Folklore: Hawaiian myth
Maui was also a skilled fisherman. Before Hawaiian islands came to be, he was fishing one day, and his huge hook got caught. Then he pulled and hauled out the 8 major islands, they were pulled out of the water.
Analysis:
I learned it in the third or fourth grade when the teacher told us. The land, farming and the sun were the core part of their lives. They were so central and stories were created around them to explain things and to be passed down.
My Analysis:
This is another myth based on Maui, explaining the origin of the Hawaiian islands. It definitely takes place outside of this time and goes all the way back to the genesis. Fishing is another staple of Hawaii (being an island), and its ironic that he accidentally got his hook caught on the islands and pulled them out. Its funny, lighthearted, and makes it seem like the Hawaiian islands were coincidentally formed.
Annotation: Book
Beckwith, Martha. Hawaiian Mythology. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 1977. Fishing exploits found on pages 215-17.