In the beginning there was nothing but ocean Then the mother island Te Fiti emerged From her heart all life was created One of the new islands was called Motunui Protected from the ocean waves by a barrier reef the island was a paradise for its people And all those who called Motunui home were bound together by traditions and legends One of the most famous legends told of Maui a shape-shifting demigod with a magical fishhook Like many others he believed Te Fiti's heart held life-giving power Taking the form of a hawk Maui flew to the mother island and stole the heart of Te Fiti
The children of the village sat spellbound as Gramma Tala continued her story Maui tried to escape she said But he was confronted by Te Kā a demon of earth and fire In the battle Maui lost both the heart and his fishhook With the heart gone a terrible darkness spread across the world It will continue to spread Gramma Tala said draining the life from island after island The other children were scared but Moana loved the stories
