Black Horse

How Fire Came to the Surface

In short: Compare accounts of how people obtained fire in Samoa, Niue, Tokelau and the Society Islands.

How Fire Came to the Surface · Fire from below FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 106 How Fire Came to the Surface Compare accounts of how people obtained fire in Samoa, Niue, Tokelau and the Society Islands. Origin Samoa Atlas record 1884 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Fire from below Reach¹ 4/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 5 records · 4 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Samoa

In Samoa, Ti’iti’i bargains with Mafuie for fire. In Niue, young Māui takes fire and flees to the surface. The Tokelau account follows Talanga as he learns how to make it. In the Society Islands telling, Māui travels with a red pigeon. I’m Black Horse. Fire comes from below in each account. How does each hero get it?

Dated records and sources

  1. 1884 · Samoa
    George Turner · Ti’iti’i and Mafuie · XIX · Published collection
  2. 1884 · Niue
    George Turner · Maui and the origin of fire · XIX · Published collection
  3. 1902 · Niue
    Basil C. Thomson · Savage Island · IV · Published collection
  4. 1910 · Society Islands
    W. D. Westervelt · Society Islands · Maui and the Fire-Goddess · Published collection
  5. 1910 · Tokelau
    W. D. Westervelt · Tokelau · Talanga and Mafuika · Published collection

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. How Fire Came to the Surface. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-polynesian-fire/