Description:
In Hawaiian religion, Maui is a demigod and hero whose exploits were passed down through the centuries and ferried across thousands of miles of ocean. Traditionally, Maui is credited with creating the Hawaiian Islands through subterfuge, tricking his brothers to paddle their canoe after hooking his line to the ocean floor. Legends of Maui is a book by W. D. Westervelt.
Brief description:
W. D. Westervelt (1849-1939) was an American minister, historian, and folklorist specializing in Hawaiian mythology. Born in Oberlin, Ohio, he obtained his B.A. from Oberlin College before completing his B.D. from Oberlin Theological Seminary in 1874. In 1899, after serving as a pastor in Ohio and Colorado, Westervelt settled in Hawaii, where he married Caroline Dickinson Castle. A member of the Hawaiian Historical Society, he served as secretary, treasurer, and president, gaining a reputation as a leading scholar of Hawaiian folklore. Throughout his career, he wrote numerous articles and several anthologies on Hawaiian myths and legends, which continue to be recognized as some of the most reliable sources on the subject written in English.