MrPsMythopedia - Pele Pele Story by Brandon L. Parsons (2015) PELE: The Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano! The Hawaiian Islands; a cluster of smallish volcanic islands pushing up above the vast surface of the Pacific Ocean, and home to a rich culture that goes back to long before the islands were ever discovered or settled by the first people to find it. Hawaii is only but one of many island groups settled by the large and diverse Pacific islander groups who long ago explored the Pacific in their small but incredibly sea-worthy boats. and they brought their culture, stories and gods with them when they first set foot onto the Hawaiian Islands' black, sandy shores. Sure, its a small place, but never underestimate the power of creativity, spirituality and a desire to explain the universe, because the Hawaiians developed their own interesting group of gods and goddesses to explain every part of nature that could be found on and around their new island paradise!

The stories set around the great and mighty active volcanoes that still dot the island chain are all tied to one of Hawaii's greatest goddesses, the spicy, temperamental and passionate PELE (Pay-Lay), the goddess of the volcano, or "She who Shapes the Land," as named by those who worshiped her! And of course, a crazy set of stories they are, explaining the beginnings of Hawaii itself! Pele Vs. Namaka: Sibling Rivalry! Pele was born to the goddess Haumea, the fertility goddess (she who makes the babies happen!), who in turn had been born from the two original creator gods of Hawaii, Hina (Mother Earth) and Papa (Sky Father). As a child and later as a young woman, Pele was known for being quite moody, jealous, volatile, and rather free-spirited in her ways, which was never a good thing to her older and equally boisterous sister, the sea goddess Namaka, who was, quite literally the polar opposite. Pele was fiery and hot tempered and Namaka was cool and usually collected (unless she decided that storms and huge waves were necessary!).

What they both were though were rivals; their extreme personalities did NOT mix well, and it would eventually lead to Pele being expelled from their childhood home of Kuaihelani, a mystical floating island that was the home of the gods before they came to Hawaii. Namaka feared that her sister's fiery, lava-erupting ways would smother and cover the island, destroying it (plus she just couldn't stand Pele) and so she chased her away from the island, threatening to flood her with her own supernatural sea-powers (a total cancel-out for Pele's forces of fire!) Namaka pursued Pele across the ocean (Pele only had a magical canoe and a few of her sympathetic brothers to keep her company) and into the newly discovered island chain, which is where the two sibling-rival goddesses first made their mark. Pele, who only wanted to settle down and rest after being pursued by her sister, plunked herself down on the smallest and first island she came to. Using her o'o (digging stick), Pele tried to dig out a foundation for a house on her newly discovered island. That is, until Namaka found her and used her oceanic powers to swamp any new holes Pele would dig.

Pele would hop from island to island in a vain attempt to escape her relentless sister, and all to no avail. Every place Pele stopped, working her way from the smallest islands up to the largest, Namaka would be sure to trash the place in a giant storm wave. THAT'S a serious rivalry! Eventually, Pele found herself on the last and largest of the islands, what the Hawaiians today call the Big Island, on the peak of Mauna Loa (Long Mountain), the world's biggest mountain peak (at least when you measure it from the bottom of the ocean floor!) Mauna Loa today. Haikili: God of Thunder... Here is where Pele's luck began to change; Mauna Loa was plenty high enough and away from the ocean where Namaka's fury couldn't flood the weary goddess out! And so it was here that the fiery, hot-to-trot goddess set up shop, along the slopes of the Long Mountain. Though rivals with her sister, she was fairly close with her brothers and invited them to join her on the mountain, as there was plenty of room to go around for the whole family!

The nearby peak of Kilauea became the hangout of Kamoho , the shark god, and the rest of the gang followed quickly; Haikili, the god of thunder, Kapohoikahiola, the god of explosions (which just has to be a cool job all around!), Keuakepo, the god of "night rain" (the sparks that fell from the heavens when the volcano would go off!), and Keoahi-kamakaua, the fire-thrusting child of war (whose lava spear would shoot out of crevasses during eruptions!). Yeah, Pele's bros were an interesting and mixed bunch, but they were extremely grateful to her for setting them up with a place to stay. Pele, naturally, started doing what came natural to her on the peaks of Mauna Loa, and the age-old volcanic eruption party began! The lava would flow copiously down the flanks of Mauna Loa and then when it sluggishly oozed its way down to the ocean and reached the wrath of Namaka, who was still frosty towards her warm-spirited sister, the lava and the water would cancel each other out in fury of gigantic waves, steam and cooling rock.

