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Story: Ranginui – the sky

Mahuika and her fingernails of fire

Mahuika and her fingernails of fire

In one tradition Auahi-roa (a comet) married Mahuika – goddess of fire and the grandmother of Māui. Their children were the fingernails of fire on Mahuika’s hand. Years later, Māui retrieved the fingernails and planted them in the trees used for making fire. This image is by Peter Gossage.

Using this item

Penguin Random House

Reference: Peter Gossage, How Maui found the secret of fire: Te kiteanga o te kaapura. Auckand: Lansdowne Rigby, 1984.

by Peter Gossage

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Ranginui – the sky – Other members of the family of light, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/5185/mahuika-and-her-fingernails-of-fire (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Piaterihi
30 May 2012
Meinga! Meinga! tino rawe wenei mahi tino ataahua. kia ora ki a koutou e mahi ana wenei, he mahi aroha mo nga uri whakatupu, he mahi mo nga tangata e whakaako o ratou reo. Tino pai rawa atu. Rawe!
Tigeress
22 March 2011
Have read the book and am doing a poster of Maori atua! It gives great back ground infomation! I love the old Maori ledgends and aspealily Maui and his tricks!
Awhina
28 October 2010
Maui was a trickster, he would receive a nail from the hands of mahuika and then drop them in the river, one by one until mahuika only had one nail left. In her anger Mahuika set fire to the forest, with the intent of burning maui to death. Some of the trees absorbed the flames' ihi and are able to create fire to this day.