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In ancient times, the islands of Polynesia formed a platform made of fish at the bottom of the sea.
The god Maui (Invocation), known as Maui-of -a-thousand-feats, had the idea of crafting them into one piece of land.
He prepared his fishing hook and asked his brothers to put to sea in their outrigger canoe.
Maui ordered them to row until they lost sight of land before casting their lines. They fished for a long time without catching anything.
When the brothers, weak with exhaustion, fell asleep, Maui cast his line and began to sing to give strength to his fishing hook.
He caught many islands.
When the great fish Tahini came to the surface, his brothers awoke and cried:
"O Maui! O Maui! That is not a fish that is an island!"
Then all the fish who had already been caught became afraid, broke loose and escaped across the ocean.
It is since that time that the islands of Polynesia have been spread across such a large expanse of the Great Ocean, Moana-nui.