That might sound rough, but through that constant rivalry, land in the form of freshly-solid volcanic rock was (and still is!) added to the Big Island of Hawaii! Pele protects Hi'iaka before she "hatches..." Pele and Hi'iaka Pele's family was a large one and even though she loved her brothers dearly, she also had a few sisters she was quite fond of. She truly favored her youngest sister, Hi'iaka, who would go on to become the goddess of the hula, a sacred dance still practiced by the natives of Hawaii today. As it turns out, she had an even bigger reason to look after Hi'iaka, because on the boat ride to Hawaii, while avoiding Namaka, Pele brought Hi'iaka with her along for the ride. Sort of . See, Hi'iaka hadn't been born yet! At that point, she was nothing but an egg, and Pele carried her under her armpit as she rowed for her life. Bleh. Yep. That's TRULY sisterly love! (and don't ask where the egg came from; its mythology, so just roll with it!).

The egg hatched after Pele had arrived on the Big Island and was raised to womanhood by her older sister, and from there, the weird relationship only got weirder. One night, Pele decided to take a little night out for herself. She fell asleep and allowed her spirit to leave her body, and from there she flew to the north shore of the island of Kaua'i to check out a dancing situation the humans had going on there. As it turned out, the folks living on the beach were getting down with their bad selves in a special performance atop a pahula, or dance platform. It was there that she saw the most amazing guy she had ever laid eyes upon, a young chief named Lohi'au, and using her goddess powers, she was able to materialize to him as a desirable young woman, put her moves on him and win his heart. Boom. Love at first sight (or at first dance?). Pele hung out with Lohi'au for several days, living it up in a whirlwind of romance, walks on the beach and of course, dancing (as well as other things we won't get into).

Eventually though, just like Cinderella, Pele had to return to her body back on Mauna Loa... Pele and Lohi'au... When she awoke, she immediately felt her heart do a serious pitter-patter and knew she had to return to Lohi'au; human or not, this was the man for her! Problem: being out of her body for so long, she had no way of playing the trick again, at least not until she'd had a good long time to rest. So, she decided to do what many women do in such a case; she went to her sister Hi'iaka to ask for help in being her "wingman" (or would that be "wing WO-man?"). Naturally her sis was game for the quest and agreed to help Pele out in bringing Lohi'au to her. The sisters made a pact: Hi'iaka would go to Lohi'au and bring him back to Pele, promising NOT to encourage Lohi'au if he should become attracted to her.

In return, Pele promised to chill out a bit and contain her often-overpowerful fires and lava flows so that she wouldn't roast and toast a special and beautiful grove of flowering ohi'a trees where Hi'iaka got her dance on regularly alongside her best friend Hopoe. No sweat. The trusting sisters struck the deal and off Hi'iaka went in search of Lohi'au. (Palauopalae, the Guardian of the Ferns, was sent to be Hiʻiaka's traveling companion, just in case things got out of hand. During the journey, a woman by the name of Wahineʻomaʻo (literally, "light-skinned woman") teamed up with them. As things go, Hiʻiaka's journey was filled with many exciting adventures, such as dueling with the kupua (demons) of the deep jungle-like forests of the island, before she ever got close to Kaua'i. But that's a whole other story!) Hi'iaka and Hepoe: Doing the Hula Dance... Lohi'au and Hi'iaka...star-crossed lovers...

Eventually Hi'iaka found the village of the Lohi'au, but there were complications; upon arrival on Kaua'i, she discovered that Lohi'au had been so depressed by the disappearance of his dream girl that he physically died of grief. Sigh. Love is a rough place, for certain. Not wanting to let her older sister down, Hi'iaka got to cracking with her graceful magic and reanimated the young chief, bringing him back to life and transporting him back to the waiting Pele. Another problem: the process of bringing the chief back to life had taken far longer than Hi'iaka had realized. Forty days to be exact. Over that time, Pele got extremely suspicious and quite unfairly began to believe that perhaps her younger, more beautiful sister had taken a liking to the man she loved. Getting more and more steamed by the moment (literally), Pele went ape and decided to shower Hi'iaka sacred grove anyway and didn't think to check to see if Hopoe, her sister's best friend, was present or not. Result: smoldering trees and flash-fried Hopoe, entombed in cooling lava.

When Hi'iaka finally showed up with Lohi'au and saw what Pele had done, she turned to the chief in her anguish. That just blew Pele's top even more and so she brought forth the wrath-filled lava once again, scorching the skin off of Lohi'au and killing her love right then and there. If SHE couldn't have him, no one would! Hi'iaka, being a goddess, got showered with the same rage and liquid molten rock that the chief was smothered in, but couldn't be killed. Pele's Revenge: The second death of Lohi'au! Pele: Ain't no big thang... You'd think that was the end of the story, ending on a completely down ending, but not so fast! Hi'iaka, realizing her love for the crispy-crittered chief, resurrected Lohi'au a second time.

