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"If we suppose that the Gilbert Islands were the last group in the
Micronesian chain from which early settlers could embark
for Polynesia, we can appreciate that there were three
groups of volcanic islands that could be reached by
voyagers setting out from that outpost - Hawai'i
to the northeast, the Society Islands to the southeast,
and Samoa to the south. Coral atolls that lay between
formed convenient resting places, but could not serve as
centres of development because of limited size and
paucity of natural resources. It is significant that
each of these three groups has traditions of early
settlers." (Buck) Here we get three directions: northeast, southeast and south. It is interesting to note that Mahuika (according to Maori Myths) gives us these three directions (in that order) and two additional: west and 'whence the wind comes'. I guess that west means the northern coast of New Guinea and that the wind blew from northwest (i.e. from the Caroline Island group), which means that both Mahuika and Maui came from that direction. "Maui and others who are regarded as demigods belong to an early stage of exploration. Their voyages were made so long ago that the islands they discovered cannot now be accurately located, for they lie behind, probably in hither Micronesia, along the route by which our ancestors passed into Polynesia. It is certain that Maui never reached New Zealand, but the early settlers carried the tale of his exploits with them and applied them locally." (Buck) |