Mythological Connections by Libero Guerrera of Rome, Italy

Mythological Connections

by Libero Guerrera

Rome, Itlay

Coming from a European background, I have never really studied Polynesian culture and  mythology, instead  I studied Roman and Greek mythology. Discovering polynesian mythology, Hawaiian myths and legends more in particular, was quite fascinating to me as I always loved learning about different cultures. It was very interesting for me to study mythology and historical events under a different perspective especially since Hawaiian culture is seriously underrepresented. It is not widely taught in schools though it should be considered for core education. I can say that I am truly grateful for having taken this course because I am getting to learn more and more everyday about an extraordinary culture and the story of the foundation of Hawaiian creation.

Something I was interested in was comparing and contrasting what I have always learned in school, Roman mythology, with what I have recently learned in this course, Polynesian mythology. I have noticed many similarities but also many differences between the two cultures. Many cultures throughout time and history have used myths, legends, and gods to explain phenomenon and ways of life. Just like the Polynesians did, the Romans revered gods as supernatural beings who controlled, determined, or created the world around them. Both cultures believed that everything on earth, such as water, wind, and fire was controlled by gods. The Romans believed in many gods and goddesses as well as demigods as did the Polynesians.

Something else the Romans and the Polynesians believed in was that each god had specific powers and controlled certain things or parts of the world. By placing a mythical god in control of the more inexplicable aspects of how nature works can create a sense of meaning and understanding or control. The Romans also believed that the gods showed their unhappiness by sending natural disasters like earthquakes, hailstorms, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Romans used myths as genealogy and history as well, they often treated their traditional narratives as historical, even when the stories had miraculous or supernatural elements. Many of the Roman gods were comparable if not the same to Greek gods which means the two cultures had the same mentality and thoughts and gave the same importance to mythological stories.

Polynesians as well as Romans were no different than any other culture in trying to find answers to specific questions like who are we, where did we come from and why are we here? Stories were created and myths were formed in order to provide explanations for the unknown. Polynesians are most known for being people of nature. Their religion, stories, and myths all revolve around the ocean, the land, and the spirit. In their culture, as well as the Romans, there are gods that rule over nature and other aspects of life. 

There are specific gods in Polynesian culture, especially in Hawaiian mythology, that can be easily linked and compared to other gods in Roman mythology.  Kū, the God of war, in Roman mythology would be Mars, Kanaloa, the God of the sea, would be Neptune, Wakea, the Sky Father would be Jupiter, the God of the sky, Kane, the God of procreation and the sun, would be Apollo, and Lono, God of Agriculture, would be Ceres, Goddess of the Harvest. 

One of the most important mythological figures in Polynesian culture is Māui. He is the most well-known mythological figures and his origins vary from different cultures around Polynesia, but many of his main exploits remain similar. Māui is a demigod, meaning half god half human, a great cultural hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. He performed many deeds to improve the lives of humans for example making the sky higher and the day longer. Endowed with magical powers, this small but exceedingly strong god and culture hero tried but did not succeed in achieving immortality. Maui could be likened to the Roman and Greek mythological figure of Hercules. Hercules was a demigod, son of a god and a human woman just like Māui, and had many similarities with the Polynesian mythological character such as lifting up the sky and both are said to have had incredible supernatural strength.