Travelling Standing Still/Solar Myth
SOLAR MYTH
Maui, the dutiful son and great hero, yields to his
mother's entreaty and adjusts the center of the uni-
verse to her convenience. The days are too short for
drying tapa. He is persuaded to slow down the speed of
the spider-sun with a lasso of sisal rope.
mother's entreaty and adjusts the center of the uni-
verse to her convenience. The days are too short for
drying tapa. He is persuaded to slow down the speed of
the spider-sun with a lasso of sisal rope.
The golden spider of the sky
Leaped from the crater's rim;
And all the winds of morning rose
And spread, and followed him.
Leaped from the crater's rim;
And all the winds of morning rose
And spread, and followed him.
The circle of the day swept out,
His vast and splendid path;
The purple sea spumed in the west,
His humid evening bath.
His vast and splendid path;
The purple sea spumed in the west,
His humid evening bath.
Thrice twenty mighty legs he had,
And over earth there passed
Shadows daily whipping by,
Faster, faster, fast . . .
And over earth there passed
Shadows daily whipping by,
Faster, faster, fast . . .
For daily did he wax more swift,
And daily did he run
The span of heaven to the sea,
A lusty, rebel sun.
And daily did he run
The span of heaven to the sea,
A lusty, rebel sun.
Then Maui's mother came to him
With weight of household woes:
"I cannot get my tapa dry
Before the daylight goes.
With weight of household woes:
"I cannot get my tapa dry
Before the daylight goes.
"Mornings, I rise, and spread with care
My tapa on the grass;
Evenings, I gather it again,
A damp and sodden mass."
My tapa on the grass;
Evenings, I gather it again,
A damp and sodden mass."
Then Maui rose and climbed at night
The mountain. Dim and deep
Within the crater's bowl he saw
The sprawling sun asleep.
The mountain. Dim and deep
Within the crater's bowl he saw
The sprawling sun asleep.
He looped his ropes, the mighty man;
He whirled his sisal cords;
They whistled like a hurricane,
And cut the air like swords.
He whirled his sisal cords;
They whistled like a hurricane,
And cut the air like swords.
Up sprang the spider. Maui hurled
His lasso after him.
The spider fled. Great Maui stood
Firm on the mountain rim.
His lasso after him.
The spider fled. Great Maui stood
Firm on the mountain rim.
The spider dipped and swerved and pulled,
But struggle as he might,
Around one-half his whirl of legs
The sisal ropes cut tight.
But struggle as he might,
Around one-half his whirl of legs
The sisal ropes cut tight.
He broke them off, the mighty man;
Let fall them in the sea.
Where there had once been sixty legs
There now were thirty-three.
Let fall them in the sea.
Where there had once been sixty legs
There now were thirty-three.
Maui counted them, and took
The pathway home; and came
Back to his mother, brooding,—strode
Like a lost man, and lame.
The pathway home; and came
Back to his mother, brooding,—strode
Like a lost man, and lame.
The tarnished spider of the sky
Limped slowly over heaven,
And with his going mourned and moaned
The missing twenty-seven.
Limped slowly over heaven,
And with his going mourned and moaned
The missing twenty-seven.
On with a hollow voice he mourned,
Poured out his hollow woe;
Over, each day, the sound of him
Bellowing, went below.
Poured out his hollow woe;
Over, each day, the sound of him
Bellowing, went below.
Maui saw the birds swarm up
And scream and settle on
The carcass of the limping thing
That once had been the sun.
And scream and settle on
The carcass of the limping thing
That once had been the sun.
But still he thought at length to see
His mother satisfied.
"Can't you put back his legs again
Now all my tapa's dried!"
His mother satisfied.
"Can't you put back his legs again
Now all my tapa's dried!"
"The days are long and dull," she said.
"I loved to see them skim."
Wearily, wearily, the sun shook
The black birds off of him.
"I loved to see them skim."
Wearily, wearily, the sun shook
The black birds off of him.