Pele (deity)

In different stories talking about the goddess Pele, she was born from the female spirit named Haumea, a descendant of Papa, or Earth Mother, and Wākea, Sky Father, both descendants of the supreme beings. Pele is also known as "She who shapes the sacred land," known to be said in ancient Hawaiian chants. The first published stories about Pele were written down by William Ellis.

Legends

Kīlauea is an active volcano the island of Hawaiʻi and is extensively studied. Many Hawaiians believe Kīlauea to be inhabited by a "family of fire gods", one of the sisters being Pele, who is believed to govern Kīlauea and control its lava flows.

Several legends are associated with Pele in Hawaiian mythology. In addition to being the goddess of volcanoes, Pele is known for her power, passion, jealousy, and capriciousness. She has numerous siblings, including Kāne Milohai, Kāmohoaliʻi, Nāmaka, and numerous sisters named Hiʻiaka, the most famous being Hiʻiakaikapoliopele (Hiʻiaka in the bosom of Pele). They are usually considered the offspring of Haumea. Pele's siblings include deities of various types of wind, rain, fire, ocean wave forms, and cloud forms. Her home is believed to be the fire pit called Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit caldera of Kīlauea, one of the Earth's most active volcanoes, but her domain encompasses all volcanic activity on the Big Island.

Pele shares features with other malignant deities inhabiting volcanoes, such as the devil Guayota of Guanche Mythology in the Canary Islands, living on the volcano Teide and considered by the aboriginal Guanches to be responsible for its eruptions.

Legend says that Pele journeyed from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi by canoe. It is said she tried to create her fires on different islands along the way, but her sister, Nāmaka, was chasing her, wanting to put an end to her. In the end, the two sisters fought, and Pele was killed. Though her body was destroyed, her spirit lives in Halemaʻumaʻu on Kīlauea. They say: "Her body is the lava and steam that comes from the volcano. She can also change form, appearing as a white dog, old woman, or beautiful young woman."

In addition to her role as goddess of fire and strong association with volcanoes, Pele is the "goddess of the hula." She is a significant figure in the history of hula because of her sister Hiʻiaka, who is believed to be the first person to dance hula. As a result of Pele's significance in hula, many dances and chants have been dedicated to her and her family. Hula is often performed in a way that represents Pele's intense personality and the movement of volcanoes.

Expulsion version

In one version of the story, Pele is the daughter of Kanehoalani and Haumea in the mystical land of Kuaihelani, a floating free land like Fata Morgana. Kuaihelani was in the region of Kahiki (Kukulu o Kahiki). She stays close to her mother's fireplace with the fire-keeper Lono-makua. Her older sister Nā-maka-o-Kahaʻi, a sea goddess, fears that Pele's ambition will smother the homeland and drives Pele away. Kāmohoaliʻi takes Pele south in a canoe called Honua-i-a-kea, along with her younger sister Hiʻiaka and her brothers Kāmohoaliʻi, Kāne-milo-hai, Kāne-apua, arriving at the islets above Hawaiʻi. There Kāne-milo-hai is left on Mokupapapa, a reef, to build it up for human residence. On Nihoa, 800 feet above the ocean, Pele leaves Kāne-apua after her visit to Lehua and after crowning a wreath of kau-noʻa. Pele feels sorry for her younger brother and picks him up again. She uses the divining rod Paʻoa to pick a new home. A group of chants tells of a pursuit by Nāmakaokahaʻi, who tears Pele apart. Her bones, KaiwioPele, form a hill on Kahikinui, while her spirit escaped to the island of Hawaiʻi.

Flood version

In another version, Pele comes from a land said to be "close to the clouds", with parents Kāne-hoa-lani and Ka-hina-liʻi and brothers Ka-moho-aliʻi and Kahuila-o-ka-lani. From her husband Wahieloa (also called Wahialoa) she has a daughter, Laka, and a son, Menehune. Pele-kumu-honua entices her husband and Pele searches for him. The sea pours from her head over the land of Kanaloa (perhaps the island now known as Kahoʻolawe) and her brothers say:

O the sea, the great sea!
Forth bursts the sea:
Behold, it bursts on Kanaloa!

The sea floods the land, then recedes; this flooding is called Kai a Kahinaliʻi ("The sea of Ka-hina-liʻi"), as Pele's connection to the sea was passed down from her mother Kahinaliʻi.

Pele and Poliʻahu

Pele is considered to be a rival of the Hawaiian goddess of snow, Poliʻahu, and her sisters Lilinoe (a goddess of fine rain), Waiau (goddess of Lake Waiau), and Kahoupokane (a kapa-maker whose kapa-making activities create thunder, rain, and lightning). All but Kahoupokane reside on Mauna Kea. The kapa-maker lives on Hualālai.

One myth says that Poliʻahu came from Mauna Kea with her friends to attend sled races down the grassy hills south of Hāmākua. Pele came disguised as a beautiful stranger and was greeted by Poliʻahu, but Pele became jealously enraged at the goddess of Mauna Kea. She opened the caverns of Mauna Kea and threw fire from them toward Poliʻahu, with the snow goddess fleeing towards the summit. Poliʻahu then grabbed her now-burning snow mantle and threw it over the mountain. Earthquakes shook the island as the snow mantle unfolded until it reached the fire fountains, chilling and hardening the lava. The rivers of lava were driven back to Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. Later battles also led to Pele's defeat and confirmed the supremacy of the snow goddesses in the northern part of the island and Pele in the southern part.

Pele, Hiʻiaka, and Lohiʻau

In one account of the Pele myths, her older sister Nāmakaokahaʻi banishes her from Tahiti for creating hot spots and convinces the rest of her family that Pele will burn them all. Then, Pele travels on the canoe Honuaiakea to find a new home with her brother Kāmohoaliʻi. Her mother gave her an egg to take care of and it later hatches into a baby girl whom Pele names Hiʻiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele (Hiʻiaka in the Bosom of Pele), or Hiʻiaka for short. Pele encourages Hiʻiaka to befriend the people of Puna, but when Hiʻiaka becomes best friends with a girl named Hōpoe, Pele becomes jealous of their friendship. Pele sees Lohiʻau, a chief of Kauaʻi, in a dream, sending Hiʻiaka to bring him to her in forty days. When Hiʻiaka seeks out Lohiʻau, she discovers he is dead, but calls upon the power of the sorcery goddess Uli to revive him. As Hiʻiaka is on her journey, Pele grows impatient and sends a lava flow to Hōpoe's home before the forty days are up. When Hiʻiaka returns to Hawaiʻi with Lohiʻau, she sees Hōpoe covered in stone and knows Pele is responsible. Hiʻiaka spitefully embraces Lohiʻau in Pele's view, further angering Pele, who then covers Lohiʻau with lava as well. The sisters see that their anger led to the death of the two people who meant the most to them, so Pele apologetically brings Lohiʻau back to life and lets him choose between them. Lohiʻau choosies Hiʻiaka, but Pele gives them her blessing.

In another version of the myth, Pele hears the beating of drums and chanting coming from Kauaʻi while she is sleeping and travels there in her spirit form. She disguises herself as a beautiful young woman and meets Lohiʻau. After three days of lovemaking, Pele returns to Hawaiʻi and Lohiʻau dies of a broken heart.