Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-04-26
pELe's POWER BROKEN.
A Modern Elijah Ia the Person of you
Christian Hawaii9n.

A Modern Elijah Ia the Person OF 10"
Christian Hawaiian.
At the Columbian exposition IN Cil-
capo. during the past year, many OF US
saw in the Midway plaisance the pano-
rama of the volcano Of Kilauea. when
is on the island of Hawaii, and heard
the natives of that island sing their ora
incantations TO Pele, the goddess OF
fire (who once was supposed 10 live IN
the voleano), and then join IN the
hymns Of their present Christian wor-
ship. But proba bly, we do not all know
how IL came to pass that the via
heather melodies gave way TO the gem
tier. better style of music, or how II
was that Pele ceased TO be an object OF
homaf~e. though, now that the Hawaii
an islands are SO much talked about II
NAV be well for us to learn a little o.
their history.
About eighty years ago the people O
the Sandwich islands, as they were
then called, had very queer ideas about
many things. They believed that GER
tain places or things were scared on
s.tabu. as they said; and anybody whe
should touch one of these objects OF
break the rules OF "tabu in any way
was at once put 20 death. One OF the
places that was most strongly guarded
was the volcano Of kilauea, where
reigned Pele. who, as their old stories
told them. had been driven from one
island 10 another by the water god,
Kamapuaa, who had the body Of man
and the head Of pig, and had finally
ia ken refuge in this burning crater
When she was angry, they said, she
would turn herself into flow Of lava
and come rushing down upon her
enemies, OF she would fling hot stones
down upon their heads
But as ships from other lands came
more frequently to these shores, and
the people saw that the sailors could
do, without injury, the things that they
dared not do. they began TO lose faith
in their superstitions, and 70 disobey
the laws themselves once in awhile,
and at last the whole system OF 'tabu
was swept away, except So far as Pele
was concerned. The people still re
parded her with awe and reverence
In 1920 the first missionaries went C
the Sandwich islands; and though they
had not much encouragement fol
awhile. in course OF time there were
several converts, among them kapio
lani. the daughter OF one of the chief
tains She soon made up her mine
that there was no more truth II
their notion about Pele than there
had been in the other faneies
and she bravely determined to prove
this fact to the people by walking over
the mountain and coming back unhurt
Her friends begged her not to risk he
! life in this rash attempt, but as thel
could not make her give up her plan
| and were too curious as to what nigh
happen to her TO let her go out of thei
sight, about eighty persons, trembling
with fear and excitement, followed he
M the mountain-side. She walke'
\ straight TO the brink of the crater
and. while the fire roared before her
| and the flames leaped into the air. sh
quietly ate some berries supposed to b
sacred TO Pele, and even threw stone
| down into the vortex, an &C
ton that was thought to b
especially displeasing to the god
dess. Still nothing unusual too
place, and Kapiolani said calmly
Jehovah is my God; fear not Peie
should | perish by her anger, then yo
may fear her power; but if Jehova
save me when breaking her tabu'
then must you fear and serve Jehc
YAH" Then she asked that a Christia
hymn might be sung, a prayer was Of
fered, and then, as no sign of any sor
had been made by the dreaded goddess
the people turned and all went wor
deringly home, and the power of Pei
was broken forever. From that tim
the work of the missionaries wen
steadily on, and in little more tina
forty years the Hawaiian islands wer
counted among the Christian nation
of the earth. Burr Banks, i
| Outlook