“Oh Maui, Sun is a great god! No one has gone near him and lived,” Hina warned. “Then I shall be the first!” Maui boasted. “I shall make him promise to go more slowly.” ~Maui speaking with his mother, the goddess Hina
The young demigod Maui listened to the fishermen and farmers who complained that the days were too short for working. He heard his mother, the goddess Hina, protest that there wasn’t enough time to dry her tapa cloths.
Disturbed that the days were too short and wondering why the Sun god crossed the sky so quickly, Maui planned his quest. One night he hid on the high slope. He anchored his rope to a wili-wili tree and stood strong among hinahina plants (found only at mount Haleakala on the island of Maui) until the Sun god rose up. Lasooing Sun’s legs (rays) he asked him to promise to slow down. When Sun refused Maui began to break his legs, one at a time.
This confrontation continued until Sun finally relented.
From then on, for part of the year Sun traveled at his usual speed. The days were short and night came quickly. It was the season of Ho’oilo. The time to catch akule.
The rest of the year, Sun slowed down as he had promised. The days were long and filled with sunshine. It was the season of Kau. The time to catch opelu.
ABOUT MAUI NUI 
