The most famous and well known of these is the demigod Maui.ġ6 The fictional movie takes place 3,000 years ago in the islands of Polynesia, an area that includes Hawaii, Tonga and Tahiti. Interestingly enough, the ancient Polynesians blended these two forms of storytelling to include real people who attained god-like powers with the fallibility of the human condition – creating what today we call demi-gods and goddesses.
Her father is Cheif Tui, the leader of the village of Motunui. Instead, it tosses her into a brutal storm for some reason, and the next thing you know she wakes up on Demigod Island to hear a song called “You’re Welcome,” which is essentially about the powers of demigods (specifically Maui). “The idea that what we perceive as the villain of the film is actually ‘nature wronged’ was always an idea that we had, and wanted to build toward,” Shurer said. Though Moana and Te Fiti aren’t related by blood like Anna and Elsa, the sacrifice underscores the large role nature plays in the film. Occupation Actress singer Years active 2016–present Dec 2, 2016Īuliʻi Cravalho Cravalho in 2017 Born Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho NovemKohala, Hawaii, U.S. Moana-pronounced “moh-AH-nah,” not “MWAH-nah” means “ocean”-and the character is chosen by the sea itself to return the stolen heart of Te Fiti, who turns out to be an island deity (Tahiti, in its various linguistic forms, including Tafiti, is a pan-Polynesian word for any faraway place). Nature, giving life, being whole, Moana’s heroism. The film tells the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti. … However, the creators of Moana did get their inspiration from historical facts and ancient folklore. However, the demigod, Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson in the movie), has been around in Polynesian folklore for centuries. The character of Moana is not a real person. Moana’s pet pig is named Pua, which means “flower.” Oct 2, 2017 Her grandmother’s name, Tala, means “story” in Samoan. Hei Hei means “chicken.” Moana’s father Tui is named after a New Zealand bird. She has to come from Tonga or Samoa, the two first archipelagoes where the Polynesian People was born. So it all works out in the end: Moana is not from Hawaii, and neither is she from New Zealand. Moana’s story didn’t end by partnering up with her future husband. They mutually loved and appreciated each other at the end of the movie, and they were clearly bonded, but it wasn’t in a romantic way at all. What I appreciated about Moana is that Moana and Maui didn’t fall in love.
… During one of their battles, Maui ripped off one of Tamatoa’s legs which, according to Maui, plays a part in the giant crab’s hatred for him. For centuries he has plotted to steal and control the heart of the island goddess Te Fiti. He is also Maui’s arch-nemesis.Ī shiny shell isn’t enough for Tamatoa, however. He is a greedy, ruthless, narcissistic and selfish giant crab who loves to collect valuable objects for himself. Tamatoa is the secondary antagonist of Disney’s 56th full-length animated feature film Moana. Giant coconut crab Tamatoa is a fictional giant coconut crab from the 2016 film Moana. This would mirror Moana’s grandmother, Tala, reincarnating as a manta ray upon her death, as per her matching tattoo. In the SuperCarlinBrothers’ video about the villain Tamatoa from Disney’s Moana (2016), they theorize that Tamatoa is, in fact, the reincarnated spirit (or a reincarnation) of a human.