► Pele Fights with Poliahu, Lilinoe and Waiau

Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Thursday, December 3, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's Tales about Hawaii

     Pele has had a fight with Poliahu, the snow maiden, for many centuries. The fight goes on today although the two have agreed upon a truce.

     Poliahu is the snow white maiden who lives most of the year on Mauna Kea. But Poliahu wanders. She often covers Mauna Kea, Hualalai and the crater of Hualalai and the crater of Haleakala with snow.

     Poliahu is always seen with a white coat and accompanied by the snow maidens Lilinoe, Waiau and Kahoupokane.
These three have homes on the top of Mauna Kea near or on the beautiful lake Waiau.

SLEDDING
     After making her home at Kilauea, Pele took over the mountain Mauna Loa s a portion of her domain. She loved to go sledding down the slopes of Mauna Loa.

     One day she was sledding down Mauna Loa when she ran into a group of beautiful maidens. The most beautiful was clad in a white cape. So Pele recognized her as Poliahu. Poliahu greeted Pele and the battle began.

    Some think that Pele was angered to have such a beautiful woman tresspassing on her domain.

Pele loosed the greatest flows the Island of Hawaii had ever seen. One of the flows from Mauna Kea which went to the sea formed the penninsula of Laupahohoe (leaf of lava).

     So great were the fires, the snow Maidens led by Poliahu, retreated to the top of Mauna Kea and remained there for a long time. Poliahu called the clouds to come and protect her. So they gathered about Mauna Kea and hid her and her maidens. The clouds dropped snow on many of the fire fountains and successfully extinguished them.

     Lava choked many of the flowing burning rivers.

     Poliahu returned to the battle years later. She has kept the valleys about the foot of Mauna Loa green and fertile.

MAKES TRUCE
     Pele has often risen to do battle with Poliahu. She particularly loves to renew the fight from the summit of Mauna Loa. From there she can send streams of Lava which flow to the sea. 

     Finally Pele made a truce with Poliahu. She agreed to confine her domain to the south of the Island of Hawaii and leave the north Poliahu.

     Some say that it is this agreement which keeps Pele from sending one of her flows to Hilo.

     Another legend says that Hilo is protected by an agreement which Pele made with Namaka, Queen of the seas. Hilo will always be protected from Pele but she suffers when Namaka sends a tidal wave into Hilo Bay.

NEXT: Pele's Dress

     

► Pele on the Island of Oahu and Maui

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, December 1, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

     Just before Pele left the Island of Kauai, she made one more attempt to build a home above Waimea Canyon. She dug with Pa-oa on the brink of the canyon and left a red mound which is today known as Puu-ka-Pele.

     It may be seen on the edge of the canyon today and is a favorite lookout for tourists.

     Pele then came to the Island of Oahu. She knew from her experience at Puu-ka-Pele that Paloa (spelled differently from previous stories) her digging stick, would not dig a deep place on a mountain side., yet she went ahead a dug a hole on the plains back of Moanalua. The crater filled with salt water and was named Ke-alia-paa-kai and is know today as Salt Lake.

     Since she could not dig deep into a mountain side and establish firm foundations, Pele confined her diggings to the sea shore, notably at Leahi, now Diamond Head.

DISGUSTED
     Disgusted with Oahu, Pele and her family migrated across the channel to the Island of Maui. There they lived contently for many years in the great crater Haleakala. 

     From her high cloudland in Nuu-mea-lani (raised dias of heaven), the sea-queen Nakamaka (varied spelling from previous stories) watched Pele's craters filling with water and laughed with glee. The long residence in Haleakala crater made her determined to fight it out with Pele. She lured Pele to the high plateau land above the hedland of Kauiki Nui, off Hana.

     The two sisters fought a battle hand to hand. Namaka succeeded in tearing the lava bones of Pele and scattering them around on the land that is called Na-iwi-o-Pele (The bones of Pele). Visitors may see some of those bones to this day.

     Namaka went back to Nuu-me-lani delighted to think that Pele was dead and would never again annoy her.

     Namaka was misatken. She had destroyed the mortal body of Pele but not her immortal spirit.

TO KILAUEA
     Pele took on another mortal body and led her family across the ocean to the coast of Puna, Hawaii. They landed at a small fishing village and Pele led the way up the mountainside until she came to the pit called Kilauea.

     There was no one at home, so she dug into the pit and made a home for herself and family.

     The reason no one was at home is that the firegod Ailaau had seen pele coming and had run away. Perhaps he hid in some of the caves on Mauna Loa. He has never been seen since.

     Pele dug and dug at Kilauea with her magic stick. She found Hale-mau-mau and Kilauea to her liking. Far off in Nuu-mea-lani Namaka knew Pele was still alive. She saw the spirit of her sister standing over Kilauea.

NEXT: Gifts for Pele