Skip to main content
Mythos Atlas
← Back to the Polynesian Pantheon

A4 or US Letter · answer key prints on its own page

Mythos Atlas · Printable worksheet

Polynesian Pantheon

Polynesian (Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian)

Name Date

1. Who's who

Write the letter of each figure's role next to their name.

  1. 1.Maui
  2. 2.Pele
  3. 3.Papa
  4. 4.Rangi
  5. 5.Tane
  6. 6.Tangaroa
  7. 7.Haumea
  8. 8.Hi'iaka
  • A.volcanoes, fire, lightning
  • B.sea, ocean, fish
  • C.forests, birds, light
  • D.hula, healing, sorcery
  • E.sky, fatherhood, rain
  • F.earth, fertility, motherhood
  • G.fertility, childbirth, wild foods
  • H.trickery, culture hero, fishing

2. Family and relationships

Fill in each blank with a name from the word bank.

Word bank: Pele · Rangi · Tane

  1. 1. is a sibling of Namaka.
  2. 2. is a parent of Tangaroa.
  3. 3. is a sibling of Tu.
  4. 4. is a sibling of Hi'iaka.
  5. 5. is a parent of Tawhirimatea.
  6. 6. is the spouse of Papa.

3. Short answers

  1. 1. What was Maui associated with, and which symbols help you recognise Maui?

  2. 2. What was Pele associated with, and which symbols help you recognise Pele?

  3. 3. Retell “Maui Fishes Up the Islands” in two or three sentences. Who is involved, and what changes by the end?

  4. 4. Retell “Maui Slows the Sun” in two or three sentences. Who is involved, and what changes by the end?

Answer key: Polynesian Pantheon

1. Who's who

  1. 1. Maui: H
  2. 2. Pele: A
  3. 3. Papa: F
  4. 4. Rangi: E
  5. 5. Tane: C
  6. 6. Tangaroa: B
  7. 7. Haumea: G
  8. 8. Hi'iaka: D

2. Family and relationships

  1. 1. Pele
  2. 2. Rangi
  3. 3. Tane
  4. 4. Pele
  5. 5. Rangi
  6. 6. Rangi

3. Short answers (guidance)

  1. 1. trickery, culture hero, fishing. Symbols: fishhook, jawbone, sun. (mythosatlas.com/deities/maui)
  2. 2. volcanoes, fire, lightning. Symbols: volcanic fire, ohia lehua flower, pahoehoe lava. (mythosatlas.com/deities/pele)
  3. 3. The demigod Maui uses a magical fishhook to pull islands from the ocean floor, creating the lands where Polynesian peoples would live. This foundational myth explains the origin of Pacific islands. (mythosatlas.com/stories/maui-fishes-up-islands)
  4. 4. When the sun raced too quickly across the sky, leaving people without enough daylight for their work, Maui captured and beat it until it agreed to move slowly. This myth explains the length of days. (mythosatlas.com/stories/maui-slows-the-sun)

Generated from the Mythos Atlas catalog. Traditions vary between sources; accept well-supported alternatives.