Pele, realizing what an animalistic jerk she'd just been in killing off a) Hi'iaka's sacred grove, b) her best friend Hopoe, and c) Lohi'au, felt some extreme remorse and decided to let the freshly alive Lohi'au decide who he'd rather be with. Here's where the story gets cloudy, as there are three versions: one, in which Lohi'au chooses Hi'iaka and returns with her to Kaua'i; two, in which Lohi'au CAN'T decide and finally tells the sisters that he'll share them both, and then three, where he takes off alone, too freaked out by the bickering goddesses to stick around, breaking both of their hearts. The most common ending there usually goes to the first of those three, and it is generally told that Lohi'au became very enamored with Hi'iaka, her bravery, kindness, loyalty and gorgeousness, and did indeed marry her back on his own island. Pele, sad has heck about the turn of events, went about her lava-enriched business, but as the future would show, she wasn't going to stay single for long.

Pele's list of lovers would eventually become a many-named and extensive one. Being quite the jealous and vicious revenge-seeker, many of the boyfriends she would have weren't lucky enough to escape with their lives when she lobbed huge globs of molten lava at them, trapping them whole in weird, craggy and oddly-human-looking pillars of rock that dot the hellish volcanic fields of Mauna Loa to this day... KAMAPUA'A, half boar-half man demigod! However, one lover would give Pele a run for her money and prove to be more than a match for her powers and wiles. Who was this mysterious man? Well, he was HALF a man, anyways, and his name was Kamapua'a, a demigod who was half pig and half human. Keeping the spiky bristles that ran down the back of his neck in a long flowing cape, and being a shapeshifter who could transform himself into various types of fish or even jungle plants to disguise himself, he took a stab at making the volcano goddess his woman.

From the get-go, it was a rough relationship; Pele, in a fit of annoyance after a love-spat, brought lava down to cover the land, wiping out anything green or living. Even worse, she refused to have any more "physical" time with her guy. Kamapua'a, not too cool with this new arrangement, brought down millions of gallons of rain to extinguish the fires and hot molten stone that Pele had laid down out of the need for revenge. Then, to one-up the goddess, he called upon his brethren, the wild boars, to use their tusks to dig up the land and allow seeds to grow in it. And it went on from there, worse and worse; even her brothers began to make peace with her angry lover, as Kamapua'a kept the rains falling and they were extremely worried that it would soak, and eventually wipe out Pele's fiery powers. Eventually, the piggish Kamapua'a completely frustrated Pele, caught her and finally got his way; he got physical with her once more (against her will), and it wasn't long before a child resulted.

Oddly, you'd think a free-spirited goddess like Pele would never put up with treatment like this, but Kamapua'a didn't give her a chance to get revenge; he transformed into a fish one night and swam away from the Big Island, leaving her to raise their child, Opelu-nui-kauhaalilo, who would became the ancestor to certain chiefs and common people in Hawaiian history. For all of that, Pele went back to the dating scene, picking the random god or human to be her lover... Pele's #1 Rival: Poliahi, the goddess of snowy mountains... You'd think that Kamapua'a would have been the greatest rival that Pele had ever faced, but in believing that, you'd be dead wrong. The one goddess that really and truly clawed into Pele's mind and soul was Poliahu, the goddess of snow-capped mountains. Right there, you can kind of see why: snowcapped mountains as opposed to the lava-spewing hell-holes (no matter how beautiful) that Pele was used to controlling. Another situation of polar opposites.

And beyond that, Poliahu was just as bad when it came to seducing and snagging the young, beefy men that lived all over the Hawaiian Islands. And it was only a matter of time before the two would set their sights on the same guy. Pele's jealousy went nuclear after she had herself a little romantic fling with another charming young Maui-island chief named Ai-wohi-ku-pua, who had been on his way to the Big Island to put the make on a beautiful, mortal chieftess named Laie. Paddling his canoe along the coast of the Big Island, Ai-wohi-ku-pua goggled when he spotted Pele in human form, disguised as a human beauty named Hina-i-ka-malama, who was riding the surf (yes, the Hawaiians invented SURFING!). Unable to resist her beauty and charms, the chief took a pitstop on his journey for a brief but steamy one-night-affair. The next morning, he went on to the Big Island, but instead of finding Laie, he was seduced by Poliahu, who treated him to another sweaty night of passion.

