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Polynesian Folktales

Traditional stories from the islands of Polynesia, filled with wit, heroism, and moral wisdom.

An illustration of Hiro battling a storm in his magic canoe before it turns to stone, Tahitian folktale.

Hiro the Trickster and the Magic Canoe

by Quwwatu-Llah Oyebode

November 4, 2025

Polynesian Folktales·Tahitian Folktales

Long ago, in the islands of Tahiti, when gods still walked among humankind and the sea was a living spirit, there lived a man unlike any other. His name was Hiro, the great navigator, the daring thief, and the cunning trickster. Tales of his feats echoed across the islands, some spoke of his cleverness with awe, others whispered of his arrogance

An illustration of Pania, the sea maiden, returning to the ocean near Napier, Māori folktale scene.

Māori Folktales (New Zealand)·Polynesian Folktales

The Tale of Pania of the Reef: The Sea Maiden of Napier

Along the glittering coast of Hawke’s Bay, where the waves break gently upon the rocks and the tides sing to the moon, there once lived a maiden named Pania. Her home was beneath the sea, in a realm unseen by mortals, a shimmering underwater world where coral gardens bloomed and

An illustration of the three Tongan gods Tangaloa, Maui, and Hikule‘o shaping the heavens, earth, and Pulotu.

The Tale of Hikule‘o, Tangaloa, and Maui: Tongan Folktale

Long ago, before there were islands, seas, or stars, there existed only

An illustration of Kamapua‘a the boar god confronting Pele the fire goddess, Hawaiian folktale scene.

The Story of Kamapua‘a: The Pig God

In the lush, misty valleys of old Hawai‘i, where waterfalls tumbled from

An illustration of Pele, Hawaiian volcano goddess, standing over fiery Kīlauea crater.

The Voice of the Volcano: The Tale of Pele’s Journey

November 7, 2025

Hawaiian Folktales·Polynesian Folktales

In the time before the islands of Hawaii took their present form, the world was restless, and the earth’s breath burned beneath the ocean’s skin. From that molten fire came Pele, the goddess of volcanoes and the embodiment of creation through flame. Her spirit was fierce and radiant, her power

An illustration of Māui lifting the Hawaiian Islands with his glowing fishhook, Hawaiian folktale scene.

The Fishhook of Maui (Manaiakalani): Hawaiian Folktale

November 7, 2025

Hawaiian Folktales·Polynesian Folktales

In the time when the world was young and the great ocean stretched endlessly beneath the heavens, there lived the demigod Māui, the daring son of the goddess Hina. He was clever, strong, and endlessly curious, a trickster and teacher, loved and feared in equal measure by mortals and gods alike.

An illustration of Princess Naupaka and Kauʻi parting by the sea, Hawaiian folktale scene.

The Legend of the Naupaka Flower: Hawaiian Folktale

November 7, 2025

Hawaiian Folktales·Polynesian Folktales

In the time of the old gods, when the Hawaiian Islands were still watched over by ancestral spirits and every wind carried the breath of a deity, there lived a young princess named Naupaka. She was a daughter of a noble chief, born beneath the golden sun of Hawai‘i and

An illustration of Saveasi’uleo sending flying foxes into the Samoan sky.

The Origin of the Flying Fox: A Samoan Folktale of Divine Compassion and Sacred Balance

November 7, 2025

Polynesian Folktales·Samoan Folktales

In the time before memory, when the world was still new and the skies were closer to the earth, the people of Samoa faced a famine so severe that even the sea seemed to weep for them. The sun scorched the soil, rivers thinned to threads of silver, and the

An illustration of Pili shaping rivers and fields with divine light, Samoan folktale scene.

The Story of Pili, the Earth Shaper

November 7, 2025

Polynesian Folktales·Samoan Folktales

In the time when the heavens were close to the sea and the gods still walked among mortals, there lived in the celestial realm of Tagaloa-lagi, the supreme creator, a radiant being named Pili. He was one of Tagaloa’s many sons, born of light and divine purpose. Among all his

An illustration of Tanu holding a glowing conch shell by the Samoan sea.

The Song of the Talking Sea Shell: A Samoan Folktale of Love and Ocean Wisdom

November 7, 2025

Polynesian Folktales·Samoan Folktales

Long ago, in a small coastal village in Samoa, there lived a boy named Tanu, who had eyes as dark as the depths of the ocean and a spirit as restless as the tides. The sea was both his playground and his teacher, its waves his lullabies, its winds his

“Two brothers in a canoe guided by the glowing shark god Saumaeafe across the Polynesian sea toward Samoa.”

The Tongan Brothers and the Shark God

November 7, 2025

Polynesian Folktales·Samoan Folktales

In the ancient days when the ocean stretched unbroken between the isles of the Pacific and the gods still walked among men, there lived two brothers from the island of Tonga. They were sons of a humble fisherman but men of great courage, bound together by blood, loyalty, and the

An illustration of Tinirau’s sacred dolphin Tutunui and Kae’s betrayal, Māori folktale of New Zealand.

The Story of Tinirau and Kae: The Sacred Dolphin

November 6, 2025

Māori Folktales (New Zealand)·Polynesian Folktales

In the ancient days of Aotearoa, when the world still shimmered with the breath of the gods and every creature held sacred purpose, there lived a great chief and guardian of the sea named Tinirau. He was known far and wide as the protector of the sacred dolphins, beings that could

An illustration of Chief Te Rauparaha rising from a pit, Māori folktale scene from New Zealand.

The Legend of Te Rauparaha and the Haka “Ka Mate”: The Chant of Survival

November 6, 2025

Māori Folktales (New Zealand)·Polynesian Folktales

In the rugged heart of Aotearoa, where the mountains rise from the mists and rivers carve deep paths through ancient lands, there lived a powerful and cunning chief named Te Rauparaha. He was the leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe, bold, ambitious, and unyielding in his quest to lead his people

An illustration of Kahungunu courting Rongomaiwahine by the sea, Māori folktale of New Zealand.

The Story of Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine: The Founding Ancestors

November 6, 2025

Māori Folktales (New Zealand)·Polynesian Folktales

Long ago, in the rich green lands of Aotearoa, where the mountains breathed mist and the waves whispered the names of ancestors, there lived a great chief named Kahungunu. He was known across the tribes not only for his striking presence and noble lineage but also for his intelligence, diplomacy, and courage.

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Polynesian Folktales

Hiro the Trickster and the Magic Canoe

The Tale of Pania of the Reef: The Sea Maiden of Napier

The Tale of Hikule‘o, Tangaloa, and Maui: Tongan Folktale

The Story of Kamapua‘a: The Pig God

The Voice of the Volcano: The Tale of Pele’s Journey

The Fishhook of Maui (Manaiakalani): Hawaiian Folktale

The Legend of the Naupaka Flower: Hawaiian Folktale

The Origin of the Flying Fox: A Samoan Folktale of Divine Compassion and Sacred Balance

The Story of Pili, the Earth Shaper

The Song of the Talking Sea Shell: A Samoan Folktale of Love and Ocean Wisdom

The Tongan Brothers and the Shark God

The Story of Tinirau and Kae: The Sacred Dolphin

The Legend of Te Rauparaha and the Haka “Ka Mate”: The Chant of Survival

The Story of Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine: The Founding Ancestors

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