Kupurā
Te Kāhui (the assembly) Atua (gods / spiritual beings)

Tipua · Te ahi (the fire)

Māhuika

Say it: MAH-hoo-ee-kah

Fire itself, held in the fingernails of an ancestress. Generous until you take advantage of her — then the whole world burns.

Te Kāwai (Line of descent)

Te Kore → Te Pō → Papatūānuku → Tama-nui-te-rā → Māhuika

Te Kōrero (the story)

Māui came to her again and again for fire, and each time she gave him a burning nail. When he threw them away and returned for more, she understood the game and threw the last of her fire after him, setting the land alight. Tāwhirimātea's rain put it out, but seeds of fire lodged in the kaikōmako and the māhoe — which is why you can still draw fire from wood.

Te Whakapapa (the genealogy)

Grandmother in Māui's line, kin to Mahuea and the fire-keepers; sister in some accounts to Hine-nui-te-pō, which places fire and death in the same house.

Ngā Mana (domains and influence)

Fire, heat and the hearthThe fire-woods: kaikōmako, māhoe, pateVolcanic and geothermal heat, shared with Rūaumoko

Kei Kōnei Rātou (they are present here)

  • The first crackle of a fire catching.
  • Heat coming off an element, a heater, an oven door.
  • Sunburn — a warning as much as a mark.
  • Any time your temper flares faster than you meant it to.

Ngā Huarahi Hono (ways to connect)

Lighting the first fire of winter

Say her name before the kindling catches, and don't waste the fire once it's lit.

Putting a fire out

Douse it fully and say a quiet thank you. Leaving fire loose is disrespect, not bravery.

A Common Misunderstanding

This profile holds one telling of Māhuika. Pūrākau and whakapapa can differ between iwi and whānau, so it should not be read as the only account.

Ngā Uara (values)

Generous

A quality carried in the kōrero of Māhuika.

Proud

A quality carried in the kōrero of Māhuika.

Fierce when used

A quality carried in the kōrero of Māhuika.

Patient once

A quality carried in the kōrero of Māhuika.

Ngā Pūrākau (the traditional stories)

Told in full, the way they would be shared out loud. Versions differ between iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe) and whānau (family).

Ngā matikara ahi — the fire in her fingernails

How Māui went to his fire-keeping ancestress once too often, and what was left afterwards.

About 4 min read

Te ahi o te ngahere — the fire hidden in the trees

Why kaikōmako still holds a spark, long after Māhuika's fingernails were spent.

About 4 min read