Forgetting all about Laie and worse, all about Pele we left his world behind and took off back to Kaua'i with the sultry snow goddess. Pele (as Hina-i-ka-malama), was extremely ticked to know she'd been upstaged by her worst rival and chased after them, eventually using her sexy skills to win back the love-bewildered chief, but her victory was not to last long. Poliahu was so frosted at being beaten at her own game that she decided to have her revenge, blasted the two lovers with frigid cold. That icy blast combined with Pele's heat separated them, Ai-wohi-ku-pua was left with no lover at all, and Pele and Poliahu went back to their hate-hate relationship. Pele's Kahu... In more modern times, Pele still receives great reverence from the people who call Hawaii home. Some believe that she (among other gods and goddesses) is an akua noho, a "god who talks," and that Pele can take possession of a human being and have them do her bidding as something called a kahu, or vessel.

Hawaiian historian David Malo writes that"The kahu of the Pele deities also were in the habit of dressing their hair in such a way as to make it stand out at great length, then, having inflamed and reddened their eyes, they went about begging for any articles they took a fancy to, making the threat, 'If you don't grant this request, Pele will devour you.' Makes total sense. People were actually extremely terrified that if they didn't comply, Pele would indeed consume them in a fiery river of lava, so they'd be quick to give over whatever was asked for. And to add to that myth, people had actually seen others fall into those same rivers of lava and knew that you'd last all of a few seconds before the extreme heat melted you down without so much as a trace. Pele still captivates... Even today, in the 21st Century, there are those that swear (mostly young men) that while driving nearby to Mauna Loa in the Kilauea National Park, they have picked up a young and beautiful native woman in white who is looking for a ride. After driving awhile, the driver looks back in his rear-view mirror and the girl has vanished.

Some of those men insist that they've been visited by Pele, the mistress of the mountain! Even weirder, Pele's face sometimes mysteriously appears in pictures taken of particularly fiery eruptions on Mauna Loa. Could it be her? Most of the people who live in the Hawaiian Islands; Christians, Buddhists, Shinto, native-religion practicing folk all agree: don't dare speak disrespectfully of the ancient goddess, because after all, she has destroyed more than one hundred structures on the Big Island in a fiery river of molten rock since 1983, and what's even cooler (and more majestic and magical), she has added more than seventy acres of land to the island's southeastern coastline. And she shows no signs of stopping... However you look at her; beautiful goddess, jealous lover, mythological sibling to the many gods of Hawaii, or creator of new lands, you'd have to agree that Pele is NO girl to mess with and deserves every bit of respect due!

Return to Pantheons of Oceania Return to Mythopedia Go to Mythopedia Facebook Page Pele...Goddess of the Volcano PELE - Goddess of Fire Pele by Betty Fullard-Leo PELE - Goddess of Fire. Described as "She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land" in ancient Hawaiian chants, the volcano goddess, Pele, was passionate, volatile, and capricious. In modern times, Pele has become the most visible of all the old gods and goddesses. Dwelling in the craters of the Big Island's Kilauea Volcano, she has been sending ribbons of fiery lava down the mountainside and adding new land around the southeastern shore almost continuously since 1983. Lava entering the sea. Pele was born of the female spirit Haumea, or Hina, who, like all other important Hawai'i gods and goddesses, descended from the supreme beings, Papa, or Earth Mother, and Wakea, Sky Father. Pele was among the first voyagers to sail to Hawai'i, pursued, legends say, by her angry older sister, Na-maka-o-kaha'i because Pele had seduced her husband.

Pele landed first on Kaua'i, but every time she thrust her o'o (digging stick) into the earth to dig a pit for her home, Na-maka-o-kaha'i, goddess of water and the sea, would flood the pits. Pele moved down the chain of islands in order of their geological formation, eventually landing on the Big Island's Mauna Loa, which is considered the tallest mountain on earth when measured from its base at the bottom of the ocean. Steam rising as lava enters the sea. Even Na-maka-o-kaha'i could not send the ocean's waves high enough on Mauna Loa to drown Pele's fires, so Pele established her home on its slopes. Here, she welcomed her brothers. A cliff on nearby Kilauea Mountain is sacred to her eldest brother, Ka-moho-ali'i, king of the sharks and the keeper of the gourd that held the water of life, which gave him the power to revive the dead. Out of respect for this brother, to this day, Pele never allows clouds of volcanic steam to touch his cliff.

