To justify the ‘magical’ movement abilities of the player character, I want to research one of Polynesian mythology’s most well-known characters/stories Maui, and use what I learn as a basis from the player character.
This video talks about a lot of things, but there are some things I want to specifically mention here
Differences in belief
- There are hundred of islands in Polynesia
- All of these islands have different beliefs about the story of Maui
- The beliefs of the Hawaiian and Maori are the most well-known, so those will be the ones that I will look into the most
Maui’s ‘backstory’
- Maui was often seen as a trickster that often used his powers for mischief that would somehow always seem to benefit humanity
- Maui was born from a human mother, and his father was a guardian of the underworld – making him a demi-god
- Maui was saved as a baby by the ocean spirit, who wrapped him up in seaweed and and taken care of by sea creatures
- Maui was given a magical fish hook by the gods, in Maori tradition, it is made from the jaw bone of his godly ancestor
Maui’s adventures
Maui is known for his great deeds and adventures:
- Pulled islands up from the ocean
- Stole fire to keep humans warm and safe against predators
- Pulled up the sky so humans could walk around freely
- Harnessed the breeze so humans could travel on water
- Lassoed the sun to gave us longer days
But there are also more specific stories as well:
- In Hawaiian tradition, it is believed Maui captured a fire-making bird and forced it to teach him to make fire
- In Maori tradition, Maui sought the goddess of fire – Mahuika – to learn how fire was made. But ended up infuriating her, causing her to try to kill him. To escape, we shapo-shifted into a bird and prayed for the weather Gods to make it rain on her. As a last ditch effort, she hurled a fireball at him and lit some trees on fire – which Maui used the burnt branches to teach humans how to rub sticks together to make fire
- Maui also spoke to a priest who was the keeper of the winds and tells him to release them, and then shows humans how to use the winds responsibly
- In Maori tradition, Maui and his brothers travelled east (To where the sun rested) to restrain the sun and beat him with his magical fish hook until he agreed to travel across the sky slower
- In Hawaiian tradition, Maui used his fish hook to lasso the sun while it was in the sky
How will this effect the player character?
The player characters abilities and the loss of them can be attributed to these stories. Maui could:
- Wash up at an island thanks to the help of the ocean spirit after a treacherous battle (Like the one with Hine-nui-te-pō, the Goddess of death and darkness, or Mahuika, the Goddess of fire)
- Attribute his powers to his ability to shape shift
- Wall climb – Lizard shape shift
- Double jump – Winged animal shape shift
- Dash – Fast animal shape shift
- Use his actual fish hook as a movement ability
Polynesian Astronavigation
As the Polynesians lived in archipelagos, it was crucial for them to know how to navigate the ocean. But without the use of modern day technology, how was this possible?
Ancient Polynesian navigators, often called wayfinders relied on deep knowledge of the night sky:
- Star Paths
- They memorised the rising and setting positions of stars and constellations on the horizon. Each star’s position corresponded to a direction or bearing across the ocean.
- Star Compass
- This mental system, often called a star compass, divided the sky into “houses” or directional points based on where stars appeared. Navigators could maintain a course at night by tracking which star was rising or setting where.
- Specific Stars
- Certain well-known stars and constellations — such as the Southern Cross, Orion’s Belt, or other bright stars — acted as key reference points for directions.
- Latitude Awareness
- By noting how high a star appeared above the horizon, wayfinders could estimate latitude and stay on a course that would bring them to the latitude of their target island.
All of this knowledge was passed on via word of mouth, whether it be stories, chants or song. It was a way for them to teach and bond with one another at the same time.
The Star Compass – Kāpehu Whetū
- The star compass (kāpehu whetū) was a mental navigation system used by Polynesian wayfinders to travel across the Pacific without written charts or instruments.
- It functioned as a memorised map of the horizon, with the rising and setting positions of specific stars marking fixed directions.
- Navigators maintained course by steering toward selected stars and transitioning between them as they moved or set during the night.
- Latitude was maintained by observing the height of key stars above the horizon relative to known island positions.
- The star compass was used alongside environmental cues such as winds, ocean swells, birds, and clouds, forming a holistic wayfinding system based on observation, memory, and embodied knowledge.
How will this effect the game?
The research I’ve done into the Star Compass has made me think about possible mechanics I could implement into the astronavigation aspect of the game:
- Being able to ‘draw’ on the night sky using UI elements to help them decide where on the horizon they should go
- As wayfinders used constellations to draw lines to decide what direction was where
- Add ‘stickers’ or ‘notches’ to the night sky – like the map in Hollow Knight – to help the player keep track of certain directions
- Players could hear songs, chants or stories from NPCs that could help them solve astronavigation puzzles
- Night sky time system
- Players could move forward or backward in time to see how certain stars move
- (Time travel is not accurate to Polynesian culture or mythology, this is simply for the sake of the star gazing puzzle)
Contemporary Issues in Games
To ensure the research I’ve done here is used effectively and properly, I’ve looked into other games that have taken similar contexts and applied them to their own:
Primary Research (Interview)
Luckily for Paula and I, she has a Tongan friend who is very in-touch with his ancestry and culture. Thanks to this, we told him about our game premise and this is what he had to say:
These ‘tasks’ that the player could do (Inspired by myths or legends) that they mentioned is a great idea, but due to our limited time and scope, that might but be possible. But we will definitely find a way to integrate these myths and legends into the game.
References:
“The Messed Up Origins of Maui”
Solo, J. (2020). The Messed Up Origins of Maui | Disney Explained – Jon Solo. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgcaYAQo_qU.
“All the Maui legends crammed into Moana’s “You’re Welcome””
Blogspot.com. (2016). All the Maui legends crammed into Moana’s ‘You’re Welcome’. [online] Available at: https://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com/2016/11/all-maui-legends-crammed-into-moanas.html.
“Legends of Maui, A Demi-God of Polynesia III”
www.sacred-texts.com. (n.d.). Legends of Maui, A Demi-God of Polynesia: III. Maui Lifting the Sky. [online] Available at: https://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/maui/maui06.htm.
“Legends of Maui, A Demi-God of Polynesia VII”
Internet Sacred Text Archive (2026). Legends of Maui, A Demi-God of Polynesia: VII. Maui and Tuna | Internet Sacred Text Archive. [online] Internet Sacred Text Archive. Available at: https://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/maui/maui10.htm [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
Pantheon.org. (2006). Muri-ranga-whenua | Facts, Information, and Mythology. [online] Available at: https://pantheon.org/articles/m/muri-ranga-whenua.html [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
to, C. (2025). Maui’s Parents. [online] Moana Wikia. Available at: https://moana.fandom.com/wiki/Maui%27s_Parents.
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