Māui

Māui is the trickster-hero whose feats and schemes ripple through Polynesian tradition, from outwitting his brother-in-law Irawaru to fishing up islands. His defining tension is between his extraordinary power and his restless, sometimes cruel ambition—he punishes slights with enchantment, as when he stretches the road to starve Irawaru before transforming him into a dog. His exploits anchor the collection's early and middle arcs, showing how wit and magic can bend the world, yet never quite conquer death itself.