Her other brothers also still appear on the Big Island mountain; Kane-hekili as thunder, Ka-poho-i-kahi-ola as explosions, Ke-ua-a-kepo in showers of fire, and Ke-o-ahi-kama-kaua in spears of lava that escape from fissures during eruptions. Of all her siblings, Pele favored her youngest sister Hi'iaka, the most. Pele, Hi'iaka and another sister, Laka, goddess of hula, were all patronesses of the dance, but Hi'iaka was said to have hatched from an egg that Pele kept warm during the long canoe ride to Hawai'i by transporting it in her armpit. After Hi'iaka grew to womanhood on the Big Island, Pele traveled in spirit form to the north shore of Kaua'i to witness a dance performance at a pahula, or dance platform, that still exists near Ke'e Beach. Here she manifested herself as a desirable young woman, and quickly fell in love with a handsome young chief named Lohi'au. She dallied with Lohi'au for several days, but eventually her spirit had to return to her sleeping body on the Big Island.

Upon awakening, Pele sent Hi'iaka to convince Lohi'au to come to her. The sisters extracted vows from each other: Hi'iaka promised not to encourage Lohi'au should he become attracted to her and in return, Pele promised to contain her fires and lava flows so as not to burn a grove of flowering ohi'a trees where Hi'iaka danced with her friend Hopoe. On Kaua'i, Hi'iaka found that Lohi'au had died of grief after Pele disappeared, but the graceful younger sister was able to restore his spirit to his body, bringing him back to life. Together, the two of them began the journey to the Big Island, but Pele's suspicious nature got the best of her. Because forty days had passed since Hi'iaka had set out on her assigned mission, Pele decided she had been betrayed, and so sent a flood of lava into Hi'iaka's 'ohi'a-lehua grove, killing Hopoe in the process. When Hi'iaka saw the smoldering trees and her dancing friend entombed in lava, she flung herself into the arms of Lohi'au.

In retribution, Pele set lose another stream of lava, which killed the mortal Lohi'au, but Hi'iaka, a goddess, could not be destroyed. Madame Pele always manages to produce some sort of excitement for her guests. On this day in 1924 it was a huge steam eruption in Kilauea caldera. The legend has a happy ending, however, as yet another brother of Pele's, Kane-milo-hai, reached out and caught Lohi'au's spirit when he saw it floating past his canoe. He restored the spirit to Lohi'au's body, and once again, the chief was brought back to life. Hi'iaka and Lohi'au returned to Kaua'i to live contentedly. Legends about Pele, her rivals and her lovers abound. Most of the lovers she took were not lucky enough to escape with their lives when she hurled molten lava at them, trapping them in odd misshapen pillars of rock that dot volcanic fields to this day. One lover who proved a match for Pele was Kamapua'a, a demi-god who hid the bristles that grew down his back by wearing a cape.

The pig god could also appear as a plant or as various types of fish. He and Pele were at odds from the beginning; she covered the land with barren lava, he brought torrents of rain to extinguish her fires and called the wild boars to dig up the land, softening it so seeds could grow. Pele and Kamapua'a raged against each other until her brothers begged her to give in, as they feared Kamapua'a's storms would soak all the fire sticks and kill Pele's power to restore fire. In Puna, at a place called Ka-lua-o-Pele, where the land seems torn up as if a great struggle had taken place, legend says Kamapua'a finally caught and ravaged Pele. The two remained tempestuous lovers, it is said, until a child was born, then Kamapua'a sailed away and Pele went back to her philandering ways. Pele's greatest rival was Poliahu, goddess of snow-capped mountains, and a beauty who, like Pele, seduced handsome mortal chiefs.

Pele's jealousy flamed after she had a fling with a fickle young Maui chief named 'Ai-wohi-ku-pua, as he was traveling to the Big Island to court a mortal chiefess, Laie. Paddling along the Hana Coast, 'Ai-wohi-ku-pua saw Pele in human form as a beauty named Hina-i-ka-malama, riding the surf. He paused for a brief affair. Then he went on to the Big Island, where Poliahu seduced him. He convinced his personal goddess to release him from his promise to his first love, and went back to Kaua'i with the snow goddess. Pele (as Hina-i-ka-malama) chased after them, eventually winning back the fickle chief, but Poliahu was so vindictive, she blasted the lovers with cold and heat until they separated, and 'Ai-wohi-ku-pua was left with no lover at all. According to Hawaiian historian David Malo in his book "Hawaiian Antiquities," in old Hawai'i, some gods and goddesses, including Pele, were believed to be akua noho, gods who talked.

