What is the name of the sun in the Hawaiian/Polynesian myth where Maui slows down the sun?

Question

I saw the name earlier today but now I can't find it. Thanks!

Answer 1

MAUI SNARING THE SUN.

"Maui became restless and fought the sun
With a noose that he laid.
And winter won the sun,
And summer was won by Maui."

-Queen Liliuokalani's family chant.

A VERY unique legend is found among the widely-scattered Polynesians. The
story of Maui's "Snaring the Sun" was told among the Maoris of New Zealand,
the Kanakas of the Hervey and Society Islands, and the ancient natives of
Hawaii. The Samoans tell the same story without mentioning the name of
Maui. They say that the snare was cast by a child of the sun itself.


The tale is many pages long. If you want a copy yourself click on my avator and e-mail me through Yahoo ansewers.

The specific answer to your Question is:
Mt. Hale-a-ka-la of the Hawaiian Islands means House-of-the-sun. "La," or
"Ra," is the name of the sun throughout parts of Polynesia. Ra was the
sungod of ancient Egypt. Thus the antiquities of Polynesia and Egypt touch
each other, and today no man knows the full reason thereof.

If you want the Truth.....Ask a Pagan.

Answer 2

Long ago on the island of Maui. There was a boy named Maui. His mother would stay inside and pound kapa, but the sun went too fast, so Maui's mother didn’t have enough time in day to pound kapa. The next day Maui climbed the hill were the sun slept. When the sun awoke the next day Maui lassoed him with his sister's hair. Maui beat all the suns strong legs and only his weak legs were left. Maui freed the sun and went down the hill. Now the sun moves across the sky slower and Maui's mother had more time to beat kapa.
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00056/maui.html

And here's the Maori version about Maui: Maui, had not been long at home with his brothers when he began to think, that it was too soon after the rising of the sun that it became night again, and that the sun again sank down below the horizon, every day, every day; in the same manner the days appeared too short to him.

So at last, one day he said to his brothers: 'Let us now catch the sun in a noose, so that we may compel him to move more slowly, in order that mankind may have long days to labour in to procure subsistence for themselves'

They answered him: 'Why, no man could approach it on account of its warmth, and the fierceness of its heat'

Maui said to them: 'Have you not seen the multitude of things I have already achieved? Did not you see me change myself into the likeness of every bird of the forest; you and I equally had the aspect and appearance of men, yet I by my enchantments changed suddenly from the appearance of a man and became a bird, and then, continuing to change my form, I resembled this bird or that bird, one after the other, until I had by degrees transformed myself into every bird in the world, small or great; and did I not after all this again assume the form of a man? [This he did soon after he was born, and it was after that he snared the sun.] Therefore, as for that feat, oh, my brothers, the changing myself into birds, I accomplished it by enchantments, and I will by the same means accomplish also this other thing which I have in my mind.'
... continued at http://www.maori.org.nz/Korero/?d=page&pid=sp51&parent=44