The demigod Maui is archtrickster throughout Polynesia, but his deeds are rather typical of the kupua than of the trickster hero. What original jests they supersede it is perhaps not too late to. Most of the stories on record are of wide distribution and must be referred to late foreign or south Polynesian sources. The tendency is to be seen on the one hand of centering such exploits about a single figure, on the other hand of a local detachment which gives rise to a distinct hero cycle on each island or even from district to district, hence a multiplication of trickster figures each with his own cycle of ad-ventures, sometimes borrowed from district to district. The Kaulu-laau of Lahaina who cleared Lanai of spirits has never been connected with the voyager Kaulu but may be a namesake. Lanai and Kahoolawe were long avoided by settlers through fear of the spirits who were their sole inhabitants. In early days the southern islands of the group were all peopled by spirits, each with its chief spirit, Kani-ka‘a of Hawaii, Keoloewa or Ke-ahu-ali‘i of Maui, Pahulu of Lanai, Kaunolu of Molokai, Halali‘i of Oahu. TRICKSTER stories are generally in the form of contests with the spirits who peopled the islands before the coming of man to Hawaii, and are only occasion-ally told of animal figures.
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