They could take possession of an earthly being, who became the god's kahu. Malo writes, "The kahu of the Pele deities also were in the habit of dressing their hair in such a way as to make it stand out at great length, then, having inflamed and reddened their eyes, they went about begging for any articles they took a fancy to, making the threat, 'If you don't grant this request, Pele will devour you.' Many people were imposed upon in this manner, fearing Pele might actually consume them." Naturally, people who had seen others destroyed in Pele's fiery lava flows, were terrorized by such a kahu. Pele has continued to intrigue contemporary men. Not long after the old religion was abolished in 1819, the high chiefess Kapi'olani defied Pele by eating 'ohelo berries at the edge of Halema'uma'u caldera without first offering them to or requesting Pele's permission. In open defiance, Kapi'olani threw stones into the molten lava below. When she was not harmed, she insisted it proved Pele had no power and it was time for Hawaiian people to accept Christianity as their religion.

In 1823, when Reverend William Ellis became the first white man to visit Kilauea, most Hawaiians accompanying the expedition were still in awe of the volatile goddess. The hungry missionaries began to eat 'ohelo berries, but were quickly warned to give Pele an offering. Ellis wrote, "We told them ...that we acknowledged Jehovah as the only divine proprietor of the fruits of this earth, and felt thankful to Him for them, especially in our present circumstances."...We traveled on, regretting that the natives should indulge in notions so superstitious." At the crater, the Hawaiian guides "turned their faces toward the place where the greatest quantity of smoke and vapor issued, and, breaking the ('ohelo) branch they held in their hand in two, they threw one part down the precipice, saying: E Pele, eia ka 'ohelo 'au; (Oh, Pele, here are your branches) e taumaha aku wau 'ia 'oe (I offer some to you) e 'ai ho'i au tetahi (some I also eat). To this day, tales of Pele's power and peculiarities continue.

Whispered encounters with Pele include those of drivers who pick up an old woman dressed all in white accompanied by a little dog on roads in Kilauea National Park, only to look in the mirror to find the back seat empty. Pele's face has mysteriously appeared in photographs of fiery eruptions, and most people who live in the islands-whether Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, or other-speak respectfully of the ancient goddess. After all, she has destroyed more than 100 structures on the Big Island since 1983, and perhaps even more awesome than that, she has added more than 70 acres of land to the island's southeastern coastline. "Readers may submit editorial comments to any of our stories by sending an email to les@lbdcoffee.com . We would be happy to attach your comments and feedback to anything we publish online. Thank you for your interest." Story appeared originally in Coffee Times print magazine and appears online for archival purposes only. Any use or reprinting of these stories without the expressed written consent of the author is prohibited.

Copyright ï¿½ 2006 LBD Coffee LLC dba Coffee Times, Kauai, HI 96746 USA 1000+ images about PELE on Pinterest | Hawaii, Dance and The great Pele the volcano goddess of Hawaii..she is fire but she is always creating and always expanding her land to create more life no matter the obstacle More The Legend Behind Hawaii’s Goddess of Fire | Roberts Hawaii The Legend Behind Hawaii’s Goddess of Fire Lighting up ancient Hawaiian legends, Pele (pronounced peh-leh) the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance and volcanoes is a well-known character. Otherwise known as ka wahine ai honua, the woman who devours the land, Pele’s home is believed to be Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. However, all of Hawaii lays the setting for her stories, so that to this day, any volcanic eruption in Hawaii is attributed to Pele’s longing to be with her true love. Pele is renowned for her passionate and fiery temperament and many people who visit the islands will hear stories of her power and destruction.

One of six daughters and seven sons born to Haumea (an ancient Earth goddess) and Kane Milohai (the creator of the sky, earth and upper heavens), Pele’s siblings include Kane Milohai, Kamohoalii, Namaka as well as 13 sisters with the same name – Hiiaka. Behind the Legend of Pele There are as many versions of how Madame Pele came to Hawaii as there are lava rocks on Hawaii Island. One common legend says that Pele – who was born in Honua-Mea in Tahiti — was sent away by her father because of her difficult temper and for seducing her sister, Namakaokahai’s, husband. She found her way to the Hawaiian Islands where legend after legend bubbled up around her countless lovers, infidelities and feuds and heated outbursts. Another well-known story spins a web that Pele’s older brother Kamohoalii (the king of sharks) provided Pele with a large canoe which she and her brothers took and sailed away with – eventually coming to Hawaii. When she made landfall in the islands it was on Kauai, where she was attacked by her sister Namakaokahai and left for dead.

According to legend she was able to recover and escaped to Oahu where she dug fire pits, including the crater today called Diamond Head. She traveled through the island chain to Molokai and on to Maui where she is said to have made Haleakala volcano. Upon discovering Pele had survived, Namakaokahai traveled to Maui and the two engaged in an epic battle near Hana, where Pele was torn apart by her sister and became a god, finding a home on Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island. There she dug her final fire pit, the Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea, where many believe she resides to this day. And yet another tale tells that Pele was married for a short — and violent — time to Kamapuaa, the god of water. This story says that Pele rerouted Kamapuaa from their home in Helemaumau and angrily chased him, with rivers of lava, into the Pacific Ocean. This story is meant to symbolize the violent and explosive experience of a hydrovolcanic eruption, though Hawaiian eruptions are much more peaceful.

