumahora in a famous romance.
Raumahora
minor
A woman loved by Takarangi, central to a romantic legend.
Kāhukura
minor
A man who learns the art of net-making from fairies.
Rangitu
minor
A figure in the story of the Arawa canoe.
Tangotango
minor
A woman who marries Tāwhaki and later returns to the heavens.
Whakataupōtiki
minor
A warrior who avenges the death of Tūwhakararo.
Takakōpiri
minor
A chief involved in the story of the Arawa migration.
Puhihuia
minor
A woman who elopes with Te Ponga after a clever plan.
Whakaue
minor
A chief and ancestor of the Te Arawa people.
Ruaeo
minor
A chief who fights in the wars of the Arawa.
Kuiwai
minor
Also known as Ko Kuiwai
A woman who brings the kumara to New Zealand.
Kurangaituku
minor
A bird-woman who captures Hatupatu and is later tricked by him.
Māuitaha
minor
One of the brothers of Māui.
Raumati
minor
A chief involved in the story of the Arawa canoe.
Hine-i-te-iwaiwa
minor
Also known as Hine
A goddess of weaving and a wife of Māui.
Karihi
minor
A brother of Tāwhaki who fails in the ascent to heaven.
Ponaturi
minor
Also known as The Ponaturi, the Ponaturi
A race of supernatural beings who are tricked and destroyed by Tāwhaki.
Taikehu
minor
Also known as Te Ranga of Taikehu, Te Ranga-a-Taikehu
A chief on the Arawa canoe during the migration.
Haungaroa
minor
A woman who accompanies the Arawa migration.
Tūtewehiwehi
minor
A chief who fights in the wars of the Arawa.
Hinenuitepō
minor
The goddess of death who confronts Māui in his final quest.
Apakura
minor
A woman who mourns her son and seeks revenge.
Tamanuiterā
minor
The sun god, son of Rangi and Papa.
Tatau
minor
A chief involved in the story of the Arawa canoe.
Māuimua
minor
One of the brothers of Māui.
Hīoi
minor
A chief who appears in the story of the Arawa migration.
Toi
minor
Also known as Toi'
An ancient ancestor who searches for his grandson across the Pacific.
Rangitihi
minor
A chief and ancestor of the Te Arawa people.
Hoturapa
minor
A man killed by Tamatekapua to steal his wife.
Tānemahuta
minor
The god of forests and birds who separates heaven and earth.
Tutunui
minor
A pet whale of Tinirau killed by Kae.
Wahieroa
minor
A chief killed by Matuku-takotako, avenged by his son Rātā.
Hawepōtiki
minor
Also known as little Hawepōtiki, Te Hawepōtiki, Poor little Hawepōtiki
A child killed in the story of Hatupatu.
Mangōpare
minor
A chief who appears in the story of the Arawa migration.
Tuau
minor
A chief involved in the story of the Arawa canoe.
Te Paka
minor
Also known as Paka
A chief who fathers Kahureremoa and fights Marutūāhu.
Tiki-tawhito-ariki
minor
Also known as Tiki
A legendary figure who creates the first woman.
Rongorongo
minor
A woman who marries Turi and accompanies him to New Zealand.
Hou
minor
A chief who appears in the story of the Arawa migration.
Maru
minor
Also known as Maru'
A god of war and a chief in Hawaiki.
Toto
minor
A woman who gives the Aotea canoe to Turi.