Pele’s loyal followers believe that the frequent eruptions of lava on Kilauea is a reminder that Pele is alive and still at home here. Pele Parables Pele is often portrayed as a wanderer and sightings of the familiar and popular goddess have been reported throughout the island chain for hundreds of years, but especially near volcanic craters and near her home of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. In these sightings or visions she appears as either a very tall, beautiful young woman or an unattractive and frail elderly woman usually accompanies by a white dog. Those well-versed in the legend, say that Pele takes this form of an elderly beggar woman to test people – asking them if they have food or drink to share. Those who are generous and share with her are rewarded while anyone who is greedy or unkind are punished with their homes or other valuables destroyed. The Goddess of Volcanoes If you visit Hawaii only once, the one myth of Pele that you will likely hear and should take heed of is one surrounding the curses she inflicts on those who remove lava rocks from her island home.

While many — including some kamaaina (local residents) believe that it is only legend, to this day thousands of pieces of lava rock are mailed back to the island from travelers over the world who insist they’ve suffered bad luck and misfortunes as a result. 1000+ images about Pele Goddess of Fire on Pinterest | Hawaii, Egyptian goddess and Norse goddess PELE!!!! There are several traditional legends associated with Pele in Hawaiian mythology. In addition to being recognized as the goddess of: fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes Pele is also known for her creative power, passion, purpose, and profound love. See More goddess pele | Tumblr goddess pele Pele honua mea - Pele of the sacred land Pele ‘ai honua - Pele eater of the land Madame Pele, of Hawai'i’s volcanoes. Goddess of destruction and creation. Fire and lightning. Dance and violence. Loading... Show more notes Reblog So I was talkin’ about a Hawaiian!AU, right?

Well, here, Kagome is a Japanese immigrant, and she meets InuYasha, who’s mother was also a Japanese immigrant, and his father was one of the sacred wild dog messengers of the Fire Goddess, Pele. And because of InuYasha’s strange nature, many of the native Hawaiians worship him, while others are wary, to say the least. I decided the setting would be in the 1910s, because that was when there was a huge wave of asian immigrants (mostly Japanese and Korean) looking for jobs in plantations and factories, and it was also the time where Hawaiian culture was really blending with so much diversity, and there was a lot of Modern/Westernization vs. Tradition and ancient beliefs. A perfect backdrop for ghost-hunting, right? (since there are a ton of Hawaiian/Japanese ghost stories - it’s crazy) Loading... Show more notes Reblog Pele features in Hawaiian mythology as the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes. She is often referred to as Madame Pele or Tutu Pele as a sign of respect. According to ancient mythology, Pele was also the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.

She was said to have been born as part of a family of 6 daughters and 7 sons who were born to the ancient earth goddess Haumea and Kane Milohai, the creator of the sky, earth and heavens. The family originally lived in Honua-Mea in what is now called Tahiti. Following an argument with her father over her explosive temper, Pele borrowed a canoe from her brother Kamohoali’i and eventually arrived on the islands of Hawaii. There, following a battle with her elder sister Namakoakahai, she dug several “fire pits” with a Pa’oa stick that were said to be the creation of the volcanoes on the island. Namakoakahai learned she was still alive and went to Maui to battle with Pele. On her death, Pele became a Hawaiian deity and created a home in the Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea. This volcano is one of the most active on earth and is often referred to as the ‘Naval of the World’ and the place where the gods began creation. Pele features in Hawaiian mythology as the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes.

She is often referred to as Madame Pele or Tutu Pele as a sign of respect. According to ancient mythology, Pele was also the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. She was said to have been born as part of a family of 6 daughters and 7 sons who were born to the ancient earth goddess Haumea and Kane Milohai, the creator of the sky, earth and heavens. The family originally lived in Honua-Mea in what is now called Tahiti. Following an argument with her father over her explosive temper, Pele borrowed a canoe from her brother Kamohoali’i and eventually arrived on the islands of Hawaii. There, following a battle with her elder sister Namakoakahai, she dug several “fire pits” with a Pa’oa stick that were said to be the creation of the volcanoes on the island. Namakoakahai learned she was still alive and went to Maui to battle with Pele. On her death, Pele became a Hawaiian deity and created a home in the Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea.

This volcano is one of the most active on earth and is often referred to as the ‘Naval of the World’ and the place where the gods began creation. Pele’s association to volcanoes paint her as a deity who would both create and destroy, as she was responsible for the violent flow of rock and lava on the island. American Indian Religious Freedom. … Whereas the religious practices of the American Indian (as well as Native Alaskan and Hawaiian) are an integral part of their culture, tradition, and heritage, such practices forming the basis of Indian identity and value systems; Whereas the traditional American Indian religions as an integral part of Indian life, are indispensable and irreplaceable; … Approved August 11, 1978. While this Act was written to protect the rights of the Hawaiians practicing their religion from the government, I take it as a sign that it’s closed. If a culture had to fight to be able to practice as they always have, it seems to me that I don’t necessarily have the right to just decide to jump into their religion and/or take their deities out of context. Not to say that these are your intentions, but better safe than sorry, right?

- nocturnal wix Reblog Lava birds nest Looking like woven sprigs of grass with a few dark eggs in the centre, a clump of volcanic glass formed when spatters of hot basaltic lava were quenched too quickly to form even microscopic crystals. While they occur in many places worldwide, it is from the ever running vulcanological experiment provided to researchers by the sacred smokers of Hawaii, in particular Kilauea. To the indigenous people, the fire goddess Pele was supposed to reside within, and eruptions to be a reflection of her anger, so the woven glass is called Pele’s hair (see ), while the black droplets are compared to her tears (see ) Loz Big Island Maille - Madame Pele Necklace, chain mail necklace, chain mail pattern, Madame Pele Necklace, chain mail necklace, chain mail pattern, In the Hawaiian religion, Pele is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes. She is a popular figure in many stories of ancient Hawaii and is also known as Ka wahine ʻai honua ("the earth-eating woman").

Madam Pele is the most beloved of the goddesses and in many ways her capricious nature has shapped the very lives and thoughts of the Hawaiian People. Madam Pele Necklace The Pele Scale Mail Necklace is filled with the ruddy Earth Tones of the Volcano, Home of the Fire Goddess Pele. Handcrafted from fine high quality anodized aluminum scales. This wonderful Necklace is sure to garner enough attention to please any Fire Goddess. $ Hawaii Volcano Expeditions ~ Tours of the Big Island Volcano December 2016: LAVA is Flowing and Viewable from Boats & Helicopters Flowing with Fun and Adventure There are aspects to Hawaii that many travelers won’t get the chance to experience, but by being here, you’re already a step ahead of the ill-informed masses. Volcanoes speckle the islands and while your initial instinct is likely to veer away from exploring them, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice by not viewing these natural wonders. They’re a part of Hawaiian culture and history, so if you’re looking to get the most out of your Hawaiian excursion and truly see all there is to see, then a Hawaiian volcano tour needs to be in your travel itinerary.

Latest Blog Post: Volcanic Activity Which Big Island Volcanoes are Active There are about a dozen different volcanoes that make up the Hawaiian Islands Being active doesn’t necessarily mean a volcano is or will erupt anytime soon… The View from Above Of course, if you’re aiming to get the best view of a volcano you’re going to want an overhead view. Through a variety of available packages, your chances to see some of these natural beauties from above increases tenfold. A selection of helicopter tours, offered with an open-door view to give an unprecedented view of the surrounding region, are readily available for adventurers that aren’t weary of heights. Tourists will explore the most active volcanoes around the globe, including Kilauea volcano located on the main island of Hawaii. Along with your aerial view of the beauty of these monumental natural structures, you’ll soar over lush forests, crystal clear waters, and black sanded beaches. Where Lava and Water Meet If helicopters aren’t your speed, maybe you’ll enjoy taking to the cooling waters of the southeast coast of East Hawaii. Over rocking waters, you’ll be brought in close proximity to lava still flowing into the ocean.

Departing from Pohoiki Boat Ramp, otherwise known as Issac Hale Beach Park, guests will sail near the Big Island Lava coastline where lava tubes, black sandy beaches, geological wonders, and wondrous sea arches await the snap camera lenses. Closer to the flow of lava, you’ll see and experience how lava mixes right into the water, causing thick billowing steam from small explosions. The amazing reaction makes for great social media posts, so be sure to have your phone and camera ready – and waterproofed. Big Island Volcanoes Update December 9th, 2016 Activity Summary: Kīlauea Volcano continues to erupt in two locations. The episode 61g lava flow from Puʻu ʻŌʻō in the East Rift Zone is entering the ocean at Kamokuna… Recent Posts

Question: Pele is the volcano goddess of what island chain?
Answer: Hawaii